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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Selling/Donating

 Selling or Donating items is something that many people face every year.  You go through your clothes and items to try to purge your closet.  This helps you start fresh every season, and you can make room for new clothes and items you have bought.  However, do you sell your items or do you donate them?  Learn more in this blog excerpt about the pros and cons of both.  You can also find out more information at Closet Factory.


Selling vs. Donating: What Do You Do with Your Old Stuff?Now that you have decluttered the closets, garage and kid’s rooms, it’s time to decide what to do with all the stuff that you don’t want. Do you give everything to a local charity or do you sell it? If you don’t need the money then the most obvious answer would be to donate it all. But in today’s economy it can be hard to give away all your stuff.
There are five questions you can ask yourself to help decide if you should donate, sell or recycle an item.
  1. How much can you sell the item for? Are similar items already for sale?
    Browse popular websites like amazon.com, craigslist.org and ebay.com to see how much others are selling the product for.  Keep in mind if other people are selling the same item, you will need to list your product at a competitive price to sell.
  2. How much time do you want to invest in selling the item?
    Before making the decision to sell, think about how much time you have and are willing to put into it. Will you make the time to post the item on craigslist.org or will you be able to ship the item when someone buys it on amazon.com? This is a big deciding factor for me, if nobody in the house is willing to take the time to post it on a resell site there is no point in keeping it around.
  3. Are you willing to take the time to ship the item?
    Keep shipping costs in mind when posting stuff on amazon.com and ebay.com. Amazon provides you a flat fee for shipping which is often less than the cost of shipping the item. So keep that in mind when pricing your items.
  4. Is the item in good condition?
    Only sell items that are in good working condition. If you a selling locally then the buyers will want to test out the product before they buy. If you use an online reseller like amazon.com, you stand the risk of the product being returned.
  5. Is it taking up valuable space?
    If space is an issue then you may want to donate or recycle the item quickly. We have several items in our garage that my husband was supposed to be selling however they are still there three months later taking up space. If you want to clear stuff out quickly, you may want to call a local service to have the items picked up.
When we moved over the summer we did a combination of all three. We sold high-end items like electronics, strollers, baby equipment, and appliances.  We donated clothes and toys that the kids outgrew and trashed and recycled broken and damaged items. Keep in mind that most donation services will not accept used mattresses and furniture however; you can call the city and ask for bulk item pickup service.

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Happy Birthday Mr. Rogers

Mister Rogers birthday is today. The Pittsburgh Children's Museum is celebrating with this great event all day.  There is free admission all day.  At 1230 pm, you can get a visit from everyone's favorite speed delivery man Mr. McFeely.  There is also a performance at 2pm from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.  You can find out more information at the Museum website.

Mister Rogers Day

Featured Programs & Event

10:00am5:00pm
March 20, 2013
Join the Children’s Museum for the annual celebration of the anniversary of Misters Rogers' birthday. Enjoy:
  • Free admission to the Museum in honor of our friend and neighbor, Mister Roger, all day
  • A visit from everyone's favorite speedy delivery man, Mr. McFeely, at 12:30 pm
  • A performance by 4 members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, 2:00 pm (2 violinists, a viola player and a cello player)
Don’t forget to explore classic Neighborhood pieces such as King Friday’s Castle and X the Owl's Tree. See all the pieces and their locations here.

One adult must accompany every 5 children.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

St. Patrick's Day Treats

Do you love to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?  Check out this great recipe for Irish themed cookies for your party or celebration this weekend.   You can find more recipes and crafts that are Irish themed at Martha Stewart.


Sprinkle a little luck on your sugar cookies. Draw your own stencil or use our template to create the clover design.



  • Yield Makes 50

Clover Cookie TemplatesAdd to Shopping List

Ingredients

  • 4 cups sifted all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • Green sanding sugar

Directions

  1. Sift together flour, salt, and baking powder into a large bowl; set aside. Combine butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment; cream on high speed until fluffy. Beat in eggs
  2. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two additions, mixing until well combined. Mix in vanilla. Divide dough in half, and cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 30 minutes.
  3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 1 piece of dough on a lightly floured work surface 1/8 inch thick. With a 3-inch cookie cutter, cut out 25 rounds. Working with 1 round at a time, place clover stencil on top; sprinkle surface with sanding sugar.
  4. Arrange rounds on parchment- or nonstick baking mat-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes, or until ready to bake. Repeat process with remaining dough.
  5. Bake, one sheet at a time, until edges just start to brown, 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely on sheets on wire racks. Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Cook's Note

You can freeze the dough, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to one month. Store the cookies in an airtight container up to five days.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Things To Do In The City

Are you looking for some great events in Pittsburgh this week?  There are concerts, conventions, and movies all with low or discounted prices.  This is your Pittsburgh event schedule from March 4th-March 10th.  For more great events and deals see Living Pittsburgh.
 

Monday, March 4

Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show - $3 off coupon and more

Interval Mondays at AVA – $3 cover

Bargain Mondays at South Side Works Cinema – $6 admission all day with concession specials

AcoustiCafe – FREE admission and drink specials

Totally Free Mondays at Steel City Improv Theater – FREE

Affordable Monday at South Side Works – Around $35 for two people

Salsa Mondays at Seviche – FREE, no cover

Storytimes Around the City – FREE

Cheap Movie Deals Around the ‘Burgh on Mondays – discounted movies on Mondays

Monday Wing Deals – wing specials in the ‘Burgh on Mondays

Cheap Burgers in the ‘Burgh on Monday – $3 or less

Cheap Monday Taco Days – taco specials in the ‘Burgh on Mondays

Tuesday, March 5

Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show - $3 off coupon and more

2 for 1 admission to the Clayton – purchase one admission, get another FREE

$2 Tuesdays at North Versailles Bowling Center – $2 games

Two for Tuesday at Color Me Mine – two paint for the price of one

Ceili Dance Lessons – FREE

JazzLive at the Backstage Bar – FREE

Folding Space Pay-What-You-Can yoga classes – pay what you can

Tiny Tots at Romp N Roll Skating Rink – $5.00 for food, skating and skates

Storytimes Around the City – FREE

Terrific Tuesday in the Cultural District - Around $30-$35 for two people

Tuesday Knitting Group – FREE

Cheap Movie Deals Around the ‘Burgh on Tuesdays – discounted movies on Tuesdays

Tot Tuesdays at The Aviary - 1/2 off admission for children 5 and under w/ paying adult

Tuesday Wing Deals – wing specials in the ‘Burgh on Tuesdays

Cheap Burgers in the ‘Burgh on Tuesday – $3 or less

1/2 off Wine on Tuesday – 1/2 price wine by the bottle or glass

Cheap Tuesday Taco Days – taco specials in the ‘Burgh on Tuesdays

Wednesday, March 6

Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show - $3 off coupon and more

Community Night at the Union Project - Donation based

Beer Sampling at Carson St. Deli - FREE

Ceramics Open Studio at the Union Project - $10

Yoga on Centre Pay-What-You-Can yoga classes – pay what you can

$1 Night at North Versailles Bowling Center – $1 games, food, drink & shoe rental specials

Pittsburgh Banjo Club Open Rehearsal – FREE

Open Mic Night at Cannon Coffee – FREE

Mommy & Me Wednesdays at My Little Outback – $2 discount

Bluegrass Night at the Park House – FREE Bluegrass music

Dave & Buster’s 1/2 off game day – 1/2 priced games all day

99 cent movies all day – 99 cents

Wednesday Knitting Group – FREE

Storytimes Around the City – FREE

Cheap Movie Deals Around the ‘Burgh on Wednesdays – discounted movies on Wednesdays

Wednesday Wing Deals – wing specials in the ‘Burgh on Wednesdays

Cheap Burgers in the ‘Burgh on Wednesday – $3 or less

1/2 off Wine on Wednesday – 1/2 price wine by the bottle or glass

Cheap Wednesday Taco Days – taco specials in the ‘Burgh on Wednesdays

Thursday, March 7

Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show - $3 off coupon and more

RAW Generation - $10-15

Family Night at Schenly Ice Rink - Kids skate free with each paying adult

Entrepreneurial Thursdays at Little E’s – $5

GlobalPittsburgh Internation Networking Event - $5 nonmembers, FREE members

Play Dates on Ice - $4.25

Senior discount admission at Clayton – $5 instead of $12

Thursday Matinee at the Harris Theater – $5.00

offCenter at the August Wilson Center – FREE

Roger Humphries Jazz Jam Session at CJ’s in the Strip - No cover

1/2 off Wine on Thursdays – 1/2 price wine by the bottle or glass

Storytimes Around the City – FREE

Salsa Thursdays at Bossa Nova – FREE, no cover

New Mothers Knitting Group – FREE

Pittsburgh Improv Jam Comedy Show - $3 plus $2.50 craft beer special

Folding Space Pay-What-You-Can yoga classes – pay what you can

Thursday Funday Downtown – $20 to $25 per person for an ENTIRE evening out

Cheap Movie Deals Around the ‘Burgh on Thursdays – discounted movies on Thursdays

Cheap Burgers in the ‘Burgh on Thursdays – $3 or less

Thursday Wing Nights – wing specials in the ‘Burgh on Thursdays

Cheap Thursday Taco Days – taco specials in the ‘Burgh on Thursdays

Friday, March 8

Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show - $3 off coupon and more

Irish Dance Lessons at Claddagh – $5

Sushi Happy Hour at Blue – FREE Sushi Buffet w/ a beverage purchase

Good Fridays at The Andy Warhol Museum – 1/2 priced admission

Observatory SkyWatch at the Science Center – $1

Storytimes Around the City – FREE

Friday Night Improv at Studio Theater – $3

Salsa Fridays at Cabaret at Theater Square – $5

Kinder Klimb at REI – FREE with $20 LIFETIME membership

Line Dancing lessons at Saddle Ridge – FREE

Cheap Burgers in the ‘Burgh on Friday – $3 or less

Friday Wing Deals – wing specials in the ‘Burgh on Fridays

Saturday, March 9

Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show - $3 off coupon and more

Cinebrunch: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - $12-6

Titletown: Soul & Funk Party - $3-5

Observatory SkyWatch at the Science Center – $1

Saturday Nights at Swing City – $10-12

SCIT Social Improv Jam - FREE

Saturday Light Brigade Radio Show – FREE

Sunday, March 10

Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show - $3 off coupon and more

Free Sunday Afternoons at the Carnegie Library – FREE

Fifty Cent Sundaze at Arsenal Bowling Lanes – $.50 cent games, shoe rental and hot dogs

Starving Artist Sunday Supper at Brillobox - $6

Sunday Brunch Deals – affordable local brunches

Sunday Wing Deals – wing specials in the ‘Burgh on Sundays

Cheap Burgers in the ‘Burgh on Sunday – $3 or less

Sunday Bloody Mary Specials in Pittsburgh – ‘Mary specials in the ‘Burgh on Sundays