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Your Clutter Coach

May 7, 2012 By 7 Comments

 

Sometimes you need more help than a book or a blog can give you.

Sometimes you need a friend to remind you to donate those bags of unworn clothing that are sitting in your basement.

Sometimes you need someone to make a plan for you, motivate you and keep you accountable.

Sometimes you need a Clutter Coach.

I get a lot of emails asking for help. I always respond (even it takes me a while) with advice, suggestion and encouragement.

And I always wonder, did they carve out a weekend to clean out that attic? Are they in the throes of home purging and feeling beaten by the process? Did they pull out some boxes from under their bed, lose a few hours looking through old junk, and then decide it was all too much work?

For some time I’ve wanted to help beyond the posts on this blog. Something very personal for paring down and living smaller.

A book wasn’t the answer. There are already some great books out there like Family-Sized Minimalism and Clutter Bootcamp for inspiration and how-to. A book can’t hold your hand, give you a kick in the butt or suggest another method for dealing with all that mail.

I want to do those things.

I want to see closets go from jam packed to roomy.

I want to help people get more sleep.

I want to find solutions for the mud room clutter that can be so hard to reign in.

So I’ve started something new.

Your Clutter Coach

This is for people that:

  • can’t make the time to declutter even after reading a lot of books and blogs on the subject
  • get sidetracked by old photos and trinkets every time they attempt to clean out the guest room
  • have pared down their stuff but it crept back quickly
  • need motivation and accountability to clear clutter for good

Your Clutter Coach is a personalized decluttering program. It’s tailored to your lifestyle, your needs and your schedule. It’s me kicking your butt and you kicking ass.

You can read more about the services here.

If you’re interested in the program I am currently giving away one free Four Week Clutter Coaching Program at Parenting with Crappy Pictures (if you haven’t visited this site before it is hilarious). The giveaway is open until Tuesday May 8th at 8pm PST. Head on over to read the details and enter.

PS. This will be the only time I mention Your Clutter Coach in a big post like this.

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Get Rid Of Your Skinny Jeans

May 3, 2012 By 34 Comments

 

Do you have a someday wardrobe tucked away? Maybe even sprinkled in the closet and drawers with your current wardrobe, taunting you every morning that you’re not worthy of wearing them today.

It’s the jeans you fit into five years ago, the fantastic little black dress in the size you were for all of three months when you were obsessed with the gym and calorie counting or the bikini you wore on a beach vacation long long ago, before children, before you even started your current career.

Maybe they’re tucked in a box in your garage. As the seasons change and you tote out boxed up snowsuits and winter boots and see that box, the box that says, “if you’d just try harder I’d be in your closet and you’d be really happy,” and shame, guilt and frustration washes over you.

Fitting into your skinny jeans will not make you happier.

Fitting into your skinny jeans will not make you a better person.

Fitting into your skinny jeans will not give you more sleep, make you rich, put dinner on the table, lower gas prices or walk the dog.

Get rid of them.

Sending your skinny jeans away does not mean:

  • you’ll never be that size again
  • you’ve given up

Sending your skinny jeans away does mean:

  • you like who you are today
  • you’re living in this day, this world and this life – not the past

Of course, if you’re well on your way to wearing them in the next few months, keep them.

But if they’ve been taunting you for years and you can’t get them over your thighs, send them away.

You need to look in your closet and feel good about what you’re going to wear today. You need to feel good about yourself today – whatever shape or size it may be.

Anyone have a box of clothing from an era of their life that they’re holding onto?

Filed Under: Clothing

Multifunctional Clothing

April 25, 2012 By 21 Comments

Source: hayleystarr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

One dress. Over one hundred ways to wear it.

I’ve been enamored with multifunctional clothing lately. Cardigans that reverse and cinch and dresses that you can tie and twist into Grecian gowns or halter dresses. I like the idea of investing in one piece that I can wear many ways.

If you want a smaller wardrobe multifunctional clothing can give you more with less. Here are a few finds.

 

American Apparel Circle Scarf. One tube of cotton lycra. More than a dozen ways to wear it.

 

 

Claire sent me this one. The Versalette can be worn 15 different ways from a tunic, to a strapless dress to a skirt. Beyond function and fashion, this garment is also a feel good purchase. The materials have been sourced ethically with the environment and its citizens in mind.
I want one of my own but they a) don’t ship overseas and b) I’m unsure if the one size fits all fit of this garment would work on my 6 ft size 14 frame.

Source: ecouterre.com via Rachel on Pinterest

 

Not sure about the hoodie on this one but I do like the idea of owning a piece of clothing that doubles as a bag. Would be great for travel: beach bag by day and top by night.

More multifunctional garments and tutorials:

Anyone else seen, or own, multifunctional clothing?

PS. Apologies for the light posting this week. Getting over jet lag and we’re moving (not far, just down the street). Should be back to more frequent posts next week.

Filed Under: Clothing

Stop Folding Laundry

April 17, 2012 By 58 Comments

 

As part of the Simplify Your Family Life Sale I am writing about ways to make life easier around the home. The Simplify Your Family Life Sale runs April 16-20 and is a fantastic deal if you are looking for more how-to for saving time, money and space. 35 e-books with a value of $375 for just $29.

 

Some people love folding laundry. They enjoy making neat piles and order and putting a basket of folded laundry away. It soothes them.

Other people, like myself, find it to be a chore.

I can’t find where I first heard about this idea but I know it was from a mother of a large family. One of her tips for simplifying was to not fold laundry. With many loads of laundry washed every day, not folding t-shirts, jeans and underwear saved her hours a week. The only person in the house that had their laundry folded was her husband. The children were given freshly washed laundry that was never folded – just placed in drawers.

This might be a bit radical for you, especially the neat nicks and organizers out there, but I think it’s brilliant. I’ve decided to start just putting Henry’s laundry away instead of folding it and save myself the bother and time of folding.

Most of our adult laundry will still be folded or hung up. I’m not sure I’m ready to go this route for all of our washables. I do like a stack of freshly washed towels and sheets. Also, most of my clothing is stored in a wardrobe that has large deep shelves. Easy to lose something if it is in a pile.

There are a few things you’ll have to look into if you want to do this for your family.

Wrinkle free wardrobe required. If you wear a lot of cotton button up shirts or linen this probably won’t work for you. Soft cotton blends and synthetic fabrics will do best as no fold laundry.

Watch that dryer like a hawk. If you use an electric dryer you’ll need to pull clothes out and give them a few shakes before throwing them in the laundry basket. Best not to leave anything in there overnight.

More storage or fewer clothes. Unfolded laundry will take up more space. If you’re clothing storage is maxed out you’ll need to cut 20-40% of your wardrobe or find more space.

I think this will be a temporary time cutter for my family. Eventually I would like Henry to fold and put away his own laundry.

I probably have outlandish expectations on this front because I was doing all of my own laundry by age ten. That’s what happens in a single parent family with six children. If you wanted clean clothes you had to learn how to use the washing machine at a young age.

Anyone already skip folding laundry or willing to try it?

Filed Under: Clothing, Storage

Take Advice from an Expert

March 28, 2012 By 26 Comments

Source: alphamom.com via Rachel on Pinterest

 

The other weekend I went bra shopping.

Yes, I am getting far too personal on this blog.

I went bra shopping to finally replace my post-nursing hand me down bras from my sister.

The experience taught me a few things.

First, I really don’t like the act of shopping. I do enjoy that I have my new bras now, that they fit well and look good but, man, I hate the crowds. And trying things on and spending a lot of time in a store with other people searching and trying things on.

I tried on 30+ bras before finding the right one and then had to go to another store to find it in black. Per my own advice I got a nude bra and a black bra.

Second, I am not an expert. On bras or, really, most things. So I if I’m not an expert why do I refuse expert advice?

I was measured by a store assistant and advised I could try two different sizes: 38 C and 36 D.

I’ve been many bra sizes in my life. In high school and through my rowing career I was a (barely) 38 B. When I retired from sport my body fat composition changed and shifted and I became a ‘real’ 38 B. When I got pregnant I had to buy new bras as a 38 C and as a nursing mom I was a 40 D.

That’s a whole lot of bra sizes. Despite all the fluctuations I was convinced there was no way that I was a D cup right now. I’m not nursing and things have, uh, deflated.

So I tried on a lot of 38 C bras. None fit right so I kept going back to try on more styles. Eventually the head of the bra department saw me and asked me what size I was looking for.

I said, 38 C.

She looked me over and said, you’re not a 38 C.

You’re a 36 D.

After trying on over 20 bras I was ready to give her expert status some credence.

And yes, lo and behold, I am a 36 D.

I am not an expert on bra sizing. And thinking that I knew better than women that size bras for a living wasted a lot of my time (and Katy’s). I’ll also admit to buying poorly sized bras in my 20′s, things I really wanted to fit but ended up gouging me with under wire or being painfully tight on my broad rower back.

No more. I’m going with the expert’s advice from now on and I’ll continue to go to a store that offers sizing services and knowledgeable staff. I want my undergarments to be both comfortable, flattering and functional. Very happy to report that this style is doing all three for me.

I’ll save my expert status for things like living car-free with a toddler and let the bra experts do their thing.

Anyone out there have a drawer full of ill-fitting under things? Did you impulse shop or just think they would fit better after some use?

 

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