Recycling is a wonderful activity. Donating to a non-profit is even better. But if this is just too much hard work after you’ve spent all your energy de-cluttering, why not simply give things away?

Saturday, May 14 is Give Your Stuff Away Day, which means you should be able to place a few unwanted things at the end of your driveway and watch them magically disappear. As the organizers of the event say, this is an easy way to help those in need, keep things out of landfill, and reduce clutter in your home. If you can, pencil in some time a few days before the 14th to identify anything you’d like to wave farewell to.

Check out the website, www.giveyourstuffaway.com for more information and guidelines on acceptable items. You should also plan to take responsibility for removing any leftovers which are not spirited away by eager treasure-hunters.

And a final note of caution: if you don’t intend to give stuff away, this would be a good weekend to make sure bikes, toys and garden tools are not lying around outside your house… someone might get over-enthusiastic and transport them to a new home.

— Pauline Wiles,
— Redwood Shores resident and owner,
— The English Organizer — www.englishorganizer.com