Cleaning

Jenn and I have been cleaning out the boys toy room. We are moving it to the back of the house, in the spare bedroom (which is next to their room, so it will all be out of the way!). Yay! They have more toys than any 20 kids! It is really crazy. We put 4 boxes of good, used toys in Jenn's SUV to take to Goodwill. Then we threw out three, 30-gallon bags of crap - broken toys, old papers, coloring books, etc. Just too much stuff. I haven't gotten everything put in the back bedroom yet, but am getting close. I had to take a break! We are also going to clean out the kitchen - pantry and fridge/freezer and get rid of all the stuff in there that we have accumulated and not used. I am working my way from room to room! I did they boys bedroom yesterday and it looks fabulous. They even helped me pick out stuff to give away. I was very proud of them.

I am going to probably FreeCycle™ some of their clothing and maybe some of the really good toys and then take the rest to Goodwill. If you don't know what FreeCycle™ is, you should definately check it out. I am a HUGE proponent of giving away instead of trashing (if possible).

The Freecycle Network™ was started in May 2003 to promote waste reduction in Tucson's downtown and help save desert landscape from being taken over by landfills. The Network provides individuals and non-profits an electronic forum to "recycle" unwanted items. One person's trash can truly be another's treasure!

The Freecycle Network™ is made up of many individual groups across the globe. It's a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns. Each local group is moderated by a local volunteer (them's good people). Membership is free.

When you want to find a new home for something -- whether it's a chair, a fax machine, piano, or an old door -- you simply send an e-mail offering it to members of the local Freecycle group.Or, maybe you're looking to acquire something yourself. Simply respond to a member's offer, and you just might get it. After that, it's up to the giver to decide who receives the gift and to set up a pickup time for passing on the treasure.

Our main rule: Everything posted must be free, legal, and appropriate for all ages.