Get Organized

I don't know about you, but around here we have far too many clothes between us. More importantly, we have many clothes that none of us ever wear. Hence this week's tackle is to try and wither down the surplus.

The surplus is easily minimized with a critical eye.

Firstly huck out all the clothes with broken zips, lost buttons and snaps or items that are otherwise unwearable in their present condition. There's no point in cluttering up the closet with those, so heap them up into a basket and then one day soon with there's a full moon and an R in the month we can tackle the contents of the new mending basket. Hope it's not a trunkful?

Next remove all items that are too small for your children because they have grown, hopefully. This is particularly tricky for us because all our clothes have had the irritating labels removed. This means that your negotiating skills are to become finely honed. Although you know that the T-shirt is really for a three year old, you may have a hard time convincing your 9 year old that it is far more than skin tight.

In your own closet it might be a good time to remove all suits if you are a stay at home parent. There's no point in keeping them as when you do return to work I can assure you that you won't be seen dead in 80's shoulder pads. Smart working clothes in good condition can be donated to local groups that support women returning to work who are financially strapped.

Lastly, if you haven't worn it in the last year then it's time to donate it to charity where someone else might actually use it.

Another idea is to invite your pals around with their unused clothes and simply swap different items. Do I mean trade? Does it matter if no-one has anything that you'd like yourself in exchange? Not really, you're still gaining closet space.

Watch this space as next week we'll be tackling 'how to make a label for your trunk full of mending?' So much easier than actually tackling the mending itself.