Simplify! Master Bedroom Closet

Participating in the first challenge of Project: Simplify! I tackled my master bedroom closet.

The Details:

My husband and I share a walk in closet, about 8’x5’ I’d say. The back half contains boxes that can’t go anywhere else. Sad, but a fact that I accept and work with. For the purpose of this Simplify! project, I simply tackled my half of the closet. I’m currently 29 weeks pregnant so my maternity clothing is hanging up, my regular winter clothing is in the red bin and my regular summer clothing is in the green bin; with whatever didn’t fit in the bins strewn about in other random places. At least that is what was going on before I began to simplify…

The Progress:

Empty & Clean

First, I completely emptied the area then vacuumed and wiped down.{Sadly, this made my freshly painted, de-cluttered and clean bedroom a temporary disaster!}

What Doesn’t Belong

I quickly went through with a laundry basket and pulled out all the things that don’t really belong in my closet. What do I want in there? Clothing and shoes that fit. Things like my hunting knife, ear plugs, books etc. were picked up and put in the basket. I’ll find their proper homes or create homes for those items.

The Biggest Job First

I knew the trunk  was the biggest job of the closet so  I decided to tackle it first. In it was a lifetime of memories: letters from pen-pals, school friends, boyfriends, yearbooks, photos, airline tickets, postcards and a variety of other things. Remember my Vision and Inspiration for Spring Cleaning? It inspired me to be ruthless. But a tempered ruthless because I want no regrets! I want to have freedom and less clutter but at the same time,  I don’t want to be sorry about getting rid of something later on!

Reflection Questions:

• Why am I keeping this?
• What value does this add to my life now?
• Is it something that will benefit my children in the future? Is it something I want them to see (i.e. old boyfriend letters that aren’t from daddy)?
• What kind of memories does this invoke? Can I keep the memory without keeping the physical item?

Pinky, daddy’s gift the day I was born.

These are some of the questions I asked myself as I recycled years’ worth of letters and birthday cards. I donated a pair of black, heeled glittery shoes that were my mothers as well as a pink lace heart-shaped pillow that my mother had made me out of the same material as my grade 8 grad dress. One of the harder decisions was about Pinky. Pinky is a pink and white stuffed poodle that my dad gave to me the day I was born. The thing about Pinky is the material is rotting and the holes in his neck  just can’t be fixed which means he can’t do anything other than sit in a box. I took a picture of him. When DH gets home, I’ll have him take a picture of Pinky and I together and then, with a little sadness, I am throwing him in the trash.

I kept one small box with cards from my husband and a few other little momentos. Pictures of past boyfriends, zoo animals etc. went in the recycling bag while pictures of family went into a box to be sorted out later this week. Out went the science fair trophy from grade 7 but I did keep the cheerleading medal from our NORWASSA win!

Clothing:

Whoever said that you wear 20% of your clothing 80% of the time was pretty much bang on when it comes to me! Being pregnant, I have maternity clothing in my closet along with summer and winter clothing in various sizes. Simple Mom suggested trying everything on and getting rid of things that don’t fit, you don’t like etc. Though that wasn’t practical for me, I did sort through each batch of clothing.

Maternity Clothing – there are some pieces that I just don’t wear, haven’t worn and don’t plan to. I have my favorites (20%) and wear them (80%) most of the time. This is our last baby and once he arrives, the maternity clothing goes. I decided that since I am only wearing a portion of it, the stuff I don’t wear may as well go now!

Winter/Summer Clothing – since I can’t try stuff on and see how it fits, this was a little more of a challenge but you know, if we are honest, we know which pieces of clothing we don’t wear a lot. When I worked outside the home, I wore a blouse or something dressy every day. I still wear dressy outfits to church obviously, but don’t need quite so many. My daily clothing consists more of jean skirts and tees. That is the season of life I am in. I looked at each piece of clothing and kept all the “yes” and “maybe” items. Those “maybe” items can be tried on after the baby and a decision made then. But I had a fair amount of “no” items that filled up a garbage bag. I’ll take a few sweaters to mom and the rest of the items to the thrift shop. There isn’t anything wrong with them but I know that I avoid wearing them {size, color, feel of fabric, cut, style etc.} so they may as well go.

The Finished Product:

I packed my regular winter items in my freshly emptied trunk, hung up what I had kept of my maternity clothing and spring/summer clothing and felt a huge sense of freedom in seeing a closet that isn’t overflowing. OK, so it looks a little bare but what I parted with wasn’t worn anyway so I won’t miss it!

I had a lot of clothing that, as a stay-at-home mom I just no longer wear. I had a lot of “clutter from my past that is no longer useful to me. Now I have a closet that holds only the things I like and wear. What a delicious feeling!

What does your closet look like? Is it bursting at the seams, though you don’t wear much of what’s in there or are you someone who purges regularly. {Which is my goal form now on!}.

• This post links to Simple Mom, Tackle It Tuesday & Org Junkie