Broken, cracked, holey, expired, mildewed, dusty

At the dump

Surprisingly, Gretchen and I haul A LOT of stuff to the dump. We've receive a personal lesson each time we watch clients hold on to trash. Yes, trash. Broken, cracked, holey, expired, mildewed, dusty and sometimes smelly stuff.

Many times clients put off discarding items that are damaged. There are many reasons for this but mainly they are delaying the inevitable.

When Gretchen and I arrive and work, we candidly point out items that need to be discarded. Then we have witnessed clients try to hold on to them. After listening to a laundry list all of the reasons these items have not been discarded, we offer to haul the items away.

Sometimes the process is a little slow, but generally we end up with a truck bed full of trash. Yes, we will haul it off for you too!

~ Amy

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

Gifts of Experience

Have trouble purchasing gifts for someone that has everything? No more space in your home to collect another thing? Try gifts of experience.

Give or ask for certificates for lessons to learn pottery, dance, flying, cooking, or an instrument. Give tickets to the theater, a dinner cruise, wine tasting, concerts or train rides. Ask for or a membership to a bulk store, zoo or a museum. Don't forget spa certificates and other traditional gift certificates.

Xperience Days has many more unique ideas. Your creativity and price tags are the only limits!

~ Amy

Looking for space in your cabinet? Try nesting glasses.

How do your dishes stack up?

Cabinet space is at a premium at my house. Instead of taking on a major remodel or trying to rearrange what I have over and over again, I choose to shop smart.

Knowing that I have limited space, I only purchase glasses that stack or nest. This shopping rule applies to bowls and other items too. If I have a need in my kitchen - utensil, pots, pans, dishes, I do not purchase on an impulse. I make note of the space it needs to occupy and incorporate this in my decision making.

~Amy

If I get another Lands End catalog, I'll just...

Give your mailbox a makeover and reclaim space on your kitchen counter!

Check out dmachoice.org.

Register for a free account and receive access to contact information for magazines, catalogs and direct mailing services at your fingertips.

Mail order shopping is a greener option than filling up your car with a tank of gas and driving long distances to the mall to window shop. This website gives many options and it is nice to see that you can register deceased or very ill members in your care to be removed from direct mailing lists. This can be a difficult task to complete.

Holidays are right around the corner and our mailboxes begin to bulge, stop that junk mail from junking up your counter!

Is that a bucket under your sink?

Collect towels in this bucket.

Using dish towels and smaller dish cloths saves greatly on paper towel use.  I find that  white wash cloths or bar mops, available in multi packs at Walmart or Marshall's work well as a substitute.  I especially like microfiber towels for cleaning.  After using them sufficiently, I toss them into a bucket under the sink filled with water in which I have dissolved a scoop of Oxi Clean.  I dump the contents of the bucket in the washing machine and wash with a warm water load every other day or so. 

My cousin decided to give up paper towels all together after she stopped buying them during a time when she was out of work.  She said that once she developed the habit of using dish cloths, she never needed to go back to paper towels.  I don't know if I can ever totally give up paper towels, but it's a good goal.  Think of the money and trees we could save if we all just gave it a try.