Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Works For Me Wednesday - Purging Clothes

I am a packrat. Except my eyes are blue, instead of small and beady and black or brown. And I don't have a tail. But I am a packrat.

I have the hardest time getting rid of anything, and I mean anything. "But it's cute and/or useful, and I might need it sometime." I have always had these tendencies, but things definitely got worse after BD and I lost almost everything in a house fire about 8 years ago. I'm just a little more neurotic now. And I like stuff.

I have three daughters. We get lots of gifts and hand-me-downs. Some devastatingly cute, and some not so much.

"But Pooh might grow into this."
"But Scooter might need this some day."
"But Tinkerbell may have a need for these Clifford houseshoes that she doesn't like and don't fit her."
and my personal favorite:
"I can fix it!"

So here's what Works For Me. I have finally realized the perfect time to purge kids' clothes: When I'm annoyed or fussy. It's brilliant. When I am fed up with mess and clutter (and bonus points if it's caused by a kid) then I am ruthless about purging.

"Who cares if Pooh grows into it. It's ugly."
"If Scooter needs it one day, I'll buy her a better one."
"Get real."
"Get real."

I just this evening realized how well this does work for me. I went to look for something in Pooh's drawer, and it was just awful. Everything in that drawer was wadded up. So...don't have room for everything? Then we'd better get rid of some of it. She now has three sets of pajamas and two sets of tee-ball practice clothes in that drawer. And the rest of it went to a sister or the give-away bag.

So, purging when I'm grumpy. Works for me. Give it a try!

Now, go on over to Rocks in My Dryer and check out all the other tips!

17 comments:

Nikki said...

Ah, it truly is the best time to purge. I do this too. Fun post.

Overwhelmed! said...

Purging when you're grumpy...I love it! :)

I find my best purging times when I'm in the midst of a move and have to contemplate how much energy and money it will cost me to move too much stuff!

This weekend I'm planning on having a garage sale to purge and to make money towards a new dishwasher. We'll see how it goes.

Cherish the Home said...

When I'm annoyed or fussy. It's brilliant. When I am fed up with mess and clutter (and bonus points if it's caused by a kid) then I am ruthless about purging.


This sentence made me LOL!

I bet purging the clothes *would* work well when you're frustrated!

Thanks so much for commenting on my WFMW post. (o:

Anonymous said...

Great idea! I love it!

I find I clean much faster when I'm upset. Maybe I'll try your tip too!

Emily (Laundry and Lullabies) said...

That is so funny! I do the exact same thing!

Justabeachkat said...

Good idea! Here's another idea (my friend does this and it works for her, although I haven't done it yet, but I'm thinking about it): She has a rule, every time she wants to buy something new, she has to throw something out or give it away to make room for the new item. She said it really makes her think about it before she brings it home. Something has to go!

Anonymous said...

lol, it works! I'm not a packrat but I do have a problem with saving clothes and know I will when it comes to my childrens clothes. This "trick" will come in handy ;) Thanks for sharing, have a great Wednesday! =)

Liza on Maui said...

Oh my... this is so true to me too :)

Marcia Francois said...

I'm exactly like you when it comes to cupboards.

When I look inside and I get irritated, I immediately get to it and sort it out. This is why I sometimes forget to take my before pictures for Tackle-it Tuesday - because I'm halfway through the job already.

Marcia
http://organisingtips.blogspot.com

Annie said...

Great tip!
blessings~
Annie

Jane said...

Great idea! Probably helps the mood too! Re: The spread headboard...doesn't get messed up because we have those husband pillows too for reading in bed.

Also-loved yesterdays post on saying no. As a teacher this is so hard and I totally know how tiring it is. The wear and tear may not be from actually saying "no", but from the MILLIONS of mini decisions you have to make in a day. For every seemingly simple question, you the mom or me the teacher has to think ahead to the schedule, safety, consequences, etc... all on the fly in split seconds.

Girl Gone Wild - BibleStyle said...

That is so funny that you said that! In my house it's always been: PMS = deep cleaning

I love it!!

Anonymous said...

Good idea, I will have to do this soon. I will keep it in mind the next time I am grumpy...It seems to happen daily : )

Ms. Kathleen said...

Ha! Are we related!? I am exactly the same way!

Perfect!

Carrie said...

that is so funny - i am the same way. grumpy is when i get most housework done too.

Kara said...

LOL, I'm actually the opposite! When I'm grumpy I don't feel like doing it, but when I'm in a good mood I want to clean and organize :D Maybe since I enjoy purging lol.

Ami said...

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