I don’t know what it is, but I find the practice of purging to be incredibly satisfying (as in, the contents of closets or inboxes, or car glove compartments—stomach contents, on the other hand, not so much fun).

Furniture
There’s always someone out there in need of something. That’s why I love services like Freecycle. Don’t think anyone wants that martini shaker with plastic pink flamingo on top? Think again! Post your available items and wait for the requests to pour in.

Another service iReuse, will come take your unwanted furnishings and either give them away to nonprofit organizations in need, or auction them for cash. There’s a fee for pickup, but it’s relatively cheap when you consider your time and physical energy costs in renting a truck and doing it yourself. Plus, I like the fact that nonprofits doing good work can furnish their offices for the cost of a little sweat and the use of wheels.

Clothing
Have your kids outgrown their cool duds? If they are still in good shape, donate them to a local Goodwill, or try trading them in for something new at a clothing swap near you.You can also join thredUP, an online clothing swap that lets you exchange boxes of your kids’ outgrown clothing for new stuff that fits. Pay only shipping and handling fees.

If items are too beat to wear, you can still keep them out of the landfill by placing them in a USAgain drop box for recycling. USAgain collects unwanted textiles and resells them in the U.S. and abroad, effectively diverting millions of pounds of clothing from landfills. Locate a USAgain drop-box near you, or become a sponsor and earn money for your school or organization. Read the rest of this entry →

The next time you tighten your safety belt en route to see your in-laws, you might want to hold your breath. The National Geographic recently reported that you’re ten times more likely to die from pollution caused by airplanes than you are to die in an actual airplane crash. According to the article, airplane exhaust kills 10,000 people per year, compared with airplane crashes, which kill an estimated 1,000 people. While I’m sure these statistics are comforting to some, as a mom of two living a few miles from a major airport, in a major metropolitan area, I find them deeply disturbing.

And it’s that deep disturbance that is the issue here. The culprit is the particulate matter found in the fuel exhaust—super small particles of pollutants like sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides—which can become trapped deep in the lungs when inhaled, and could, potentially, enter the bloodstream and contribute to cancer and a host of other health problems. [Recent studies also found lead in aviation fuel to be a health problem]

Eight years ago, when my husband and I were looking for a home, I don’t recall “proximity to deadly carcinogens” on our list of house-hunting criteria. Maybe it should have been.

After having lost out on our 10th straight bid to a buyer willing to pay $100K over the asking price for a house that needed a new roof, a new foundation, and which was located across the street from a known crack house, we were feeling a bit dejected. Our landlord was selling our rental home and we had less than two months to find a new place to live, so things were looking desperate. Read the rest of this entry →