My Achilles Heel

When we moved, we got rid of a lot of stuff.  Like, a LOT.  And I have to tell you, it's made a huge difference in our lives.  The kitchen is easier to keep clean, because we can't let the dishes pile and pile up...we only have so many plates, and if we don't wash them right away, we have nothing to eat off for our next meal (or at least for the next day's meal.) The kids toys are easier to keep clean because there just isn't that many of them.  Plus for the most part they stay up in the kid's rooms, with one basket for stragglers in the living room.  (Plus, Corben will 9 times out of 10 choose something that he's NOT supposed to play with over an actual toy.  Yes, he's THAT child.)  All that cleaning and purging made a real difference in keeping on top of things. 

There is however, one thing that I'm most certainly NOT keeping on top of.  The laundry.  (The effing laundry.)  It finally hit me the other day WHY I can't keep on top of the laundry.

We didn't really purge on the clothes.  We still have the same amount of clothes in this house that we did in the old house.  And that, my friends?  HAS to change. 

My friend Terri-Ann wrote a post about this very thing today, and how when there is just TOO MUCH, you don't even know where to start.

I have a plan.

Next week, I am going to take every single piece of clothing that is in this house and sort it.  First I'm going to get rid of anything that doesn't fit, is beyond repair, or is just darn ugly.  Because lets face it, sometimes things are just ugly.  And then I'm going to put only the clothes that fit in each of the boys dressers back into them.  Same with my closet.  And if the pile of short sleeve shirts is too big to fit in the drawer, then best pare it down some more. 

I think there's a good chance I can get rid of a third of the clothes in this house.  (I did it with the towels.  We had a bajillion of them in the old house, and I gave away a whole bunch.  We have lots now - bath towels for the four of us, a set for guests, and beach towels.  Still feels like too many sometimes, but I also feel like I'm finally not washing towels twice a week.  Same goes for sheets.)  

I have (in the past) had so much trouble getting rid of things that I *might* need some day, because I loathe buying stuff that I used to have and suddenly need more of.  But really, what day in the very near future am I going to need 20 bath towels ALL IN ONE DAY?  Or 20 pairs of pants for Corben, ALL IN ONE DAY?   There is always laundry, there is always the Goodwill if I suddenly find myself without pants, or shoes, or towels.  And there will always be friends down the road, likely hoarding 16 to 20 towels of their own, if I'm really in some sort of Towel Emergency. 

So, to recap, the plan:  1/3 of the clothing out of this house.  Booyah.  Pictures to follow! 

How's about you?  What's your constant battle with stuff - what's your Achilles towel?