It is super easy to accumulate a lot of stuff, especially once you have kids! I tend to be more of a minimalist in terms of physical possessions, but even so, items can quickly pile up. I don’t know about you, but for me, too much stuff around the house is a recipe for big-time overstimulation.
Spring into an organized home with these 7 things to do with the stuff that has quickly piled up:
Bay State Textile Bins
You’ve probably seen these bins around, as they have over 145 locations in Massachusetts. Often they are found on school grounds, which makes them a super convenient drop location. What you may not have realized is that these bins are your best friend when trying to clean out your home. They take a WHOLE LOT MORE than just clothes!!! In addition to clothing and shoes, these bins also take: hats, pocketbooks, belts, gloves, duffle bags, ties, scarves, totes, bathrobes, sheets, blankets, draperies, pillows, towels, table linens, comforters, throw rugs, placemats, and…drum roll please….STUFFED ANIMALS!!!!
When downsizing my kids’ stuffies collection, I use a 2-step approach:
Step 1 – Collect old/unused stuffies and move to a different location in a concealed bag (garage, car, basement).
Step 2 – Wait about a week to see if they notice and are asking for a missing stuffie…if they haven’t noticed/cared in one week…donate those fluffy friends and give them a second life!
DSW Shoe Donation Bin for Soles4Souls
Bring your old shoes (in ANY condition) to any DSW location. Stop at the front counter to give your phone number to earn rewards! Every week that you donate shoes, you get 50 points. After two weeks of donating (or 100 points), you earn a $5 reward! You can only earn 50 points per week, so if you donate two times in one week, you still only get 50 points that week. It’s better to space out your donations if you want to maximize the rewards. I keep a tote of old shoes in my trunk, and whenever I am near DSW, I quickly run in and drop off one pair of shoes at a time. Whether you drop off one pair or 10 pairs, you get 50 points. Over the years, I have earned close to $100 in rewards. With little kids’ feet growing so quickly, we tend to have a ton of shoes – even flip flops and slippers count!
For toys or household items that cannot go in the Bay State bins, I turn to Facebook. My town has a Buy Nothing / Free Giveaway Group that is very active. I find that people will pick up within 24 hours, so it can be a very fast way to get rid of stuff without leaving your home. You can either put the items at the end of your driveway and say “First Come, First Serve”, or you can post it for individual people to comment on and private message for your address. I love the idea of my kids’ used toys going to local preschools or other families in our town!
Savers
With 14 locations around Massachusetts, this can be a great option for some people! Fill up that trunk and drop off just about anything at Savers. They typically have a drop-off lane that is super easy to utilize.
Little Free Library
These are all over the place! This ‘Take a Book. Share a Book.’ system is great because your kiddos can feel good about donating their old books and getting new-to-them ones in return. There is one at our local playground, so several times a week we tend to exchange books. You can also put in several books at once if there is room!
Bay State Books
For a large book donation, look for Bay State Books donation bins. These bins also accept CDs, DVDs, and video games in their cases. If you have 200 books or more to donate, they will even pick them up from you.
Consignment Shops & Sales
If you’re looking to make some money for your old stuff and have the time and patience to deal with reselling, there are a few options. There are year-round consignment shops such as The Children’s Orchard in Westborough. There are also pop-up consignment sales that happen a few times a year, such as the Just Between Kids sale in Worcester and the Next Size Up sale in Milford. When deciding whether to consign or donate, you need to consider your current bandwidth and how quickly you want to clean out your home. If you want to consign but you tend to procrastinate, or are just too busy to deal with the consignment process, I recommend just donating your items via the above options so you can have a tidy home this spring! Having many totes and boxes filling your garage with the intent to consign at a later date may not be the best option if you truly want to downsize your stuff.
So, how do we tackle all this stuff?
Some people do a huge clean out 1-2 times a year. I prefer to be in a constant state of de-cluttering, so it does not pile up. For example, at the end of winter, rather than storing my kids’ boots in the attic (only to realize next winter that they, of course, do not fit), I will donate my kids’ snow boots right away once Spring hits. I know they won’t fit in a year, so I don’t need to hold onto them.
In terms of books and toys, as soon as I notice the toys are not fitting in the toy bin, or the books are falling off the shelf because they have become overcrowded, I look at what can go. If there is a birthday or a holiday, some older toys will need to be donated. There is just no way that you can keep everything indefinitely. Holiday after holiday, birthday after birthday, goodie bag after goodie bag. If the stuff is no longer contained in our normal toy storage systems, it’s time to pull back and prioritize. I also find that my kids play better when their toy room is organized! When they can see what they have, it is easier for them to play. When they have too much stuff, it can be overwhelming, and they don’t know where to begin.
