The Big Clear Up Of Clothes
At the start of the Summer holidays, I explained to Top Ender and Dan Jon that with my new job starting in September we had just six short weeks to get the house in order to allow everything to run more smoothly. I knew that they weren't happy, mainly because they vocalised it, but they also knew that I was doing the same thing and that I had the entire house to contend with, whilst they just had their bedrooms!
It was the Marie Kondo moment from three years ago, all over again.
It started off with clothes again. I happily went through my wardrobe and my chest of drawers and got rid of anything that didn't fit, that was full of holes, that I never wore for one reason or another and that I didn't love. It was much easier and I found that I was much more willing to remove items from my wardrobe, that when I had done this back in 2016 I had hesitated over.
It was a big change, so I also made changes to where I stored my clothes, how I stored some of them (folded rather than hanged) and ensured I had enough work outfits (and shoes!) to last me a couple of weeks (I can't wear the same outfit two weeks in a row!). I managed to thin my wardrobe out quite significantly and even Flyfour joined in removing several items from his wardrobe and drawers too, again not worrying that there were some items in there that had stayed from the previous clear out.
I had shown the children the changes I had made (I was proud!) and not too long later, Dan Jon asked for some help with sorting out his clothing. We spent an hour going through everything, with Dan Jon trying on multiple tops and bottoms to see if they fitted or not, and seeing if the items sparked joy and boy was that kid ruthless!
I was impressed, but even more so when without prompting, I realised that Top Ender was also sorting out her clothes (and she was just as ruthless as Dan Jon). It was great to see, as Top Ender has the hoarding gene like me and she was so happy to be ridding herself of the excess that she no longer wanted or needed. She was even able to gift a couple of dresses that she loved to a younger friend because they no longer fitted her and she wanted them to go to a good home, despite her wanting to have kept them because they were two of her most favourite dresses.
Since we've had the sort out, our clothes have all been much easier to put away, which means particularly for the children, less time leaving piles of clean clothes on their beds or bedroom floors and Flyfour and I getting increasingly worried that the clothes would never be put away!
It's also meant that we are all looking a little smarter than normal as we have clothes that stay wrinkle-free as they aren't being wrestled into a space too small for them, and of course, we're all wearing clothes that fit us more appropriately... it's a modern miracle!
It was the Marie Kondo moment from three years ago, all over again.
It started off with clothes again. I happily went through my wardrobe and my chest of drawers and got rid of anything that didn't fit, that was full of holes, that I never wore for one reason or another and that I didn't love. It was much easier and I found that I was much more willing to remove items from my wardrobe, that when I had done this back in 2016 I had hesitated over.
It was a big change, so I also made changes to where I stored my clothes, how I stored some of them (folded rather than hanged) and ensured I had enough work outfits (and shoes!) to last me a couple of weeks (I can't wear the same outfit two weeks in a row!). I managed to thin my wardrobe out quite significantly and even Flyfour joined in removing several items from his wardrobe and drawers too, again not worrying that there were some items in there that had stayed from the previous clear out.
I had shown the children the changes I had made (I was proud!) and not too long later, Dan Jon asked for some help with sorting out his clothing. We spent an hour going through everything, with Dan Jon trying on multiple tops and bottoms to see if they fitted or not, and seeing if the items sparked joy and boy was that kid ruthless!
I was impressed, but even more so when without prompting, I realised that Top Ender was also sorting out her clothes (and she was just as ruthless as Dan Jon). It was great to see, as Top Ender has the hoarding gene like me and she was so happy to be ridding herself of the excess that she no longer wanted or needed. She was even able to gift a couple of dresses that she loved to a younger friend because they no longer fitted her and she wanted them to go to a good home, despite her wanting to have kept them because they were two of her most favourite dresses.
Since we've had the sort out, our clothes have all been much easier to put away, which means particularly for the children, less time leaving piles of clean clothes on their beds or bedroom floors and Flyfour and I getting increasingly worried that the clothes would never be put away!
It's also meant that we are all looking a little smarter than normal as we have clothes that stay wrinkle-free as they aren't being wrestled into a space too small for them, and of course, we're all wearing clothes that fit us more appropriately... it's a modern miracle!