out with the old, in with the new: how to start the year off right.

first off, i want to say how lucky i am. i have a happy, healthy family, wonderful friends, and a job. i just celebrated the holidays and got more than i could have ever asked for.
but just like everyone else this time of year, i do not have a lot of extra time on my hands. as you may have noticed, i have been mia in the blogging world. this is about the second time in almost three weeks that i have even opened up my computer. i am okay that i missed blogging about my gift lists or how to dress for parties (though i did have some cool ideas. see forefront fashion because she was on top of it this year!), but i was definitely not okay with missing out on 'blogging for good'. thanks to corey templeton of portland daily photo for encouraging local bloggers to take some time to write about local organizations or causes that they care about.

even though i may be a little behind, it is never too late to talk about things that are important to us. as i start to go through all my new christmas gifts, i find that i need to make some room. out with the old, in with the new. i start to think about how i don't need half of the things i own, it would be a smart idea to go through what i do have and replace it with the new things. since i know that not everyone is a fortunate as i am, donating the things i no longer need is the best thing i can think of doing. even after the holidays, people are still in need. there are three places that are close to my heart and would encourage all of you to donate your items to:

dress for success
preble street resource center and teen services
goodwill

all of these organizations do so much for our community and to better the people in it. i have talked a lot about dress for success and goodwill. i have seen first hand how they are changing the lives of people every day. but it takes people like you and me to make sure that they can continue to help many more people.

what a perfect way to start the new year. clear the clutter in your life, clear the clutter in your mind, and help the people who need it most.