Is that a keepsake? Part 2: Do you like it?

What items do you treasure? A child's treasured keepsake may be a game-winning baseball. Adults have a variety of collections that they treasure.

Antique Camera. Do you like it?

What happens when someone gives you a collection or an item that you do not treasure? Do you like it? You have some choices:

1. Store it. Do nothing and store it in the garage, attic, or closet.  
2. Honor it in your home by display. Think of incorporating items into your home decor. There are many options for framing items. 
3. Honor it in your home by use. Choose a portion of the collection if you are not fond of the whole. If your grandma gave you an entire set of dishes you love, use them! Or, pick out the serving pieces and use them!
4. Give it away. Give to Goodwill and you give someone a job. Give to a family member that you know would enjoy it for no reason, Christmas or a birthday. 
5. Sell it - eBay, Craigslist, yard sales, antique dealers, etc.  

Oh no! That tabletop is scratched!

Recycle Furniture. 

Try this with a table your grandmother gave you or you find at a consignment shop.

My mother gave me a nice mahogany table, but it needs to be refinished.  I decided to cover the table with oil cloth.  I cut it slightly larger than the table and stretched it under the edge.  This is a two man job.  I attached the oil cloth using a staple gun.  

When the time is right to refinish the table I can simply remove the staples by prying them loose with a flat head screw driver.  For now this wipe clean oil cloth surface is perfect for meal time, craft projects, and homework. 

~ Gretchen

Yard Sale Preparation - Tried and True Method

Price and Place in Box

The hardest part of a yard sale is the preparation. Procrastinating makes it so much worse and ensures you will be exhausted when you raise the garage door bright and early Saturday morning. To avoid "sale set-up" hangover try the following tried and true method.

Well in advance of the sale (maybe 2 months) place a medium size box in a prominent location in every room in your house. Put the box by the door.

Place a couple of sheets of pre-priced yard sale stickers in each box along with a Sharpie or marker. If you are not familiar with yard sale stickers you can find them at any "big box" store. They are a must because they take the thinking out of pricing your items.

As you go about life in your home leading up to the time of your sale, recognize items you are not using or have lost interest in. Each time you see one of these items, go to the box, choose a price sticker, price the item and leave it in the box. Really try to purge, but don't get stressed about it because you will have a chance to take items out of the box before the actual sale. Hopefully by then you will be fine with letting it go.

When a box gets full, close it, label its contents and take it to a designated place in the garage. Be sure to put another empty box in the room! By sale time you will have a trove of already priced items that you can simply spread out on tables. Typically they will be categorized already because each box will represent an area of your home. For example the kitchen box will be kitchen items.

If you don't want the hassle of having a sale, skip the stickers. Instead, use this method and give each of the boxes to charity when you are satisfied that you have removed enough from each room. This strategy is also great for editing your decor or de-cluttering in anticipation of listing your house for sale.