Clear Your Closets for Colder Weather

With the temperatures falling and the days getting shorter, you’ve probably started getting out a few cold-weather garments that you haven’t seen for several months. It’s a great time to #clean out your #closet and decide what you will and won’t be wearing this fall and winter.

Start by taking everything out of the closet, Cleaning Is Caring suggests. Wipe the walls, doors and baseboards, and dust the ceiling, shelves and light fixtures. Empty and clean any bins, too; finally, vacuum or mop the floor.

Now the #decluttering and #organizing can begin! Separate all of your #clothing into piles designated #keep, #donate or #trash. Be honest with yourself — if you haven’t been that size for years or the garment is just too shabby to wear again, get rid of it. It’s only taking up space.

You’ll have to say goodbye to summer, The Spruce says, washing or dry cleaning the warm-weather wear you decide to keep before storing it in a location other than your main closet. Vacuum-seal bags and plastic storage bins are ideal for this.

Now that you’ve thinned the herd, you can put the things you do plan to wear back in your closet in a more #organized fashion. Houzz suggests folding most casual knits and putting them on shelves, while hanging dresses, pants, button-down shirts and outerwear. Smaller items such as socks and jewelry can go in drawers, bins and organizers.

If you notice an item or two that you would like to add to your #fall #wardrobe, feel free to buy it! But take that heap of also-rans that didn’t make it back into your closet or storage, bag it up and contact ClothingDonations.org for a #free #donation #pickup.

You’ll be able to find the things you want to wear faster when you need them, reducing #stress, and keep your #closet consistently more #clean and #organized. Bonus? #Donating to ClothingDonations.org helps #veterans. So you’ll look good and feel good, too!

Shed Pounds, Donate Clothes

If you’re like many Americans, you might have overindulged during the holiday season and may be toying with the idea of changing some aspect of your behavior by making a New Year’s resolution.

According to Inc., 2019’s top three resolutions are “diet or eat healthier,” exercise more,” and “lose weight.” Runners-up include “save more/spend less,” “quit smoking,” “read more,” and “find another job.”

Any of these resolutions on their own — or any combination of them — is difficult to keep. Most people start too-restrictive diets or overly ambitious workout schedules only to stick with them for just a few weeks.

To increase the likelihood of sticking to your resolution, document your goals, Forbes says. Understand why they’re important to you, and develop a strategy for attaining them. Set a reasonable time frame, and emphasize the progress you make over the minor setbacks that will undoubtedly occur.

If it’s weight loss you want, don’t think that you’ll shed 10 pounds every week. You won’t, feel bad about it, and stray further from your diet. If you want to get more exercise, start slowly so that you don’t hurt yourself and wind up spending more time on the couch recuperating.

Remember to give yourself a reward for reaching an event milestone — cheat a little after a month of dieting or get a massage after your first 5K run. Celebrating such successes can condition you to achieve more.

Healthy resolutions often include an appearance factor, such as fitting into a smaller size pant or dress. The Organizing Blog has a radical suggestion where this concept is concerned: If a garment doesn’t fit now — as you embark on your resolutions — get rid of it.

If you’re anything like us, you’ll find garments you’ve wanted to fit into and wear again that have languished in the back of the closet for years. Edit your wardrobe down to only the essentials that flatter your physique today — the stuff you really wear.

The clothes you’re trying to fit into again are holding you back. Not only do they not fit, but they also may not suit your current style. They represent the old you — not the new you, who sticks to resolutions. Pack them up and contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup.

Besides, if your current go-to garments start fitting a bit loose in the months ahead, you can reward yourself with a small shopping spree. The new you will need a new look — and that simple reward will help keep you on track to accomplish even more.

Here’s to a happy, healthy 2019!

Declutter During the Change of Seasons

Instead of treating the end of summer like a funeral, embrace the cooler temperatures by preparing your wardrobe for them, Goedeker’s Home Life says. Give beach towels and bathing suits a wash before putting them in storage, and set aside any T-shirts or other summer garments that just didn’t get worn this year. Then, unpack the flannels, sweaters, jackets, blankets and scarves you’ll be using in the months ahead, taking care to eliminate any that have outlived their usefulness. Finally, pack up those lightly-used also-rans and contact ClothingDonations.org for a pickup. You’ll be able to start the season with less clutter!