Organizing the Closet

January is the perfect time to get organized. There's nothing like starting off the year by clearing out the clutter and enjoying a neat, clean, and organized space.  Being organized  saves time! You don't have to waist time looking for things by digging through all the piles everywhere. Being organized saves money because you see what you have, what you use, and don't end up re-buying what you already have but forgot about or couldn't find.  Being organized, hopefully will make your more thankful for what you have. When I start clearing out clutter I am grossly aware of the amount of "stuff" I have and don't even use. It makes me think about so many people around the world (and in our own community) that have less than I. It makes me want to be more generous. Today, I'll give you some tips for organizing your closets.

1. Go to the closet with garbage bags in hand. Start with the attitude that you have stuff you can live without. Some of it someone else could use - label those bags "DONATE". Some of its just garbage - clear out the trash.

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2. Still not sure you can part with your clothes?  In January, turn around all the hangers backwards in your closet. As you wear items turn them around. Any hangers that are still backwards when the season changes or at the end of the year if you don't rotate your clothes seasonally, get rid of them!

3. If you switch out your clothes seasonally, store them in clear plastic storage boxes so you can easily see what's in them. I write on a piece of paper and slip down on the inside the box so that I don't have to write on the box or use messy sticky labels. The paper can be easily changed out when I change the contents. This works well for kids clothes if your keeping hand-me-downs and want to keep track of what size or season of clothes is in the boxes. If your space is limited, you can use space bags or vacuum seal bags the same way.

4. Girls, get your bling on! If your jewels are organized your more likely to accessorize. Use these clear plastic boxes with dividers to store all your necklaces, bracelets, rings, earrings, pins, etc. They are just a couple of dollars at craft stores or you can find them in the fishing department as tackle boxes. The sections keep things from getting tangled up. You could organize by type (a box for necklaces, a box for bracelets, etc.) or by color.  As a bonus, these boxes are great for travel or if you have to evacuate you can quickly take your things with you.

5. Put both feet forward! Instead of piling up your shoes in the bottom of the closet, line them up. If you have room for a shoe rack or shelf it's a great way to use vertical space to keep your shoes together. If not, try baskets. We have a shelf near the entry door we use where I have a basket for each child. They each know to take off their shoes and put them in their basket. Though they may be piled up in the basket, they are contained to one place and one person's shoes. It really helps them remember to put their shoes in their place because if they don't and say "I can't find my shoes" I say "pick some that are in the basket where they are supposed to be." The next time they make sure their favorite shoes make it to the basket.

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6. Put hooks (I use command hooks b/c they don't damage the surface) on the backs of the kids closet doors where you can lay out a week's worth of clothes at the beginning of the week. This will save countless fights about what to wear in the mornings. Also it helps keep me on task by having all the school uniforms ironed and ready to go at the start of the week so I don't have to scramble to iron something at the last minute.

So I hope some of these few tips were helpful to you. Happy organizing! Have an organizing or space saving tip to share? Leave a comment.