Frugal Fashion Friday: Goodwill #sharethegood

If you've read this blog for any length of time or read some past posts, you are well aware of my love for thrifting and especially for Goodwill. I have a great relationship with the Goodwill team, here in the DC area and a long time love affair with Goodwill shopping. In addition to shopping at Goodwill, we keep a continuous box for Goodwill donations. Anything that we no longer love, doesn't fit, or is past it's prime, goes right into the box. We try to make a donation trip every month or so. I'm due for a big closet purge very soon. Lots of my clothes no longer fit, due to my weight loss. I will be hitting up Goodwill soon for some replacement items. This week is Goodwill Industries Week.  In honor of the amazing work that Goodwill does, I thought I'd share some of my favorite finds and the ways that Goodwill helps the community.

Goodwill is much more than great buys and donations. The staff in their stores are working through the job and employment programs provided by Goodwill. They also provide career training and job programs in conjunction with other companies and businesses.

• Did you know, when you donate used goods to Goodwill, you keep waste out of area landfills while helping people find jobs!
• Did you know, With each new store and donation center Goodwill opens, 25-30 new jobs are created!
• Did you know, you can round up the total of your purchase at any DC area Goodwill store and all of that money will go directly to Goodwill programs.
• Did you know, Goodwill provides free job training programs, job fairs, and has four career centers in the DC metro area.
• Did you know, DC Goodwill hosts an annual pop-up shop and fashion show, where all of the items sold and in the show were donated to Goodwill stores across the DC area.

I've found so many great items at Goodwill that I couldn't possibly show them all to you. Follow me on instagram and Facebook to see more of my finds.

The caftan I scored at the Goodwill pop-up shop.

I love Goodwill for vintage Coach bags and designer shoes!

I give new life to items (like these bookends from Goodwill), with spray paint.

Goodwill is a great place to score home decor, for a steal.

Goodwill is one of my favorite places to find great t-shirts.

We even created over 200 candle holders for our wedding, using glasses purchased at Goodwill. (DIY details here)

There are lots of donation trips (and shopping trips) to Goodwill, in my future. I definitely need to declutter my closet. Hopefully you'll do the same or at the very least, do some shopping. It's great to know that your purchases are helping the environment and your community. There are Goodwill stores across the country, find a store, donation center or career center here.

I'd love to see some of your Goodwill purchases. If you post them to twitter or instagram, be sure to tag me ( @realgirlrunway for both ) and use the hashtag #sharethegood.

Happy Friday and Happy Thrifting, Real Girls!

Stay or Go?

Cleaning out my closet and drawers has never been an easy task for me. Parting with worn or stained clothing or shoes is never hard. It's those items that I like and think I may wear again that cause the issue. Just recently, I had to drastically reduce the clothing that I had stored in our basement. A friend was moving in to rent the space and I needed to make room. A few items were hard to part with. They were items I thought I might come back to, eventually. I donated tons of items that I hadn't worn in ages and didn't think I'd wear again.  About a month after this big donation, I started noticing tops like these popping up online.

In my big purge, I had donated two similar tops because they were left over from my 90's club days and frankly I didn't know why I still had them.  When I saw these tops online, for a split second I regretted donating them. Then I did a rewind and reminded myself why I'd gotten rid of them. I'm not 25 anymore. I don't spend Friday and Saturday night in a club anymore. I don't want to look like a throw back to Melrose Place (the original not the remake). I did this trend once already and it wasn't even that great the first time. In this case, my regret passed quickly.  Other times I've really regretted getting rid of an item and actually purchased another similar item to replace it. The "if you haven't worn it in 6 months or a year" rule has never worked for me. I have a few great pieces that I've owned since college. Now you see my dilemma.

My closet purge this time will be thoughtful and calculated. As I decide which items to store and which items to toss or donate, I will be taking a little inventory. Once I pack items away for storage, I'll make a list of those items. Then I will know exactly what I have that could be worn again.  If an item doesn't fit, no matter how great it is, I will either give it to someone, swap it or donate it. I found a great decision tree. It's definitely one of the best I've seen. I'll keep you posted on my closet purge journey.

 

How do you decide what to purge and what to keep?

Help the People of Japan with Fashion

The devastation in Japan is heartbreaking.  Through it all the people there are maintaining order and their composure.  They are truly amazing. I've already made a donation but when I saw this wonderful offer from JewelMint, I had to share it with you. 

Until March 22nd, JewelMint will donate $10 from the purchase of every Mint Blossom Bracelet to the American Red Cross Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Program.  You'll get a beautiful and fun Spring bracelet and make a contribution to a great cause.



JewelMint Mint Blossom Bracelet

 If you'd like to donate in another way, please do. Here are a few links and some information to help you out.

American Red Cross

Text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation

(It will be charged to your phone bill.)

Save the Children

World Vision

Summer for Good

Along with a new bathing suit, it's always fun to buy new items for summer. There are so many needs in this world that I started thinking about doing some good with my summer purchases. What if that beach bag could help feed children or your new t-shirt could buy a book for a kid who wouldn't normally have one? Luckily there are charities and companies who do great things with the profits they make.

Here are a few of my favorite picks for the summer.

Beach Bag
You'll need a bag to carry your sunscreen, towel, and summer book. This one will provide money to feed fifty school meals to kids in Haiti. You can go to Feed Projects to purchase this bag and many others.


Sun Hat
Along with sunscreen, one of the best ways to protect yourself from the sun is a hat. This one has a big brim and is sold by Ten Thousand Villages. The folks at Ten Thousand Villages ensure that artisans in developing countries are paid a fair wage for their goods and help to keep them employed.


Summer T-Shirt
A new summer T or a beach cover-up (an extra big guy's shirt) is always a must. Out of Print Clothing creates t-shirts featuring iconic or out of print book cover art. For every shirt purchased, they donate a book to needy children through Books For Africa. One of my favorites, that fits with the beachy themes of summer, is this Moby Dick shirt.


Espadrilles
This list wouldn't be complete without shoes. What girl doesn't need a new pair of shoes for summer? I love flip flops for the beach but even at the beach, I like something special for dinner or a night out. For every pair of shoes purchased from TOMS, they donate a pair of shoes to a child in a developing country. Many kids in these countries grow up without shoes. I love these espadrilles but make sure to check out their other summer styles.


Another one of my favorite sites, Uncommon Goods, has a large selection of items made from recycled materials.

With a little hunting, your summer shopping can make you look good and do some good for others at the same time.