Freecycle?

Did they not know the correct term for 'caviar'?

Even fish bowls seems a bit strange!

For some sort of decoration, maybe??

I am a moderator for a Freecycle site and it is great to hear so many good stories. Also the grumbles are commonplace and I certainly expect a "please" in an email when I offer an item.

Within our small team of Moderators we know some of our members and the problems they cause. In fairness we recognise some names as disabled members, one lady has an autistic son and another member works for several charities and they all have various time of need.

Fish bowls are a common table centre for wedding receptions, with floating flowers or coloured beads and T-lights for example.

Going to check if there's a Freecycle scheme here.

When I moved recently I put out enough furniture etc., on my wall to furnish a couple of flats. Everything went and it was great to see the looks of delight on the people's faces walking off with a bargain.

I hope the fish bowls don't have fish in them? Sounds a bit cruel to fish.

Thanks for clearing that up, nina. It must be hard to track down enough of them.

I must remember to advertise our old lawnmower (non-working). We need the space in the shed for the new one. DBH decided he wanted one with a wider cut so hasn't even bothered to try to fix the old one. I shall see what else we need to get rid of, so that hopefully only one day will be filled with people collecting things.

When we made our big more 6 years ago (almost) it was very hard to decide what to give away- about 50% of our stuff. We gave books to the Loros (Leics hospice)- and plants to gardening friends- but most of the rest went to Freecycle. Some of the stuff allowed a local woman who had been through a bad time, to start a new gardening business- some garden tools, a good qualita hedge trimmer and a chain-saw and trailor. It was so rewarding to see her so excited re starting her new life. Giving things away took a lot more time and effort than throwing it all in a skip- but it made it so much easier. I hate waste, and hate the total lack of respect some people have for the fact all the waste goes to landfill.

One neighbour said she didn't like to give stuff away, because some of it might be re-sold. I have no problem with this- if someone is prepared to collect ans store, then advertise it for sale- via e-bay or whatever- fine. A zillion times better than ending up in more landfill!

Where I live, once a year there is a big bazaar to just give stuff away. You get a free table- and can exchange stuff for free- or just give it away- just so it does not get wasted. Love that.

A Spring and Autumn sale is also organised for all sports equipment- be it ice-hockey, skiing, rollerblading, bikes- to save families money and to stop more waste. And also plant and seed exchanges in Spring. Again, fabulous.

They do that here, granjura

I have obtained a few really nice toys to keep at our house for the DGC
(I knew which home it had come from too so was quite happy with that)

Another good idea, is the Ludothèque- (wo)manned by volunteers. Not sure how it would go down with uk mums- but they are checked and washed by the volunteers- that is like a library, but for games and toys.

A young friend of DD2 has appealed for plastic toys to be donated to our local hospital's children's ward - because the toys get pinched!!

They do have schemes for borrowing toys here:

https://www.dorsetforyou.com/405827
is one example

A very good idea

Brilliant.