Mountain Views News          Saturday, April 23, 2016

THE GOOD LIFE

10

Mountain Views-News Saturday, April 23, 2016 

HOW TO DOWNSIZE YOUR STUFF FOR A MOVE

SENIOR HAPPENINGS


Dear Savvy Senior,

Can you offer any helpful tips for downsizing? My 
husband and I are interested in moving to a condo 
downtown when we retire, but we need to get rid of 
a lot of our personal possessions before we can move. 
We’ve lived in the same house for almost 35 years and 
have accumulated tons of stuff. 

Feeling Overwhelmed

Dear Feeling,

The process of weeding through a house full of stuff 
and parting with old possessions can be difficult and 
overwhelming for many people. 

 A good place to start the downsizing process is to 
give your unused possessions away to your kids or 
grandkids. You can give up to $14,000 per person per 
year before you’re required to file a federal gift tax 
return, using IRS Form 709. Beyond that, here are a 
few other tips and services that may help you. 

Sell It

Selling your stuff is one way you can downsize and 
pad your pocketbook at the same time. Some other 
popular selling options are consignment shops, 
garage sales and estate sales. 

Consignment shops are good for selling old clothing, 
household furnishings and decorative items. You 
typically get half of the final sale price. Garage sales 
are another option, or for large-scale downsizing you 
could hire an estate sale company to come in and sell 
your items. Some companies will even pick up your 
stuff and sell it at their own location – they typically 
take about 40 percent of the profits. 

 Or, if you’re willing, online selling at sites like 
Craigslist, eBay and Amazon are another way to 
make top dollar for your stuff. Craigslist.org is a huge 
classified ads site that lets you sell your stuff for free. 
While eBay.com and Amazon.com takes a cut of your 
sale – roughly 10 to 15 percent. Or, if you don’t want 
to do the selling yourself, eBay offers a valet service 
(sellforme.ebay.com) to do it for you, for 20 to 40 
percent of the selling price. 

Donate It

If you itemize on your tax returns, donating your 
belongings is another way to downsize and get a tax 
deduction. Goodwill (goodwill.org, 800-741-0186) 
and the Salvation Army (satruck.org, 800-728-7825) 
are two big charitable organizations that will come to 
your house and pick up a variety of household items, 
furnishings and clothing. 

 If your deduction exceeds $500, you’ll need to file 
Form 8283, “Noncash Charitable Contributions” (irs.
gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8283.pdf). You’ll also need a receipt 
from the organization for every batch of items you 
donate, and will need to create an itemized list of the 
items you donated. To calculate fair market value for 
your stuff, use the Salvation Army’s donation guide 
at satruck.org/home/donationvalueguide, or the free 
program “It’s Deductible” at turbotax.intuit.com/
personal-taxes/itsdeductible. 

Trash It

If you have a lot of junk you want to get rid of, contact 
your municipal trash service to see if they provide bulk 
curbside pickup services. Or, depending on where 
you live, you could hire a company like 1-800-Got-
Junk (1800gotjunk.com, 800-468-5865) or Junk-King 
(junk-king.com, 888-888-5865) to come in and haul it 
off for a moderate fee. 

 Another good disposal option is Bagster (thebagster.
com, 877-789-2247) by Waste Management. This is a 
dumpster bag that you purchase for around $30, fill 
it to a limit of 3,300 pounds and schedule a pickup, 
which costs an average of $140 but varies by area. 

Enlist Help

You can also hire a professional senior move manager 
(nasmm.org, 877-606-2766) to do the entire job for 
you. These are organizers who will sort through 
your stuff and arrange for the disposal through an 
estate sale, donations or consignment. Or, you can 
hire a professional organizer through the National 
Association of Professional Organizers at napo.net. 
Organizers may charge $30 to $80 per hour or by the 
project.

 Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. 
Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.
org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show 
and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.


HAPPY BIRTHDAY! …April Birthdays

Howard Rubin, Hattie Harris, Mary Harley, Bette White, Dorothy White, Doris 
Behrens, Freda Bernard, Beth Copti, Terri Cummings, Marilyn Diaz, Virginia 
Elliott, Elma Flores, Julia Gottesman, Betty Jo Gregg, Barbara Lampman, Betty 
Mackie, Elizabeth Rassmusen, Maria Reyes, Marian DeMars, Anne Schryver, 
Chrisine Bachwansky, Colleen McKernan, Sandy Swanson, Hank Landsberg, Ken Anhalt, Shannon 
Vandevelde

* To add your name to this distinguished list, please call the paper at 626.355.2737. YEAR of birth 
not required but you must be over 60.

...................................................................

ACTIVITIES: Unless listed differently, all activities are at the 
Hart Park House (Senior Center) 222 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre

 

 

 YWCA San Gabriel Valley - Intervale Senior Cafe 

Seniors 60 years of age and up can participate in the YWCA Intervale daily lunch program held 
at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Meals are served Monday through Friday at 12:00 pm 
and participants are encouraged to arrive by 11:45 am. Meals are a suggested donation of $3.00 
for seniors 60 and over or $5.00 for non-senior guests. Daily reservations are necessary, space is 
limited. Please reserve your lunch by calling 626-355-0256.

Tech Talk: Held on Monday, January 25th from 1:30-2:30pm. Learn how to use your new 
technology devises. Please reserve your space with the Hart Park House by calling 626-355-7394. 

 

Hawaiian and Polynesian Dance Class: Every Tuesday morning from 10am to 11am. Join 
instructor Barbara Dempsey as she instructs you in the art of hula. 

 

Bingo: Every Tuesday beginning at 1:00pm. Cards are only $0.25 each! Everyone is welcome to 
join. May be canceled if less than 5 people. 

 

Free Blood Pressure Testing: 2nd Tuesday of the month from 11am to 12pm. No appt. is 
necessary. 

 

Brain Games: Thursday, January 21st, 10:30am - 11:30am, improve your memory and strengthen 
your brain. Activities facilitated by Hugo, Community Liaison for New Wave Home care of 
Pasadena. 

 

Free Legal Consultation: Wednesday, January 27th from 10:30am to Noon. Attorney Lem 
Makupson is available for legal consultation. He specializes in Family Law, Wills, Trusts, Estates, 
and Injury. Appointment are required by calling 626-355-7394. 

Balance Class: No Balance Class due to Martin Luther King Holiday. 

 

Chair Yoga: Mondays and Wednesdays from 11:00 to 11:45 am. A suggested donation of $5 at one 
of the classes is requested, but is not required. 

 

Case Management: Meets the 2nd Thursday of the month. Case Management services are 
provided by the YWCA and provide assistance in a variety of areas. Appointments are required 
and can be scheduled by calling the HPH Office at 626-355-7394. 

 

Birthday Celebrations: Every second Thursday of the month at the Hart Park House. The free 
birthday cake is provided by the Sierra Madre Civic Club. 

 

Game Day: Every Thursday starting at 12:00pm. (Please note the time change.) A regular group of 
seniors play poker. Other games available for use. 

 

Free Strength Training Class: Every Friday from 12:45pm to 1:30pm with Lisa Brandley. The 
class utilizes light weights for low impact resistance training. All materials for the class are 
provided. 

 

Senior Club: Every Saturday at the Hart Park House Senior Center. Brown bag lunch at 11:30am. 
Club meeting at noon. Bingo 12:30-3:30pm. Annual Membership is only $10.00. 


KATIE Tse.....................This and That

MONTH AT THE MUSEUM!


If you’ve read my column 
for any length of time you 
know that I frequently write 
about my Mom. Not only is she one of my best 
friends and favorite people, but she, along with 
my Dad, is also a model retired person! Just what 
does it mean to be a model retired person? Well, 
as a third grade teacher, my Mom was always 
very busy when she was working, but I must 
say she’s even busier now that she’s retired. She 
goes to a weekly Bible study, organizes monthly 
get-togethers with her friends, attends weaving 
lessons through Charter Oaks School District, 
and is a member of the Bobbin Winders Guild.

 Bobbin Winders is a vibrant group of fiber 
enthusiasts who do everything from knitting 
to sprang (Google that). There’s generally a lot 
of overlap between Bobbin Winders and the 
weaving class, in that the same people are often 
members of both groups. I once had the guilty 
pleasure of playing hooky from my job to attend a 
Bobbin Winders punch needle workshop with my 
Mom. I had a great time making a mug rug, a.k.a. 
“coaster,” a popular workshop project. But these 
little events pale in comparison to the crowning 
jewel of Bobbin Winders --their exhibition at the 
Pasadena History Museum in celebration of the 
guild’s 60th anniversary this year!

 Yes, Bobbin Winders has arrived at a museum 
near you. On display are a beautiful variety of 
woven blankets, upholstery fabric, kitchen linens 
and much more. They kicked off their exhibit back 
on March 5th with ceremony and tea reception. 
Since then, they have been demonstrating weaving 
and spinning on the weekends. Not only have 
individual members loaned their pieces for display, 
but many of them also designed specialty scarves in 
turquoise, the official Bobbin Winders color, that 
are artfully interconnected in a display suspended 
from the ceiling, creating a truly dreamlike effect.

 Although many of the exciting demonstrations, 
activities, and lectures have already occurred, 
there are several that are still available for the 
public to attend. Here is a list of the remaining 
demonstrations and workshops Bobbin Winders is 
hosting before the closing gala on Sunday May 15th. 

 Tuesday April 26, 6:30-8:00 p.m. - Guild President 
Kathleen Waln will give a presentation on her 
favorite type of weaving --Shibori. Come for a great 
lecture with slides and a display of Kathleen’s own 
beautiful Shibori work. Wine and cheese reception 
precedes the presentation from 6:00-6:30. Cost is 
$12.

 Live floor loom and spinning wheel demonstrations 
from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday April 30th, 
Sunday May 1st, Saturday May 7th, Sunday May 
8th, and Saturday May 14th.

 Grand Finale Sunday May 15th from 1:00-5:00 
p.m. Bobbin Winders Guild and other guilds will 
be demonstrating weaving, spinning, knitting, and 
other fiber arts. 

 Don’t miss this opportunity to connect with your 
inner weaver and admire some of the best examples 
of fiber arts in Southern California!


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com