donating
Declutter Like a Boss With The PopUpPurge™ Book Release!
This Post Introduces the PopUpPurge™, a Soulful Guide to Declutter for Clarity at the Midlife Milestone!
When you’re 50+ or better, you’ve already lived quite a full life! And when you pause to take stock and start to declutter, are you a little shocked with just how much has accumulated over the years?
Take heart, it happens to us all! Lots of activity has taken place in your home. So it makes sense that there’s going to be a lot of physical evidence as a result.
But are you making real decluttering inroads? Maybe not so much. As you look at family photos, travel mementos, or Grandma’s china, the memories start flooding in. It’s so much harder than expected!
How do you declutter without feeling like you’re throwing away your past? Or someone else’s?
And so decluttering is deferred to another day. But when will that day come?
How long will you wait for your own new chapter to unfold and flourish?

The Power to Declutter Successfully Is Now Within Reach!
If you’ve given this your best shot and sorted on the basis of what sparks joy, how’d that go? What were you able to release? How much actually went out the door? Were you able to sleep on your bed that night? Or was there an enormous pile of clothing in the way?
How do you move ahead and declutter anyway, when guilt, regret, or perfectionism stops you in your tracks? Sigh … it happens to all of us!
Well, this is exactly why I wrote this book, “PopUpPurge™: Release Midlife Clutter & Reclaim Inner Clarity”!
Because it’s never really just about the stuff. It’s about the emotions we’ve wrapped around our things that has us stuck.
When we can face the memories, limiting beliefs, and old stories that hold us hostage, we can begin to let go of what no longer (or maybe never) serves us well.
In fact, here are 5 compelling reasons for Women Over Fifty to start decluttering now, using the guidance within this book!

#1: Who's In The House Has Changed
There are all kinds of possible scenarios now. On the one hand, the kids are grown and likely on their own. You might be on your own, too, due to divorce or death. Or maybe you’re in a new relationship … which means more stuff entered the house!
On the other hand, have people moved back in again? Was it just two of you for a while, but now the kids and/or your parents are with you? After all, we are dubbed the “sandwich generation” for a reason!
Whatever your current status is, does the stuff in your house make sense for who’s there now? Are there duplicates all over the place? Conversely, is your home frozen in time, even though what you currently need and us has changed?
For any of these scenarios, decluttering is the perfect activity to create an environment that supports whoever is under your roof now!
For a primer on sorting out clutter, head here: Clutter Definition: What Exactly Is It So We Can Confidently Declutter With Clarity?

#2: Our Full-Time Focus Begins to Shift
Careers may be winding down or have come to an abrupt end. You may be contemplating a new one. The days of working for just one employer until you retire have become a thing of the past.
And if your full-time focus was raising your family, they’re full blown adults by now. So you’ve likely been given your parenting “pink slip”, right?! To be clear, we are always parents but how we interact with our children changes when they have left the nest.
With these inevitable changes, are you ready to pursue the passions you shelved in the pursuit of being practical? Good for you! But have you cleared out the stuff from your former job first? Or is that still occupying space and collecting dust?

#3: Our Health May Have Taken a Turn
We can take good health for granted. Especially when we’ve focused on taking care of our family … it’s how Moms operate!
Yet sometimes, unexpected health issues crop up, catching us off guard. When it’s something life-changing, it definitely gets our attention. Now, the time ahead of us becomes even more precious.
What kind of legacy do we want to leave behind? Not everyone is eager to ponder this topic. But putting it off will not change the fact that when we are gone, someone will have to declutter our stuff and decide what to do with it.
Do you want to get it in order yourself? Or do you expect your kids to do this? How did your parents handle their legacy? Was it left to you?
Lots of important questions here to answer, right? Which is why Swedish Death Cleaning is the iconic decluttering concept of an entire nation! (Here’s what that’s all about: Swedish Death Cleaning: A Savvy Celebration of Life (Really!))

#4: "Me Time" Is Calling Our Names
Finally! You don’t have to shoehorn your personal interests into a calendar chock full with other people’s agendas. You can be unapologetically front and center again!
When we’ve supported the interests and priorities of our family for a long time, it’s new territory to switch gears. Oh, certainly we’ve carved out time for ourselves, too. But to triple or quadruple that “me time”? It’s a luxury that we’ve earned!
But first: is there room in the house for what lights you up now? Or is it bulging with idle hobbies, crafts, and possessions from someone else’s past?
And if you’re uncertain of your next move, you’re not alone! This post shares about arriving at the midlife mile: 5 Ways to Harness Your Midlife Transition and Avert a Midlife Crisis!

#5: We're Entering A Platinum Period
Living lighter is the key to feeling lighter! As Midlife Women, we are on the cusp of writing a new chapter in our lives. We turn the page when we declutter and clear space for where we want to head next.
Not quite sure where “there” is for you? You’ll uncover it as you release what you no longer need, use, or want in the house.
Remember how it felt when you graduated from high school? Whether you went on to earn an advanced degree, immediately entered the work force, or opted to exclusively raise a family, you had your whole life ahead of you.
Once again, you’re at a similar junction. How exciting to decide your next move! And decluttering is the perfect vehicle for discovering where “there” is once again!
Ready to harness clarity? Then this is the best book for decluttering your life! Download a Free Chapter right here! And then grab the rest of the story.
Prepare for a confident shift into a joyful future that you create!

The Wrap: This Post Announced The Release of The PopUpPurge™ Book Which is the Perfect Guide To Declutter Your Home & Your Life!
Design the next chapter of your life through letting go of what you no longer need, use, or love.
Six of the chapters are dedicated to the common emotions that have us stuck. But now you can get moving again!
Small steps executed regularly add up to big results.
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Related Topics and Resources to Explore
The Mayo Clinic: How Decluttering Makes You Happier & Healthier
Uncluttering Your Life in a New Season Leads to 3 Priceless Developments
How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed | A Mindful Method for the Win!
Thrive Global: 5 Scientific Reasons Decluttering Will Make You Happier
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Your turn!
- What’s your personal decluttering journey been like?
- Which things are the hardest for you to let go?
Join the convo below … And thanks for stopping by!
Donating Old Clothes & Recycling Textiles | Repurposing for A Better Planet!
Donating old clothes hanging idly in your closet makes sense!
I’m talking about items you rarely if ever reach for. Usually this happens when they no longer (or maybe never) fit quite right so they just don’t feel that good. Or they don’t appeal any more. Why let clothing languish in your closet, taking up valuable real estate? My suggestion is to pull ’em out, box ’em up, and let ’em go!
And the same goes for releasing items which never see the light of day. You know, the stuff that is torn, faded or stained. No one else is going to be interested in wearing those, either! However, these are things that can actually be recycled instead of heading to a landfill. Our planet deserves love, too, don’t you think?
As part of my Creating Clarity in Your Closet series, donating and recycling are about letting things go without a monetary gain. But repurposing your stuff to help someone else or the planet will give you a “feel good” boost so let’s dig in to spread some love around!
Today's post reveals resources for donating old clothes, as well as recycling options for items which are no longer wearable.

If I open with saying that I don’t know your best donation resources, would you think I’m nuts?
Ha! Allow me to explain by laying a foundation. If I suggested sites that don’t jive with your time capacity or interest, what would be the point?
So instead, start with acknowledging what you are willing and able to do. Then, you can land on the best approach for you!
3 Ground Rules for Donating Old Clothes
Firstly, you need to be on board with donating. If you prefer to recoup some of your initial cost, by all means, bypass donation and go the re-sale route.
In fact, some of the top selling resources will also donate on your behalf if your items don’t move, so that saves you dealing with unwanted items a second time. I’ve got a link to a post covering re-sale options down below!
Secondly, how much effort are you willing and able to put in? If time and interest dictate that the easiest route is directly to the nearest Goodwill, just do that! This nationwide resale chain gets dinged for their high corporate salaries and/or the well-heeled shoppers that can lurk in the aisles.
However, there are many admirable initiatives with Goodwill, including job creation. And some shopper will benefit from your donation, so why make this complicated for yourself?
Thirdly, the list is infinitely long for where you can donate clothing. It’s beyond challenging to be objective with ranking every charity for where to take your attire. All kinds of “best donation center” lists abound on the web if you search with those particular words.
Therefore: land on the choices that align with your personal values and timeline when you do a simple Google search. If there are particular non-profits that speak to your heart, narrow your search results with those in mind, i.e., women’s shelters.
Ready? Let’s start right there!

Best Donation Options
1. In-Person Donation Centers
Enter into your search bar, “where to donate [fill-in-the-blank] near me”. Whether it’s women’s shoes, purses or business suits, type that in and then review your choices. It’s that easy! You decide how far you’re willing to drive. Be sure to call ahead to confirm the donation entity is open for drop offs, that it’s currently accepting said items, and, of course, their hours of operation.
2. Pick-Up Donation Entities
This time, enter in your search bar, “charities that pick up [fill-in-the-blank] donations near me”. Once again, call to verify what the non-profit is currently accepting. Then make arrangements for the pick up. Even easier, no?
3. Mail-In Donation Options
Give Back Box®
Soles4Souls
Next, this second option focuses on shoe donation and helping individuals start reselling businesses. There are thousands of drop off sites across the USA but free shipping via Zappos for Good is available, too! All the details are right here at the Soles4Souls website.
Both these donation options avert dumping more stuff in our landfills, which leads to uncovering your recycling options!

Best Recycling Options
What to do with old clothes that that cannot be donated?
When their condition is such that no one else would want to wear them, please bypass tossing them into the trash. Instead, proceed directly to recycling! We can each make a difference with sidestepping the overflowing landfills.
Once again, we’re back to Googling!
Enter in, “clothing recycling near me” for your best local options. Choose the ones that fit on your calendar and with your personal preferences. As always, call ahead to ensure you know the current policies and procedures.
In addition to the choices that crop up, there are two other worldwide ways to go. Just realize there is a (reasonable) monetary cost with each.
But keep in mind, we all know that there’s a worthwhile price associated with keeping our planet pristine.
1. ReTold Recycling
This is such a fantastic resource because they do it all for you! They make the rounds on your behalf, starting with thrift and charity stores, and then move on to recycling companies who turn fabric into rags, insulation, car seats, and so on.
Consumers can either purchase just one bag or sign up for a subscription of multiple bags during the year. All arrive with prepaid postage labels so you just throw in the clothing and drop it off at the nearest mailing center. The details are here on the Retold Recycling website.
2. TerraCycle®
This company uses a Zero Waste Box® system to recycle even more than just clothing. They also recycle plastics, metal, glass and paint, to mention a few.
Consumers order boxes, pouches (even pallets!), pack ’em up and ship ’em back. How easy is that! The details are on TerraCycle’s How it Works page.

The Wrap: This Post Was About Donating Old Clothes & Recycling Unwearable Items to Create Clarity in Your Closet.
When you no longer need, use, or want what’s in your closet, consider redistributing the items through donation or recycling.
Someone in need can give love to your no longer wanted items. And diverting excess stuff from a landfill is the right thing to do!
Make room for what truly suits your present lifestyle!
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Related Topics and Resources to Explore
An Ultimate Decluttering Guide To Get It Done
Decluttering Clothes to Create Clarity in Your Closet
Motivation to Declutter: 5 Free Tools to Get Going Now!
Decluttering Your Life Is Essential for 3 Surprising Reasons!
How to Start Decluttering When Overwhelmed | A Mindful Method for the Win!
Listen for More on How to Recycle Your Clothing
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Your turn!
- Where is your favorite place for donating old clothes?
What items are the hardest to release from your closet?
Share your thoughts with us below. Let’s chat … and thanks for stopping by!