Clean Up Progress Report

Earlier in October, I wrote this post. Sadly, I wasn't able to get to working on it that next weekend, and the weekend after that, we were in Rehoboth Beach - which was FUN, but not conducive to getting anything done at home.

But this past weekend, I did spend some time cleaning out my closet.  And I actually got a lot of stuff cleaned up and organized.  It's funny - I don't have that much in my "wardrobe" but I also can't spend more than an hour or so on cleaning out/shifting stuff around.  But I got quite a bit done anyway.  By the time I finished, I had these bags ready to take to the Red Cross donation truck near our house.

Now, I still have some work to do, cleaning out.  But the good thing is that once I get started, I become much more committed to getting serious about it.  And I realize that a lot of the things I thought might be worth keeping for "someday" are not things I'm ever gonna use/wear.  So as I continue this weekend, I won't be keeping the things I kept for no real reason, "just in case."  Because I have a tendency to keep things if I feel like there is any possibility in the world that I might wear them, ever.  Which doesn't make sense when - if I really think about it - I know I never will.

On the one hand, a lot of my clothes are ones I've had for years, and still wear.  The problem is that since I have had them for so long, I have a tendency to be surprised when they actually wear out and need to be replaced.  So I'm making a list as I put some things away and get other things out for colder weather of things that are probably on their last legs.  Theoretically, that means that I can hopefully replace them before they completely fall apart.  Theoretically. ;-)

Anyway, baby steps, but some progress.  And at least at the moment, I'm wanting to continue.

Thinking Ahead to Fall

Fall is one of my very favorite times of year.  The weather cools (well not here today, but ...) and the air feels crisp, the leaves change, and there is a sense of anticipation.  Even as a kid, when I wouldn't necessarily look forward to going back to school, I still enjoyed it when fall actually announced itself.

For me, and maybe also for you, it means switching out most of what is in my closet and dresser drawers.  The shorts, sleeveless tops, and sandals get put away to make room for heavier clothes, shoes, and boots.  I like to change purses as well, and update my makeup.  Granted, this doesn't all take me that long, since it's not like I have so much stuff to work with, but I am still determined this year to do it more thoughtfully.  Too often I keep things because of "maybe" - as in, maybe it's better than not having a blue shirt, etc. at all, maybe it will fit again/fit better next year - you get the drift.  Then when I pull it out the next year, I feel obliged to keep it.

Not this time.  I am prepared to be serious about what I actually keep and donate what I can.  Other stuff will either be repurposed, or thrown away.  And I'm going to apply this rule of mine to everything I put away.  Another bonus is that it will mean taking up less storage space, and in our house that's always a good thing.

Will it actually happen?  Can I do it?  Well, I'll keep you posted, wish me luck!

The Great Purge Is Coming!

No, this isn't my closet - but my closet isn't too far off.  Like most people, I switch my clothes at the change of the seasons, and so [theoretically] my closet is cleaned out twice a year (warm weather vs. cold weather).  In reality, it usually has to get really bad before I am willing or even interested in doing a thorough job.

On top of which, I tend to keep things even if I don't wear them, "just in case."  Which is stupid.  And it's one thing if you have two items in that category, but over the past few years, I've accumulated quite a collection.  So I have decided it's time to purge the closet, not just switch the seasonal clothes.  And I'm hoping to work on that this coming weekend.

I've read a lot of articles and and blogs about taking charge of your closet, and am familiar with things like Project 333 and Dress with Less.  I'm not sure at the moment that I can whittle things down to ____ amount of items for the next 30 days or whatever.  Mostly because I have not really taken the time to prepare, and I get itchy after so long, going through stuff.

So I'm going to try and apply those overall principles to my work this weekend.  I'm going to just donate things that are still wearable, but that I don't wear, or that no longer fit.  I'm going to get rid of things that are just plain worn out.  And I'm gonna confess that there are things I just no longer like.  This is hard for me, because I get attached to my clothes, and I also hate feeling that I wasted money.  Which is why being able to donate unwanted clothes makes me feel a bit better about the whole thing - I'm hoping most things will fit into that category.

And I'm also only doing one group of clothes at a time, rather than all of my clothes.  A few years back, I very conscientiously purged my winter clothes before putting them away over the summer.  Which was fine, except I forgot that there were things I wanted to buy to replace some of them.  Needless to say, I had  couple of challenging weeks, with one pair of slacks, and cardigan and a blouse to wear!

I like clothes, and I have also been trying to buy things that will last for a while, and very often, that means I've had to save up to buy them.  Which as you can imagine, makes it really hard to let them go down the road.  But you know what, keeping things that you don't/can't wear, or that you no longer like, or that are too worn out to actually wear, is just a waste of space, which leads to a waste of time when you are trying to decide what to put on during any given day.

I'll keep you posted.  I think because I am feeling especially motivated, I might be able to take more care on this project.   I hope so.  I really do not like having a messy closet, and just having extra stuff around.

As my sister says, "White man's troubles."  :-)