(I gave away my boys’ old play kitchen via Nextdoor.com.)
As I mentioned last week, the Ethical Writers Coalition is hosting a Second Hand Challenge for September, and my goal is to find alternative ways to pass along the things I no longer need in my house.
My neighborhood uses Nextdoor.com to communicate, and it’s a great resource for keeping in touch with the folks in your neighborhood and the surrounding areas. I’ve noticed that most of the posts from my neighbors focus on things like lost dogs, crime reports, and traffic issues. But there’s an entire section devoted to free items, so I decided to try it out with the play kitchen and some floral decorations I no longer need.
I posted the kitchen and the flowers separately, and within an hour or two, I had several responses to each post. One mom drove over immediately to pick up the kitchen for her young children, and she let me know later how much they love it. And the next morning, a neighbor stopped by to get the flowers for her house. It was so much easier than the back-and-forth conversations that take place with craigslist, and I got to meet two neighbors in the process.
My goal wasn’t to make any money, but to pass along my unused things to someone who might want to use them, and I was happy to find homes for everything. I’ve noticed that my neighbors are continuing to use the Free section, offering up items like extra fence material and even a couch. By keeping the posts local to our neighborhood, we’re conserving gas while recycling our unwanted items and passing them along to our neighbors who can use them. I definitely plan to offer more items in the future, and I was pleasantly surprised that my little experiment worked so quickly.
(My plant loves that window.)
This week, both boys were in school full-time and we went back to our regular fall schedule. I forgot how much busier we are (and how tired I am by evening), but everyone is adjusting really well and having a wonderful time. I’m really looking forward to the three-day weekend, and I hope to catch up on sleep, Netflix, and maybe some Chinese food. In the meantime, here are a few things that caught my eye.
A quick reminder about the Ethical Writers Coalition Second Hand Challenge.
A gorgeous British farmhouse that shows how to stylishly reuse and refurbish old pieces.
An Apartment Therapy post with terrible advice about decluttering, but the comments are filled with awesome suggestions.
And making a case for clutter.
Werewolves appear in times of scarcity and fear. An interesting read.
A new study links the gender biases of elementary school teachers to the way students perform in upper grades.
The hidden expenses of going to college.
And some thoughts on Marissa Mayer’s maternity leave.
Have a great weekend!
(Graphic by Elizabeth Stilwell.)
For the month of September, the Ethical Writers Coalition is hosting a Second Hand Challenge to raise awareness about buying previously owned items. We’re all tackling different aspects of this issue, but our overall goal is to shed a little light on using second hand goods as a way to encourage sustainability and the reduction of waste. Have you ever wondered what happens to all those old clothes you donate? Here’s a brief and unsettling explanation.
Since I’m not in the market for clothes or any major purchases this month, I’m focusing on creative ways to pass along the things I no longer need. My goal is to avoid donating items to donation centers like Goodwill, since that’s basically the same thing as throwing stuff directly into the trash. I’m guilty of both, so this experiment is definitely proving to be a learning experience. And Leah offers an excellent look at the complicated nature of the second hand market.
September is the perfect time for this challenge, since it’s Back to School season, as well as the release of new fall fashion lines. What better way to stretch your sartorial creativity than by recycling your mother’s vintage pieces into a new outfit or swapping children’s clothes with your friends? There are so many different ways to reuse what’s out there without buying new, and we’re planning to share these ideas with you.
Be sure to follow my fellow Ethical Writers, including Leah, Elizabeth, Kamea, Sotela, and Juhea and team, as well as our Pinterest board and the hashtag #ethicalwritersco on social media.
