Cleaning with a Cause

Cleaning out your closets can be a very daunting task. When I'm hired to organize for someone else, the task is easy, but when  faced with your own "hidden" mess, it can become harder to deal with.  But I write today out of a new perspective. I am not a hoarder by all means, but I hang on to clothes and pack my closet full!  I am sure there are phycological explanations, but I simply want lots of options. However, I will stand in front of my closet claiming I have nothing to wear! And I promise my bedroom was clean until I tried to find something to wear....

Am I the only one?

So, today I wanted to share..

 The 5 reasons to clean with a cause

1. BeCAUSE you have too much ~ you can't see anything at all. There is a saying that you need to "have" the stuff before it "has" you! Not only do you feel that your drowning, but you will stand out of your closet and wonder what in the world to wear, its just so overwhelming.

 2.. Pull everything out!  BeCAUSE you need to see everything clearly.  Grab three boxes and label them: Keep, donate and trash. You can actually put the "Keep" pile on your bed.

3. Try everything on beCAUSE your closet is precious real estate.
 You need to ask yourself these questions.

      A. Does it fit?

      B. Is it in style?

      C. Does it make me feel good?

      D. Is it worn out?

4. Systems in place will CAUSE you to save time!

 Look at your closet and see if you need new ways to store your items.

-Maybe you need additional racks or boxes at the top for seasonal items.

Besides reworking the guts of your closet, you need to work the emotional aspect of your closet.

-I recommend the stylebook app. This app helps you organize your clothes by outfits and plan what to wear. Click on one of the two pictures below to download this app.

5. Finally, give away the donate box for a CAUSE.

I have had yard sales, given to Goodwill, and consigned many things.

But there is nothing in this world like giving to those in need.

I am part of an amazing mom's Bible study at the YMCA.

We decided to join with a ministry to collect spring/summer clothes 

for refugees in our local community.

The YMCA let us have collection boxes out. 

The word spread and the event went

from clothes to toys and food.

The thing about this type of giving, is you will almost always dig deeper. 

You will find items that you thought you needed (when there was no face involved)

 But there is a freedom from giving it away.

Almost as if we were created to give and care for one another.

Some of the sorting we did ahead of time.

A local church rents an apartment in this neighborhood 

just to store food, clothes, and the like.

Here we are setting up.

I brought my kids to help set up and so they could see the people they were helping.

It is my hope that serving will have a trickle down effect.

We had food donations from 2nd harvest food bank, churches, the YMCA, etc.

Unlike a yardsale, this event went quick!

Families were so grateful.

What an amazing experience to serve those in our community.

Things don't matter as much as people. 

Cleaning with a CAUSE will change you. Go through your things and see what you can put back in rotation.  Below are some other great places to give.

Homeless:   http://www.nashvillerescuemission.org

Abused women:    http://ywcanashville.com/get-involved/donate

Residential program for women who have survived drugs, prostitution, trafficking, and life on the streets:    http://www.thistlefarms.org/index.php/about-magdalene

If you need help organizing your closet or have other ideas on where to give, leave me a comment below. I'd love to hear from you!!