I have to admit that, at first, I was suprised to read your letter. It certainly didn't send me into fits of rage. Though I usually try to recycle or donate everything we get rid of, I can also understand how you can actually buckle under the pressure of trying to "responsibly" ditch your stuff. Sometimes it's not even worth it and the dumpster just makes sense.

I'm sure you were thrilled to finally be rid of the clutter in such a big way, not to deprive the poor of your mouse-eaten boots. Don't sweat it. In fact, isn't there actually a new type of anxiety caused from trying to go green? (I may have read about it in Real Simple). No one is perfect!

I've subcribed to your magazine since the beginning and read your editors letters faithfully, and I didn't think twice when I read the one in the June issue. You just sounded normal to me. Most people I know could probably stand to do the same thing you did. Don't we all try to donate when possible?

Welcome to the blogosphere Kristin.

Erin and I know, and feel, your pain. Through various blog posts and/or podcast reviews we've been called clueless, annoying, ignorant.... you name it. I find it's important to try to focus on the positive comments, as well as the negative, even though it's the negative ones we tend to dwell on the most.

And congratulations on cleaning out your basement. I'm jealous.

I did read your letter when I received my issue (see people really do read the editor's letter). I remember briefly thinking something along the same line...in that it was kind of irresponsible...a bit of a turn off. But I couldn't really put my finger on why. Would it have been better if you threw out the stuff in hundreds of plastic bags instead? No! The dumpster is better in that regard. Should you have donated what you could? Yes. But no one else wants or needs our true crap. If it isn't usuable then someone else is just going to through it away. There is no neat solution to the amount of waste we ALL generate.

In the spirit of being in the "blogosphere" I have one thing to say to your haters- GET A LIFE!!!! I have repeated your comments about the dumpster at several recent BBQ's I have attended. There was a collective acknowledegement by the females in attendance of what it would feel like to "dumpster" for a weekend- almost better than ***!! Having my own personal dumpster ranks right up there with my fantasy of meeting George Clooney- he's free now ya know.......

Good for you in realizing that not every piece of junk is someone else's treasure! There are some things that really do belong in a dumpster! Your letter actually motivated me to get back down in the basement and keep working! Thanks for being a "real person" like the rest of us.

I'm going to echo what others have said here and tell you...don't sweat it!!! I consider myself to be pretty environmentally aware, but I found no offense in what you wrote whatsoever. We have the ability to pick apart and find offense in nearly everything that gets published or done or whatever...and people will choose to make examples out of you or whomever else they designate at the drop of a hat. Yeah, the blogosphere is pretty tough (have you read dooce.com?) but take the opinions of others with a grain of salt. You in no way strike me as a person who decluttered her basement with malicious intent...quite the opposite! Sometimes you just gotta purge! :)

As the director of a non-profit, I have been the recipient of countless numbers of boxes and bags full of items that should have been trashed, but weren't because their owner either felt guilty or was sure someone could use their old junk. We've received numerous equivalents to mice-infested boots and I honestly feel a bit insulted that people give us things in that condition. We're thankful that they thought of us and the needs we may have, but trash is what it is - trash. Many things can be repurposed or donated, but it only creates more work, and frustration, for the recipient when donations aren't usable or in good condition. Dumpsters have their place in this world!!

I just read the article and some of the comments on I Suwannee and all I have to say is I think its ridiculous. I mean seriously do these people have nothing better to do than play virtual recycling police? You were cleaning out your basement for crying out loud, not throwing away perfectly good canned food that starving children could eat. Im going to go out on a limb and say the stuff you threw away was for the most part junk. Old. Broken. Worn out. Don't donation centers have a big long disclaimer about how they only take "new and gently used clothing, working appliances, etc?" From my experience trying to donate, they are very picky. And I know exactly what you mean about feeling good about it. Simplifying. Cleansing. I wish my mother would do the same thing to her garage. Though heaven forbid she throw out those old dog rugs. Goodwill may be able to sew them back together and clean off all the mildew..

You're living in a fish bowl, Kristin! And although I don't agree with everything that you've written, I do find it all so very interesting. I would love to swap places with you for just one day, especially now that you are a socialite! Keep doing what you're doing! My mother always said that you can please all of the people all of the time so make sure that you please yourself - or something close to it! Thanks for sharing!

Listen, don't feel guilt or feel like you own anyone an apology. Sometimes, it easier to just GET RID OF IT. I work at a Salvation Army and I have been a member for quite sometime myself but sometimes when I need to clean out the basement I tend just to toss everything that I see instead of taking the time to drive it to the local thrift store. We all do it, no one should criticize you or call you a socialite because you didn't have the time... I am a dedicated reader of your blog and a dedicated subscriber!

ah, getting burned in the blogosphere. I think this means you've officially made it! JK. People can be mean when it's all anonymous. A "friend" just broke up with me by blocking me from all her social networks! Duh.

Anyway, I think the only way the world will get greener is if we all take reasonable steps towards environmental-friendliness. If we are all expected to be perfect, it will be too daunting.

Don't worry about it.

I don't know about you, but I'm sick of feeling guilty when I'm not perfect. I wish all the women of the world could get together, take all of our dusty guilt, and throw it in the dumpster!

My grandmother used to say that some people wouldn't be happy working in a pie factory. I think that applies to those who got so upset with you for your dumpster rental. Maybe they were having a bad day. Since we had a dumpster in our driveway the same weekend, I am especially supportive of your efforts! We too had junk that was not good enough for Goodwill. We recycle when we can but sometimes you just need to get rid of things. Since we have picky trashmen and a lot of stuff, a dumpster was the best option. ( I must confess I'm not sure how this makes you a socialite.)

Can I just say OH MY GOSH! I mean, really...I can't even believe this was an issue! Kristin, I'm literally speechless or should I say typeless! Maybe I'm just a mindless person, but I didn't even think ONE thing about the whole dumpster thing and CERTAINLY wouldn't have thought throwing stuff out was wrong! If any of those mean commenters want mice-infested snow boots, well, that's just sad and not even the poorest of poor would've wanted those boots I bet?? I'll say it...because you might get fired if you do...to hell with it and what they think. We ALL have the right to feel or think certain ways but that doesn't make it right or wrong! Throw out your stuff if you want, give it to Good Will if you want but don't condemn someone for renting a dumpster...UGGHH! I mean seriously, I feel like a valley girl :) I would trust your judgment on what you deem (sp?) worthy of donating and what you don't! I still love ya and will continue to subscribe for my lifetime to Real Simple! (Unless I hear you are throwing away live baby seals or something!) Teehee :)

I'm posting again because I just read the other blogs. WOW! These people are harsh. You would think they would try to gently woo people over to more recycling and environmentally friendly living but...... they are just angry. I almost had to laugh at how carried away they seemed to get. If they are this outraged at your dumpster Kristin, think how something really significant must send them over the edge. They can have their blog. I'll stick with yours and Real Simple Magazine.

It's so funny! I was in the middle of doing the exact same thing when I got my issue and read your letter. We moved a year ago and haven't been able to park our cars in our garage yet for the mountains of boxes. (We opened boxes from 20+ years ago that moved back from Greece and my husband's first duty assignment!) We ended up with many happy mice families this winter as well and our stuff was so disgusting that no one would have wanted it nor would it have been sanitary to donate it! It's amazing how people who get entrenched in a cause or movement often can't see any other point of view but their own. Don't let them get you down. If you feel as good as I do with your basement decluttered, a few snarky comments are worth it!

Did you read the recent cover story of The New York Times Magazine on the woman (Emily, I believe) who blogged for Gawker? A very interesting peak into the psyche of someone who blogs for a living. At least for this woman, critically and "with snarkiness" were not only her preferred methods for viewing the world, but also required in her blogging in order to generate the page views and viral momentum on which blogs thrive. It may not apply to the blogs that covered this "issue", but it is a fascinating peak into that world which, at first blush, seems rather uncomplicated.

I enjoyed reading your editor's note in the June issue of Real Simple. I didn't get the impression you were throwing away perfectly good things - just cleaning out the debris of your basement. I didn't have a negative thought about what you are doing. I am sure you used your good judgment. I don't think you throw away perfectly good things for the fun of it! Real Simple is my favorite magazine. It's always full of recycling ideas and new uses for common items around the house. Keep up the good work!

Hi,
I always look forward to your Editor's Letter in the magazine and I remember reading about your basement clean-up and I thought...well, Good Job...it sounded like a lot of hard work to get it cleaned up. I think people are way too judgemental. I think it's silly to think that Real Simple Magazine isn't an environmentally friendly magazine. The people that stated that obviously don't read the magazine. I've read several articles in the last few months promoting environmental awareness! It's possible that some of your junk was someone else's treasure...and probably some of it could have been donated, but I'm almost positive that you've done other things to help the environment and the earth. It's all the little steps that we take that matters.

From the looks of the basher's blogs you are now "cool" enough for them to make fun of...
-For the one commenting she canceled her subscription, I renewed mine yesterday.
-For the one commenting there is no excuse...there is an excuse, if it is not suitable for me, I am certainly not going to push it off on someone less fortunate...I work at a non-for-profit and it is an insult when we receive tattered clothes and broken items, the women we serve don't deserve your thrown out crap.

Throwing out stuff can be THRILLING, especially when you chose to do it wisely and in an eco-friendly sense. RS & Kristin keep up the good work.

I think sometimes our sanity is the best thing we can give to the environment we live in. That often comes from disposing of the clutter that's holding us back. I think the mean-spirited readers/bloggers would have a lot more peace of mind if they could focus on their own improvement rather than judging your accomplishments. Good job on bringing peace back to your home; don't let anyone else disturb it.

kristin,
thanks for addressing the issue. although i still don't agree with using your forum to advocate filling up a dumpster with "stuff", i appreciate your attention to my concern.

i certainly don't 'hate' you, or real simple, i just think that the few impressionable words you are able to offer each issue could be better, more sustainable advice than throwing out everything you can find in a cluttered room.

i realize things need to be thrown out every once in a while.
of course i throw things away myself.
it's not really even so much of a problem that your filled dumpster will go sit in a landfill - that's fine. the problem is that all the things you choose to trash are going to eventually have to be remade - using energy and materials.
that's the definition of not being sustainable.

instead of recycling the items in your basement, you're making the problem worse two-fold. you're creating the waste for the landfill, and then down the road, you'll replace those items with new things, using more resources.

anything can be recycled - paper, wood, metal, plastic. it takes a bit more effort, but these materials can be re-used, repurposed and recycled so that they don't have to be created again. that's what recycling does.

again, i'm not asking for perfection. i just don't understand why you chose your editor's letter to suggest something so unsustainable and in my opinion, irresponsible.

yes everyone does it – everyone also has picked their nose in the car, smelled a sock to see if its clean, ran the dishwasher when it wasn’t totally full because they didn’t have the energy to wash a bowl. we all do these things, but we don’t recommend them to others as thrilling.

you're in a position where you can encourage people to do cool things - you can set the standard for 'cool'. you have 1.9 million people reading your words each month. think of all the things you could suggest that would be better for them, the earth, and the state of their basement. that's the challenge.

Read your Editor's letter. Loved it as usual (yep, my favorite part of RS). I'm with all the women here who say..."Say what??" This is the only blog I get...and boy am I glad.