Dear  ,    

Happy almost-Thanksgiving!  I love the winter holidays, don't you? As the holidays approach, planning and organizing your time and space can help you enjoy the season even more, so take a little time today to schedule your fun activities for the next six weeks. Your work projects will still be there in January; these holidays only come once a year. Enjoy them!  

- Maryann Murphy, MSW

Getting Ready for Holiday Visits

How many items do you have around your home that you plan to give to other family members someday?  Have you mentioned them to your children, grandchildren or siblings?  I've mentioned this strategy in the past around this time of year, but it's SOOOOOO useful, I had to mention it again:

Start planning now to get those items picked up and taken away

when you see your family this year!

Here's the process:

1. Start going through your photos, furniture, clothing, paperwork, etc. now.  Put anything you want to give to a relative in a box or bag in one room.
1. Label each item with a Post-It with the relative's name.
2. Make a list of all the items, and who you plan to give them to.  Add to the list as you find more items.
1. Let your family know that you have things you want to give them at Thanksgiving or the December holidays. If there are big items (pieces of furniture, especially), ask them to bring their largest vehicle when they visit (or if need be, rent a truck or trailer).
3. Tell them in advance what you have to give.  You can take photos and send those electronically or by postal service. 
4. Make it fun.  Betsy LaMond of BoomerFit Cape Cod says that her family has a "you Post-It, you post it" tradition.  They use colored Post-It notes (a different color for each family member) to mark items they want, taking turns in order from oldest to youngest.  After tagging the items, each family member is responsible for posting (or mailing, shipping, or carting home with you) the items they chose. This makes for an interactive family activity, and insures that the people who want them are responsible for taking the items away.
5. Enjoy all the free space you will create by getting rid of the things you no longer need!

By the way, if they say they don't want the things you want to give them (this is important) - BELIEVE THEM!  Lifestyles are different now than when you first acquired these pieces, so give your family the gift of letting it be okay if they don't want the treasures you want them to have.  You can donate the items to a local charity, and by handling this at Thanksgiving, you still have time to pass them on to another family who will love them! 

Recycling Corner: New Resource for Computer Recycling 

The Hyannis, MA Goodwill donation site has just partnered with the Dell Reconnect program from computer maker Dell to offer FREE computer recycling of any brand in any condition to consumers within Goodwill stores.  Check this link for a video on how it works.  

The Dell program began 10 years ago, in 2004, but Morgan Memorial Goodwill Industries, based in Boston, just joined this nationwide program this year.  There are now more than 2,000 participating Goodwill donation sites where you can recycle your used computers.

Whatever parts cannot be reused or refurbished are broken down securely and recycled responsibly, meeting Dell's extensive and strict Electronic Disposition Policy. They promise that no environmentally sensitive materials will be sent to landfills and no items will be exported to developing countries.

If you have old computers that need recycling, check Dell Reconnect to see if this program has come to your local Goodwill center.

Note that you should wipe the hard drive on your computer before donating it to make sure that no one gets access to any of your confidential information stored there. To find free software to wipe your computer, Google "how to wipe your computer."  About.com, GeekSquad.com, wikihow.com and more have articles that may be helpful, or contact your local tech support person to wipe it clean for you.