Happy New Year! 2020 was a year to be remembered. Covid-19 made its way around the entire world, taking countless lives and causing fear in every home. Schools shut down and shifted to e-learning. Countries refused to import used clothing for several months. Thrift stores and donation bins were overwhelmed by donations of those stuck at home during prime spring cleaning time.

2021 is a brand new year! We have a new president taking office in the United States. The pandemic remains, but there is hope on the horizon, hope of a vaccine, hope of lower death rates as the initial onslaught subsides, hope of a new way of living as billions stayed at home, slowed down and reconnected. Whatever 2020 brought to your life, the new year is the perfect time to reassess, continuing on with the positive gained from last year, and letting go of the negative.

As you reassess for the year ahead, here are a few positive things you can implement in your own life this new year to care for our planet and for yourself:

5 Easy Recycling Resolutions

Last year, we posted this blog for the new year all about recycling resolutions. In it, we challenged our readers to:

• Recycle Textiles
• Reduce Textiles
• 30 Item, 30 Day Wardrobe Challenge
• Recycling More than Textiles
• Go One Step Further (with alternative wrapping paper, reducing junk mail, etc)

These resolutions help shape finite ways to play a part in caring for our planet and reducing anxiety in your own life around owning too much stuff. Recycling helps us feel good about doing good and slows down the amount of stuff that reaches the landfill each year. These ideas also give you avenues of creativity in finding alternative methods to doing everyday things such as picking clothes to wear or wrapping gifts. For the latter, check out this article posted last month about great alternatives to traditional wrapping paper.

Try Something New

As we continue to endure stay at home orders during our coldest season, why not try something new? If you are like me, being forced inside begins to make me feel like the walls are closing in, and though I am a transplanted southerner that would rather admire winter white by the window from the comfort of my warm home, I have three young children that often require my supervision outdoors.

When being stuck at home gets to be too much to bear, don that exquisite secondhand coat and that American-made, eco-friendly matching hat and gloves and see what fun new things you can try outside. For instance, I have never been on a snowmobile but would love to try it sometime. Neither have I cross-country skied. From what I’ve read from others, the key is dressing appropriately for the cold weather and committing to having fun! 

Winter Wear

Have your children outgrown their coats and boots this year? Read this blog to see where to donate winter wear. Children’s resale sales abound in our area, and some have even gone online this year in the pandemic, allowing parents to shop from home and simply pick up items the following week curbside. 

Reach out to neighbors and fellow moms to share items that children outgrow. Go through your own items and have your spouse go through theirs to pare down to what you most need and share your bounty with those in true need this winter. For those excess donations headed for your local thrift store, remember to check in with that location to find out pandemic hours and what they can and cannot accept. And never drop off to a location that is closed. Your items will not be resold but most likely head for a landfill if the location is overwhelmed and not accepting donations.

Happy New Year

As we head into this new year of the unknown, let us encourage each other to continue in hope. May we find fulfillment in doing good, in loving our neighbor and those inside our own homes well, in finding new (and old) ways of caring for our planet and in hoping for the future and for a time when this pandemic ends and we continue on in kindness. And may we always recycle our textiles. Happy new year!