Clothing Conundrum

sardenacarlo via Pixabay

Yesterday, the temperature leapt into the upper 70s. It was a lovely, sunshiney spring day.

And I had nothing to wear.

Okay, that's not exactly true. I had a new skirt all picked out. This was a big deal, as I rarely wear dresses and skirts in any time but the summer. Consequently, I had mentally prepared most of my outfit.

Most apparently being the operative word.

By the time I finished putting together an outfit I was happy with, I had to race to class, leaving my bed strewn with belts and other discarded items of clothing.

But mostly belts.

I wear a belt even more rarely than I wear a skirt and there were plenty of belts on that overloaded hanger that were past their prime -- a state of affairs I probably should have anticipated before I got dressed.

Okay. Well, I kind of did. I'd mentally picked out a belt the night before, except that when I went to put it on yesterday it was...you guessed it.

Past its prime.

As someone with an I need to see it personal style, leaving the belts strewn on the bed was probably the best, if not the most organized, way for me to leave the room. It guaranteed that, when I got changed, I'd sort through those belts -- or at least some of them -- thinning the herd and increasing the likelihood that the ones that remained were at least serviceable.

Although I was a little frustrated by this whole process, it benefited me as well. Trying to objectively sort through possessions, deciding which to keep and which to abandon can be a challenging task. For me, with clothing in particular, it's easiest to get rid of something when I've tried it on and discarded it, leaving it abandoned on the bed.

I'm still hanging on to way too many belts "just in case," partly because I'm mourning the loss of the one I had to discard, as it was the most interesting one of the bunch. But, I now know that this is something I need to upgrade in my wardrobe, along with the tops that didn't make the cut for yesterday's outfit. I've learned that having something that's a better fit all around (fit-wise and style-wise) makes it much easier to toss the things that no longer work, include the "almost right" staples that I allow to take up space for far longer than they should. Informed by what didn't work, it's now easier to make a shopping list made up of what I know will work and to eliminate many unsuitable choices at a glance.

How's your spring wardrobe shaping up? Is it time for an intervention?

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Ways to Add Organization to Your Spring Cleaning

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

My mom was one of those people who actually enjoyed cleaning. My massage therapist, also named Joy, revels in cleaning as well.

I am not one of those people. I find joy in many things, but cleaning is rarely one of them.

I love to organize, however, and, I must admit, these two activities make a pretty good team. Whether you add a little organizing to your cleaning, like my mom, or add a little cleaning to your organizing, like me, here are a few ways to use one to boost the benefits of the other.

• Clean and toss. There's nothing like being in cleaning mode to make it easy to toss things that are worn, outdated, broken or unnecessary. Not only does it make organizing easier (fewer items, fewer things to store) but it eliminates things that need to be cleaned (or moved so you can clean around them) as well.



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• Clean and contain. As you clean, you're sure to come across items you want to keep that are either homeless or simply in the wrong place. Pile-ups are a clue that an organizational system is not working or is missing entirely. Once you put things where they belong, what items remain? How can you contain them so you can do away with the piles permanently?

• Clean and brainstorm. There's nothing like having to move stuff before we can clean to make us rethink how we're storing our stuff in the first place. Besides getting rid of things, what else would make cleaning easier? Is the bin that's storing your stuff full of nooks and crannies you have to dust? If you put those piles of papers into something -- a file cabinet, a stacking file, a drawer -- could you clear up space and save yourself the step of moving things before you can dust anything?  

Whether you clean every day, every week, every spring or only when the dust bunnies threaten to overtake your desk, pairing cleaning with organizing can give you twice the benefit for the same expenditure of time. 

And, whether you love to clean and/or organize or equally dislike both, you're probably a fan of anything that makes life just a little bit easier.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Spring Cleaning Partnerships

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Spring has sprung! If you're a spring cleaning fan, why not make next spring's work easier now by mixing in a little organizing with your cleaning? Here are three easy things to pair with the cleaning you're planning on doing anyway.

• Clean and declutter. As you clean a space, toss things you no longer need. The less stuff you have, the easier it is to organize. Even if you're a dyed-in-the-wool I love stuff person, some things are easy to get rid of. Heartlessly toss:
• Things that are torn, broken or missing pieces;
• Half a pair of anything;
• Things that are outdated or expired (e.g back issues of magazines and that plastic container at the back of the fridge full of unidentified foodstuffs).
• Clean and consider. Even if you're not an I love stuff person, some things are tough to part with. Think you're ready to let something go, but not quite sure? Consider options besides the trash (donating, recycling) or put all of those "maybes" into a box, close it up, write the date on it and put it out of sight. A month from now, toss or donate the box and all its remaining contents.
• Clean and containerize. As you clean, you're sure to come across items that are in the wrong place as well as items that are homeless. Pile-ups of necessary items are a key indicator that an organizational system is either missing or not working. What containers or systems do you need to do away with the piles permanently?

No matter the season, minimizing stuff and updating organizers helps keep things spruced up all year long.

3 Keys Thursday: 3 Keys for Spring De-Cluttering

Dodgerton Skillhause via Morguefile

Are you a spring cleaner? Personally, I much prefer organizing to cleaning, but when I clear the clutter from a space, I find myself magically motivated to take the next step, and clean the space as well.

If winter clutter is blocking your spring cleaning, where do you start? Here are three ideas.

• In the space that matters most. Where will you get the most bang for your organizing buck? Maybe it's in the bedroom, where clothes and shoes from multiple seasons have been mixing and intermingling, sucking the peaceful feeling out of a room where rest should come easily. Maybe it's your office, where tax documents and papers have made themselves at home alongside the regular piles, making you want to close the door and go work somewhere else, where clear space already exists. Starting in the place you most want to reclaim is one option.

• In the space that drives you crazy. This may overlap with the space that matters most, making your decision that much easier. Or, it may be a place in your home that has become a dumping ground -- one you're not quite sure how to fix. Taking the mess apart, piece-by-piece, and figuring out what you're dealing with may lead to the solution you're seeking. If you already have a spring cleaning mentality, you might want to do this in one big session. Or, if even the thought of doing so is too intimidating, set a timer and chip away at it until time's up. As you work, think about what needs to stay in the space and what belongs in another location, and, at the end of each session, make sure to put away the things that should go somewhere else. Shrinking the pile will give you both a sense of accomplishment and a clearer idea of what tools you'll need in order to maintain the space once you've finished organizing it.

• In the space that seems do-able. If you've been waiting impatiently for spring since the groundhog popped his head out, you're probably not interested in projects that keep you indoors for long. But, when you come back inside at the end of the day, you want the peace and relaxation that emanates from organized spaces. Or, perhaps you're overwhelmed and don't know where to dig in first. You might want to break a big project into smaller chunks, or perhaps choose a smaller project instead. This might be a good time to employ the Give it Five! strategy, or to tackle a cluttered space while you're inside doing something else (sort through that stack of mail while dinner's cooking, for example). 

Wherever you decide to start, be sure to take a step back and enjoy your handiwork when you finish. Maybe even celebrate a little. Restoring order to a space creates a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, and when you do it with STYLE, you can look forward to continuing to savor that feeling.