Spring Cleaning

A few times a year I feel the urge to feng shui my life. I go online, look up the bagua map, and re-read the benefits of de-cluttering my living spaces and all the great things it will allow to enter my life. Some of it feels like voodoo magic, what with certain types of photographs being verboten, and the placement of particular colors in key corners affecting my love life, and all. I'm not sure how much stock I really place in it, but I can't deny that clearing out the clutter feels really good. Afterward I enjoy a deeper sense of peace and calm. Here's a list of my usual suspects. Next to each, I've put a link to more a fitting home for my clutter-glut. These are mainly Los Angeles-based organizations who turn what would otherwise be trash into treasure. Donating to those in need is another great benefit of my clearing-out project.

On a related note, I think it is worth mentioning that charities that provide human services, like soup kitchens, homeless shelters and the like, are typically ignored by Los Angeles' major donors; these donors tend to prefer giving to more glamorous causes like hospitals, universities, and the arts. The organizations I list below need just as much support for the vital services they provide. Read more about it as reported by Los Angeles Magazine.

To DONATE

• Books: Books for People (they also take CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes and LP records)
• Magazines: community centers for elderly people
• Prom dresses & formal wear: Casa's Glamour Gowns and Prom Closet
• Business attire: Downtown Women's Center and Working Wardrobes
• Casual wear: Fred Jordan Mission
• Accessories: Casa's Glamour Gowns

To RECYCLE

• scrap paper: Municipal recycling collection
• generic junk mail: Mail Preference Service
• candle remains: A how-to
• orphaned socks: The Mismatched Sock
• stockings with runs: multiple new uses!