Genies to the Rescue

I moved into a new apartment last summer and was barely home from August til November. But it was time to start teaching in December so in 4 days, I had to get the place into order!! Whoa, it was a whirlwind weekend…

When I look at the before and after photos, it feels like maybe a genie helped me out. Or maybe i used a magic wand. But really, it was just a lot of elbow grease and determination.

Photos: http://littlewoo.org/renovations/
(yes, the place was more like a storage locker until the big cleanup!)

Craigslist
Did I ever mention how much I enjoy using Craigslist? http://vancouver.craigslist.org

Sometimes, i find stuff in my home that I don't need or want anymore, but isn't necessarily useful for a charity or shelter... So I simply put it on Craigslist under "free stuff". Usually, within 10 minutes, I start getting email responses.

Bonus 1: It feels good to know that someone else can make use of the item.
Bonus 2: It's fun and fast, and the item is often picked up within 24 hours of my posting!

Craigslist is also great for buying and selling, or hunting for treasure, jobs or apartments. For many people, Craigslist is much like an Aladdin's lamp. Whatever you wish for, no matter how specific, can instantly appear in your lap. And whatever you wish to get rid of, can magically disappear in the blink of an eye.

Thanks Genie!

P.S. The story of how it all got started is quite inspiring. In 1995, software engineer Craig Newmark started it as a hobby... Four years later, he quit his day job as Craigslist became his full-time passion. It is now one of the largest sites on the internet and is still a free community service!

Check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craigslist
The Story of Craiglist