Do’s and Don’ts of Donating

Last month I shared how I go through my stuff and decide what to donate. This month I thought I would give you a few do's and don'ts of donating.

Pictures from here

Do’s

~ Wash your clothes before donating (no one wants your stinky clothes)

~Donate to an organization you love (it’ll help you to continue to do it)

~ Make sure games and puzzles have all the pieces (no one wants to buy something to find they can’t use it)

Don’ts 

~Donate anything ripped, broken, or stained (if you don’t want it like that why would someone else?)

~ Donate underwear and socks (EWWWW!)

~ Donate outdated electronics (there are specific places to recycle these things at)

~Donate open makeup ( Again EWWWWW!)

Do you have any to add?

Giving Back - Donating Things

I love giving back to my community and to people in general. One of the ways I do this is through donating my unwanted clothes and items to the Salvation Army. (If you want to know why I specifically donate to them I can make a separate post.)

Picture from here.

Here are some tips and tricks that help me decide what to give away.

~ 2-3 times a year I go though all of my clothes, books (the hardest thing for me to get rid of), and my stuff in general. Anything that I don’t wear, or doesn’t fit is thrown in a giveaway box. Anything broken or stained (and can’t be repaired) in thrown in my rag bag or trash.

~ I also keep a bag or box in my closet. That way if I see something I really don’t want anymore while I am putting laundry away I throw it in there. When the box fills up it goes to the Salvation Army.

~ If you go on a shopping spree and buy a bunch of new stuff go through your older stuff and see if there is anything you can part with now. I find that if I buy something new it makes it easier to get rid of the older item because I have a replacement.

~ Once something is in your box or bag don’t take it out. Think of it as already being gone.

Do you donate your clothes and unused items? If so where do you like to donate to?

Planner Decor- February Layouts

I thought I would start a new series on my blog that showcases my planner layouts. Each month I will take pictures of the monthly overview and each weekly view. I hope that you find some inspiration from them. 

Here is my monthly overview. I use the areas on the side for my monthly goals and to tally which days I work at certain places.

As I have never really decorated planners until really recently (I always just color coordinated everything before) I was still trying to figure out how exactly I wanted to use it.

I am not too fond of the layout below. I learned that I don't like mixing my wash tapes.

I really enjoyed the color schemes in the one below. I also liked how I put my daily accomplishments on separate paper so that I could put them diagonally too.

This is my favorite week so far and I feel like I am getting the hang of how I want to use my planner.

Here is a sneak peek at March's monthly layout. 

I hope you enjoyed seeing my different layouts. Which one is your favorite? Also, what types of planner related posts and videos would you like to see?

Planner Supplies on a Budget

No one wants to break their budget to decorate their planners. Here are a few tips I have that will help you save a lot.

Pic from here

Check out dollar stores
These places always have cute stickers and occasionally some nice Post-Its.

Check the dollar sections of stores, like Target
Target is one of my favorite places to find supplies. They always have the cutest stickers, post-Its, and washi tape that many times also themed to the season.

Check the teacher section of stores Teachers love to decorate and make their rooms look inviting. Many of the products developed for them can be adapted for your planner, like small wall decorations.

Bring Coupons!
There are several stores that I never walk into without a coupon: Joann’s, Michaels, and Staples. These stores can be expensive but they always have weekly coupons. I like to wait for the ones that give a percentage off my entire purchase versus off one item.

Be Creative
Use items you may not think of as stationary. Scrapbook paper, stamps, and ribbon can all make awesome decorations. Also, you can make your own personalized stickers and paper clips. (Check out my friend's Creative Memories page)

How do you save money on your planner decorations?

See what my planner looks like here.

My 2015 Planner & Organization

I have been obsessed with planners since I was in middle school. Recently, I discovered that people take it to a whole other level by using stickers and washi tape. This discovery completely renewed my planner obsession.

See how I set up and organize my planner for 2015.

One day I (soon I hope) would like to get an Erin Condren Life Planner.

Leave your planner related requests in the comments.