Woohoo! The Lilybugs Children’s Consignment Sale was a great success! I’m looking forward to picking up my cheque on Wednesday. I made a net profit of $128.80… enough to cover what I spent on Amanda’s summer wardrobe, birthday presents, and advertising (i.e., my [ real neat ] business cards and checklists for the goody bags that were handed out to shoppers)!

My little 2-bedroom apartment is breathing a sigh of relief now that I have eliminated several bins of outgrown clothing and toys. Now, I should be able to find adequate storage space for the belongings that Amanda and I actually use (i.e., camping equipment, art supplies, bicycles).

So, if you haven’t done so already, set aside an hour or two to sort and purge your excess clothing as the seasons change and the weather gets warmer.

THE RULES:

• Grab your calendar now, and schedule an appointment with your wardrobe within the next 2 weeks.
• Invite a trusted friend to join you in weeding out your ‘old’ clothes. She’ll help you remain objective.
• Hold a private fashion show, and
  • TOSS any clothing items that have holes (or if, like me, you’ll never realistically repair or pay someone to repair these items).
  • KEEP only items that actually FLATTER your body type. Get picky and brutal. Rid yourself of all ‘skinny’ clothes; at the moment, they are simply taunting you every time you see them, reminding you that you’re fat, you’re lazy, and you’re not good enough. Nothing is ever worth all that negative self-talk. Besides, when you finally do lose the weight, you can reward yourself with a new wardrobe!
  • DONATE anything that is still in decent shape but that doesn’t make the cut (or you never really wear). I hate to burst your bubble, but honestly… if you haven’t worn an item in the last year, you’re never going to end up wearing it. Schedule an appointment on your calendar to take these items to friends or local charities.
• Put away whatever items you keep (in an organized manner, of course). Need ideas? Sort by color, by length, by clothing type, or even by complete outfits.
• Take inventory of the clothing that you kept.
• Make a shopping list of items that you need to replace in order to fill out your wardrobe for the upcoming season.
• Block off some time on your calendar for a shopping date; and, when the time comes, shop with confidence and a discerning eye.

So, what about you? How do you sort and purge your wardrobe? Please share your tips in the comments below.

Well, this blog post has been a long time coming… (I have truly extraordinary procrastination skills when faced with less-than-pleasant-to-dos.)

After my long, unplanned, and very much unwanted hiatus, I am grateful to be blogging again. Over the past few months, I have learned more than I had ever wanted to about pride and humility…

Having been a stay-at-home mom for the past 4 years, and with an impending divorce looming overhead (after a 7-year marriage and a total of 15 years together), I now find myself living in an apartment, seeking government assistance, job hunting in the worst economic downturn in decades, and assuring my daughter that she is still loved.

My hope is that, as I share my organizing challenges and everyday struggles, both you and I will learn to create lasting, positive changes in our lives, our families, and our homes.

Thanks for joining me on this journey!

This week’s mission is to clear off the kitchen counter!

Brace yourself for an organizer’s true confession… In its current state, my kitchen counter should be placed under quarantine by Hazmat! Really.

Though originally unintended, the kitchen has simply found itself to be the natural landing spot for everything that comes into my home. When you enter the house through the garage, the kitchen is the first large space that you encounter.

Yes, I have attempted to find other landing spots, and I have tried many different organizing systems to no avail. Now, I realize that I simply cannot change my family’s natural tendencies. The kitchen counter will be my nemesis forevermore!

I have, however, stumbled upon one or two great organizing solutions that have (mostly) worked for me. But, until I can share these handy tools with you, I must delve into the abyss that currently exists on my kitchen counter. So, please join me in tackling this week’s mission…!

I’ll post photos of my progress by week’s end, and I encourage you to share photos of your progress in the comments below! Let’s get to it!

This week’s mission is to organize and simplify laundry duty in 5 simple steps: sort, wash, dry, fold, and put away.

1. Sort: Keep your 3-bin laundry sorter (or multiple laundry hampers) wherever you change into your “jammies” at bedtime. Drop your dirty clothes into their respective bins—darks, whites, and colors.
2. Wash: First thing in the morning, put a load of laundry into the washer—towels and/or sheets.
3. Dry: After you’ve gone through your morning routine, and before you head out the door for the day, transfer the load of laundry from the washer to the dryer.
4. Fold: When you arrive home in the late afternoon or early evening, unload the dryer. (You won’t have to fold this load…)
5. Put Away: Hang up your clean towels in the bathroom, and put the clean sheets on your bed. Done!

Additional Tips:

• For any laundry that you don’t want to leave sitting in the dryer all day long, set a timer when you load the washer. If you’re not certain how long your washer’s normal cycle lasts, start with 1 hour and adjust up or down as needed. When the timer goes off, put the clothes into the dryer, and add a new load to the washer. Reset the timer. When the timer goes off again, repeat the process.
• Keep a trash can nearby so you can easily throw away anything collected by your dryer’s lint trap. When you unload the dryer, fold everything immediately! Instant Bonuses: You’ll reduce (if not eliminate) the wrinkles. You won’t have as much ironing to do. You’ll feel great because you just plain got the job done!
• Little ones afoot? Get them involved! Get out a footstool so your child can reach to put dirty clothes into the washer. As you empty the washer, give your child one or two wet items to add to the dryer while you toss in a couple handfuls. Toddlers can also empty the dryer, match up socks, fold washcloths and towels, or even fold shirts and pants. Instant Bonuses: You’re spending quality time with your child. You’re teaching your child important life skills. You’re actually getting the laundry done!

So, what about you? What are your favorite laundry tips? How do you keep laundry duty organized? I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below to share your tried-and-true laundry strategies.

What an extraordinary informal gathering of NAPO’s bloggers, hosted by the well-renowned and highly rescpected John Trosko, Lori Marrero, and Monica Ricci!

It was so exciting to finally meet, in-person and face-to-face, all the professional organizers whose blogs are on my daily reading list!

Take a gander at the plethora of organizing blogs…

Australia

• Lissanne Oliver, Sorted!

California

• Sandra Carroll, Creative Changes
• Jeri Dansky, Jeri Dansky Professional Organizer
• Margaret Lukens, New Leaf + Company
• Katherine Macey, Organize to Excel
• Claire Thompkins, Clutter Coach
• John Trosko, OrganizingLA
• Emily Wilska, The Organized Life
• Joshua Zerkel, Custom Living Solutions
• Beth Ziegler, neato

Georgia

• Allison Carter, The Professional Organizer
• Monica Ricci, Catalyst Organizing

Illinois

• Aby Garvey, simplify 101

Massachussetts

• Joan Kosmachuk, Simple Effects

Missouri

• Janine Adams, Peace of Mind Organizing

New Zealand

• Wendy Davie, Totally Organised

Oregon

• Megan Spears, Disorder2Order

Tennessee

• Julie Bestry, Best Results Organizing

Texas

• Lorie Marrero, LivingOrder

Utah

• Marilyn Bohn, Marilyn Bohn Creative Organizer

Virginia

• Lauren Halagarda, The Organization Connection

Washington

• Krista Colvin, Organize in Style
• Brandie Kajino, The Home Office Organizer