It’s been a super busy summer here at my house.  Lots of fun stuff with my family – certainly a summer of good memories were made here.  Lately, I’ve been on a purging and organizing kick.  I think we just have too. much. stuff.

The week before last, I went through my children’s closets and picked out 10-12 outfits for the weather that we are in that fit them and we all like.  Everything else has been sitting in (several large) plastic bags waiting to see if any of it was actually needed.  I’m happy to report, none of it was needed so it will all be going to charity on Tuesday. 

My good friend Dana was the first person to recommend this system to me but it took awhile for the genius of it to sink in.  I saw the idea a few other places and I decided to try it myself.  Here is how it works – the clothes that live together, launder together.  Simple but brilliant.  No more sorting which clothes go to which person’s room.  The day-to-day clothes in my house do not require a lot of TLC.  Mostly shorts/jeans and t-shirts.  Each child has 10-12 complete outfits in their closet on hanging shelves where they can access so they can dress themselves!!   Each child also has one laundry basket in their room.  I’ve been repeating (as we mothers have to do so very, very often) “your clothes belong in one of three places.  Your closet, on your body or in your hamper.  NO WHERE ELSE!”  They have taken to this very simple rule I’ve imposed pretty nicely so far.

Once a week, I take their hamper down to the laundry and throw the {gasp} entire collection in to one load!  When it comes out of the dryer, I grab the kid who it all belongs to and we head to their room where they help me fold it and put it away.  Five minutes or less – I promise.  Even the four year old is digging this new method.  After the the clothes have moved into the dryer, I can then run that child’s bed linens through.  Two loads per kid per week and we have a tidy and clean room.  The amount of time this takes is minimal compared to the old way of sorting by colors and then resorting when it all came back out.  I don’t know about your house, but in my house I was so sick and tired of the daunting laundry piles that I sometimes ignored it for days. 

Try it.  You might like it!  Less really is more.  Who knew that they were right all along.

This brings me to another hot tip for you.  If your house is over run by clutter, paper, toys, junk join me in this *free* class.  http://creativeorganizing.typepad.com/creative_organizing/2009/08/freebie-friday.html

Registration ends on Sunday, August 23rd at 11:59 pm Central.  Please join me as we take control of the stuff that is invading our homes.  Especially before our children go back to school and begin bringing even more home to us to deal with!