Starting My Spring Cleaning And Letting Go of Those Clothes!

 

Happy Wednesday everyone! Today I am in the city for one of my first post maternity business meetings. Here’s hoping I can still remember the lingo and don’t pull a soother out of my bag or something!

Even though it certainly doesn’t look like Spring yet, I’m getting the itch to start my cleaning! Call me crazy but there is something so refreshing about a cleaned and organized house. Opening the windows after a long winter and making everything smell so fresh!

I’ve just started the process and this is what it includes:

1. Going through coat closets. Wiping everything down. Donating what we don’t need, storing heavy winter stuff somewhere else and bringing spring stuff out of storage. This now includes taking inventory of what Sam needs.

2. Assessing my kitchen cupboards. I go from every cupboard and take out everything (one at a time). I figure out if I need something still and donate what we don’t. The things we do keep, I asses their location. Example, recently I realized that my large utensils are not actually beside the stove but behind it. Beside the stove was my towels and stuff. Everything got switched and now it’s a lot more functional! Everything is neatly put back in each cleaned cupboard and the outsides are washed as well.

3. Time for paperwork! Throughout the year paperwork collects. Some of it is really important and some of it we save “just in case”. Papers have a tendency to really pile up. I don’t just mean receipts! Catalogues, flyers, coupons, notes and artwork by Sam! It ALL has to be gone through. Normally I end up tossing 80% of it! But for the few things that we do keep we have a filing drawer built into our office desk that I use. It has household manuals, tax information, important receipts and other documents. The only thing is I have had a fun new material piling up! Art work from Sam’s daycare and Sunday School!

For that I purchased a specialized box from Staples (On sale for $10) that allows me to use hanging folders with tabs. This box will be specifically for Sam’s stuff! I keep some of the special ones for each section. Sunday School, Daycare and then all his grades in school. The plastic ensures it’s safety in storage from water!

4. The last thing I have done so far is always the hardest for me. Clothes! What is it about clothes? We have such an emotional tie to such a stupid piece of fabric. It could be because of weight loss ambitions, memories attached to that article or the fear of letting go of something because of the money spent on it! Either way, its tough!

I kind of started this process last Summer after I got back down to my pre-baby weight. I had been holding onto SO much in hopes that I would either grow to love it or fit into it again. This year I really want to start having a minimalist closet. A closet that I can walk into knowing that everything in there I can wear!

First, I took out any stained, ripped or tattered clothes.

Next, I started by looking at each article of clothing and asking myself if I were in a store RIGHT NOW, would I buy it again? If I said no, it was gone.

If I hadn’t worn it for over a year, GONE! This step is the hardest because sometimes it feels like a waste of money. But I’ve also learnt that if I don’t wear something for over a year (or sometimes longer like some articles), chances are I never will. Therefore, it’s taking up precious space.

Finally, I realistically looked at my life and my needs. Did I really NEED 10 pairs of black yoga pants? Probably not.

Clearing out the closet hurts but I find having a couple of non-see through bags really helps. If you can see those precious clothes squished in a bag, you may be tempted to take them back out. 

Have you started your Spring cleaning yet? What are some of the things that you do?

xo