So originally I saw a Facebook post from someone that said they had KonMari'd their filing system of papers. Intrigued, I googled "KonMari" and then immediately bought the book. I also was inspired by all the Instagram pics I saw when I searched for the hashtag.   I read it in 24 hours and began the process.  I highly recommend everyone read the book. 

Basically, the KonMari method comes from Marie Kondo, who suggests that we only keep things that bring us joy.   She suggests a specific order to go through things like clothing first then books and magazines and then papers, etc.   You must put everything out in the open all together (coat closet, off season clothes, closet clothing, and drawer clothing) and hold each one by one.  When you hold it you ask yourself if it brings you joy.  Surprisingly, this was a fun process and I could not believe I was able to do it in a matter of hours!

So what was the result?   Well, I no longer have an off season wardrobe stored in bags under my bed.  All of my clothing fits in my closet (which isn't even a walk-in!) and in my main dresser.  I was able to get rid of SIX bags of clothes, which I donated.  

I was seriously exhausted by the end of the day and I was a bit emotional when I dropped the clothing off at the local Community Aid.  

I was so proud of my work.  Then I went to bed.  

 This is my entire closet. All seasons of clothing able to hang.  The first photo is the right side of my closet and the second is the left side.  I hang in this order: Dresses, skirts, jackets, sweatshirts, pants, sweaters, long sleeve shirts, 3-quarter length, short sleeve, and tank tops.

These are my drawers.  Left to right: Row 1 is work out clothes and pajamas.  Row 2 is jeans/pants and tank tops/layering shirts.  Row 3 is tshirts/scarves/belts/leggings and socks.   I didn't take a photo of my undies drawer though.  :)
When I woke up the first thing that crossed my mind was "Wow, I have everything in my closet now and there's still so much space! "  I had a different energy to me.  All morning I felt energized and less stressed.  Could it be that having so much stuff even when it was out of sight was blocking my good energy?   I believe it now! 
It's amazing how organized and in order your entire life feels when everything you own is in it's place and you only own and hang on to the stuff you absolutely love. 

But that's not all...I'm KMing everything else too and I'll have more posts about those including linen closet, beauty supplies, photos, papers, etc.


Have you ever heard of this method?  How do you feel about your current organizing/tidying methods?

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How I Plan My Outfits for the Week

I have limited time in the morning and I like to keep my routine as organized and efficient as possible.  One of the ways I do that is by planning out my outfits for the week well in advance.    

This is actually a process in itself. 

Organize Your Clothing
To start this, I had to make sure my closet was already organized so everything's easy to find.   I finally found something that works for me where I organize everything by type and sleeve length, then by color.  It works well for me because I know exactly what section of my closet I need to look in for certain pieces. 

Make Labels
I actually have closet hanging labels for each day of the week. I use these to hang in front of each outfit I put together. 

Accessorize
You can't forget about accessories so I always make sure to hang whatever necklace or bracelet I want to wear on my hangers as well. 

Sticky Notes
To remember what shoes to wear, I usually attach a sticky note to the hanger.  


I seriously love doing this because I can do it all at once when I'm in the mood to think of new outfit combinations and ways to accessorize.  

Do you set your outfits out beforehand? Does it help you?  

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Top 5 Closet Organization Items + A Giveaway

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Being organized is especially important when it comes to your closet.  There are several benefits of having an organized closet.  You can save money, time, and energy on a daily basis.   But most of the time, you need some organizing tools to actually get your closet to that point.  Here are my 5 favorite items. 

1//Stackable Closet Shelves
Closet shelves are perfect for shoes and accessories.  You can even use them for jeans that you fold up.  They help you make the most of your floor space. 

2// Boot Organizers
I love my boot organizer.  It's the ideal way to store my boots without them getting crushed, scuffed, and torn.  Plus, this is an awesome way to air them out when not in use! 

3// Storage Cubes
Storage Cubes are a fun way to display and store your bags and clutches.

4//Woven Baskets
Baskets are great for on shelves in your closet and you can store all kinds of things in them like workout clothing, bags, jeans, or sandals. 

5//Accessory Hanger
Accessory hangers are great for items like bras so you can free up space in drawers. 


Did you like the boot organizer above? Well, great, because I'm giving one away! Good luck!





a Rafflecopter giveaway

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How Many Items Do You Really Need In Your Closet?

This is like the ultimate checklist for those that want the best of both worlds... you want a lot of what you love (shoes, shirts, jeans, bags) but you don't want an excessive amount.  So without denying you of any options , this list just basically helps you pair down duplicates.   Think about how many things you have that are kind of the same thing.. 2 pairs of black pumps, 2 pairs of black boots, 3 pairs of dark wash skinny jeans... exactly.  

So here's a good idea of what you really need in your closet.   

Shoes
//Flats
[]1 pair nude
[]1 pair black
[]2 pairs of pattern/print 
//Sneakers
[] 2 pairs of sneakers
//Boots
[]1 pair black 
[]1 pair nude boots
[]1 pair light brown
[] 1 pair dark brown
//Booties
[]1 pair black
[]1 pair nude
//Pumps
[]1 pair black
[]1 pair nude
//Wedges
[]1 pair black
[]1 pair statement
[]1 pair nude
1 pair grey boots/booties/shoes
1 pair rain boots
2 pairs of flip flops

Jeans
1 pair dark wash skinny jeans
1 pair casual jeans
1 pair light wash skinny jeans
1 pair of various colors of skinny jeans
2 pairs of black leggings
2 pairs of grey leggings
1 pair khaki pants
2-3 pairs of capri pants
3 pairs of shorts
1-2 skirts

Tops
3-4 Sweaters
3 flannel tops in different colors
3-4 blouses
3 summer dresses 
2-3 formal dresses
3-4 neutral long sleeve tops
2 black camis
2 white camis
1 cami in each various color 
3-4 Casual tees
//Jackets
[] 1 faux leather
[] 1 black blazer
[] 1 colored/patterned blazer
[] 1 khaki/brown jacket

Bags
1 Winter Tote
1 Summer Tote
2 Top Handle Bags
2 Clutches
1 Evening Bag for formal affairs (think Weddings)
1 Crossbody bag


I know this list may not be completely helpful but I hope it gives you a basic idea of the things you really need, so that you can maybe print it and start going through your closet to see how many of each thing you have. I mean really, why do you need 3 black blazers?  Pick the one that fits best, and is the nicest quality and just stay with that one. 

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How to Make Room in Your Closet + A List of Things to Purge

Recently, I had to make some space for my Fall wardrobe and I realized I literally must have too much crap in my dressers and closet because I have no more room.  We only wear a select amount of things from our wardrobe but we continue to come up with legit excuses for why we keep everything else. 

In order to do a proper wardrobe purge you need to do a few things.
Schedule It - Clear your schedule and set a night to do nothing but purge your wardrobe.
Try Everything On - Be ready to slip in and out of clothing all night.  It may be annoying but it's necessary to see what fits and what doesn't. 
Have Pile Labels - I had a piece of paper for each category (Keep and Toss).  If something fit and I liked it, it went in the keep pile, and if not it went in the toss pile to be sold on ebay or donated.

Many people don't think they really have that much to get rid of especially if they routinely get rid of a few things here and there but now that I did a huge purge of my own, I figured I'd put together a list of things everyone should double and triple check.

So here it goes:

[]Jeans, Shorts, & Capris // If they don't fit STOP HOLDING ONTO THEM!

[] Socks with holes or no matches

[]Underwear with holes or that aren't comfortable

[]Shoes that don't fit

[]Shirts with stains

[]Shirts with holes

[]Shirts that are too revealing thus never get worn

[]Workout apparel that is torn

[]Legging with holes

[]Tights with runs

[]Tshirts that you get from promotional samples that you never wear

[]Tshirts that are turning into crop tops

[]Shirts that are faded

[]Dresses that are too short thus never get worn

[]Swimwear that's over 3 years old (and showing signs of wear)

[]Sweatshirts that are bulky and never worn

[]Handbags that you haven't used in years

[]Bras that are stretched and worn out (Replace them)

[]Halloween costumes you'll never wear again

[]Blouses that you can see through which is why you never wear them

[]Camis that have shrunk and don't really fit anymore

[]Anything white that has been ruined by washing it with something of color (automatic tye dye!)

What else can you add to this list?

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How to Maintain a Wardrobe with Limited Space

Whether you have a small apartment, an older home with tiny closets, or you live  back at home temporarily (like me), you will always be stressed when you can’t easily choose outfits, or keep your wardrobe organized.   

Over the past few months I’ve re-done my closet and dressers so many times until I finally found what I believe is the most efficient way to store, organize, and maintain a wardrobe when you have limited space. 

So here are a few tips and methods to downsizing, organizing, and maintaining a wardrobe with limited space.

DRESSERS

Utilize your dressers in the most efficient way possible.  

What to store in them:

Underwear
Socks

Pajamas and Loungewear

Tshirts (solid and graphic)

Camis

Tank Tops

Off season pants

How to maximize the space in them:

Fold everything flat and then stand up vertically.   It makes it easier to see what you have without sifting through and messing up how it’s all folded. 

Purge what you don’t need.  Do you have 4 plain white tshirts? Keep two and get rid of the the ones that are old, stretched, or stained.

CLOSET

I hang my work slacks on a cascading hanger (pic)

I take all of my colored pants and skinny jeans and keep them on pant hangers because it’s easier to look through them that way versus digging through a pile in a drawer or on the top shelf of my closet.

My jackets and hoodies are all hung (I purged them as well.  Really, I only need 2 fitness jackets ,2 nice zip jackets, and 2 pullover the head hoodies.

Then I hang everything else up by color.  I make sure to purge things as often as possible.  (see my purge post here LINK!)

CLOSET SHELF

Most people have different shelving unit set ups in their closets.  I just have the simple shelf that goes across the top. 

The following are some ideas of what you can put on the shelf:

  

I store 6 plastic shoe boxes (we’ll get to what’s in them later) on the left side

I keep little plastic baskets (3) on the top shelf in the middle that contain my most often worn in-season jeans . It’s so easy to pull these out and root through.

My favorite handbags and clutches go on the right side

STORING EXCESS SHOES/BAGS

So what do you do when you have off season shoes, bags,and no drawers or closet space for them?   Easy… Go out to pretty much any store and buy those big plastic bins with a lid on top.  The clear ones are great so you can see what’s in them. 

What To Store in Them:

Purses
Off Season Shoes

HOW TO STORE OFF SEASON CLOTHING

Get those Plastic zip up storage bags and slide them under your be dlike I do, or get the vacuum seal ones if you wish but I always end up sneaking in mine half way through the season so I don’t want to worry about vaccum sealing them again!

How to Decide what Goes and Stays with Off Season Clothing

Whenever I’m prepping my closet, I go through every summer dress and summery blouse and decide if I can wear it with some of my winter clothing.  Sleeveless blouses look great under a cardigan, while sexy tops don’t really do anything but make you freeze in the winter, so I store those.   

How to Decide what Goes and Stays with Off Season Accessories

If I have a dressy pair of heels, a great pair of sneakers, and some other fancy formal event heels, I keep those in plastic storage shoe boxes on the top shelf in ym closet so I don’t have to go into storage when I rush to get ready for an event.

With purses, I put the white ones and the summer color ones away for winter.  I always keep my favorite fall ones as well as my FAVORITE universal cluth bags in my closet on the top shelf.

CLOSET FLOOR

I got a wooden shoe organizer where I keep flats and heels and booties on the top. Then my tall boots are standing on the bottom.

And one step beyond that.... I get my boots to stand up tall by rolling up a magazine and putting it in each!

So… any questions?

5 Questions to Ask When Purging Your Closet

In order to free up space and not spend money on things you already have, it’s a good idea to purge your closet at least once every 2 months.   I actually have a rule called 1 In 1 Out, where if I want to add something to my wardrobe, I MUST get rid of something to make space.

So here are 5 questions to ask yourself for each item you are looking at, in order to decide whether to purge it or not.

1.Does it fit and flatter me?

If so, keep it.  If not, GET IT OUT!   Even if you think you’ll fit into it someday, ask yourself how many times you’ve opted to keep it to fit in it later, and if you tend to do that every month, chances are, you aren’t that serious about your goal of dropping sizes.   If you really wanna keep your stuff so you can eventually fit (or it’s your reward for when you drop those pounds) keep it all in a plastic storage bin!

2.Is it ripped or stained?

If it has pit stains, it might be time to say farewell, but if it just has a makeup stain, make sure you treat it and clean it, or find a drycleaner who will.   If it’s ripped and it can’t be repaired, get it out of there!   If you can get it sewn or stitched then put it in a pile to do so and make sure you take action as soon as you’re done purging!

3.Is it a special occasion piece?

Every woman needs special occasion pieces in her wardrobe like for a wedding, summer bbq, or a photoshoot.   Don’t get rid of something you’ll have to break the bank to replace if it’s not ripped, stained, or too big/small.

4.How often have I worn this in the past 6 months?

If you don’t have ANY idea of how many times, than it’s probably because it’s not worth wearing.   If you don’t believe me… set it aside in a storage bin with a tag on it that says “DECIDING”.. and see if you miss it after 3 months.   You’ll thank me later. 

5.Would I rather sell it and make a profit?

There are some items in every girl’s closet that are worth more than how  often we wear them.  I had a nice leather bomber jacket but I never really wore it, so I sold it for $75 on ebay.  And instead, I got a $25 leather bomber jacket from TJ Maxx to replace it.   I’d rather have that $50 than the twice a year jacket. 

What’s the one question that you always use to determine whether to keep or pitch something? Is it one of the ones I listed?