My LQS usually has a basket full of free magazines, etc that people have donated so they are given away tow whoever may want them. The quilt guild has a table at their weekly meeting where people bring things they want to give away - both ideas work well.
When I start a project I like to have a reasonably clean sewing room. It is so much easier to sew when you have a surface to work on! After each project I will clean things up and put stuff away. But that is a room that is so easy to put stuff in without putting it away - just this week I've put in 3 bags of sewing notions, batting, etc and just stacked it all on the ironing board. Maybe later today I will get in there and put all that away. When starting a new project and picking fabric it can become a real mess very quickly!! It is always a work in progress.