Thin jeans - how long have you had them?

These are 3 pairs of jeans I decluttered recently.

I decided to be brave and dedicate 20 minutes to fit on all 8 pairs of jeans that I owned.

I quickly separated them into three piles:

1. jeans that fit and looked okay (I still have to lose 1,5 kg of my pregnancy weight)
2. jeans that would fit once I lose that 1.5 kg (with a small frame, every kg is huge!)
3. "thin" jeans I had no hope of ever looking good in again

This is pile 3, the pile of "thin" jeans :)

I made a note of the date I tried them on and if, in three months' time, pile 2 still doesn't fit, out they go.

How long do you give yourself to get back into your "thin" jeans?

It's about time I sorted the maternity clothes

seeing as the babies are 7 weeks old today :)

This is my shelf with all the clothes that could fit me while I was pregnant - I actually only bought the following maternity clothes - 1 pair of jeans, 2 pairs casual pants, 2 pairs work pants. That's it!

this is the whole cupboard...before

returned one pair of pants never worn, washed and put away borrowed clothes and reorganised since it's nearly spring here

that shelf now has short-sleeved t-shirts on the left and jeans & pants on the right

here is the full cupboard view - after


Makes me feel much better knowing everything is in order once again!

When was the last time you reorganised your clothes?

Two-minute organising project - decluttering your make-up bag

How are you enjoying the quick, 10-minute clutter busting projects?

Well, this one is for the ladies and is even quicker....unless you really do carry lots of stuff with you!

I like my handbag to be really organised so when there are things that don't have a space, I usually throw it into my make-up bag so at least they're contained.

And that's why I need regular decluttering of my make-up case.

I throw it all out so I can see properly just what's in there....

also called my before pic

Then I eliminate the things that I don't want in there... so that only essentials remain in the pink mesh bag.

after

How often do you declutter your makeup bag?

If you haven't done it for a while, that's your organising challenge for this week.

Friday Declutter Challenge - sweatshirts and jerseys

Today we're decluttering and organising sweartshirts and jerseys.

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, you've just finished with winter so this is an ideal time to go through your winter woolies.

But that doesn't exclude those of us in the Southern Hemisphere - as you move your clothes around, ask yourself honestly if you're going to wear ALL your old winter clothes.

And especially if you've bought some new clothes, use the one in - one out rule.

In South Africa, there are TONS of places who are desperately looking for winter clothes for homeless and underprivileged people.

If you work at a large organisation like I do, you probably have some CSI initiatives to collect clothes - use the opportunity to lighten your wardrobe AND bless those less fortunate.

Over to you! Let me know how you do in the comments.

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The Organise your Home ecourse is a step-by-step system delivered in bite-sized pieces so you will NEVER feel overwhelmed. You even get an audio of me teaching you how to organise your space.

Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Tomorrow we're decluttering...

sweatshirts and jerseys

Are you ready for the challenge?

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The Organise your Home ecourse is a step-by-step system delivered in bite-sized pieces so you will NEVER feel overwhelmed. You even get an audio of me teaching you how to organise your space.

Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Tomorrow we're decluttering...

pants and jeans

Are you ready for the challenge?

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The Organise your Home ecourse is a step-by-step system delivered in bite-sized pieces so you will NEVER feel overwhelmed. You even get an audio of me teaching you how to organise your space.

Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Friday Declutter Challenge - we're decluttering shoes!

Edited to add my decluttering pics


Today we're decluttering and organising our shoes - takkies (trainers), sandals, closed shoes, slippers, the whole lot!

You don't need to throw perfectly good shoes in the bin if they're in good condition; rather donate them to a women's shelter or another worthy cause.

These are the ones you want to get rid of:

• broken
• out of style
• doesn't suit your lifestyle (if you've left the corporate world, then you probably don't need all your fancy shoes you used to wear with your power suits :))
• too many of the same kind
• hurts you when you do wear them
• haven't worn them for a couple of years (they're probably outdated by now)
  

I have at least two pairs to get rid of because I bought two pairs in Ireland and I have to stick to my one in- one out rule, so here we go.



Over to you! Let me know how you do in the comments.

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The Organise your Home ecourse is a step-by-step system delivered in bite-sized pieces so you will NEVER feel overwhelmed. You even get an audio of me teaching you how to organise your space.

Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Ladies, declutter your shoes!

shoes, glorious shoes

boots, flats, active shoes, slip-flops, slippers, everything!

Tell me in the comments how many pairs you THINK you have - tomorrow you can do the actual count :)

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The Organise your Home ecourse is a step-by-step system delivered in bite-sized pieces so you will NEVER feel overwhelmed. You even get an audio of me teaching you how to organise your space.

Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Friday Declutter Challenge - underwear drawers

Today we're decluttering and organising our underwear drawers.

First, before you even start organising, get rid of all the old, ugly, stretched out garments.

Remember what your mother told you? What if you're in an accident with ugly underwear? :)

Now that that's taken care of, you can organise.

There's also a lot less to have to think about which in my book, is win-win!

I use cereal boxes to keep everything organised, thus dispelling the myth that organising has to be expensive.

More cereal boxes and those cardboard dividers for drinking glasses

Over to you! Let me know how you do in the comments.

**************************************

The Organise your Home ecourse is a step-by-step system delivered in bite-sized pieces so you will NEVER feel overwhelmed. You even get an audio of me teaching you how to organise your space.

Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Tomorrow we're decluttering...

our underwear drawers

That's underwear, socks and pajamas

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

The Organise your Home ecourse is a step-by-step system delivered in bite-sized pieces so you will NEVER feel overwhelmed. You even get an audio of me teaching you how to organise your space.

Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Friday Declutter Challenge - T-shirts!

Right, so today we're decluttering T-shirts.

I want you to go through all those T-shirts, especially those at the back of your cupboard...I have them so I know you have them too :)

Look what I found...

an ex-boyfriend's T-shirt from university!

and one from when we worked in the children's church before we were married actually (this is 14 years old)

You should be wearing clothes that fit well and that flatter you because you're worth it.

Throw out those old T-shirts - I don't even think you should keep them to wear to the gym because you deserve to look cute even when you're all hot and sweaty from exercising.

How many T-shirts did you get rid of today?

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Marcia Recommends
The Organise your Home e-course will help you get your entire home organised in just 12 weeks. Tons of people have been through this system; will you be next?

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Challenges for the rest of the month...

8 - underwear and socks, including pajamas

15 - shoes

22 - pants & jeans

29 - sweatshirts and jerseys

Our Declutter Challenges for May are...

next month, we're going to declutter and organise our clothes

1 - T-shirts, both long and short-sleeved

8 - underwear and socks, including pajamas

15 - shoes

22 - pants & jeans

29 - sweatshirts and jerseys

Get ready for tomorrow; it's T-shirt time!

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The Organise your Home e-course will help you get your entire home organised in just 12 weeks. Tons of people have been through this system; are you next?

Organising and storing my jewellery...and when it doesn't quite work

I don't have a lot of jewellery. My thing is watches!

So I really just use a couple of hooks on the inside of my wardrobe door. The problem happens when I just keep throwing necklaces onto the hooks and eventually, it drives me crazy.

Like this - now I know it doesn't look that bad but that's because a hook fell off and I put those necklaces on some of the other hooks.


What did I do? I

• removed everything from the door
• decluttered stuff I never wear
  
• separated them into categories - earrings, pink and white set (only pink stuff I have), work necklaces, bracelets and weekend necklaces
• decided where to put new hooks (somewhat limited by the shelves when you close the door)
• hung everything up again, this time in an organised fashion
  

Voila!

P.S. So they're not the prettiest pictures in the world but they are organised - just keeping it real :)

Now this is a nifty little handbag tool

The great thing about loving handbags is that once people know that (which really doesn't take too long with me), they bring you all these cool things to have a look at.

And of course, I'm always ready to take a photo :)

Like this...

This little gadget is a corporate gift we gave to some of our female brokers. The silver bits fold up and the whole thing looks like a coin when not in use.

The bottom of the circular disc has a rubber base so it doesn't slide off the smooth surface of the table and then you hang your handbag off the edge.

I always think, "I hope my bag doesn't get dirty on this floor" when I'm in a restaurant so I really think this is a great idea!

Now I just have to get one.

Isn't it cute?

P.S. that isn't my bag in the photo - it is waaaayyyyy too small for me!

P.P.S. Get your home organised in 2009.

Wordless Wednesday - neat stack of clothes

Clever jewellery organiser and gift idea

Look at this clever idea for organising jewellery. A friend of mine received this as a gift and I, of course, immediately took some pics with my phone.

Those little pockets on the inside could be used for rings or earrings (studs) and bigger items could be placed right in the middle.


And then when you pull the cords shut, it looks like this: Beautiful and functional - what more could you want?!

If only I were crafty I'd make myself one of these for when I travel. I currently use a plastic container with cotton wool to cushion my jewellery. Maybe some of you crafty people can make some of these for gifts?


Don't you love it? How do you store your jewellery?

P.S. This is how I store my watches and this is how I store my necklaces and bracelets (look at the picture).

Ask the organiser - finding the right handbag

Is it normal to want to switch purses about as much as you change your underwear because you can't find one that is "just right"?

Part of my problem is I can find a planner that I want to stick with. I feel comfy with a 3 ring binder planner, but I guess can't make up my mind what size. I don't really want to carry around a lot and I guess I try to be like the other moms around me but my situation is different; I sometimes would like to just have a pocket planner, but I like to see details, ya know?

I am a mom, wife, have a part-time Avon business, work overnights, and am the only driver, I keep track of all administrative aspects of the house and am just confused. Do you think I should just stop and analyse what I like and need and stop trying to adapt to other people...

Charity Wilt

It is absolutely normal to want to keep switching purses (I call them handbags). That's because either you haven't found what works for you, or you don't want to accept what is right for you and your situation. There's no point having a tiny bag if you have lots of stuff you need to carry around.

You are comfortable with your 3-ring binder and it's working for you, so EMBRACE that. Don't try and be like all "the other moms" because your situation and theirs is so different.

About the size, I understand you don't want to lug around a huge binder because a) it's unattractive and b) it's heavy so my suggestion is to experiment going to a slightly smaller size and see if that compromises much on how much detail you can see on the pages. You should be able to tell after about a week if it's working for you or if it's cramping your style, in which case, switch back :)

I think with the handbags there are two things that happen to me:

1. I get bored with using the same handbag day after day after day, which is why I have about 20 (tell your husband - he'll think you're great for only having 6!)
2. I do find that I can use one for a long time if it's really functional.

I bought this beauty a few weeks ago. I love this colour because I feel sassy whenever I wear red. Also, there are so many pockets which means everything has a place and I never have to hunt for anything in this bag. Which also means it stays neat and tidy, another bonus!

I've used this one for the last 3 weeks non-stop without getting irritated (which is big, for me).

So, Charity, getting back to your question... I think you'll keep changing bags until you find a really functional one that also looks good. Definitely make a list of what you're looking for so you can keep your eyes open, and also when you're in the store, repack your things and "fit on" the bag so you can see if it works for you.

Related posts
Organising my handbag
Organising my green handbag
Tackling my handbags

The Friday Declutter Challenge - 12 Sept 08

I have the best blog readers in the world! Last week when I asked about the button, Seesawstar emailed me immediately and offered to do a button for me this week, which I accepted. I like how she insisted on a "tight" brief which forced me to be decisive :)

Then the next day I had another email in my box - Amanda just "whipped up" a gorgeous button, just like that. You'll see Amanda's button if you look at last week's post.

Thanks to both of you - I am so very grateful!

So, please go ahead and use this button on your blogs - resize if you want :)


This week, I decluttered this pink shirt, some socks and underwear. And no, you are NOT going to see a pic. This colour looks great on me but unfortunately, I've put on some weight and it's a bit tight across the chest area *ahem*



The Declutter Tip for this week is...

We're all going into a different season (autumn or spring). Start going through your clothes - especially those from the season you've just had.

Fit on each and every item and evaluate to see whether the clothes:

• still fit you
• are still in style (!)
• need mending
• look good (or even better, great) on you

I've started doing this and I'm going to have to get rid of a LOT more stuff because just looking through my wardrobe, I can see there are clothes I haven't even worn this winter. Which means I have too much.

What have you decluttered this week?

P.S. Don't forget to let me know what your biggest office organising challenge is.

The change of seasons is a good time to declutter

Remember this?

When I posted about how long we should keep clothes we plan to fit into, Carmen commented and shared what I thought was a fabulous idea - double decluttering!

She said that the first declutter is always harder for her so she then goes back over the same area a week or two later to see if she's changed her mind about anything else.

Absolutely brilliant idea!

So just before we went to the UK I went back into that wardrobe of mine and decluttered again. And it really was easier to make decisions the second time around.

Look at all these additional clothes I managed to get rid of the second time around!

They don't look like very much there but I filled two shopping bags to bursting.

This is the wardrobe before. The door on the left pretty much stays closed all the time with a small laundry basket in front of it, so I keep all the current season's clothes on the right. You can see some short-sleeved suits on the right and the pants hanging below are also summer clothes.

(If I could do the writing on the photos with arrows and such like you see on other blogs, I'd show you but for now, just pretend there's a line down the middle)


And this is the wardrobe after. I've now moved my winter pants and jackets to the top right and my long-sleeved shirts to the bottom. My boots are also easy to reach and the whole wardrobe is just a lot prettier. (when I've just organised a space, I like to leave it open for a few hours to just gaze at the loveliness, don't you?!)


And there you go - a beautifully organised wardrobe/ closet.

Have you heard of double decluttering? What do you think of the idea?

How long should you keep clothes you plan to fit into?

I get this question a lot!!!

How long should you keep clothes you plan to fit into?

Well, my answer is two-fold:

1. Do you have extra storage space?

If you do, then you can keep the clothes for a year or two. You need to limit the items to your favourites but I'll allow lots of leeway.

If you have no extra space and you already can't fit all your current clothes into your wardrobe, then I'd say choose maybe 5 - 6 special items and keep them for no longer than a year.

I have a friend who is really great at decluttering clothes. She goes through their clothes every 6 months and gets rid of anything they haven't worn that season. Her view is that next summer/ winter there'll be new fashions so why hang onto old stuff?!

2. How honest are you being with yourself?

If you've been putting on weight steadily due to age or lifestyle factors, then deep down you know you're fooling yourself into thinking you'll be able to fit into that size ___.

In this case, I suggest that you just bite the bullet and get rid of the clothes. It feels better when you donate it to a woman's shelter, trust me. Ask yourself, "who can use this today?"

However, if you were easily at a weight before getting pregnant and you've just had a baby, then by all means keep those old clothes while you exercise and get back to your pre-maternity weight.
That said, my sister is really slender (post-baby) and even she said when the baby was 6 months old that she's come to terms with not ever fitting into those really skinny tops again :)

So what do I do?

If I LOVE the clothes, I get the stuff out of my valuable real estate (my wardrobe) and put them in my guest bedroom with the date on the container/ large ziploc bag. By the time the next summer/ winter rolls around, if I can't fit into it, out it goes.

I know from my history that even if I can fit into it a year later, there are much cuter clothes out there which I'd rather have in my wardrobe :)

This system works for me. What works for you?