Let It Go

So here we go, January arrived several days ago now, and we have a project to complete. We've drawn up the plans for the closet, but the shelf brackets weren't available at any of the local hardware stores and won't be arriving until next week. But there's no time to delay!

If I am going to be serious about this commitment, every day counts! Add in the fact that we've already got 2 weekends pretty booked away (not successful yet with the "saying no" but these were commitments mostly made before the end of 2017). We've got 1 out of town weekend trip planned, and 5 other happenings scheduled for my precious Saturdays. I hope to take a lesson from January as for when to say No.

I had originally planned to declutter as I am putting things into the new closet, but with the bracket delay, I'm starting now. That will not only make for filling the closet faster, but I'll have a chance to give everything a second look once it starts going in.

I figured an easy place to start would be my socks. I know I haven't gone more than a corner into my sock bin in probably 2 years, and just buy new socks when my favorites seem to be very sparing. So I emptied the entire bin onto my bed to really evaluate. Not only did I find long lost mates (who would've thought!), I was really shocked.

While most of these are perfectly good socks, I am going to be honest with myself that I never wear the majority of these. I have my favorite go-to socks...so why not just keep those? I separated all my favorites, holiday socks, and weather-specific ones, and dumped the rest into a box. If I hadn't worn it in the last year, in the box it went. I tossed all my holiday socks in the holiday-decor closet, then opened each pair of socks to check for holes. Here's what made the cut this round:

41.5 pair dumped..... what's left is really more than I need, but as these get worn, I will throw them away until I eventually get to a reasonable number. They won't be lost in the bottom of the bin never to be worn, because these are all of my favorite socks!

After my sock drawer, my underwear drawer (I purged that last year, wish I'd been counting back then because HOLY COW!) and my husband's underwear drawer, we are at 54.5 items gone in our first day.

You can donate all used clothes (socks and underwear included) to be recycled into things like insulation! While part of me feels the squigs donating my used underwear, we are all human, all have them, and I am doing my smallest part to help the planet.
H&M: http://www.hm.com/us/inspiration/ladies/bring-it-on and https://about.hm.com/en/sustainability/get-involved/recycle-your-clothes.html
The North Face: https://www.thenorthface.com/about-us/responsibility/product/clothes-the-loop.html