Spring cleaning

Other than emails, I’m pretty good at keeping clutter at bay, especially the clothes that my kids outgrow at a monthly pace. Otherwise I’d run out of space in no time at all. So I put the clothes in a bag, throw them in the back of my car, and drive them around for a few months until my next oil change appointment at a place right by the Goodwill store in Boise, where I finally drop them off and ride away with my donation slip.

I’m not a real stickler for spring cleaning, but this year I have to roll up my sleeves and get down to business if I want to keep my realtors smiling. I mean, the one year we have no spring! So last weekend I started by emptying out the top and bottom in my closets (hers and hers in my master bedroom), plus some drawers in my dresser. Sounds easy – take the stuff out, box it, garage it – but it’s not. As long as you’re de-cluttering, you might as well take a couple of minutes to decide what to do with the item of clothing at hand.

Take that jacket you got a few years ago, for example. The one you thought was perfect for you, the one that would keep you warm and make you feel oh so pretty. Hiding out inside your closet all this time. Never handy when you’d get cold at a BBQ or late at night partying with friends. So you look at it, with its bright colors and trendy cut, never used, and realize with sadness that it’s just not for you. And even then, for the next few minutes, you’re torn between the storage box or the donation bag.

Donation bag. Sigh.

Fifteen minutes later, you’re ready to tackle that cocktail party dress which, seriously, you must have bought right before your DUI.

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