Box it up! Ship it out!

Today is Boxing Day. This lovely holiday is celebrated in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Time to start a modification of this tradition here in America!!

I like to use Boxing Day, after the excesses of xmas, to box up all of the things I no longer need, want, or use and ship them off to charity. What a fabulous idea!

Don’t just nod agreeably as you read. Get up off your arse and do it! *poke* C’mon, c’mon!

Did you get a lovely sweater from aunt Marge yesterday? Go upstairs this evening and sort through the dozens of sweaters you already own (do you even wear them anyway? When’s the last time you wore that greenish one? Come on now.). So go through the pile and box up every single one that you didn’t wear at all last year. Goodwill would love to have them. There’s plenty of ladies of lesser means who could use a nice sweater. It’s been bloody cold!

Did you get a new coffee maker? Bread maker? Mixer? Can opener? What will you do with the old ones? I have an idea … box ‘em! Give them to a church thrift store.

What about the obscene crush of toys? You know. The ones your kids got. To go with the ones they got last year, and the last. The ones they never look at, much less play with. Box those suckers. There are local kids who didn’t get a tiny fraction of what your children got. Take every one of those neglected toys to the Salvation Army.

What about those things you bought to make christmas cookies/cakes/meals? Still unopened? Still have bags of crisps? Tins of soup? Your local battered women’s shelter can use all of them.

And while we’re at it, what about those old towels, sheets, and blankets that you’re getting ready to replace at the after-xmas sales? You hate those burgundy ones anyway! But they’re way to raggedy to send to charity. What to do? What about an animal rescue league? They can usually use such things as bedding for the dogs and cats awaiting adoption.

So, there. *whew* Doesn’t that feel good? It isn’t the last of the spiced egg nog either, ducky! It’s Kindness and Generosity and it warms the soul like a big wood stove. Your house is cleaner and much less cluttered and the things you didn’t want or need are going to people (and animals!) who can use them. You have a receipt to use at tax time and the world is a better place. You did well, friends!