“Pass it On” is a song I learned as a teenager.  It talks about love starting as a spark and then growing so much you want to pass it on.  I think we feel more generous this time of year because of love or at least the idea of love. I’d like to offer another view of this generosity  – it is a way to CIRCULATE energy, like a water pump in a fountain, or a gas pump in your car, food through your body, or money in the economy.  I think when we circulate the flow of energy through our lives we are healthier.  However sometimes the energy/food/stuff/gets stuck and accumulates like a stagnant pond.  I think we all benefit when things ‘keep moving’, so to speak. 

I find my pile of ‘give aways’ grows larger at this time of year.  I love the feeling of opening up space in my home, it seems to open space in my mind and my heart, also.  My criteria for letting go includes if it does not function, fit or make me happy, then it is ready to be passed on.  My needs change and it helps to share those things I no longer have use for.  I love to find ‘previously loved’ or ‘gently used’ items at consignment stores when I need something.

Consider this – pick one space in your home – a drawer, closet, shelf, under the bed – touch each item stored there and ask yourself these questions: 

• Do I need this? Does it enhance my physical, cognitive, emotional, relational, or spiritual health?
• Does it fit (my body, my home, my lifestyle, my budget)? Could it be replaced with something else that does fit?
• How do I feel? What memories does it invoke?  Do the memories weigh me down or stimulate new positive energy?
• Does it serve a regular function in this season of my life? Could I borrow it later if I have an occasion to use it?

My answers to these questions help me decide what I want to keep and what I want to pass on.  I sort my items into various boxes/bags:

• donate
• sell/consign
• re-gift (share with a friend or family member). 

My actual destinations vary although I have favorites – my clothing and household item donation usually go to Goodwill of the Heartland;  my paint, good working light fixtures, toilets, and other home remodeling items go the Habitat for Humanity Restore and  my best clothing items go to Crazy Daisy and Stuff Etc. I also offer (and find) things through Freecycle. This practice of CIRCULATION keeps stuff from clogging up landfills, storage units and my psyche.

What are you planning to pass on? Where are your favorite ‘destinations’ for those items? Tell us about them at the Eco Family Blog http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/isuecofamily

Kristi

www.Freecycle.org  is a good way to find what you need and share what you no longer need with others without exchanging money. My kids have offered and received stuff this way and they say it is easy to do. I joined a local group yesterday and within hours had found a new home for a lonely pair of ice skates!  This is FUN!

What do you have to offer the larger community? What do you need from the larger community?

Kristi Cooper

However, I was painfully aware of my attachment to certain items – my daughter’s first formal dress, the cake cover/punchbowl we got for our wedding 30+ years ago.  When my “simplicity phase” started, I decided that what I keep must bring a smile to my face.  These two items did that for me but they were no longer serving a purpose, except taking up space.   At a Voluntary Simplicity Class a few years ago, http://www.nwei.org/discussion_courses/course-offerings/voluntary-simplicity  I learned to take pictures of the things I want to remember but don’t need to store anymore. I have photos of my happy, beautiful daughter in her beautiful dress and I can visit vintage housewares in the antique shop.  So, now, I am amending my criteria to keeping things that are both beautiful AND functional. 

Where do you send the stuff you no longer want? What are YOUR criteria?

Kristi Cooper

I get the best books from my kids who shop the used book store.  And I love the funky lamp that came from the resale shop. I like to think of these items as pre-loved and that generosity comes my way to be used for as long as I need it.  If it’s still usable, I can pass on the love later.

Be a savvy shopper when finding gems at www.reclaimyourholidays.org - http://www.ceee.uni.edu/Portals/0/Documents/Hometown/ReclaimYourHolidays/Finding%20used%20gems.pdf

What “treasures”  have you given or received?

Kristi Cooper

Also, I went through the closets and have a large pile of clothing and assorted household items to take to consignment next week.  I now have a bigger pile of rags in the ‘rag bag’, too.  Some things just get worn out as clothing, but work great for cleaning or other household jobs. I also have a small but growing pile of mending I need to do sometime soon - a hem coming undone, a lost button, a tear, snag or separated seam that need repair.  I have a sewing machine and can do these things myself. I’m waiting for just the right rainy or cold night to do it!  I like being able to keep my family’s clothing budget down by buying gentled used items and repairing them when needed.

Do you have consignment or re-sale stores in your area? What is your favorite ‘recycled’ or ‘gently used’ item?