Welcome back to Day 15 of Freedom from Clutter in 40 Days.  If you are tired of the burden of clutter then this series is for you.  Day by day we are getting rid of the items that weigh us down, slow us down, and get in the way of having time to spend with our families.

We invite you to join our special Facebook group to share your ideas, joys, concerns, and declutter stories with us.  Together, we are learning to find Freedom from Clutter.  This is a focused 40 day program, but we plan to keep the group going all year long.  You can join us at any time.  What is really fun about this project is that we are sharing our real struggles with clutter.  There are no organization experts here.  We are just real people sharing our real life experiences including our frustrations and joy as we declutter our homes.

Let’s Declutter our Dresses and Skirts

The idea of decluttering is very popular right now.  There is a whole minimalist movement that encourages us to do more with less.  However, when it comes to actually parting with our belongings there are often so many emotions that make the process of decluttering difficult.  One question that helps me right now is, “What value is this item adding to my life?”  That’s my life right now.  Not some imagined perfect life in the future.  My dream closet is a walk-in closet that looks more like an additional room in my house than a closet.  My reality is a super tiny closet.  Obviously, I won’t be able to hold on to as many clothing items due to the size of my closet.  That’s not a bad thing.  It’s just my reality.

It may seem that I’m really dragging out this clothing declutter.  There is a reason for that.  I don’t want you to become overwhelmed and give up.  Most of us perfectionist types love to start projects and then lack of time, other obligations, and our perfectionism get in the way of us completing them.  I’m not asking for perfection.  Keep reminding yourself that decluttering takes time.  If you haven’t decluttered in a while (like me) it is going to take several times through the house before things are really where you want them to be.  No worries!  Every item out makes your house feels lighter.  You are making progress and that is a good thing!

As we have done with the previous clothing items, the first step is to pull out all of your dresses and skirts from the closet, your drawers, and anywhere else you may have them hidden.  Quickly go through the dresses and skirts and separate into three piles:  Keep, Toss/Donate, and Not Sure.  Place the items you are keeping back in their appropriate location.  Place your donations into a box and take them straight to the car.  We don’t want your donation box to become clutter in your home.  The final step is to try everything on and only keep what you need and what you really love.

My husband uses the phrase, “Need is a funny word” to describe a lot of things in our life.  It’s his way of making light of the fact that I say I “need” to keep bridesmaids dresses from all of the weddings that I’ve been in.  Just in case I get to go to some fancy party.  I “need” to hold on to the dress that I wore when I brought my college son home from the hospital.  I “need” to keep the dress that I wore to celebrate New Year’s Eve 2000.  Can you believe that is 16 years ago already?  Let’s be honest…..I don’t “need” any of those dresses.  My husband is just being sweet and loving and careful not to hurt my feelings.  I’m also pretty sure that he would rather that I get rid of those dresses to clear the clutter from the closet.  And between you and I…….the next time I go to an awesome dress-up party, I’m going to buy a new dress anyway.  I’m not going to wear one of those hideous bridesmaid dresses. Out they go!  Freedom is on the other side of this mess.

What things are you holding on to for sentimental reasons?  Do you think of clothing as clutter?  What is the hardest part of decluttering for you?  Leave me a comment and let’s get the conversation.  Your thoughts and advice are sure to help someone else who is decluttering along with us.

On another note……..if you are interested in simple recipes your family is sure to love make sure you check out my recipe index.  I am adding new recipes all of the time so make sure you check back often.  You will also want to grab this free meal-planning printable calendar to make your meal planning easier.  It has areas to plan your daily activities and your evening meal prep.

Want more decluttering tips?  Keep reading more from the Freedom from Clutter in 40 Days series, but clicking the image below.