Monday, June 2, 2008

STAYING ORGANIZED!

With the change to summer weather, it's time to go through your baby's closet and drawers and weed out the things that can no longer be used. If you hope to have more children, keep potential hand-me-downs organized by using plastic storage tubs that are clearly labeled with size and season. Things that are stained, torn, or beyond repair simply need to be thrown out. And if you're on your last baby, give freshly laundered clothes away to Goodwill or a neighboring family. Take a couple of mornings this week to spend 30 minutes or so getting your baby's things organized. Next, tackle your closet!



When my kids were young, we would take a couple of days in the fall and then again in the summer to weed out clothes. My daughter's clothes were given away, my older son's clothes were stored for the younger one, and the clothes that my youngest had grown out of were passed on as well. Organization is the key! We were able to save lots of money on clothes just knowing what we actually had and what we really needed to buy.



These days, with the rising cost of gas and consequently, everything else, it's going to take some smart living in order to make wise money choices. So much of that can be done by simply being organized. I am definitely not organized by nature, and it is something I have to constantly work at--but my family is worth it, and I know yours is, too!



Check out my favorite helps:

http://www.flylady.net/

http://www.familymanager.com/

http://www.organizedtimes.com/




"Double protection: wisdom and wealth! Plus this bonus: Wisdom energizes
its owner" (Ecclesiastes 7:12, Msg)


~Rebecca

3 comments:

Sue McRoberts said...

I can't tell you how many times in the "beginning" of parenting that I didn't know what I had, clothing wise or anything else wise for that matter. Everyone's happier, too, when Mama is organized. It's tough at first but well worth the efforts. This was a great post.

Anonymous said...

You can also consign clothes that are no longer needed at place like Once Upon A Child (http://www.ouac.com/locations.aspx) or at a consignment sale. Yard sales are always fun too. At a yard sale, you can rid your house of more than just clothes clutter and make a few bucks in the process! For nicer items, E-bay can help you get a little bit of return on some of your clothing investments. I'm all about saving and earning money whenever and however I can on the little things!

Rebecca Ingram Powell said...

Thanks, Sue!

My life radically changed when I found Flylady! Until then, I had just been praying for a mentor, and God led me to her!

Another turning point happened when I interviewed Kathy Peel, and I asked her why it was so hard to develop orderly habits. She replied, "It depends on how desperate you are to bring peace to your family." Those words were so convicting!

As I said, organization is a daily challenge for me, but by God's grace, every day I have the chance to be a totally new mom! :)