Friday Fails – The Case of the Disorganized Clothes
This week, I’m vlogging my fail. This takes guts people. Serious guts!
Here is a peek behind closed doors in my house…top secret information to be sure!
But I need your help, so watch and give me your advice.
{If you are reading this in a reader or e-mail, you may need to click through to view the vlog.} 🙂
How do you keep your children’s clothes organized as they grow? Teach me!
**************************************************************************
Do you have a “fail” to share? Link ’em up here! If you don’t have a blog, just leave a comment. Please follow the rules! I can’t wait to read your fails! Try to spread the love and comment on the other “fails” posts!
next on TLC – baby clothes hording! GASP!
stef´s last blog post ..Random – MISS ME
I have always used mid-sized rubbermaid storage containers to hold (and label) our kids’ clothes from season to season. I change their clothes out seasonally (2x’s a year) and separate out the outgrown clothes then as well. The outgrown clothes then either go in a bag to a consignment store, or in a bag to one of my two lovely cousins with little people smaller than mine! 🙂
I’m not a mommy 🙁 but for my niece they go through her clothes when she goes up a size. So when she outgrew the 3-6 month clothes is when they went through those. She is 3 1/2 now and it seems to be working well for them. It makes her closet nice and neat to just have one size of clothes. Others are packed away for if she ever has a sibling or if we ever have a kid (ahem hopefully).
Nawww, not a major fail at all. all moms have BTDT a time or two. 😉 lol
I usually go thru my 8yo son’s clothes every half year and especially at the end of the school year to toss/give out the old to make room for summer clothes. Since he wears a uniform to school I’m fortunate now to only have to sort his play clothes and the school has an exchange program for outgrown uniform clothing. And, we live in Phoenix, so we don’t have the heavy winter clothes to store or trade in…. just some long pants and long sleeve shirts, of which my son owns prob. 2-3 pairs each, if that. LOL
When my youngest was in baby stage we were fortunate to have an Other Mother’s consignment store to trade his clothes up in sizes using credit from previously brought in clothing/items, or I could opt for $$. I usually chose exchange as he needed the clothes more than I needed the $$ then! 🙂
Lynnette´s last blog post ..lynnetteann3- @raising-arrows someone else has a blog this way- i like it as to me its easier on the eyes ill see if i can find it & share w-u –
I hardly think that should be considered a fail!! I went through my daughters clothes today and took out her winter clothes and put in her summer clothes. I am a “baby clothes hoarder” as someone posted earlier and keep ALL of my daughters clothes in case we have another girl and for sentimental reasons, so I buy the big bins/tubs with a lid and store them in there, I just go through them whenever there isn’t enough room in the dresser or closet for any more.
Of course that’s not unforgivable!! It happens to the best of us! I try to keep up on it seasonally OR when they grow out of things. But honestly, when my youngest was 9 months old and already in 18 month clothes, I had not put away a single thing from the first 9 months! It took some sorting, but once it was done it felt great! I try to use the XLL Ziplock bags since they are easy and you can see what’s inside (label them too, of course). Right now, for instance, he is growing out of some things, but I will probably just wait until fall when he is completely in the next size up to change things out. Try to keep the policy of when you bring out a new size you put an old size away. Or when they are starting to outgrow some things keep a bag in the closet (or near it) so you can throw things in there as they get washed and outgrown. I hope that helps!
This is a never ending job….. never… it’s always there staring you back in the face…. I honestly feel like that’s all I do some months…. I use avon boxes…. I keep one in the closet and as my kids grow out of of the clothes I pack them away… then at the beginning of each season, I take a day – repack the box, label it and throw it in the attic… and then run to my mom’s to get my nieces hand me downs….. when i was off on maternity leave this 2nd time around, we spent over a month organizing over 20 boxes of hand me downs…. it was huge, but so worth it because now it’s just like going shopping for free!!!!!
It ok!!!
Like someone said already, I also use Rubbermaid storage containers. I use one for each size and label them. I have a seperate one for NB/0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 12 mos and now 18 mos. I also have one extra that is for “bigger” clothes. I collect a few things from clearance sales or thrift stores in larger sizes and I keep them in this extra container. It is the container that I will use for her current clothes when I switch into the next size and then I will get a new one for the next set of “bigger” clothes. Does that make sense? I stay organized and have the bin when I need it by keeping one around to collect larger size clothes in.
It has been working great but now we are living with family and the bins are in storage!!! I was just thinking last night that I need to get out to the unit and do some organzing even!
Good luck and happy organizing!
Just like Mandy said, I put my kids clothes in rubbermaid bins according to season. 2x a year and then as needed…if they outgrow something it goes in my donate box in the garage until the box is full and then it goes to the Goodwill, etc. If you are planning on keeping the clothes because you may have more children, just keep them in rubbermaid bins with the sizes marked.
Melissa Multitasking Mama´s last blog post ..Misster Independent
This is how I sort/store baby clothes: http://parentingthetiniestofmiracles.blogspot.com/2009/01/storing-baby-clothes.html
That’s not such a bad fail though at all, Myra! I mean… the things are hanging neatly. It’s not like they’re tossed all about. I think you’re doing JUST fine, Mama. 😉
JessieLeigh´s last blog post ..Three Things You Should Know A Micropreemie Parent Needs From You
Myra, I shop twice a year at as they grow….I also put all of Bentley’s cloths and toys he has out grown so this forces me to get rid of them every season….even though i literally wait until the last minute to tag and hang them for the sale. But don’t feel bad, I wash laundry everyday….thing is is that I never can find the time to hang them, it seems like everything just stays folded on top of the dry until we wear it! I feel like a horrible housekeeper…no, actually I don’t think I could even be clasified as a house keeper lol!
Girlfriend, if you could just see the MESS of clothes that we have here (I have 3 kids). We go through often and get rid of clothes (i.e. donating to local mission) because if we didn’t we wouldn’t have enough room for it all. I did when I first started having children saved for the 2nd child or 3rd child in a rubbermaid, but I no longer do that. I weed them out and donate. Now, just doing LAUNDRY here is a whole FRIDAY FAIL post.
For my children, we have the storage boxes that we place seasonal clothing in. (Not that we have big changes here in the Deep South.) But I usually go through them in the Spring and then again in the Fall to switch them out.
The oldest is our only boy so when he outgrows his clothing, we immediately pass them down to friends. That is if they are still in good shape. He is a boy after all!
My girls… there is a huge difference in sizes between them. {My youngest is almost 6 and she still wears 5’s. She is very petite.} But if we have bought something for the oldest one that she didn’t wear much at all, we usually save it for later. Everything else handed down to some friends at our old home church. Our youngest’s clothing are always passed down a dear friend at our new home church since no more babies around here. It is a lot of passing around, but we usually find a bag or two… or three in our car to replace them! ; )
All the extra clothing and a few pairs of shoes go into a 1 big storage box. If it doesn’t fit in there, it goes. We don’t have the room here to save any more than that. We donate the clothing to the thrift stores if there is a lot left after our friends go through it. Sometimes there is, sometimes not. Right now, we have several bags waiting go. This summer was a huge growing time!
Jennifer´s last blog post ..Bike Riding at Nanas!
Lily loved watching you and Ridley!! 🙂 I can’t really give advice except that I’ve cleaned out Lily’s clothes as she’s outgrown them…but that’s easy when it’s all the baby sizes of clothes.
Kelly´s last blog post ..6 months 19 days late
You are definitely a normal mother. I tried the Rubbermaid tote thing for awhile but the totes were taking up too much room. I starting using the XXL Ziploc blue-tinted storage bags. I roll all of the clothes so the bag can lay somewhat flat, and push out as much air as possible. I label the bags according to the sizes contained and stack them on top of each other in the storage closet. It is so helpful to be able to see what is in the bags for when I want to share some of the clothing with a friend or when the next baby comes.
To keep all those little clothes from overtaking the house, I keep a large basket in the same closet that I store the packaged clothing in that I can just throw an outfit in when I realize it doesn’t fit one of the kids. Then, when the basket is full enough to fill a bag, I pack it.
Those Ziploc bags are amazing. It is a very little investment and they so easy to store anywhere (in closets, under beds, etc.). I hope this helps you out with your totally-normal mommy dilemma. :O)
Rachel´s last blog post ..Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
Ha! Keeping all those extra clothes always keeps Bubba’s interest perked when its playtime in his room–I get to watch him open and close the door like 17 times.
Ok..this is so not a fail. A fail would be not having clothes that fit Ridley…so…you’re good!!
I’ve been going through my girls clothes every 2 months so far. I’ve got to keep up with it because they grow out of them so fast and if I don’t weed out the small clothes, I don’t have room for the new ones.
Kristen´s last blog post ..Its Friday!!!
I use mini rubbermaid containers. I store and label by size newborn, 0-3 months, 3-6 months etc… Now that I have baby number two, I am just pulling out the container that holds the clothing size she needs. Of course she is only a week old, so I have only opened one container (newborn) but it has worked well so far! 🙂
my way isn’t at all organized, but it works! LOL. I have three laundry baskets sitting in the corner, where Brendon can’t get to them. Well, two are laundry baskets. One is a box *shamed* Two hold too small clothes, and one has too big clothes. How do I know when to dig through the too big basket? When I’ve pulled out several things and I can’t squeeze him in to them. 🙂 Or, if I pull out a pair of fleece jammies for a 90* night… 🙂 but he does have one shirt that is 3 months, and it still fits!!
Krystina´s last blog post ..My medical short story
I have a basket and set of plastic drawers in her closet with outfits for the next ages…organized by size. I have a storage basket in her room that holds the clothes as she outgrows them. When that starts to get full I haul it to the garage and put the clothes in storage totes, then label those by size. It works great for me! However, I’m realizing that I’ll need a separate garage for these totes soon. Maybe it’s time to have another baby and put them to good use. 🙂
I just keep a box or trash bag in the bottom of the closet or beside the dresser. As I put clothes away or hang up laundry, I usually am cramming stuff in drawers or running out of hangers. So, I take a second to pick out one or two things that are either too small or just not being worn regularly and toss them into that bag/box right then. This gives me more space for the “current” clothes and lets me avoid the big seasonal clean-out. When the bag/box is full, I either pack it away for the next kid or donate it.
I have the same issue!!! I have “cleaned out” several times and I have given away a ton, but it seems like I never can stay on top of it. I have baby clothes in bins EVERYWHERE!!! I really would like to consign most of what he has outgrown, but I never have time and toting ALL of those clothes to the consignment shops WITH a baby in tow would be impossible…. I like the ziploc storage idea within one of the above comments. I might actually try that this weekend!!! Thanks for sharing!
Shana´s last blog post ..Tea for Two!
Not a fail… it’s REALITY!!!!
Key to my sucess.
Rubbermaid totes.
I keep 2 in the bottom of my kids closet. One filled with “bigger clothes”- because they grow quickly. Second for small clothes- I toss them in as they grow out of them. So it’s not such a big job.
In the basement, I have clothes according to size and type in totes. Example. 2t shirts. It doesn’t matter if the totes are close to empty- example 2t shirts ALWAY get their own totes.
Here are my categories (each size and category always gets it’s own tote): shirts, pants/shorts, dresses/pjs
(I also have a tote for baby shoes, and bigger shoes)
May seem crazy… but I dont have time to look for size 3t clothes. I know where they are, and it’s not overwhelming. I also HATE WASTE…. and I dont miss clothing this way.
Love your blog….
@Kelli, I do the same as you. Except I have for example 2T tops and 2T bottoms by gender/season. As I put them in I review for stains and throw out if necessary. I have a 7 year old as my oldest and has worked since she was a baby. The good thing is when I did the yard sale this year I just put out the rubbermaids and put paper on the outside with sizes and the customers loved the organization.
I use totes, the clear ones that will fit under the bed. I label them by putting index cards on all sides of the box on the inside–5 sides. Mine are sorted by gender, size, and sometimes season. I sometimes put more than one size if it will fit. For example I have Boys N-3M. I also have a box labeled unisex that has all the sizes of unisex baby clothes. For my little babies I change them out when they start to outgrow them. For my older ones I wait till a season change unless they outgrow them first.
Myra, my dear, you are halarious! And I love you bunches! Somewhere in the recesses of your memory you’ll find the times when you had to go through your closet and bring all the clothes you didn’t want to the living room so I could bag, yes, BAG–as in plain old WAL-MART BAGS–them up to either store, send to the Thrift Store, or put in the Consignment sale! Think, think! That memory is there! Somewhere! We did it twice a year!
Remember how we went through your little brothers’ clothes–when they outgrew one size we bagged (yes, Wal-Mart bags) them up and stored them, etc!
Use the storage totes! After all Wal-Mart bags are so uh-hem *whisper–cheap*! But they work!
If you need help–call me! Your sister did! 🙂
I use the plastic storage containers as well. I usually go through Preston’s closet at the transition of the end/beginning of a new season. I toss anything that is way worn out, and put the rest in storage. I am hanging on to the clothes in case we have another boy. 🙂
Tara´s last blog post ..One of Those Weeks
My favorite are ferns!
I’m an RSS subscriber.
sweetie….sounds like you are saving for the next child which is common in our family or to pass on to a friend or family. My daughters do as I did. Go through clothes at each season change from cold to warm( we are in OH). Good clothes get kept if there are still little ones coming in to family.My grandson that is 3 is wearing clothes my son wore whom is now 27.
chef_julia´s last blog post ..Monday Home Blessings and Laundry
For kids, you can make different cool things with prints. You can find here https://mediaonemarketing.com.sg/top-t-shirt-printing-services-singapore/ T-shirt printing companies that do it very efficiently and will take into account any of your wishes