Often times the garage becomes the house focal point to collect the clutter and junk that you do not want taking up the rest of your living space. There is no reason that the garage cannot be kept as tidy as the rest of your house is.

You may be thinking about donating your car or have already called in your vehicle donation and noticed an extra pep in your step. It could be from the sunny weather outside or the cheer you feel after hearing your favorite song on the radio, however science has shown that the act of giving chemically affects your hormones and improves your mood. When you give to others, your body releases endorphins that can lift your spirits.

While San Francisco is leading the race in the nation's recycling efforts, it has been reported that only 10% of Los Angeles even owns a recycling bin. With a population of almost 10 million residents, we would love to see the city work towards a much more enthusiastic recycling program. In the meantime, here are some ways on how to rally your recycling efforts in Los Angeles County with easy to do tips.

Know the Facts

While color blocking may be the craze inside of shopping malls, inside of Arizona homes it seems that recycling is the new trend. According to a study done in 2009 by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Arizona homes are recycling more than 5 times the amount they were in the 60's.

Percentage of all trash recycled or composted:

1960: 6%
2008: 33%

Solid Waste Collected in Phoenix, Arizona:

Material (in tons) Collected Through Recycling Program in 2009: 129,000

San Francisco is one of the most environmentally conscious cities in the world according to a list by grist.org, an environmental news website. Ranked at number 8, Grist ranked international cities on the strides each one has taken towards eco-friendly and greener lives.

You have donated your vehicle to Wheels For Wishes, claimed the deduction on your taxes, and now you have some extra cash in your pocket to spend. Here are some great ideas of what to do with the extra money you now have in your bank account.

Gas prices are slowly ticking back up, and if you are in a big city, prices are topping the $4.00 mark. Experts remark that as we inch closer to spring, we can expect an even steeper increase in fares. Though we cannot control the price at the pump, we can control how efficiently our vehicle uses gas.

We know when choosing a place to donate your car, you have a lot of options. A simple Google search of "car donation" inundates you with over 56 million results. There are several reasons one may donate a vehicle, but the best motif is the positive impact your donation can have in your local community. It is a competitive industry and we want to make sure you are picking the right organization for your vehicle dollars.

The most important piece of advice is to do your research. Many of the vehicle donation programs advertise broadly as being "for kids" or for "a cause", so take the time to look into where exactly your donation is going. If they are going to kids, in what context does it support children, and is it a certain demographic of children, or all children? If it is a donation to "a cause", what cause? If you find yourself having to dig around just to get to the bottom of what the charity you are supporting may be, ask yourself if this is the type of organization to which you want to give your donation.

Wheels For Wishes first partnered with the Minnesota Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation® over seven years ago. Today, we are partners with over thirty chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Because there are so many amazing things to talk about concerning this program and our partners, we have developed a blog to keep you up-to-date with all of our latest projects and partnerships!