Monday, June 30, 2008

Got Advice? I need it!

Hey, I am in need of some serious advice...

What is the best way to detox your closet? Or get rid of clothes, old pictures, stuff!!

I go crazy just thinking about all the stuff I have collected the last couple of years; my past obsession with crazy pens so I have a BILLION ball points, multiple pictures from freshman year of college, old letters that encouraged me through life, multiple journals, books I've never read...

Ughhhhh I could go on.

Anyway, my problem is that I get into the "But what if one day I'll want this...." insert shirt I haven't worn in five years, high school clothes with my name, number, sport/activity on it, etc.

HOW DO YOU DETOX? How do you manage to clean your closet? I would love to get rid of 99% of my stuff.

So how do I do it?? Any advice?

14 comments:

Karianne said...

I think the easiest way to start is to start small. I have been trying to clean my house forever and it still isn't done but I have done small things here and there. I scanned lots of things into my computer (like pictures, letters, etc) because then you still have them but they take up a lot less space. As for t-shirts (which I agree are hard to get rid of) you could look into a t-shirt quilt which is just your t-shirts made into a quilt (therefore you still get to have them but it frees up closet space). ope my mini tips help! have a great day!

emily said...

oh sister! I hear ya! I'm actually trying to do that tonight! go through my closets and get rid of clothes! I end up finding stuff that I haven't worn in many years and I've completely forgotten that I own it and then I get excited because I wonder what else I've got in there that I've forgotten about and then I completely forget the reason for my going through my closet in the first place. hmm...I don't know if I'm much help!! haha! I can't wait to see you soon!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE You!

Unknown said...

let me know if you figure it out.

Joanna Kay said...

paul... i need help. i'm trying to reach out.... help me please. :)

Mikey said...

I think everyone thinks "But what if one day I'll want this..." The best solution I've come across is tossing it, regardless if I will or will not use "it" in the future. I also ask myself, "Am I going to use it now?" That's always helped me.

OR

If getting rid of your stuff is still hard for you, then when I come and visit you in IL, I will have no problem in exterminating, oh I mean taking care of your stuff.

Angie said...

how much time do you have? detoxing my closet was so cathartic...ahh. i scanned all of my pictures and letters and saved them in several places. i made a quilt from all of my t-shirts that i loved from high school and college. i systematically tested all of the pens and took them to work (where there was a constant pen shortage). seriously, felt so good.

ST said...

If you wouldn't wear it tomorrow, pitch it!

Anonymous said...

Okay, here's what you do...start to make 3 piles: keep it, toss it, donate it. Then start sorting. To keep yourself from just making a gigantic "keep it" pile, you have to follow this rule...you can only put every 3rd item in the "keep it" pile. That way, you're going to get rid of AT LEAST 2/3 of the stuff. I'm a big fan of hauling stuff to Goodwill. When going through clothes, sure I find stuff I forgot about and think, "What if I fit into this again some day?" DONATE IT! You'll never remember what you gave away a year from now...you forgot about that dress/shirt/shorts in the 1st place anyway...you'll forget again. I can't remember one article of clothing I gave to Goodwill last year. And, if I ever do get to that smaller size again, I'll want new clothes anyway!
-Melis

Kelli B said...

you gotta be strong. I like the three piles option. I take all stuff out and put it into 1) get rid of it 2) keep it for sure and 3) maybe. Then when you're all done, go through the maybe pile and split it into the other two.

Dont throw anything away!!! Look for your local church or homeless shelter to see if they could use your stuff. Otherwise, hang on to it, and I will take it to Hope Ministries here. They have a bargain center, where they sort through all kinds of stuff, and homeless people can buy things or get them free. It's a great idea.

Good luck! I've done this many times, and it's always therapeutic. And i always am amazed how little i really use and get by with.

Unknown said...

dude, i have the same problem...

Jer said...

i try to flatten everything sentimental to me. if I can make it flat, I'll keep it. example, I'll keep letters and t-shirts and small things.. if it's large and sentimental, i'll flinch and put it into a donation pile. i kind of had no choice when i moved out, my parents gave me 3 shelves on a closet. anything that couldn't fit on those shelves absolutely could not fit into the house.

if it were me...
i'd start using the pens (put pen mugs on your desk for people to take), DEFINITELY get rid of clothes i'm not going to wear again unless they're EXTREMELY sentimental (but even then i'd limit myself to 3-5 articles), journals are worth the burden (you COULD type it all out into digital), and books i never read i would just get rid of.. (or donate to someone you know with a library). i donate a lot of books i read only once to my mom because she has a small library.

but that's just me. what a fun question!! =D

life really is easier when you travel light..

Krista said...

Joanna, you have some pretty creative friends! I'm getting ideas for detoxing MY closet when I move to San Diego in a month!

The one thing I've found to be helpful to me is have someone who knows me well and thinks logically do it with me. They don't have the silly attachments I do, so they can say, "Krista, THROW AWAY the napkin from your friend's wedding six years ago!" On the other hand, if they really know me, then they can tell if something really is dear to me, and I should keep it.

The problem is finding a friend who's willing to sit through that with you, but it sounds like you've got a volunteer in Mikey. :)

Mandy said...

I recommend watching Mission Organization on HGTV. I'm always so inspired after I watch that show! For your local programing schedule, click on the link below:

http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/shows_mso/0,1804,HGTV_10237,00.html

Ryan said...

You could begin by giving a couple handfuls of pens to Ariel... :)