Wardrobe donations

On Sunday, I spent a bit of time looking at my wardrobe and picking out clothing that I want to donate. It was good. I have two bags of clothing and a couple of pairs of flip flops that I have never worn that will be donated.

I decided to get rid of a blue and white stripped shirt that the ex bought me years ago. I only wore it once. I don't know why I held onto it. I'm glad that I am getting rid of it and hope that someone will love it.

He also bought me a striped cardigan that same day. I still wear it to this day. I like it.

Even though I don't want anything to do with him, there are some gifts from him that I still have and use. They are practical and I like them.

I am continuing the wardrobe purge. The first step yesterday was good.

Decluttering and discovering old photos

I have been doing a ton of decluttering these days. While on vacation, I didn't really feel like doing it until just before I went back to work. I am pretty motivated these days that it's surprising me!

I'm not sure why I held on to so much stuff over the years. I found a couple of photos of my ex-husband. It was early in our relationship. He looked happy.

I had no hesitation getting rid of his photos. I kept everything else. I ended up putting these photos in an album.

For years, I held on to my undergraduate textbooks in two domains that I don't use all that much these days. As much as I love math, I have decided to let my textbooks go. I can always look up information and questions online should I need to.

I donated my books on Wednesday. I recycled an old cell phone. I also donated clothes that I no longer love, but hope that others will.

It feels good to declutter.

Debt and donations

Here's a quick update on getting rid of my debt. I am optimistic these days.

Last year, I paid off three credit cards. I managed to nab a debt consolidation loan, which has helped me reduce my monthly payments while saving interest costs in the long run. I have also been tracking my credit score more closely. I got my latest results today. My credit score has improved. I'm pleased.

I spent some time on Thursday going through my closet, trying on clothes, and getting rid of those that I do not care to wear anymore. Although I have a long way to go as far as sorting goes, I managed to fill up two bags of clothes. I will be donating them later on today.

My process of sorting clothes may be different. It works for me. I try it on. I determine whether I love it. If it doesn't fit, it automatically gets put in my donation pile. Otherwise, the item stays.

It's nice to declutter, both financially and closet-wise.

Donating shoes and clothes to folks who need them more

At work, there is a drive to donate gently used shoes for those who are in need of them. I learned about this drive late last week and was hoping that it would stick around. It did.

I found a pair of sneakers that I have never worn. Rather than having them sit at home, taking up space, I donated them.

I felt good placing my shoes in the bin, hoping that someone will put them to good use. It was an uplifting feeling of doing something good.

I need to donate more. I went through this phase several years ago with clothes. It's probably time to do it again.

Garbage bags and intersections

On Friday, I was driving home from work. My guy texted me on Skype. I had to pull over in a McDonald's parking lot.

It was pretty late on my guy's end. It was nearly 01:00 on Saturday. He had just finished packing. He had to catch his flight at 09:00.

"This question may seem strange," he said to me.
"Oh, no. You're going to ask me a work-related question," I teased, even though he did not start his sentence off with his typical by the way.
"No," he replied. "Can you bring a couple of garbage bags when we meet for dinner tomorrow night?"
"So you can dispose of the dead body?" I replied, which made him laugh. "I don't want to be an accomplice!"

My guy had a number of old winter coats that he no longer wanted. He wanted to donate them to a charity that support those who need coats in Syria. The donation centre only accepts coats in garbage bags. He had large shopping bags. I was fine with getting him some. He was relieved.

He told me that the donation centre is on Lawrence. I had to remind him that Lawrence Avenue goes through a handful of cities. He then said that the intersection is "Lawrence Avenue East and some other street." Well, that some other street happened to be the Don Valley Parkway, one of several major highways in the greater Toronto area!

I could tell that he was tired. We bought laughed at his statement. It works nicely with the fact that he is directionally challenged. He was alert enough to give me the exact address of where he was going to drop off his old coats. He didn't want me to meet him at the airport. He figured that I live closer to this donation centre, so he asked me to find a restaurant and we'd meet there. I was game.

My guy likes Chinese food. I found a restaurant that I have been meaning to try for a while. My only concern was that the forecast called for snow all weekend. I didn't want the weather to prevent us from seeing each other.

I wish the snow would go away. Apparently, there is more on the way. Figures!