throw-away Thursday

Throw Away Thursday – Christmas lists

October 29, 2009

Today is Thursday, so that means it is time to Throw It Away!! I have been thinking a lot about throwing things away. My house is soooo cluttered and I am really trying HARD to devise a plan to go room to room. The main problem I have is that I hate to trash useful things, which means I need to find a way to sell or donate the things I get rid of.

While I am working on that, I have started to think about the holidays and gifts in particular. So today I am saying THROW AWAY THOSE HUGE CHRISTMAS gift request lists!! I actually have a nephew who puts on a power point presentation each year showcasing what he wants for Christmas – if I get his permission, I will post one for you – they are a howl!!!

Year after year, I debate how many gifts to get each child, while at the same time trying to stay equitable in the money spent on each. It never fails that just when I think I am finished, I find one child something great which then requires – in my mind – that I get the others another one too. Then comes the fun of figuring out what is from us and what is from Santa – blah, blah, blah. Let’s just say all of this makes for a not so fun Christmas Eve wrapping session.

This past week I had a super big AHA moment while reading a simplemom post about 10 Clutter Free Gift Ideas for Kids (which I promise I will get back to my simplmom Sunday posts soon – things have just been crazy!). She happened to mention the “want, need, wear, read” method. The process is explained by dandee who also made those beautiful gift tags shown in the photo. In order to simplify Christmas for her children who were getting older and “becoming capable to ask for more, and heaven forbid, expect more. She felt the desire to teach them that more is not better. More is just… more.”

Their tradition is now to have each child receive 4 gifts – something they want, something they need, something to wear, and something to read. They also get one gift from Santa and homemade gifts from the kids. That rang a HUGE bell for me, as we recently cleaned out our playroom and actually found Christmas gifts that had never been opened or used.

I am definately adopting this process – if not completely this year as I have completed my shopping – definately next year! IT IS THE GREATEST IDEA!! Not sure I can limit Santa to 1 gift, but we will see. Dandee also said she does not even use tags, but has a different color wrapping for each child. WOW, that is easy, though now I do have to keep track and make sure Santa wraps in different paper. That is after the yearly argument with hubby on whether Santa wraps or not. I was raised with Santa wrapping gifts, he was raised with Santa not wrapping and a Christmas morning free for all. I enjoy the not knowing and unwrapping and I think if Santa did not wrap, it would take something away – what do you think?

Anyway, what traditions do you have? How many gifts does Santa bring? Do you wrap or no wrap?

We, as Americans, have been living a life of excess. Christmas just fosters that by having us think that whoever has the most under the tree wins. I believe it is quality and not quantity. These ecominic times demand that we do things differently. The want, need, wear, read tradition is one that teaches frugality, buy also teaches that we do not NEED all the excesses that Christmas traditionally brings. Christmas after all is about giving, not receiving. It is about spending time with family, not with STUFF. Simplify your holidays and join me in this new tradition.

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Throw Away Thursday – Pocketbook Organization

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October 8, 2009

I am going to be honest here. My desk organization is not done. Well it was done, but then I got behind in posting and now I have paper and coupons everywhere. SO you will have to wait for my AFTER picture til next week.

BUT I posted a awesome deal earlier today that has inspired me to post again here along with another challenge:

ORGANIZE YOUR POCKET BOOK

I am not a pocket book person AT ALL. The 1st picture is my “wallet on a string” pocket book I carried BEFORE my last baby. I tried to keep that up and have a wonderful diaper bag – that I always leave in the car. So when I started couponing, and always forgetting my diaper bag in the car, I needed an easy way to carry things. I got the “Sonny & Cher” bag as my brother in law calls it. I can throw a diaper or two, toys, my wallet bag and my coupons in it. The problem now is:

I am forever digging through it trying to find things! So when I saw OrgJunkie, who I LOVE just do an Organize your purse post, I was totally excited. She has some great ideas in what you can do to organize your bag. Other bloggers linked in their ideas as well.

Check them out, you may find something to work for you!!

Through that, I looked at a couple of the linkies and found Completeorganizingsolutions who posted about her organized purse. She was talking about the Butler Bag which is all the rage these days!! I checked out the Bulter bags and they are awesome, but very EXPENSIVE!!

You can read all about my contemplation and toiling over purchasing until I found this DEAL AT KMART!!

I am getting the Butler Bag – cheap version and should have it Tues/Wed next week!! I am soooo excited. I am hoping to have an AFTER picture for you next week with my new bag.

So what are you throwing away?? Throw away all that useless crap in your bag – the used tissues, the old receipts, the last lifesaver with lint all over it, the stupid happy meal toys – all of it!! Even if you do not want to re-organize, “spring clean your bag”. Have you ever lost your ECB’s or RR because they got crumpled up with all the crap?

SO what kind of bag do you carry and how do you stay organized?? If you are a mess like me, try some of OrgJunkies tips and send me your BEFORE/AFTER photos!! Share your ideas so we can all benefit!

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Throw Away Thursday – Mayonnaise Jar

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October 1, 2009

We as moms, whether we work in the home or out, always feel like we have to do everything perfect all the time. I find that I fall into the abyss as I try to do too much and end up getting nothing done. I feel as if everyone else’s house looks like Better Homes and Gardens, no one else has dirty dishes in the sink and laundry piling up. Everyone else is showered and fully made up in stylish casual clothes as they go about their perfectly organized day staying home with the kids. I know that I am WRONG, but how do you let go of those feeling??

Well that is my THROW AWAY for this week. I am THROWING AWAY the unreachable expectation that I can do everything all the time, perfectly!

We talked about that before, but I continue to drown. They say “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff”, but we too often drown in the small stuff. My mom sent me this story by email this week and it seemed oddly appropriate.

The Mayonnaise Jar

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar…

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, ” I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things- your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

The sand is everything else-the small stuff. “If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Spend time with God. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal.

“Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

These are my golf balls!!

If some days there are not a lot of posts, or you come by my house and it is a mess, I am out playing “golf”.

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Next week’s challenge: Throw Away all the crap cluttering HOME CENTRAL. We all have it. I already talked about coupon organization, and this sunday in my simplemom Sunday post we will talk about organizing schedules. So I thought it appropriate to challenge the desk/home office/home central area in preparation for saving more time and being more efficient.

This is my before photo. Next Thursday I will tell you what I tossed and how I organized. JOIN IN and take a BEFORE photo and share them with us when you finish. I would also love to hear your tips along the way.

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Throw-Away Thursday – The Ultimate Shelf life Guide

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September 10, 2009

I was going to challenge you to clean – up/ organize and THROW OUT in another area of your home this week. But, honestly after my weekend purge of the playroom, I do not have it in me this week. So I know you are heart broken, but you will have to wait until next week.

That does not mean there is no THROW OUT today. Since I started couponing, saving money and trying not to waste food, I continually wonder just how long does food last frozen or how long are leftovers good in the fridge.

Well have no fear, there is a new website dedicated to just that!! StillTasty.com

“Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide – Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment “

There is a Keep It or Toss It question section where you only need to enter the food and you will get your answer. It is pretty cool!! Or you can browse by category…

Today’s Daily posted question is Should you Eat Steak that’s Turning Brown? It actually MAY be ok!!

Since I always try to go on health kicks – more on that tomorrow- and fail, I always wonder if yogurt is good past the “sell by” date. They say it is actually good 7-10 days after that date!! I still better eat all that FREE Fiber One yogurt I got from Shaws!!

This will be an invaluable tool for me, though I may still you the “WHEN IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT” rule!!

What do you think of the site?? Let me know!
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Have you found any great deals?? I would love to hear from you!! Post a comment & share your thoughts!! If you like this post, share with a friend or Subscribe to Maven of Savin’ by Email or feed!! THANKS!

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Throw – Away Thursdays – Coupon Ethics

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September 3, 2009

For today’s “Throw-Away Thursday’s” post, I am going to digress a little. I will be honest, I had a bunch of topics I was going to talk about – none of which I am ready to post. SO in keeping with the theme I am going to talk about 2 things.

First, I already shared with you that Sunday there will be no coupon inserts. So if you have time this weekend, it is a good time to “THROW-AWAY” your expired coupons. There are a ton that expired this past week, so clean out your coupon stash. Now by THROW-AWAY, you know I do not mean to really toss them in the trash!! See my post about sending them overseas to the military families who can use them 6 months after they expire!!

The second topic I want to discuss is COUPON ETHICS. Why on THROW-AWAY Thursday? Well I want you to THROW-AWAY the temptation to sneak a coupon past a cashier for the wrong product OR forward a pdf coupon not intended for anyone who has not signed up for it. I have touched upon this before (of course I have no idea where that post is now), But Carrie over at PocketYourDollars has a fantastic post today addressing that very topic. I encourage you to head over and give it a read!

She enlisted the help of Dr. Charles Weinstein, PhD in Business Ethics and founder of the James J. Hill Center for Ethical Business Leadership to get his take on the topic. Basically, misusing coupons is stealing!!

There are many ways to misuse –

using the coupon for an unintended product
photocopying coupons
illegal internet coupons

and many, many more. After you read Carrie’s post, check out the comments for others take on the issue. I have seen other articles about it that I will link up when I can find them. One I found is Why Stores Don’t Trust Us Anymore.

I am dedicated to trying to ensure that only legitimate offers are on my site. I try to ensure that any printable coupons I link are legitimate as well and I HOPE you let me know if I missed anything! This is a tricky area and I will strive to post on the high road of the issue.

A couple dollars savings is not worth being dishonest or commiting FRAUD.

What do you think??

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Throw-Away Thursdays

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August 20, 2009

You will be seeing some common themes in my blog – save money, save time, savin’ your mind!! Thursdays will change up some but for now I am dedicated to de-cluttering my life and organizing – HENCE the THROW-AWAY Thursdays.

“Throw-Away” does not always mean toss in the garbage. It can mean donate, recycle, re-purpose or just let go of the things holding you back!

I am going to be doing MAJOR Clutter Control in my house and will show you something I have “thrown away” every week.

While I am away, please take a look at this very amusing post of 56 Things You Can Toss Out Now! I am particularly fond of #26 “The notion that you will ever be one of those moms that makes beautiful scrapbooks. Put your photos in boxes. No one will judge you.” You would not believe how many “attempts” at scrapbooking I have had FAIL!! Not to mention the many materials hanging around the house – LOL!!!

What are you going to throw away this week??