Have you made the change?

Winter is truly upon us and it is past time to change over your wardrobe once again.  This is not something every person does, however, it makes getting dressed in the mornings so much easier.

Change over

We started doing this when my kids were very young, as I spent half the morning arguing with them about the fact that you can’t wear a t-shirt in the middle of Winter, or your thick coat in 30⁰ heat!

It is also a good time to get rid of clothes that have taken a beating and clothes, which you didn’t wear at all in summer, can also be donated to charity. The children don’t stop growing, so it is a great time to get rid of these, or pack them away, if you have younger ones to whom to pass them down.

I used the Konmari method to sort my cupboards last year and it was very cathartic. Basically this method is to empty your cupboard and then pick up each piece and examine it and consciously think about whether to keep it or not The Konmari method.

If you have enough space to keep all seasons in your cupboard, a great way to clear out is to keep each season’s clothes together and then just swop them left to right (or whichever way), so that the current season is easily accessible.

Bring out the nearly new

One of the great things about packing away each season is that when you unpack it is an adventure. Sometimes you find clothes that you have forgotten you had. It’s like going shopping without spending all the money.

Your cupboards should definitely have less in them as very few clothes are able to switch with the seasons as this is South Africa.  So, having clothes that are suitable for those warmer Winter days is essential.

Make someone happy

You have separated the clothes you want to keep and those that you don’t; now it is time to make someone happy. Go through what you don’t want to keep and, if it is good condition, you can do one of two things. You can either donate it to charity or sell it.  Either way someone else gets a new outfit.

Please don’t try and give damaged goods to charity. I occasionally put one or two items out with the papers and plastic for the street guys to take.  These are clothes that are still in relatively good condition (no holes) but have a mark or stain on them that neither the charity, nor I, would be able to sell.

Out

The biggest problem often comes when the box has to get from the house to the charity. Remember that we have a list of charities in the file section of this group. Churches also accept old clothes for the poor.

Enjoy your winter

Winter is not my favourite season; I never seem to get warm! How do you survive your least favourite season? Do you change over each season, or do you have enough cupboard space?