week 2 - spare stuff Donation

This week I am planning to have a clear out of all my belongings that are either under the bed or in the spare built in wardrobe in the other room (used as a secret library and craft storage space) and donate to charity anything I know I will not use or be able to pass on to my craft inclined friends. Examples including soft toys, candles, nick knacks will be out, sewing materials, and letter writing materials will stay as I will need those for my planned February activities. My preferred Charity shop is the PDSA who help those with low incomes get veterinary treatment for their pets.   If you donate to a charity shop, please consider signing up to their gift aid scheme and also for email updates as this saves them time and money on declaring any monies raised from your goods donation.

Donate Unwanted Goods to Charity Shop

Monday update: 

I have just sent a very small donation in to a rescue group called Brandy Keg kennels Dog Rescue, who aim to save dogs from the kill list (get put to sleep after a set time) into their own small no-kill shelter and foster scheme.  The group has hit a dry spot with their own efforts and so any penny will help them. If you would like to take part in the Facebook donation drive, please visit: https://www.facebook.com/events/389238157878457/?ref_dashboard_filter=upcoming

January - Make a change in your life

Besides doing 52 activities... there are 52 weeks in a year after all, I also wanted to have one special activity each month as well for readers to aim for, if any of you feel inspired to take an action that will have a huge change for the life of another living being. Each of these will be documented in the week they take place in as well, but if you like to know what's coming up...  The planned themes list for the year is:

January - Make a change in your life

• you could - have a wardrobe clear out and donate any in good condition clothing, shoes, books etc to a charity shop. My personal favourite is the PDSA. Please consider signing up to their gift aid scheme if you are a tax payer, and also to their email system. Many charities have to contact you when they issue updates or statements of any monies made from the sale of your goods. If you switch to allowing them to contact you by email, it will help save them money and paper waste. 

• free education - Take up an online course for free! This will help keep your mind busy and may inspire you to chase that dream or career challenge you had previously avoided. For those not in work it will make a nice booster to your CV if the course is run by an accredited college or university and keep your IT skills and networking skills sharp. My preferred site is Future Learn www.futurelearn.com . There are many others in the UK, Europe and USA, so please share if you find a good one!  

• Veganuary! - perhaps having that home de-clutter or expanding your education isn't enough? maybe you'd like to de-clutter your body and soul? Have an interest in veganism or vegetarianism? Then Veganuary is the project for you! The Veganuary challenge is where you become vegan for the month and see what positive changes it makes to your body and your life. If after the month you decide it is not for you, then there is nothing wrong with that as you will have at least tried it with an open mind. I myself have been vegan since summer 2013 so if you take up the challenge and need help with supermarket navigation or cheap and easy recipe ideas, get in touch! For more information on Veganuary, please visit: http://www.veganuary.com/