Fredericksburg Parent

www.FredericksburgParent.NET 7 WRITTEN BY NIKKI DUCAS Whether you are done having babies or faced with chang- ing ages and stages of childhood development, for me there is always a mountain of outgrown clothing or forgotten toys lying in wait for me to do something with it. I start with hav- ing such high hopes of selling each item to get some return on my investment but end up overwhelmed and frustrated. Why does decluttering have to be such a daunting task? Now that my boys are nearly seventeen and thirteen, it was time (again!), a process that was long overdue, to change out closets to the next size up and remove the myriad of toys that have been long forgotten about since they've entered the online gaming world. What do you do with all the stuff, the Mount Everest pile of outgrown clothes and toys that have long lost luster of the "I just have to have it"? JUST WANT IT GONE? Be a blessing and give clothing to friends with smaller chil- dren or donate to charities that help mothers and children. Looking to donate locally, here are a few organizations that help mothers and children, families, and homeless in Fredericksburg and surrounding counties: Beauty for Ashes Women and Children's Home, Bragg Hill Family Life Center, Embrace Treatment Foster Care, Empowerhouse, Loisann's Hope House, Mary's Shelter, Micah Ecumenical Ministries, and Thurman Brisben Center. PAY IT FORWARD Organize clothing swaps with friends. You get clothes from someone, but you don't necessarily exchange with that person. You pay it forward by handing down clothes to another family. Most recently, I have been bringing clothing, toys and house- hold items to my homeschool co-op's free pile and love seeing families with younger children get excited to get new-to-them things. GET PAID Buy and sell clothing, toys and household items. Many moms use consignment stores/sales around the 'Burg: Two Times New, Once Upon a Child, Plato's Closet and Weecycled Wardrobe. There are also lots of online resale shops like Poshmark, eBay, Depop, Mercari, Vinted, The RealReal, and Etsy. Another popular buying and selling option is online on local Facebook groups and through their Marketplace. So, depending on how much time you commit to the process of getting rid of the old, choose whether you want to make a few dollars in the return or just want your space reclaimed. At the end of the day, it just feels good to move out the old and delight in the next stage of our ever-evolving family life. family money OUT with the OLD

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