With this new season springing into full gear (pun intended), many of you are probably taking advantage of a little Spring Cleaning. Okay, maybe not taking advantage so much as kicking your butt into high gear…am I right? That is certainly the case in my home. It’s as though that coveted sunshine peeking through my windows is shining a spotlight on the mess. I LOVE a clean, organized home with everything in it’s place. But in reality I am a messy, chaotic person. It’s true. I have a lot of piles and clutter that I am constantly working to rid myself of. Every year when Spring comes around, I put on some great music, get some cozy yoga pants on, and put myself to work. I hope you join me and over the next 5 days we will turn that closet into a masterpiece! (Or at the very least a functioning, organized closet filled with pieces that reflect how awesome you REALLY are.)

As with any Spring cleaning, you need to put out the old before you can organize and find homes for everything. Am I right? It is the same with Creating Your Dream Closet. The first step to having a fabulous closet, is to first clean out your closet. Purge yourself of all the old, dated garments you are holding on to. Donate those “fat jeans” (you don’t want those my friend, you just don’t) and those pants you’ll fit into “someday”. Maybe you will, maybe you won’t. But you need to dress the body you have NOW! Those are just taking up room in your closet. And, in all honesty, will they really even be in style once they do fit?

Put it into action:

I know, the thought of cleaning out your closet is overwhelming. Honestly, I have been putting this off for far too long. But if I can do this, anyone can. Here’s how I put this into action – I make four piles. You can use boxes, bags, laundry bins, or simply place them on the floor…find what works best for you. Here are my categories:

1 / K E E P /
Okay…so this one isn’t so much a pile, as what I allow to stay in my closet. It’s a bit obvious, I think. It’s for, you know, the stuff you love! The stuff that fits well and puts a smile on your face. But if you are wanting to do your job well, I will urge you to be a bit picky about what you choose to keep. More on that later…

2 / S E L L /
These are for those new with tags or hardly worn items. If you don’t care about making any money back, you can feel free to throw them in the next pile…but I have a hard time saying goodbye to that cocktail dress I wore only once, or those jeans in mint condition that don’t fit anymore. Why not make a little cash to pay for some pieces that truly fit and flatter?

3 / D O N A T E /
Now friend, I know you have a great fashion sense! But if your clothes are well loved, it’s usually best to just donate it to your place of choice. If that dress is just not the right color palette for you – toss it in the direction of someone it will compliment. Recently decided to be a stay at home mom and know someone who could use some work clothes? Pass it on. Just a word of advice – please, don’t be handing down items with stains and holes. If you don’t know someone personally, why not check with your church or school or local shelter for someone who might need it. Of course, if you can’t find a good home for them, Goodwill gladly accepts them.

4 / T O S S /
This is the stuff that usually gets thrown straight in the trash bin, but in case you need more clarifying… If it’s beyond repair (holes, stains, stretched or shrunken) and no one else would want it – just say goodbye.

***Note: Some people might add a “MEND” pile to this list. It’s really up to you. I know that my “to be fixed” pile usually sits collecting dust. So unless its really sentimental, I usually bite the bullet and just say my goodbyes.

Ask yourself some questions:

As you go through each item in your closet (yes, each and every one), go through this list of questions to determine if they deserve to stay. If need be, certainly try it on and see how it fits and how you feel in it. But at the end of the day, if you say no to one or more of these questions, you should have no regrets about moving on.

So…I’m putting myself to the test here. If I’m going to preach it, I’ve got to do it. So I’m all in, my friends. This is perfect timing for me since I have been slowly losing those extra pounds over the last year or two and a lot of this closet doesn’t fit me anymore. So here we go!

Are you in? What are your biggest fears when it comes to cleaning out your closet? Tell me below and then read on to PART 2!