H Y D A W A Y

This is a guest blog post by Hydaway ambassador and English teacher Dana Foley. Find her on Instagram at @illreadwhatsheread where she’s always recommending the best books.

Happy New Year!  With a new year, one can’t miss the ads everywhere “inspiring” others to change. Do this workout! Organize this closet! Try this diet! While these are all great plans, what do you do with the clutter not bring you joy?  

In this blog, I will be highlighting how to declutter with intention.

The Netflix series The Minimalist: Less is Now has inspired me to reduce clutter and dismiss useless items. 

However, I own a LOT of clothing. With that said, I try and rotate my clothing so I am not wearing the same thing over and over. Once I have determined an item of clothing is banished from my wardrobe, it goes to a special spot in my closet where it ages for a while.  If not missed, it leaves the house.

If you have ever been to a GoodWill or Salvation Army it is overwhelming.  It seems what we don’t use and what ends up in stacks never to see the light of day.  So by dropping items off it’s gone immediately. Out of sight, out of mind, right? However, remember to donate with intention.

Defining Intention

It means, putting thought into dropping things off.  So when I sort through items I don’t mass donate anymore. The first thing I do is post it on my local.  A Buy Nothing focuses on the saying ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’. Something I don’t need may help another person save a few bucks.  These sites are hopping everywhere on Facebook. I post pictures of my items with a brief description and soon someone is on their way to pick it up.

I choose a winner and they grab it off my porch. Recipients from my wealth of treasures end up with anything from a bread knife to books. Not everything is claimed from this page but I still don’t run to the local donation center.  

Some helpful tips for donating with intention:

• Dividing up products to different shelters
• Children’s toys and clothes to a shelter that is for women and children only.
• Books are donated to classrooms and little lending libraries.

There is another trend popping up which I hope to partake in soon and that is a clothing exchange party.  It is easy to host and just have a group of friends together. Everyone brings all the clothes they no longer want or need and trade them.

Great place to start on Facebook, as that’s where these groups are formed. They’re community builders too. Just this morning a friend I hardly get to see during these cold winter months came by and traded her mason jars for my extra Christmas card covers.   She makes cookie boxes out of recycled cards and I make candles from the mason jars! Traditionally a Buy Nothing page is formed by town or by zip code. If you don’t see one in your area and don’t want to form one of your own, you can always ask to join a neighboring group.

I don’t deny that this takes a little more time to do, but knowing that my unwanted items are now wanted is what brings me joy.  For more helpful tips on how to minimize clutter in your life check out this blog.