Simplify!

I have noticed this drive in my life lately (conviction from the Lord maybe?) to SIMPLIFY! The amish phase, penny-pinching, they are all a part of it. But most recently I have been thinking about my closet. It is so hard to keep your clothing under control don't you think? I try to weed things out as I put away winter or summer things for the season, but still I have a trunk full of clothes I am moving in and out of storage! I think of people who live with hardly a change of clothes, and this just strikes me as a little wrong.

I also read two really interesting things lately. I can't remember which one was first. But there was an article in a magazine that talked about the environmental and humanitarian impact of the fashion system we have, where clothes are made to go out of style after a season and only last that long so you have to buy new ones all the time. These are made by the oppressed in sweatshops in Asia and then shipped gajillions of miles over to the western world using terrible amounts of fossil fuels. Shoot. Old Navy apparently has consequences. Some of which are much less serious (addressed in What to Wear for the Rest of Your Life by Kim Johnson Gross) like a closet bursting with clothes that you don't wear because they don't look that good or fit right.This was a book club book for me.

So. I'm getting rid of a LOT of stuff. And it feels really good. The book above suggests going through and trying on everything you own to see what fits. It's a really good thing to do, I highly recommend it. I have been holding on to a lot of stuff that doesn't. The things that need replacing I have been trying to get from Goodwill. But in general I am trying to just run with a lot less clothing of better quality. Also, I hereby resolve not to buy things from Old Navy and Target. And that is going to be tough. But here is evidence of the change. I bet I am cleaning out 40% or more of what I have!

Ellie is crawling past tons of dresses and tops on the banister there and 2 boxes of purses and shoes on the landing. Yes this may probably be less than half of what I had. Eek, embarrassing! But at least it's progress.

I may have a garage sale before they go off to Goodwill, you know, more penny-pinching. I'll keep you posted.