Less is More, Revisited

So, I sort of fell off the wagon with my decluttering efforts. Part of the issue is akin to the stars aligning for something spectacular. In my case, the following has to happen:

1. I have to be motivated to purge
2. I have to have a chunk of time available
3. I have to make a decision about what area I will purge
4. I have to not be hormonal.

That last one probably doesn't count. If I am hormonal, #1 will be but a distant memory, at best.

When the first three align nicely, I'm then able to tackle the clutter in my house. But it can take awhile. Like waiting for Halley's Comet to come back into visibility. Well, maybe it's not quite that bad. Which is a good thing, otherwise, there'd never be anything getting out of this house.

I had thought awhile back that perhaps I should just start at the front door and work my way through the house. And since the top three were in alignment today, that meant tackling the coat closet. After I cleaned up the entry area. I must say, I have a lot of coats.

Well, I did just say it. I think I cut that down by half. I still probably have more than I truly need, but it's the best I can do right now. And the closet isn't jam-packed any longer. Not only that, there's a floor in there. Who knew? I think I saw it once, about five and a half years ago. Oh yeah, when we looked at the house before we bought it; that's when I saw that floor.

The paraffin bath has been living out in the open since I got it for Christmas. Sometimes I dip my hands every day, so I want it to be easily available. This works. The vacuum has always lived in there, but sometimes it was a little challenging to put it away. Ditto with the boots. But there's still open floor space. Whee!

The coats on the right of the empty hangers are what I kept. Not bad.

You never know what you might find when you clean out a closet. Like a whiteboard with chemistry stuff still written on it.

I actually think it's a good thing that I have coats (and gloves) to get rid of, being that it's winter and all. Mom and my sister get first dibs on the coats, but then I'm going to donate them some place. Or just go give them to homeless people. Or something like that. Winter in Colorado (especially right now with the snow) can be tough. Particularly for someone living in too much of the elements. Or just someone without the means to buy a coat or gloves. Anyway, I want them to go to someone who needs them.

So there you have it - a tidy closet (John still has to sort through his coats, but they're tidy and less abundant than mine were). I think the buffet will be next.

Why Purging Clothes is so Hard

I'm purging my closet (again) and I think I've figured out why this can be such a challenge. Two reasons, really. For me, anyway, and I imagine a number of other people.

1. Happy Memories - Some clothes remind me of times past when I wore them and the great memories that accompany those particular times. Ergo, wearing them again will bring fun and happy times. Rather a false conclusion, but I found myself reminiscing about a variety of good memories. It's great that I have those memories, but keeping extra clothes in my closet which I no longer wear isn't producing more wonderful life experiences. So they have to go. If I feel that attached, I could always take a picture of the item. But then I'd be cluttering up my hard drive. Just be happy with the memories and photos I already have and move on.

This was one of my favorite shirts for years - warm, cozy, comfortable. With a button-down front, I could wear it alone or as a jacket. Definitely a lot of good memories here. But I haven't worn it in...I don't know, maybe 5-6 years (probably longer). So here's a picture for posterity.


2. Expectations - Then there are those clothes which almost fit and surely they will fit...as soon as I drop a few (or more) pounds. This is just ridiculous. If I am actively losing weight right this moment and may possibly be able to wear an item in the next few months...then maybe they would be worth taking up space. But the reality is that I'm not. I'd like to be. I want to be. But until I actually am? Fuhggetaboutit. Let them go. Buy new clothes if/when I lose the weight. Much better to have the free closet real estate and potential shopping later, anyway.

Having these two explanations helped me. A lot. I will admit that I hung onto a few more items than I probably should, but if I haven't worn them by the end of the season (switched out winter for summer), then they can go to a better home this fall. In the meantime, I have breathing room in both my half closets, which makes me very happy.

The clothes squished on the right hadn't been gone through at this point. Interestingly, they represent how crowded this space was, all mashed and wrinkled together. The clothes on the left are an equal number, but given some space. Much better.

Long and Lean

When he was born, ClayGuy was a good-sized baby, weighing in at 8 pounds, 3 ounces. But ever since he moved into toddlerhood, he leaned out. Some of it might be due to his exceeding pickiness in eating. And the fact that he's been known to eat no more than a robin. But finding pants for this kid has been interesting, to say the least.

When he was a toddler, I would have to return sweats because they didn't fit around him when the legs were the right length. As in, they wouldn't be stretched in the least, but they wouldn't touch his middle all the way around. So they could just sort of slide down. Before being potty trained. Go figure.

It got easier when he was a boy. Then I had the slim option. That worked well for a few years.

But about three years ago or so, he moved into man-sized pants. Which seems like it would be a wonderful phase. After all, you get to purchase pants in specific waist-length combinations. Makes total sense, right?

Not so much.

Why in the world do the majority of retail stores think you either have to be short if you have a smaller waist or you need to be heavier if your legs are long? What about the long-legged, slim-waisted young men of our nation? Even the hip young dude department was no help.

I did finally discover that Sears carries a more diverse range of Lee jeans. Slim waists and long legs. So for the past couple of years, that has worked out well.

Now it seems he wants to expand his attire just a bit. Mere jeans won't cut it. Oh sure, he has to have a couple of pairs. Who doesn't? But now he wants some cargo pants. And maybe some Dockers. Goodness.

A couple of weeks ago, Lucy & I were shopping for some new pants for our best-friend-long-legged-slim-waisted boys young men. We made our way to Penney's and they had a WALL FULL OF JEANS. This looked promising. Not entirely sure of the size, as they might have actually grown in the waist at some point when we weren't looking, we were trying to find some 30/34s or 31/34s. (Ironically, I now see that there IS a pair of 30/34s in the pic above! That doesn't go far to prove my point, now, does it?) We somehow managed to locate ONE pair of 30/34s and decided to try a pair of (gasp!) 32/34s. Mainly because ClayGuy's old 30-waist jeans were too tight.

Well, we got home, had the guys try them on and came to a wonderful discovery. Even though both of them are nearly 6' tall, one has a longer torso while the other has longer legs. It turns out that ClayGuy has the longer legs and his waist has grown slightly. He can wear 32/34s. Hallelujah! A size that is actually available on a regular basis!! As for Lucy's son (Pi Guy) - his legs aren't as long, meaning he can go with a 32 length pant. And yes, you can actually find 30/32s quite easily, too.

What an amazingly glorious day it was!

{Even if I didn't get a picture of them standing together in all their tallness. I will though. Count on it.}

I promptly went back to Penney's the next week and got two more pair of jeans for these guys. We still have to get some Dockers or some such thing, but a whole new world has opened up to us in our pants shopping endeavors. Other stores, other styles, other options galore.

And there was much rejoicing!