 All images from The Real Real Instagram feed. When it's time to clear out your closet, most items happily to go Goodwill. However, if you have some luxury items that need a new home, let me introduce you to The Real Real. The Real Real is an online luxury consignment site. Authentication is so important to this company that they put "real" in their name twice! They have everything from apparel to jewelry to handbags and more. Whether you are looking to sell or buy the process is simple. If you have just a few items to sell, they can send you a Consignment Kit or you can visit their SF offices. If you have more items, call Miranda to book an in-home appointment and review everything at once. If you happen to be in LA or New York, stop by their beautiful clothing consignment shops! If you also have luxury home items that you are looking to sell, you're in luck! The Real Real recently added home consignments to their business. With everything from furniture to lighting to artwork, it's a virtual estate sale, with all the work taken off your hands. Give The Real Real a try and let me know what you think! The Real Real Miranda Eustis [email protected] (925) 639-6987 If you enjoyed this post take a look at Organize Your Closet with StyleBook.  One of my fabulously well-dressed clients recently informed me about StyleBook. What is StyleBook, you ask? It's an app that helps you virtually organize your real closet. In the app, you can snap photos of your clothing, categorize individual pieces, and create virtual "looks". You can also put outfits on your calendar, create a packing list, save fashion inspiration, and shop at your favorite brands directly from the app. If you're a person that loves all things fashion, this may be the app for you! If like me, your wardrobe is minimal and consists of too many pairs of jeans and t-shirts, it may be overkill. It's not a quick process, but I can see how it would pay off over time. StyleBook would be very handy when out shopping because you have your whole wardrobe at your fingertips! Finding items that work with what you already have would be a snap. It may even inspire me to upgrade from my jeans and t-shirts! Give StyleBook a try and let me know what you think! stylebookapp.com If you enjoyed this, check out my post about the West Portal Goodwill Boutique!     The mission of La Casa de las Madres is to help victims of domestic violence of all ages, 24 hours a day, 356 days a year. They help survivors to transform lives through emergency response, support services, and prevention education. La Casa De Las Madres works in partnership with Community Thrift to directly help those in need.
Their website states: "When you take your in-kind donation to the Community Thrift Store and make it in La Casa’s name, your contribution will transform into shopping vouchers that La Casa provides to the women and families in our programs. These vouchers are redeemed for necessities at the thrift store, providing a direct link between your donation and our program participants." La Casa also has a wonderful Adopt-a-Room program! If you have gently used furniture and home decor, consider donating them to this wonderful organization. Their website states: "The Adopt a Room Program allows donors to decorate our shelter rooms with a homey touch and purchase items such as linens, draperies, paintings, and lighting fixtures. Generous donors have furnished bedrooms, equipped our kitchen, and created a colorful mural on the living room walls. Let your creativity take off and enhance a single or family room with your choice of theme and color scheme." LA CASA DE LAS MADRES 1269 Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94103 415-503-0500 lacasa.org COMMUNITY THRIFT STORE 623 Valencia Street San Francisco, CA 94110 415-861-4910 communitythriftsf.org  The SF-Marin Food Bank operates under the mission to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin. One out of every four of our neighbors is at risk of hunger. Your donation greatly supports the immediate distribution of food throughout San Francisco and Marin as well as longer-term strategies that address hunger and empower our neighbors in need. Their website states:
"Our mission is to end hunger in San Francisco and Marin. Since 1987, the Food Bank has pioneered many successful models aimed at ending hunger. With your support, we continue to innovate and expand to provide more food to neighbors in need." There are many ways to help the SF-Marin Food Bank! You could host a food drive, help with sorting and distribution or donate food directly at one of their many green barrels around the city. My favorite is the one at Rainbow Grocery! Items they especially need:
The SF-Marin Food Bank sfmfoodbank.org  Do you know my favorite go-to site for giving away items that can't go to my usual donation organizations? Nextdoor! Nextdoor a free social network designed to connect neighbors. They have a "For Sale and Free" section that I love. Simply post the item you want to give away, snap a photo, do a write-up and select how widely you want your post to be seen. It's so easy with the app! Interested neighbors will message you arrange to pick it up. Alternately, can put it in a sheltered outdoor spot by your home so they can pick it up at their convenience. Their website states: "Building connections in the real world is a universal human need. That truth, and the reality that neighborhoods are one of the most important and useful communities in our lives, have been a guiding principle for Nextdoor since it was founded in 2011." I love the feeling of posting something - whether it's a box of legos, a ton of paper plates, or a bunny cage - and having a delighted neighbor show up, clearly happy they scored the item for free! Nextdoor nextdoor.com  When working with a client recently we came upon her collection of vintage Laura Ashley dresses and I was instantly taken down memory late. If you are a child of the '80s, as I am, you either had or wanted a Laura Ashley dress.
For those who don't remember, these Little House on the Prarie-style dresses were all the rage in middle and high school. With floral patterns, high necklines, long sleeves, and tea-length hems, these dresses are the opposite of risqué, covering nearly every inch of your body. I can see how parents of teenagers would be on-board with this look! If you can't get enough Laura Ashley, this recent Guardian article gives a nice history of the company. Do you have any Laura Ashley gems still in your closet?  I was recently dropping off some client donations at the West Portal Goodwill Boutique and was struck by how absolutely adorable it was! With a nicely designed interior, great displays and a beautiful selection of clothing if felt much nicer than your standard Goodwill. If you're in the neighborhood, I encourage you to take a look! West Portal Goodwill Boutique 61 W Portal Avenue San Francisco, CA 94127 415-665-7291 Goodwill.org       White & Birch Elfa Decor Pantry from The Container Store. Getting organized and staying that way is possible, even though it doesn't always seem that way. When your pantry is a jumbled mess, finding what you need can take just as long as cooking it. Straightening up your pantry can save you from a kitchen organizing headache! Keep even the tiniest pantry easily accessible and clutter-free with these below tips and space-saving ideas.
Tip 1: Don't Overstock When working in a client's pantry, we often find - in the deep corner of a shelf - food from a previous decade. The key to avoiding this fate is to keep your pantry full of stuff you need, nothing you don't. First, take everything out and lay it out on your kitchen table or counter. Start grouping items in categories that make sense to you. Place all the pasta together, all snacks together or all the baking ingredients together. Toss anything that is expired and start a donate bag for items you know you will never eat. Ten cans of black beans, anyone?  Today I was helping a client purge some cookbooks and we came upon this gem! It comes from the 1961 edition of The Complete Book of Entertaining by Nata Lee (now residing at Goodwill). In the section on invitations, there is a whole paragraph devoted to sending invitations by telegraph!
I also love the paragraph above that advises when calling people with details about a party to "not leave a message about the party with a servant" because of their unreliability. Not a problem in our household! If you feel that your cookbook library is not complete without the Complete Book of Entertaining, of course, it's available on Amazon!  Recycle Where? is a great tool for helping Bay Area residents determine how to donate, recycle, or responsibly dispose of unwanted items. Simply type the name of the item you are looking to donate into the search bar and up pops a list of organizations that can accept the item. Easy! The website is a collaboration between the city of San Francisco, Alameda County, Contra Costa County, and the city of Palo Alto.
Their website states: "The goal of Recycle Where? is to reduce waste by providing accurate information about recycling, reuse, and proper disposal options for residents and businesses without regard to traditional municipal boundaries." The next time you are stumped with a donation or disposal item, give Recycle Where? a try! Recycle Where? recyclewhere.org |
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© 2023 Pick It Up, organizing and personal coaching
© 2023 Pick It Up, organizing and personal coaching