Shed Those Unwanted Pounds of Clothes

Every which way I turn, every nook, every cranny in my home I find clothes. Socks here, underwear there, shirts up high, shorts to and fro. It's the never ending maze of clothes. Dirty, but not in the laundry room. Clean, but not put away.

My attempt at simplifying the clothing clutter begins here.

Admitting the Excess
As woman of the house, if you find yourself constantly picking up clothes, doing laundry or hollering at kids and maybe even your husband, it's time to admit there are just too many clothes. Looking presentable is a good thing, especially when I'm teaching a business class or going to Mass. However, outfit after outfit isn't necessary. The more clothes or outfits you have, the more likely you are to change and therefore, the more the laundry piles up. Ever notice how little girls love to play dress up and change at least four times a day? That is something that can be done for play, but needn't be done in grown-up life.

Plan Your Space According to Your Needs
There's no point in remodeling your home to add closet space. One of my children's rooms doesn't even have a closet. Shocking? It doesn't have to be. One dresser holds undergarments, play clothes and a nightgown for bedtime. Church clothes are hung up in another closet. If you have a big room that fits a couple of dressers and has a closet, utilize that space for separating clothes by season. But never keep more clothes than what you wear. Since we homeschool, our bedrooms are planned according to our needs. The older kids have a desk in their room, a bed and a dresser. The younger children have bed, dresser and toy chest. Nothing in excess of what they wear or play with often.

Room by Room Elimination
Only keep current season clothes in the bedroom. If you question whether or not the clothes will be outgrown for the next season, donate them. It's not worth storing "maybe this will fit in 6 months" clothing. Go through each drawer and see what your child actually wears. If you're like me, it seems like I wash the same clothes over and over. Kids don't need a huge variety. Eliminate all of the pajama options and opt instead for one nice nightgown or set of p.j.'s Any garment that is stained or has a hole can be donated. Do the same with your own clothes. It feels good to drop off a bag of clothes at a local donation spot. There's no sense in holding on to items that someone else can use and don't count on being able to fit into something in the future. If you lose weight or get back into shape, treat yourself to a nice new outfit at that time!

Take Inventory, Focus on Quality
At the change of the season, take 15 minutes and go through all of the drawers, bins or boxes and keep only the outifts that fit your children. From those, narrow it down to the ones in good or very good condition. It's fun to get new clothes for birthdays and holidays and often, we go to our local consignment store to add to our wardrobe. But in the long run, those are clothes that have been worn before and don't last long in our house. By finding a few really good quality outfits or pieces that can be mix-matched, you will do your wardrobe, and your sanity, loads of good!