How Much is Too Much?

I recently had a client ask me in an email, “I have SO MANY freaking clothes that I just shove wherever they fit. My system is not working. They're EVERYWHERE. I'm pretty sure I'm a clothes hoarder. Is there a general guideline for how many t-shirts, pants, underwear a person needs? Because I'm sure I'm like 5x that.”


Well, yes and no. In October 2012, I wrote about “Closet Full of Clothes,” with ideas for how to weed some things out of your closet. Most of these ideas were coming to terms with clothes you don't


really wear anymore – there's no occasion to wear the item or it doesn't fit. Today, let's talk about what to do if all the clothes you have you like, fit in to and in theory would wear, were you able to easily get to them. A much more difficult conundrum!
First thing's first – make sure that everything you're looking at does fit and is still the style of clothes you're comfortable wearing. Next, pull it all out of that closet! And, the dresser, too; clear the floor of clothes, too! Make piles of clothes categories: pants, skirts, dresses, tops, sweaters, underwear, socks, belts....anything and everything you come across in clearing out that space. Put everything that belongs someplace else (like the laundry room or the mudroom) in a basket near the door. You can deliver those items later, when your clothes project is done.


Before looking through each of these piles, ask yourself the following:
  1. How often do I do laundry? If it's once a week, technically, you only need enough clothes for about 10 days. If it's once a month, you need about six weeks of clothes in your wardrobe.
  2. How many times a day do I change clothes? Maybe you go from pajamas to work clothes to pajamas before bed. Maybe you go from pajamas to workout clothes to work clothes to lounge wear to pajamas. Knowing how many outfits go on and off your person in a day is helpful.
  3. How often do I need something outside of my ordinary wardrobe, like formal wear or a business suit? If it's once a year, maybe you need two options. If it's once a month, six or seven might be more reasonable.
  4. Most importantly, keeping the answers to the above questions in mind, how many _____ is it reasonable for me to have? T-shirts, pants, dresses, fill in the blank. Knowing how often you're changing clothes and doing laundry will give you an idea of how many of each item you go through before it's time to do the wash again. Be honest with yourself. And, answer this question without looking at your piles!! If helpful, write down your answers, to hold yourself accountable with the next step.
For some people, having three or four t-shirts is plenty, because they rarely wear them. For others, it's part of a daily wardrobe, and wash gets done about every 10 days. Having 15 or so t-shirts is more realistic for this person. Now, as you go through your categories of clothes, count how many you're starting with. Let's say the reasonable number of t-shirts to own is 15, but the pile has 32. We've got some work cut out for us! Go through the pile once, tossing t-shirts into a donation bag that are the easiest to part ways with. Now how many are left? 20. Go through once more, trying to donate another five from the pile.


Perhaps, you're keeping some because it's from a special event (like a race or organization), but you actually never wear it. Then, these t-shirts should not be considered part of the 15 keepers. These t-shirts should be set aside to pack up with memories. Maybe, now you're down to 14 shirts! Hooray! If you really feel strongly about it, pick one out of the donate bag to complete your desired 15 t-shirts. Otherwise, have a little wiggle room; you can always get another t-shirt, right?


So, there is a number of each type of clothing item that everyone should have. It's just a different number for each person. Remember, you made those goal numbers, so you should stick with them. Otherwise, you're going to just fill the closet back up again with no sense of up or down!

Summertime Fun-time!

Now that it's finally starting to feel like summer outside, I thought I'd talk a little bit about grabbing your summer to-go bag. What should be in there? How big should it be? Where to keep it?

What should be in my summer to-go bag? Well, that depends on who the bag's for. Just you? Kids? Pets? Keep that in mind while packing up. We're going to talk on the basis that this bag is for you alone, and you can add in what others might need along the way. It's summer, which means the sun is out! So, we'll likely want protection in the form of a hat, sunglasses and/or sunblock. If you're grabbing and going for outdoor activities, like the beach or a picnic, feel free to throw in a water bottle, a hair rubber band and maybe even a beach or gym towel. If you're really active, toss in an extra change of clothes while you're at it. And, of course, keep personal care in mind: gum, snacks or medicine are good ideas to toss in with your basic first aid kit (bandages and the like) and a bottle of hand sanitizer or baby wipes.

How big should this bag be? Again, it depends on how many you're packing for. But, try to keep it manageable. Over-sized beach bags are called over-sized for a reason! Keep it large enough to hold what you'll need, but small enough that you can carry it along with a purse, picnic basket, bike helmet or diaper bag. This is the bag I'm using this summer:
 
It's available at Target, in a variety of colors/patterns. I have one in a multi-color stripe. It's large enough that when I went to the beach a few days ago, I had room for my wallet, phone, ear buds, gum, a snack, water bottle, beach towel, change of clothes, magazine, book, sunblock and sunglasses! It fit tons!

Where to keep this wonder-bag? Well, it depends on how often you'll grab for it, who's grabbing for it and what kind of entry/exit space you have. If you have hooks or cubbies near your door, hang it in there for easy access and easy put-away. Otherwise, stash it in a closet near by. If you know it will be a rare occasion to grab your summer bag, then keeping it in a linen or bedroom closet is fine, too. Just make sure it doesn't get buried under clothes and towels!

Happy summer!

The Secret Danger of Shopping at Thrift Stores

There are some great things about shopping at a thrift store or resale shop. Prices are low. Products are usually still of decent quality. Half the time, profits are going to a good cause. And, by buying these items, you're helping keep some things from going in the trash and clogging up a landfill.

It's really great to be able to help these places with your patronage. Sometimes, we can even bag up our unwanted and unneeded items and drop them off at the store's location. Generally, not out of the way and easy. Many places will even help you unload your car and provide a receipt verifying your donation.

But, there's something sneaky going on there.

How many times do you drop off a bag to empty out the trunk of the car....then, pull around to the parking lot and pop in - just to see if there are any good deals inside? Caught ya!

If you're looking for something, by all means, visit your local thrift store. I personally shop at them too, from time to time. It's great for picking up dishes I've broken from a set or a platter I know I'll be leaving at an event. Or, if I need a costume, I can most definitely find something on the racks.

Still, I don't ever want to be browsing the aisles just to see the items I donated a week ago staring back at me. It'll beg me to take it home again! I'll see it as new and think I can use it again - this time.

Not true.

Please keep the donations coming out of the house. It's great for you and your space; it's great for the charity you're supporting. But, please take them to a place you won't stop in to browse and accidentally buy something you owned a month ago.

If you don't know of any other place to take your donations, contact me! I'm happy to let you know where you can go that's convenient to you. Or, help you set up a free charity pick up at your home. No leaving the house and no loading the car. And, no chance of buying those items back!

Should I Be an Organizer, Too?

I receive a lot of calls and emails from people looking to explore the organizing industry. Some of them go on to work within the professional organizing field, while others realize there is a better fit in another career for them. But, how can I help someone decide if it's a direction they should move in?

The first distinction a person thinking of going in to this line of work should realize is that there is a big difference between organizing one's own space and organizing the space of someone else. Personally, how I organize my own home is very different than how I help my clients organize their homes. My work flow is different; my thought process is different; my needs are different; and, of course, my amount of possessions and size of rooms are different. Each time I work with someone, we assess all those things so the new systems we implement will work for them, their needs and their space.

Secondly, patience. And, more patience. Everyone works at a different pace. Sometimes we fly through a project faster than I could have anticipated. Other times, it takes three times longer. That's okay. But, a new organizer might not be prepared and lose patience with the client and/or the project. Then, it's time to take a step back and reassess. Be mindful that this is not your project; it's the client's project.

Most of all, I stress the need for education and networking. To successfully enter this industry, education should be step number one. There are countless courses available online, through NAPO, the ICD and independent organizing companies and organizers everywhere. Take advantage of these classes! Join some kind of networking group. Preferably, a NAPO chapter. The colleagues in this industry are indispensable. Techniques to work with clients, ways to run a business, referrals and people to be hired or to hire are all around. And, it certainly doesn't hurt to be involved in other networking groups to spread word that you are now offering these services.

Assessing your interest in truly helping others, versus a personal interest in the act of organizing objects; practicing patience and getting out there are key steps to creating a fantastic start in what might be the best career you've ever had!

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