First, Cindy Crawford retires, then it snows 15 inches, and now the Mall is closed?? I mean…where can we possibly go from here but UP! This sounds like a great excuse to keep working on that closet and life organization! Remember when I shared the famous best-seller book about organization: "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying up"? After you read a book, it's easy to dive in to a project…for a DAY. Then this little thing called life hits you and the next thing you know, you are back to buying and acquiring. This week I battled another thorn in my side: work-out clothes. I have always subscribed to the notion that the better you look when you work out, the more distracted my fellow classmates will be about my less-than-stellar figure. This has further been fueled by the occasional nicety at the gym: "ooo…that's your color", or "you always look SO put together"…AKA "Ahh…that's sweet… at least she's trying!"…which leads me to, "How are these stretchy psychedelic pants a color?" I am digressing even typing this now.
This can apply to anything you feel is "out of control" in your home…tools, art supplies, fabric, books, etc… Unless you are super-amazing and Type-A organized, you must have a place in your house worthy of a couple of hours of tidying. Mine was athletic gear. The first question you are asking yourself is, "Good Lord, how did all of that fit into your small closet?"…Well, the quick answer is: It didn't. Looking back on the tenants of the book I asked myself, "Does this give me joy?" Of course I adjusted it slightly to, "Does this give the lady/guy behind me in TRX joy?" I am tall, so some of the best deals just don't fit. They don't stay up, are not long enough to cover, or came from the WNBA hall of fame. GONE. Next, I gut-checked myself to see if there was an "outfit" that could be made using the kept pieces. If not, it hit the goodwill pile. The last thing I did was wrap them into stacks of matching sets so when I reach for them at 6:30 in the morning I am not frustrated trying to find a specific piece.
Now, maybe you have a couple of things that are new, or in great shape. There is a consignment service that offers free shipping. They take your box of stuff, sell it on their site, and send you a check. It's called: www.swap.com . If the pieces don't sell, they will donate the leftovers or even send them back to you (not a good idea!). I sent a box in December and they are posting it now (They got a bit backed up when their info hit Good Morning America).
Food for Thought…Make today GREAT!
CoffeeTalkMom
