My weekend purge and organization challenge - the photos

[KrisM]

Where did you get the bookcase? TY!

It's an Ikea Expedit. Love it. Search here and you'll find a ton of posts about them.

[KrisM]

Thanks for the tips, Lori. I hope you had a productive week, too!

I'll use some of these ideas for the clothes. I have found, that for me, keeping clothes for DS2 works best if I stick all shirts together, all pants together, all pajamas, etc. I had a heck of a time keeping things sorted by size and if size 4 pants are outgrown before size 4 shirts, then I have to dig through to get them in the right bin. I guess I still do, but for whatever reason, it's working better this way for me .

I had kept everything from DS1 and DD for baby #3. I've regretted that and now only keep the harder to find things from DS1 - jeans with no holes, outerwear, pajamas, and favorite tops. I buy most things used, so keeping a striped shirt that cost me $1 is silly to me. I get rid of it and will buy DS2 a new shirt for $1 . It gives me a lot less to store. In fact, all of DS2's future clothes are under his crib in bags. He's a 24 months now and I have up through 5T for him.

[MamaMolly]

I too have issues with the kids' outgrown clothes. What has been working for me is to promptly hang the items to sell (ours must get hung and tagged anyway) in one section of the closet and one plastic bin below it for "donate". So I make the choice right away to sell or donate, and when the donate fills up I take it, regardless of the season just to get it out of my way. I can do a quick scan as I tag for stains...but I have to do less ironing and most of the items will make the cut.
With my oldest son's clothes, I keep a bin in the bottom of his closet for hand-me-downs. When something seems to be getting to small I put it in there. The bin gets labeled with the season and size (so maybe summer 5-6) and then goes onto a shelf in the garage.

This has to be the *best* tip I've ever read for organizing clothes for resale! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

And WOW Kris you are an inspiration. DH and I were going over a list of things to donate, sell and keep for our next move. (We have regular transfers with DH's job) I wrote it all down and plan to hold us both to it.

And P.S. your bed spread is really pretty!

[brittone2]

Way to go!!!!

[Mamma2004]

Kris, I am so impressed and so truly THRILLED for you. What a remarkable job you've done!!!! I admire your courage to post photos to help and inspire the rest of us.

Great job!

[maestramommy]

I am totally impressed! What are those square bins in the shelves? Are they from Ikea?

[KrisM]

I am totally impressed! What are those square bins in the shelves? Are they from Ikea?

Oops. Missed this. They're from Container Store and are deep sweater boxes.

[essnce629]

Oops. Missed this. They're from Container Store and are deep sweater boxes.

I love the Container Store boxes! I have 3 Ikea Expedit units (one 5 x 5 and two 2 x 4) and I have a ton of the regular sweater and shoe boxes in mine! I love that they are totally clear (lid and bin) so you can see everything that's in them. I think I need a few deep sweater boxes to store balls and dress-up stuff.

[KrisM]

I love the Container Store boxes! I have 3 Ikea Expedit units (one 5 x 5 and two 2 x 4) and I have a ton of the regular sweater and shoe boxes in mine! I love that they are totally clear (lid and bin) so you can see everything that's in them. I think I need a few deep sweater boxes to store balls and dress-up stuff.

The deep ones work well for us, too. DS has his marble run in one, we have tinkertoys in one, and we have dolls and clothes in one and MLP in another.

[PMJ]

Congrats!

Good for you