If you want to get ruthless in #decluttering your #closet, set a maximum number of hangers or limits on how many of which category of garment you will keep, says Simple Lionheart Life. You can track garment usage to ensure that only your favorites stay in rotation by turning the hangers in your closet around; after you wear an item, put it back hanging the right way. Any garments still hanging backward at the end of the season can likely be #donated. Or for a more immediate #purge, imagine yourself wearing each item of clothing or outfit when you run into an old friend or acquaintance — would you look and feel your best at that moment?
Tag: clean closet
Start Decluttering With a Single Closet
Don’t make #decluttering into an insurmountable task — start with just one #closet. Pull everything out and sort it into #keep, #trash and #donate piles. Clothing you enjoy wearing regularly are easy keepers, while items that are too damaged, stained or stretched-out can go directly in the trash. What goes in the #donate bag is a little more nuanced: Maybe an item doesn’t fit, never worked as part of your personal style, or was part of a too-small “goal” outfit that now only inspires anxiety, CNET says. Send those #garments to ClothingDonations.org immediately, set a new goal and reward yourself with a new outfit when you achieve it.
Leading Support for the Nation’s Veterans
Every other year, the Vietnam Veterans Association (VVA) hosts a National Leadership Conference to help it better support #veterans. This year, VVA will invite members from its more than 650 local chapters nationwide to the summit, set for Aug. 9–13 in Greenville, S.C.
While VVA was launched by and for #Vietnam veterans, the association’s motto is “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.” Topics discussed at the conference will be of interest to veterans of all U.S. conflicts and their families.
Seminars will cover multiple VVA initiatives, and many are open to the public. They will offer information on healing the wounds of war, including disabilities related PTSD, traumatic brain injury and toxic exposures to substances such as Agent Orange.
Others will discuss accessing veterans’ benefits, homelessness, substance abuse, suicide, and health care for the aging veteran. Special training will be available to veteran service officers (VSOs) who are helping veterans on the ground throughout the country.
Like any convention, there will be banquets, awards and special recognitions. Retired U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Walter Gaskin, secretary of the North Carolina Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, will deliver a keynote speech at the event.
“It is my honor to serve the member of our military, veterans and their families in the state of North Carolina,” Lt. Gen Gaskin said upon being appointed to his current post. “Although I retired from active duty in 2013, my commitment to providing the opportunities, resources and care owed to our military members and veterans has never ceased.”
Likewise, VVA’s commitment to veterans is unflagging. It holds the summit to better serve the nation’s 17.4 million veterans in substantive, constructive ways. And the association couldn’t accomplish this important work without your generous #donations.
Every #donation to VVA — made directly or via ClothingDonation.org — helps a veteran. When you #clean a closet, #declutter a room or #organize the garage and donate, a veteran benefits. We thank you for your ongoing support!
Keep Your Fall Fashions Clutter-Free
Saturated colors, logos and head-to-toe cable knits made a big splash on fashion’s runways this fall. But for those among us who aren’t ready to drop thousands of dollars on a single outfit, there’s another concern: how to refresh one’s wardrobe and look good for the fall season without creating more #clutter?
You may get the urge to shop as fall begins, and there’s nothing wrong with that. The temperatures are falling, and you might need new flannels, sweaters, jackets and other cool-weather clothing to wear, even if you’re working from home during the #pandemic. Specific items may need replacing after shrinking or wearing out.
As you shop, however, be mindful of the fact that every new item you buy will need to find a place in your closet or dresser. Ask yourself: Is this purchase truly necessary? Will it fuel a Marie Kondo-style sense of joy? Will I use that garment often enough to merit a spot in my limited space?
If the answer to each of these questions is yes, consider the storage space you have and what’s already in it. If you have are happy with your clothing storage and want to add a few new items to the mix, eliminate one item that you no longer use or just couldn’t work into the routine for each new item you buy.
If — as is more commonly the case — your closet and drawers are stuffed with things that you no longer like, no longer fit into or no longer use, #purge those unwanted items when you start shopping. Keep only a few essentials that you love, says Minimalism Made Simple, and your closet and mind will quickly become less #cluttered.
If you don’t have time for a complete purge, consider getting rid of two or three items for every new item you buy. That way, the overall numbers of garments owned will steadily decrease until your closet contains only successful new purchases and other items you cherish and love to wear.
As for the #stuff that doesn’t make the cut, bag up any garments that are in good enough shape to be worn again and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #donation pickup. You’ll feel good knowing that you look great and have an #uncluttered, #organized closet space while at the same time helping #veterans. That’s the way to kick off the fall season!
Time and Effort Make the Best Gifts
Sometimes the best gifts don’t have to cost a thing. On Mother’s Day, dedicate your time and energy instead, Money Crashers says. Mow the lawn and do the yardwork; vacuum and wash her car; make her breakfast in bed or let her sleep in for once, the site says; Mom will appreciate the effort, and these gifts will only cost a little bit of time to show you care. Another suggestion? Clean that old junk out of the garage, hall closet or basement, and contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup. If your Mom is anything like ours, she will appreciate the newly decluttered and organized space.