Less is Best

Dear Mommies,

So how did the first month of this year treat you?

Were you able to make it through the winter weather (or for some parts of the country, weird winter weather)?

And how are your closets? 

Ahead of the spring cleaning and yard sale season, here are 10 steps that can help you thin out your closet and the kids' closets. Less clutter, can mean a happier home. Hint: Do this during nap time, toddlers watching adult closet clean may not end well (see: Find Me a Woman (Assent, 2014), pp156-57).

1.    Take everything out of your closet (you might find that missing Christmas present). Everything out. Dump on the bed or floor.

2.    Limit yourself to four piles: Donate, Keep, Clean & Store, Toss (in the trash).

3.    Keeping clothing for sentimental reasons equals cluttered closet. Be brutal—unless it’s something you’ll wear in the next 3 months, donate it.

4.    Speaking of 3 months—if you aren’t going to wear the item for next season—store it or donate it. Sweaters should be stored with cedar balls or sachets to keep bugs away.

5.    Yeah, keep your “fat” jeans, but not the skinny jeans. A woman’s weight fluctuates. Having a pair of “I’ll-wear-them-after-the-diet” skinny jeans may make you bitter and frustrated when they don’t fit. Let them go!

6.    Don’t be squeamish about tossing clothes in the trash. Goodwill, Thred up and other used clothing vendors, will toss immediately (or not even accept) any item not in good condition.

7.   Keep the basics. Think CJSSD — coat, jeans, skirt, shirt, dress.

8.    Shoes, belts and purses? Put them in a separate spot. Don’t deal with them until after you’ve made your decisions about what to keep and toss. If anything is missing, broken or frayed—toss it. Unless you have a reliable shoe repair store AND are worth it.

9.    Once you put your clothes in your piles—stick with it. If you change your mind once or twice, that’s okay. If you’re continuously moving items from pile to pile to pile, you need to be tougher.

10.  Do it by yourself. It’s okay to have a clothes shopping buddy, but not a closet buddy. It’s your body, your closet and your time. Things slow down if there’s more than one opinion that’s being aired about an ugly sweater.

The point about combing through your wardrobe in such a drastic fashion, is twofold. First you de-clutter, second, you refresh your closet.

Relax, Mommies, you’ve got this.