Everyone has heard of “spring cleaning”, well let me introduce you to the next best thing … “summer cleaning”. Not only is ideal for procrastinators, but with more reliable weather (no more excuses when it's “too cold”, “too wet” or any of the other perfectly justifiable reasons for putting off all those great spring projects.
First on the list of things to do is to take a hard look at all the summer items you didn't use last year and probably never see the light of day this summer as well. Those stacks of pots and planters sitting lonely under the workbench (even the ones with the long dead plants still in them). The beach games that haven't been to the beach in years. Lawn mowers, tools and supplies no longer needed now that your lawn service does all the work. These are all items that should be easy to let go of and free up space to be more organized (or room for some new things!)
One of the joys of organizing is donating, whether to friends and family or charity. But to make sure that the “gift” is appreciated and used, it should be given in a timely manner. You'll find that we try remind you to clean things out at the beginning of a season (like holiday decorations at the beginning of December). Why do we do that? Well, for a few reasons but most importantly because that's when you can see what you like most and use. If a planter isn't planted by the beginning of summer, likely it's not going to be. We pick out the best and our favorites first, leaving lots of opportunities to share the rest with someone else.
When I said “timely” above, I wasn’t talking about “quickly”, rather I’m talking about donating things that are in-season. Donating something when someone needs it makes it that much more useful. Think about a young family planning for summer with really limited resources. Instead of heading to Lowes, Home Depot or Target, they’re heading to a thrift store. By donating at the beginning of the season, you’re stocking the store with items that their customers are looking for and items that will “move” quickly. That’s a good thing for the thrift store and its clients.
We call that a win … win … win! Good for you, the charity and the beneficiary of your generosity.