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Spring is in the air, and it’s time to celebrate with another round of spring-cleaning. Banish the clutter and make room in your life for something new! Many charities see a sharp increase in donations as spring-cleaning season starts. Donating your used books, kids’ toys, and gently worn clothing allows your old items to have a second life. However, when filling that donation box, make sure you’re donating each item because it can do good and not just because you feel bad about throwing it away. Charities have a big problemwith well-meaning citizens dropping off items that are better left in the trash. There are many items charities simply cannot handle. Most charities will have lists of items they can and cannot accept on their websites. Some items that you should not donate include: • Expired medications • Old TVs • Cribs • Loose remote controls • Personal care items, like soap, shampoo, or makeup • Mattresses • Carpets • Tangled cords or phone chargers • Any broken, damaged, or dirty items These items may be unsafe to sell, costly to ship, or impossible to refurbish effectively. When a charity regularly receives items they cannot use, they have to spend hours of manpower sorting through things that end up in the trash anyway. This process can be expensive for organizations with already-strained resources. Some local charities spend over $1,000 a year on dumpster and trash removal fees for unusable donations. While charities will have no choice but to throw unusable donations in the trash, there are services you can use to make your spring-cleaning eco-friendly, even for items you can’t donate. For example, if you have torn or stained blue jeans, reach out to Blue Jeans Go Green. This program keeps denim out of landfills by turning it into insulation. And while Goodwill can’t take your batteries or old flip phone, you can check out Call2Recycle.org to learn how to safely recycle your e-waste.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF THE ACADEMY AWARDS If you’re a big film buff, then there’s a good chance you set aside one important night each spring to watch the Academy Awards. A great number of memorable moments have happened during the Oscars, such as the 2017 “La La Land” best picture mix-up, the 1974 streaking incident when a naked man ran across the stage, or the 2013 falling accident when Jennifer Lawrence tripped as she walked on stage to receive her award for best actress. The Academy Awards is an event you don’t want to miss out on. Here are three ways you can get the most out of Oscars night. 1. Play Trivia Everyone loves a good trivia challenge. If you and your family watch the ceremony live, you can use the commercial breaks to test your knowledge. Pose questions about the best picture winners over the last 90 years or the actors selected for different categories. You can also find printable Oscars prediction charts and offer prizes to whoever has the highest number of correct answers. 2. Themed Food If you’re throwing an Oscars party, serving some tasty dishes is a must. But why not kick it up a notch and keep your entrees and hors d’oeuvres in line with the blockbuster theme? There are multiple recipes for Oscars-party popcorn online, and you can also use star-shaped cookie cutters for your desserts. For your libations, you can serve cocktails from famous films and make a martini even James Bond would approve of. 3. Tickets Galore! The ticket price for the first motion picture ever shown at the oldest American movie theater cost 15–25 U.S. cents, depending on the location of your seat. Nowadays, the price of watching a film is astronomical. Fortunately, there are ways for you to create the feeling of watching a film premiere or Oscars ceremony from your own home. Find printable tickets online to distribute to your guests before the showing, and encourage them to dress like they are heading to the red carpet. ARE YOU A MOVIE FANATIC?
Your donations can be a big help to local charities. Just don’t “donate” your garbage.
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