Spring is upon us and the spring cleaning itch may be as well. Here are 5 ways to get your home organized, looking great and clutter free!
1. Donating
Donating your gently used items benefits everyone. First, your used, or in some cases unused, clothing and other household items can make a real difference to someone less fortunate. Second, you help the environment by diverting your things away from the landfill. Third, donations are tax deductible.
Family Services of Westchester makes donating your stuff easy. Donate children’s clothing to The Sharing Shelf, who will ensure it is given to local families in need. Specifically, they collect and distribute new and gently used clothing in sizes from newborn through XXL, for children and teens from infancy through age 19. They also accept gently worn or new shoes, strollers, pack-n-plays and new school supplies. Donate at 47 Purdy Avenue, Port Chester (near Costco and the Port Chester movie theater) or for more information contact Deborah Blatt, Program Coordinator at 914-305-5950 or email thesharingshelf@fsw.org.
Big Brothers Big Sisters in Westchester accepts all kinds of donations- everything from clothes to toys, strollers to furniture. Check out their full list of acceptable items. You can schedule a pick up with just a few days notice online (even from your phone, that is how I did it!) or you can drop off at one of many convenient Westchester County locations. See the details or schedule a pick here. No need to be home for the pickup.
Another idea is to donate used American Girl Dolls to GirlAGain, a local non-profit organization dedicated to developing job skills for young women with autism. They accept donations of good condition American Girl brand (and Pleasant Company) dolls, doll clothing, furniture, accessories and books. Bring or mail to GirlAGain, 4 Martine Ave, White Plains, NY 10606. For more information visit their website.
Family Services of Westchester makes donating your stuff easy. Donate children’s clothing to The Sharing Shelf, who will ensure it is given to local families in need. Specifically, they collect and distribute new and gently used clothing in sizes from newborn through XXL, for children and teens from infancy through age 19. They also accept gently worn or new shoes, strollers, pack-n-plays and new school supplies. Donate at 47 Purdy Avenue, Port Chester (near Costco and the Port Chester movie theater) or for more information contact Deborah Blatt, Program Coordinator at 914-305-5950 or email thesharingshelf@fsw.org.
Big Brothers Big Sisters in Westchester accepts all kinds of donations- everything from clothes to toys, strollers to furniture. Check out their full list of acceptable items. You can schedule a pick up with just a few days notice online (even from your phone, that is how I did it!) or you can drop off at one of many convenient Westchester County locations. See the details or schedule a pick here. No need to be home for the pickup.
Another idea is to donate used American Girl Dolls to GirlAGain, a local non-profit organization dedicated to developing job skills for young women with autism. They accept donations of good condition American Girl brand (and Pleasant Company) dolls, doll clothing, furniture, accessories and books. Bring or mail to GirlAGain, 4 Martine Ave, White Plains, NY 10606. For more information visit their website.
2. Consignment
Another way to free up some much needed space in your home is to resell or recycle items you no longer need through consignment. This can earn you a little bit of cash, while making them available at a bargain to someone who wants them.
The Be Green Consignment Sale
Dates TBD
Purchase College Athletic Facility, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase, NY
Sign up to consign your items as part of the annual spring Westchester Be Green Consignment Sale. They accept clothing, sports equipment, baby & toddler equipment, toys and more. Register in advance on their website.
Once Upon A Child, 2 Convenient Locations
Scarsdale - 455 Central Park Ave, Scarsdale, NY, phone: 914-874-5535
Somers - 80 Route 6, Baldwin Place, NY, phone: 914-621-0003
Once Upon A Child is a wonderful consignment store. Each site is individually owned and operated. The concept of the store is that each location buys and sells gently used children’s items including clothes, shoes, toys and more. All locations feature unique items sold in their surrounding neighborhoods. From strollers to baby carriers these stores have so much individuality to offer.
The Preppy Turtle
2 Depot Plaza Suite, Bedford Hills, NY , phone: 914-666-8500
The Preppy Turtle is a consignment boutique that serves the needs of women and children looking for clothing at bargain prices. The Preppy Turtle buys and sells clothing, shoes and handbags, as well as toys, books, and gift items for infants to teens. Toys, books, gift items, and certain non-seasonal clothing are accepted year round. The Preppy Turtle features a mix of new and barely used items. If you are interested in donating clothing items make sure to check out their Consignment Calendar on the Homepage as they only season items during a specific date range.
The Be Green Consignment Sale
Dates TBD
Purchase College Athletic Facility, 735 Anderson Hill Rd., Purchase, NY
Sign up to consign your items as part of the annual spring Westchester Be Green Consignment Sale. They accept clothing, sports equipment, baby & toddler equipment, toys and more. Register in advance on their website.
Once Upon A Child, 2 Convenient Locations
Scarsdale - 455 Central Park Ave, Scarsdale, NY, phone: 914-874-5535
Somers - 80 Route 6, Baldwin Place, NY, phone: 914-621-0003
Once Upon A Child is a wonderful consignment store. Each site is individually owned and operated. The concept of the store is that each location buys and sells gently used children’s items including clothes, shoes, toys and more. All locations feature unique items sold in their surrounding neighborhoods. From strollers to baby carriers these stores have so much individuality to offer.
The Preppy Turtle
2 Depot Plaza Suite, Bedford Hills, NY , phone: 914-666-8500
The Preppy Turtle is a consignment boutique that serves the needs of women and children looking for clothing at bargain prices. The Preppy Turtle buys and sells clothing, shoes and handbags, as well as toys, books, and gift items for infants to teens. Toys, books, gift items, and certain non-seasonal clothing are accepted year round. The Preppy Turtle features a mix of new and barely used items. If you are interested in donating clothing items make sure to check out their Consignment Calendar on the Homepage as they only season items during a specific date range.
3. Organizing
Image Source: LED World
Organizing can be a great way to clean up your home without purging. You can check out Real Simple or Pinterest for great organization ideas or you may want to consider bringing in some help.
If you would like to hire an expert, check out Let's Sort It Out, who can transform your home into a more functional, relaxed, organized space. You can also find a number of other local organizers in our Directory in the "Organizing and Interior Design" sub-category.
If you are looking for a total playroom makeover, check out Learnique's Design-to-Learn service. They can help you to create livable, learnable spaces for your family at home. Design-to-Learn combines interior design principles and organizational systems with a full understanding of child development. The results are learning spaces uniquely inspired and fun for the whole family.
4. Cleaning
Okay, so this one sounds pretty obvious. But a little elbow grease and some clorox can go a big way. Cleaning encompasses a lot of things, everything from standard house cleaning, to season carpet or furniture steam cleaning, outdoor power washing, window cleaning, car washing & detailing and more.
If you're not up for doing all of this work yourself, check out some of the local services in our Directory in the "Cleaning" sub-category or Submit a Request. Hint: when submitting a request, try putting in your budget and desired date to find available local businesses who can work within your timing and budget. Goodbye cobwebs, crumbs and stains!
If you're not up for doing all of this work yourself, check out some of the local services in our Directory in the "Cleaning" sub-category or Submit a Request. Hint: when submitting a request, try putting in your budget and desired date to find available local businesses who can work within your timing and budget. Goodbye cobwebs, crumbs and stains!
5. Disposing
Let's face it, sometimes things are just junk. Broken, torn or simply worn out. If that is the case and you have something big you want disposed of you may need some help. If you want to hire someone, there are plenty of handymen and junk removal companies in our Directory in the "Moving" or "Contracting, Renovation, Home Repair" sub-categories. Or of course, Submit a Request. Sure beats carrying it all yourself!
Wishing all of our readers a happy spring!
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