Are we really at WEEK THREE already?! This challenge has been flying by! I’m so excited to see the community over on Facebook growing and flourishing. I’m even more excited to see where it leads after this challenge is over!

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Clothes. I’ve tried the backwards hanger method. I’ve tried the “pull out what you haven’t worn in 6 month’s” method. And in and out of pregnancies, postpartum and nursing seasons, things like Project 333 just didn’t work for me.

Breaking things down to smaller sections works. It makes the task more manageable, less overwhelming, and creates simpler decision making.

:: THIS WEEK ::
Adult Wardrobes.
Children’s Clothing + Storage + Hand Me Downs
Seasonal Gear + Entry Way

I’m so excited to share with you what works in our home. And even more excited to see you all share what works in yours (I mean, have you joined the Facebook Community yet?!).

InstaStories :: View Here!

Going Simple :: Clothes

Adult Wardrobe

Choose a great cause to donate your clothing to. Deciding where to donate before you start the process helps when you get hung up on items.

To watch my instastories on my wardrobe, click here!

Gather ALL of your clothing from all areas of the home, and sort in one place by category. The bed works great for me on this one. Empty your closets, dressers, seasonal storage. Sort it by category.

My categories look like this: pants, layer one tops (tees/tanks/blouses), layer two tops (sweaters/cardigans), dresses, cami’s, undergarments, outerwear, accessories, shoes.

Pick your keepers. Let go of the rest. Work your way through your wardrobe, one category at a time. Grab your pile of blouses, pick your favorites you wear, you love, that fit well, and that you are comfortable in. Put them back in your closet. Let the rest go.

Avoid Decision Fatigue. Focus on what you are KEEPING (not what you are getting rid of). This is essential to building a wardrobe you love.

Going Simple Tip :: Getting hung up on an item? Pack it up. Put any gray areas in a box, revisit in 30 days.

Note what’s missing. Are all your cami’s are worn out? Short one pair of jeans? Create a new note document in your phone called “Clothing Needs”. Track the holes in your wardrobe. Next time there’s a sale tempting you, or you have some extra funds to spend, open your Note’s App to easily recall what you need, as well as avoid impulse purchases.

Going Simple Tip :: Take care! Fold items properly, choose matching hangers, arrange clothing from darkest to lightest. Creating a visually appealing, boutique style closet will help boost your confidence when you enter the space.

Child Wardrobe

To watch my instastories on kid’s capsule wardrobes click here!

Repeat the same process, for each member in your family!

Gather ALL of one child’s clothing from all areas of the home, and sort in one place by category. Same as for adults, sort into categories! I focus on the current size each child is in, to build their current wardrobe.

Pick your favorites. Let go of the rest. I like to keep in mind favorite pieces, realistic choices, and each individual child’s style.

To watch my instastories on hand me down’s, click here!

Going Simple Tip :: We keep a separate note’s file in our Note’s App called Kid’s Clothing Needs. As I pack up and transition a kid to their next size, I make note of the items worn out that I won’t be keeping, and will need to replace.

I love this as a mama of four girls because I can shop quality brand sales for items we’ll need in the future without the fear of overbuying.

Example, if one of my favorite brands is having a huge sale, I just refer to my Note’s file to see what we need (example: 3T jean shorts, 2 pair black leggings, etc.) and shop from there. By sticking to our needs we avoid the overspending and impulse purchases. Win. Win. Win.

Seasonal Gear

To watch my instastories on seasonal gear, click here!

Gather ALL outdoor + seasonal clothing items and accessories from all areas of the home, and sort in one place by category. This means jackets, scarves, mittens, boots, snow pants, every season, every size. I want you to grab it ALL. And sort it by category. Everyone’s jackets together, all mittens together, etc.

Pick your keepers. You may realize you have three parkas in 2T. Do you need three? Pick your keeper and donate the rest! Match up your mittens. Check all items for durability, does it have another season’s worth of wear in it? Add any needed items to your Notes App.

Place your current items in your entry way storage. Keep only your daily go to coats + accessories here. Any specialty coats that we use in season, but not daily (think dress coat, etc), I store in our bedroom closets. They’re still easily accessible when we need them, but not bogging down our every day grab and go spot.

Seasonal Gear Tips

• Use coat hooks instead of hangers and rods. And if you can, place hooks at child level so your kids can be independent in their gear storage!
• Four Season Homes :: With crazy unpredictable weather during season changes, and a big family, this spot can get really overwhelming real fast. Keep it as simple as possible. For us, each family member has only one of each item in our every day grab and go spot.
  • thick coat
  • thin coat
  • hat
  • thin mittens
  • snow mittens
  • snow pants
  • snow boots
  • rain boots

Store all out of size + out of season items together. The rest of all our outdoor seasonal items go all together (the whole family’s!) in a storage container. I used to keep 2T coats with 2T clothing. But when the weather changes, I have to pull everyone’s gear out all at once. So sorting through multiple storage bins and spots to find everything was so tedious. Instead, I now keep all outdoor/seasonal gear stored in one bin. So when snow miraculously hits northern Wisconsin in the second week of October!!!… I just pull out our seasonal storage bin, grab the right sized coat, hat and mittens for each person, and I’m done!

I truly hope this post helps you simplify your wardrobes! Drawers and closets stuffed to the brim can be super overwhelming. And trying to find something to wear amongst the chaos can cause a lot of stress, not to mention the snowball effect of overbuying because you feel “you have nothing to wear!” Simplifying down your wardrobe to your favorites can help you consolidate and realize that a lot of the items you already own do have value!

xo

Amy

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