Friday, January 30, 2009

Tackling the Clothes Monster

We have a big, ugly monster living in our closet. The CLOTHES MONSTER. And he has to go!!

I'm having organizational problems with all of our clothing and it's really starting to get out of control.

First, there are the clothes that we are each currently wearing. This includes the summer clothes that need to be packed away and the winter clothes (which take up so much space!). This also includes leotards for dance and gymnastics, along with vests for AWANA and Girl Scouts. This alone is enough to handle, but of course there is more.

I have the clothes that Nick has grown out of.

And the clothes that Tori has grown out of.

And the clothes that Lexie has grown out of and Tori will grow into.

And the clothes that Kate has grown out of and Lexie will grow into.

And the clothes that Ellie has grown out of and Kate will grow into.

And the clothes that don't quite fit Ellie or Nick yet (but I bought them early or was given them).

And the clothes that I haven't worn in 5-10 years. (which I AM finally getting rid of!)

Do you see my problem? It's not just clothes either - there are shoes in various sizes that no one can currently fit into.

I can't get rid of them, because that would be wasteful. I don't think we're going to have anymore kids, but I don't want to get rid of them quite yet (you never know!). And I'm holding out to give them to my sister when I'm done with them (as soon as they are ready of course - no pressure!).

Theoretically, it would be easy enough to just put the kids' clothes in boxes labeled with the size/sex and pack them away. The problem is that the kids are CONSTANTLY growing in and out of the clothes. Between them growing and the changing seasons, it is so hard for me to stay on top of it. This is in part because I have packed the boxes in a very inaccessible place under the stairs.

I am trying to tackle the problem tonight. It is not fun. I decided that I needed a minute of rest (and the baby needed to be nursed) so I thought I would blog out my frustrations.

Wish me luck!! If you don't hear from me for a couple of days, then maybe I have drowned in clothes!!!

3 comments:

Christina said...

I'm with you; I UNDERSTAND. I have actually started giving away all of our baby stuff (from swing to clothes to stroller!) in hopes of talking myself out of another one.

Family G said...

Oh my, you ARE keeping busy. I have only two kids and a lot of your struggles sound so familiar. I don't know how I would do it with five kids. But I guess, the older ones just have to pitch in to help the whole family to make it work. Still, it seems like you're trying to tackle too much at once. You deserve a big pat on your back just managing to survive a deployment with five children in Alaska. I can't imagine that I could handle that. On the other, what choice does one have? I guess, you do grow with your responsibilities.

millsdynasty said...

Jen, the only thing that has come to my rescue is a cubby for the extra stuff; Awana, dance, soccer, basketball, Boy and Girl Scout, etc. I got it from Target and the buckets, too. Mine has nine cubbie holes and we fill them with the stuff for each activity. The kids then know where to put their stuff and it isn't a mad dash to find it last minute. Hope this helps. Good luck with the clothes. It is such a nightmare. Let me know what you do.