Organize Your Wardrobe for a Perfect Summer

With the days getting warmer, it’s time to get your perfect summer wardrobe in order. Even if you have already #sorted and #stored your cold-weather clothing, says Lifetime Organizing, you’ll want to create a “capsule” wardrobe that suits you and your lifestyle. Look at the events and activities you have coming up, and sort out the garments that will work for them. Then, reorganize your closet to put those items front-and-center, limiting yourself to a specific number of mix-and-match essentials. Store the fall and winter clothing, and #donate any garments that no longer fit into the rotation to ClothingDonations.org. #PerfectSummer

Junk Hides in the Most Obvious Places

In a consumer society, household #junk tends to build up. You go out and buy the latest fashions, gadgets and gewgaws, and they either become a part of the daily routine or your personal style, or they don’t.

Lots of that #stuff is probably packed away in boxes or hidden in the backs of #closets, with only a dim memory of their purpose remaining. But still more stuff is likely hiding in plain sight — and making your home a #cluttered #mess.

Think about it: Do you have stacks of #clothing where they shouldn’t be — anywhere outside your closets and dressers? Are mail and paperwork piling up on your desk? Is the kitchen table or entryway littered with new purchases or decorative items?

You are not alone. Most homes have “dump” zones where new stuff or stuff that hasn’t been integrated into the everyday lands. The trouble is that sometimes this stuff doesn’t find a spot for months or even years, especially if you have a smaller space.

All of this piled-up #clutter can easily make you feel overwhelmed. “It usually isn’t until the walls are closing in or someone brings those things to our attention that we do something about it,” says California-based Organizing Concepts & Designs.

What can you do? Find ways to tame those piles and places for those things. Go room to room and make an honest assessment of what needs to be in sight and readily accessible, and what can be hidden in storage or dispensed with altogether.

You might find that you need more shelves to display your knickknacks, a filing cabinet for your office, an underbed box for your extra linens or a new #storage system for your #closet. Don’t hesitate to install them; cost-effective solutions are available.

As you take stock of your stuff, you will find things hiding in plain sight that you no longer want or need. #Donate them to ClothingDonations.org by scheduling a free #donation #pickup for your #purge. Keep at it, and soon you’ll enjoy a #clutter-free, #organized home.

1,000 Ceremonies Honor Vietnam Veterans

Nearly 1,000 ceremonies observed National Vietnam War Veterans Day on March 29 to thank and honor Vietnam veterans, according to Vietnam War Commemoration, including a wreath-laying ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. If you missed the ceremony but still want to #honor #veterans, visit its Facebook page to watch a video of the ceremony, or thank a veteran personally by sending a note, volunteering a local VA hospital or supporting upcoming veterans events in your area. You can also support veterans by #donating to ClothingDonations.org. #NationalVietnamWarVeteransDay

Honoring Service for National Vietnam Veterans Day

West Chester (Pennsylvania) University celebrated National Vietnam War Veterans Day with insights from several local Vietnam War #veterans and the public unveiling of a Vietnam War digital/oral history project. Students in WCU’s History Department conducted 40 interviews with local veterans and collected more than 100 photos and artifacts for the project. “For many of the era’s participants, the war’s aftermath rendered an uncomfortable silence,” says professor Bob Kodosky. “I am proud that our students have provided a means for these individuals to finally share their voices as well as their historical narratives.” #NationalVietnamWarVeteransDay

Thank a Vietnam Veteran for Their Sacrifice

One good reason to observe National Vietnam War Veterans Day this week is to give voice to the serious concerns that many of the Vietnam War’s #veterans face as they age, writes disabled Vietnam War veteran and Florida Veterans Hall of Famer John Stewart in the Citrus County Chronicle. Beyond being shunned for fighting an unpopular war upon their return, Vietnam veterans now suffer from high rates of #suicide, health problems related to Agent Orange exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “Why should we have a National Vietnam Veterans Day? Because [the veterans] deserve it. Period,” he says. “Thank them.” #NationalVietnamWarVeteransDay