Every spring as the snow begins to melt and I become less inclined to head up the mountain, I find myself with a little more time on my hands. Wandering around my house a little bored I try to muster up the ambition to do something productive. As I look around, I wonder how the heck I have accumulated so many things since the last time I did a big clean up.
At a glance of my once-very-organized "gear room," I see many things that have miraculously appeared over the past year. I've ended up with an extra pair of riding boots, six not-so pairs of mismatched gloves, too many Mardi Gras beads to feel proud of, several new pint glasses labelled with different beer brands, a spare bike tire, a set of cross country ski poles, and a broken snowshoe... and that was just at a glance.
Don't judge me too quickly because I am not the only Whistlerite who has become a gear hoarder over the past season. Whenever I find a pair of gloves abandoned in the Day Lots, I pick them up, give em' a sniff (the first test every find must pass), try them on and inevitably toss them in my trunk. Surely I know someone who will fit them, need them or want them, I think. But fast forward four months of greedily enjoying the winter season and neglecting my housework, and my place is bulging with stuff like that I don't need.
Spring cleaning isn't very fun but neither is the rainy dead season. You just have to get through it knowing there is more good to come. I've come up with six ideas for your annual Spring Cleaning to keep you busy and help you organize your life: fix it, clean it, store it, dump it, sell it and swap it. Check out these ideas and apply them liberally to better your life in Whistler.
1. Fix It
I break a lot of stuff. In fact, piles of stuff. My husband says it's because I'm careless. I say that it's because I operate at speeds that would rival that of an ostrich in full stride. Well this year, instead of letting those piles get bigger, I have decided to try to fix all the things I have broken (and maybe learn to fix the things I will probably break in the future).
Some fixes don't require a lot of tools. For example, I've noticed a trend of baggy pants in Whistler (What? You haven't noticed? The pants got skinny for a while but now the prisoner look is back). I know I can't change this fashion faux pas (although if I could, I would pull up everyone's pants enough at least to cover their undies) but at least I can help make it look more together. The problem with baggy pants is what I like to call the "dreaded cuff drag." I see tattered ski pants, jeans and yoga pants being abused with every step as the cuffs are dragged through puddles and dirty, over patio stones and eventually worn as stirrups. I even saw a kid get his ripped cuffs caught in the stairs walking up to Base II. As he struggled to get them loose and still maintain his cool, I thought to myself, boy, this guy could sure make his life easier if he just had his pants hemmed. A needle and thread can take care of this in about five minutes, a stapler in about five seconds (if you're going to throw the pants away anyway) and a roll of duck tape even faster if that fits your style.
To tidy up your wardrobe, take a good look at all of your clothing and pick out what you would actually wear if the fit was better. Make a neat pile (just in case we get a powder day and you abandon your efforts for a day or three) and begin assessing what needs to happen for those items to become wearable. If something needs to be hemmed then start a pile for that. If you need things taken in, made smaller or let out then you will need to make another pile to take to a professional tailor, or failing that you mom. You will likely need to invest a few bucks to make your gear new again but it will be worth it, especially if it is a higher priced item and you're not a sponsored athlete.
Here is a cheap trick if you are tight for cash but need some new duds: take your tattered ski pants and cut them into shorts. Seriously. Buy some Speedy Sew (its like glue that holds a hem and is machine washable) and voila! You've got yourself some spring skiing or Bike Park shorts!
So now that your clothing is looking better, what about your gear? How about that binding that rattles because of a loose screw? And the ski pole with the missing basket? Take some time to fix your gear.
And if you're not sure how to fix something? Ask someone who probably knows if you really have no idea, but if you're a do-it-yourself-er you can try checking out YouTube.com, eHow.com and other sites for instructional videos. Almost always someone out there has had your problem and liked their solution so much they made a video about it.
Take your broken skis, board or bike to a local shop to get an expert opinion, and save yourself some aggravation. To thank the shop for their time always buy the parts you need from them and not their competitor next door who wouldn't give you the time of day.
2. Clean it
Pee-ew! It's been a long season and things are beginning to get stinky. It's time to think about the olfactory glands of those around you and get to some actual spring cleaning.
The great thing about cleaning is that it doesn't have to cost much if you know a few tricks. With a little elbow grease you'll be amazed what you can make like new again.
Did you know that there are only three cleaning products you need for your home? And, better yet, they are all environmentally friendly? Lemon juice, baking soda and vinegar are all you really need in your cleaning cupboard.
Lemon juice can dissolve some of the most stubborn caked-on mud and gunk on your bike or skis. A vinegar solution with one part vinegar, three parts water is a great all-purpose cleaner and disinfects gross places like bathrooms. The smell will go away after a few minutes if it bothers you, or will give you a craving for French fries. If you are short on fabric softener then pour half a cup of vinegar in with your load and it will do the trick.
Lastly, baking soda is the Holy Grail of deodorizers! Dump the loose powder into your hockey bag and shake it all about. It WILL amaze you, and all those offended by your stink.
On the other hand, if you are - how shall I say it? - less than motivated you can always hire someone to come in and do your household cleaning for you. There are at least four cleaning companies that service residential properties in Whistler. Most of them offer free consultations and reasonable rates, and use environmental cleaners as well.
Either way, you need to get cracking on the cleaning for the sake of your gear and the noses of those around you.
A clean, fresh house will do wonders for your life.
3. Store it
What do you mean you can't find last year's bike shorts?
Oh yeah, that's because the measly room you've been sharing with your friend is a disaster. Like most Whistlerites your house has probably become a dumping ground for every type of technical clothing under the sun: toques of all sorts and different weight jackets for all types of weather. But if you're not going to wear that puffy coat for the next six months then you should probably put it away, or at least hang it up.
Get your act together and sort your stuff. Imagine how easy it would be to find the tool you've been searching for to do your spring bike tune-up if only you had been organized last fall. I'm sure the early snowfall last year is to blame for your less-than-stellar seasonal gear swap, but nobody's pointing fingers here. There are many options for storing your gear, but they take a little forethought.
Remember in the '80s when housewives would have Tupperware parties? Middle-aged women would pore over a variety of life-changing plastic tubs, "burping" them to demonstrate how freshness was sealed? Well maybe we can all learn from the housewives of yesteryear and get organized.
"We worry that if we throw out all of the random parts we collect we'll certainly find a need for them (later)," says Josh, a repair guy here in Whistler. He finally took charge of his workshop and organized every part and piece he could find. He said it was hard to get motivated because it felt like all of his buddies were out having fun while he was stuck cleaning. So he compromised. He bought a 12-pack of beer and invited two friends over to help.
He said that any more than two friends and it would have turned into a party, but the three were able to sort, organize and tidy his shop. He said the key to his success was buying large storage bins, which is essentially Tupperware for gearheads. He got his from Wal-Mart, although they're available at any hardware store, and felt it was worth the drive to Squamish.
Ryan, a Whistler contractor, shared with me that he moved last year to a furnished apartment. It was a great deal and a nicer place but he had just bought a brand new bed and couch. "I refused to sell or get rid of either, and for the first time in my life I became a renter of a storage unit," he says. He was amazed at how much tidier life got. He was able to store his bikes over the winter and will be adding his skis to the unit when he flips his gear. "It will be a lot easier not seeing my skis sit there sadly all summer," he says with a laugh.
4. Dump it
Why do we hang on to all those things we'll never use again? We've all got how many "un"pairs of mitts, broken shoelaces and miscellaneous spare parts to our various sports equipment? It's time to say goodbye.
"People gain an emotional attachment to a whole variety of things while living in Whistler. They worry that if they throw something out it will somehow remove the memory of gaining it", says Judy, a counsellor in Vancouver.
"It can be such a full-on life experience living in Whistler that many people want to hang on to, and they try to do so by keeping things."
So keep your photos and hold onto your truly special collectibles (like the 2009-2010 commemorative Olympic season pass for example) but be realistic and dump the rest. Life is about moving on and moving forward, not hoarding all of the things that have brought us to where we are. Declutter your life by making a proverbial dump, and drop your unusable and broken crap off at the waste transfer station. There are fees for doing this, but it's well worth it.
Recycle what you can. Paper is paper, plastics is plastic, glass is glass, wood is compost, corrugated cardboard is actually quite valuable and batteries can ground down for valuable materials.
The other alternative, of course, is donating your stuff. We all know, love and use the Re-Use-It Centre and it's time for you to give back, literally. Proceeds from items donated to the Re-Use-It Centre fund the Whistler Community Service Society's other programs, which range from the food bank to emergency assistance to families in need.
The Canadian Diabetes Association also has a pick-up program (which doesn't yet service Whistler) but they do have a donation bin at Horseshoe Bay.
Allow me to insert the oh-so-perfect cliché here: one man's junk is another's' treasure.
Enough said. Get rid of your crap.
5. Sell it
No one really needs five pairs of goggles or 10 fleece vests, yet everyone can use some extra money. Sell, sell, sell what you don't need to buy the things you do!
There are many venues to help you get rid of your stuff.
"There are the usual suspects like Craigslist and the Turkey Sale (ski swap), but I've become a savvy seller this past year," says Rick, a chronic gear buyer/seller. He has started taking a grass roots approach and selling at the local level, and so far he's had the most success with Community Boards.
I thought to myself, where the heck is a community board? Then in one day, going about my business in Whistler Village, I counted four. The best part is they are all in well-travelled areas. My highlights are: Dups Burritos, Gone Bakery, the Wildwood Cafe and Roland's Pub. People who live in Whistler go to these places daily, moreso than the tourists who won't be as interested in your stuff. Rick told me that when he makes an ad he always makes sure it's in full colour, has phone number tabs, a reasonable asking price and a brief and honest description of the item. If an item has been used and abused he's upfront about it because it filters out a lot of inquiries.
If you are a real gearhead you can host a silent auction at your house and get all of your friends to bring their gear as well. Think "garage sale" with a select invite list.
A silent auction is where bids are written down on paper. The seller can stipulate a minimum bid on a given item and the winner is under obligation to buy that item. To make your Silent Auction more successful I suggest giving a percentage of your earnings to a local charity (everyone loves WAG!), which also gives you a moral leg to stand on and gets people out and buying. Using Facebook, Twitter, classified ads in the Pique and word of mouth, you can have one heck of an auction. All you really need is an auction bid sheet (Google to get a template) and a couple of honest folks to monitor the bidding process.
If you sell the stuff you don't need any more just imagine how much more you can buy!
6. Swap it
My last suggestion is the most fun. I know we Whistlerites like a good time, and it doesn't get much more fun than a clothing swap. You get to get rid of old stuff, get new (to you) stuff, meet some new people and have a great time. These events are actually quite popular, especially among women who like to change up their wardrobe from time to time (vs. men who wear clothes until they literally corrode off their bodies).
A Clothing Swap is where participants bring items to donate and then trade them for the items others have brought. There are no maximums on how much you may give and take, as long as others are willing to make the trade.
It's easy to organize a clothing swap. Choose a venue that will accommodate a fair number of people and their stuff. As people arrive, begin sorting it into piles (baby stuff, women's clothing, men's clothing, sports equipment, etc.) to stay organized. Once everything has been merchandised, go nuts. The best part is that this can be done with five people or 50 people. And everyone walks away with something "new."
There are so many other things I'd rather do than clean. It seems however that as the winter season winds down and I wait for the next exciting season to begin I need to get control over what's happening in my house.
Spring cleaning is a must for Whistlerites, given all the gear we accumulate, our wide range of interest, our small homes and their chronic lack of storage. Fixing, cleaning, storing, dumping, selling and swapping all of our excess stuff once a year is a relatively simple way to get the most out of our fabulous mountain lives.
