COVID Closet Clean Out
Our family is on week 3 of quarantine. Just like you, we're having our highs and lows.
While COVID-19 is by no means a laughing matter, laughter is medicine that we could all use during this time. If you haven’t seen this video about Every Mom In America Right Now yet, do yourself a favor and watch 3 minutes of hilarity.
I laughed so hard at this video that I actually had tears streaming down my face. I was that mom standing at the closet threatening the donate pile. If, like me, you’ve already tortured your children with a closet clean out, it’s your turn to spring clean.
Confession time: I secretly LOVE organizing and editing, especially closets.
Cleaning and editing your closet are two very different things, however. I want to encourage you to actually edit your items so that you have a streamlined, happy place to start and end your day. Doing this will make getting dressed a pleasant and even fun experience that you look forward to every morning.
I wish I could "zoom" into each of your closets (hit reply if you actually want me to help you with a virtual closet clean out, seriously). Since I'm knee-deep in homeschooling 4 kids and can't help each of you, I'm going to summarize my best closet clean out tips so you edit when you're ready. If you don't have a solid chunk of time to do your whole closet in one sweep, break this up into 15-30 minute sessions.
Here are some guidelines to get you started:
1. Get a plan. Before you do anything with your clothes, get out a piece of paper. I want you to think for a few minutes about how you want to feel when you get dressed. Comfy? Modern? Sophisticated? Fun? Stylish? Playful? Once you have a clear vision of what you want to look like, it will be much easier to edit.
2. Pick a category to edit if you're working in small sessions....Tops, pants, skirts, dresses, shoes, etc and empty that category from your closet. If you're doing your whole closet, EMPTY EVERYTHING onto your bed or bedroom floor.
3. Make three different piles- recycle, fix and donate. Toss any damaged clothing (holes or stains) and anything that doesn’t fit and flatter your current body into the recycle (H&M will actually take any clean damaged items and reuse the fabric) or donate pile. Don’t hold onto multiple sizes. You're not going to save those "skinny" jeans just in case. Most likely, keeping items that "used to fit" will likely not spark joy. I don't want you to keep items that tempt you to get back on the weight cycling roller coaster. You and I both know that game doesn't work and costs time, money and energy. Put anything that a tailor could help you mend or fix into the fix pile.
4. Try on the rest. Anything that's left, you're going to actually try on to determine if you'll keep the item. When deciding what to keep, ask yourself these questions:
*Does this item fit and flatter my current body?
*Would I pay full price for this item today?
*Does this item reflect how I want to feel when I get dressed everyday?
5. Re-organize. Put everything that you're keeping back into your closet. Streamline even more by getting cohesive hangers and separating item by category and color.
6. Shop for any staples or replacements you need through one of the great re-sale sites like Poshmark, ThredUp (you can donate clothes here and get cash or credit, too), The RealReal and eBay.
Much of our lives feel out of control right now, so spending a little time controlling our physical space can help calm some of our anxious feelings. Take a before and after picture and send it to me!
