Jan. 3rd, 2013 05:03 pm
(no subject)
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Hellllo!
On Tuesday, I was...well, I needed to iron some clothes, but before I could do that I had to clean off the ironing board, which necessitated me cleaning out the two boxes beneath my bed that hold gift wrap and such, my entire closet (while trying on everything I own), and another box filled with gift tags and cards and such and yet another box that holds my stationary. So much, in fact, that I never actually ironed my clothes. I got distracted! Mostly by how many cards I own. So then I decided I needed to do something about it because 01) I own more Christmas cards, blank note cards, and post cards than any one person needs and 02) I kinda bought more. It was a good sale! I googled, as you do, and came up with three solutions, which I thought I'd share if you, too, are ankle deep in stationary.
01) For blank notecards and any stamps you might have lying about When my mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, the Lydia Project sent her cards of encouragement each month, which I thought was a really sweet gesture. They were mostly from this lady in Missouri who frequently just said what the weather was like there but you know what? Given that everything else in the mail was bills from the doctor, from the pharmacy, from the oncologist, from the hospital, a handwritten card from a lady telling us it rained in Missouri the other day was really nice. So, I emailed the organization and asked if they'd like a bunch of blank notecards and turns out they really would. If you're in America and would like to donate part of your stash of blank note cards, let me know and I'll give you the address/link. Or Google! I bet there is something similiar in your neck of the woods.
02) For unused Christmas cards of which I have many because I can't resist buying new ones to send out (and this year I...might have bought...three new boxes. They're so pretty! And cheap! Anyway, if, like me, you find yourself with a surfeit of Christmas cards, the American Red Cross sponsors "Holiday Mail for Heroes" in which you can write (a fairly generic) message and they will deliver them to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. I'm looking to see if my local VA hospital does something similar (because I like to keep things local) but I've (obviously) got a bit of time on this one. The link is here.
03) For used Christmas cards. Oh my goodness. I have saved cards since the beginning of time. I have an entire box filled with them and some I will always keep but (and let's keep this between me and you), I don't really need to keep cards from people I worked with twenty years ago. Why do I do this? Anyway! St. Judes Ranch accepts the front side (picture side) of cards, which they then recycle and make new cards to sell in support of their programs. They accept birthday and thank you cards, too. What they can't accept is Hallmark, Disney, or American Greetings, which is unfortunate as I'm willing to bet that's more than half of what I have but still. Anyway! The link is here.
04) You! Yes, you! Help a girl out! I would love to send you a card or postcard from my stash. I'll be honest, the inside will likely be all about what the weather is like in Missouri (which I'll have to google because I don't live there) or, my favorite, what the denizens of my local Starbucks are wearing/doing, but it's better than a mailbox full of bills, right? Let me help you break up the monotony. Comments are screened if you'd like to leave me your address, or you can pm me or email me.
ETA: A friend suggests that one could also use the picture side of old cards as postcards. Great idea! Or perhaps even for lists and such.
On Tuesday, I was...well, I needed to iron some clothes, but before I could do that I had to clean off the ironing board, which necessitated me cleaning out the two boxes beneath my bed that hold gift wrap and such, my entire closet (while trying on everything I own), and another box filled with gift tags and cards and such and yet another box that holds my stationary. So much, in fact, that I never actually ironed my clothes. I got distracted! Mostly by how many cards I own. So then I decided I needed to do something about it because 01) I own more Christmas cards, blank note cards, and post cards than any one person needs and 02) I kinda bought more. It was a good sale! I googled, as you do, and came up with three solutions, which I thought I'd share if you, too, are ankle deep in stationary.
01) For blank notecards and any stamps you might have lying about When my mom was diagnosed with cancer in 2010, the Lydia Project sent her cards of encouragement each month, which I thought was a really sweet gesture. They were mostly from this lady in Missouri who frequently just said what the weather was like there but you know what? Given that everything else in the mail was bills from the doctor, from the pharmacy, from the oncologist, from the hospital, a handwritten card from a lady telling us it rained in Missouri the other day was really nice. So, I emailed the organization and asked if they'd like a bunch of blank notecards and turns out they really would. If you're in America and would like to donate part of your stash of blank note cards, let me know and I'll give you the address/link. Or Google! I bet there is something similiar in your neck of the woods.
02) For unused Christmas cards of which I have many because I can't resist buying new ones to send out (and this year I...might have bought...three new boxes. They're so pretty! And cheap! Anyway, if, like me, you find yourself with a surfeit of Christmas cards, the American Red Cross sponsors "Holiday Mail for Heroes" in which you can write (a fairly generic) message and they will deliver them to wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. I'm looking to see if my local VA hospital does something similar (because I like to keep things local) but I've (obviously) got a bit of time on this one. The link is here.
03) For used Christmas cards. Oh my goodness. I have saved cards since the beginning of time. I have an entire box filled with them and some I will always keep but (and let's keep this between me and you), I don't really need to keep cards from people I worked with twenty years ago. Why do I do this? Anyway! St. Judes Ranch accepts the front side (picture side) of cards, which they then recycle and make new cards to sell in support of their programs. They accept birthday and thank you cards, too. What they can't accept is Hallmark, Disney, or American Greetings, which is unfortunate as I'm willing to bet that's more than half of what I have but still. Anyway! The link is here.
04) You! Yes, you! Help a girl out! I would love to send you a card or postcard from my stash. I'll be honest, the inside will likely be all about what the weather is like in Missouri (which I'll have to google because I don't live there) or, my favorite, what the denizens of my local Starbucks are wearing/doing, but it's better than a mailbox full of bills, right? Let me help you break up the monotony. Comments are screened if you'd like to leave me your address, or you can pm me or email me.
ETA: A friend suggests that one could also use the picture side of old cards as postcards. Great idea! Or perhaps even for lists and such.