8 UHeart Organizing: Three Easy Ways to Give Back During the Holiday Season

Christmas is just around the corner, and that means the giving spirit is running extra high! As each day comes and goes, I am winding down on all of my shopping, decorating and activities, and really focused on being in the moment and cherishing all that this time of the year has to offer. A huge part of that is not only spending time with those I love, but it also means finding ways to give back in any way I can.

With that, I am incredibly thankful for Serena and her kind heart. She is here today to share some really wonderful and simple ideas for giving back this season. So if you are looking for some last minute ideas and ways to get involved around your community (or even around the world), snag a little giving inspiration below.

Happy Holidays IHeart Organizers! I love the holidays. I also happen to think the holiday season is an organizers dream come true – from organizing all the decorations, creating spreadsheets for gift giving (I know – I’m a total nerd) and planning fun get togethers, it’s any organized gal’s time to shine!

Yet, for this post I wanted to touch on something much more special; and that’s giving back to others this Christmas and holiday season.

And no, I’m not talking about donating to George Constanza’s Human Fund (Happy Festivus to those playing along though!)

Many of us are very lucky to live the lives we do, and there’s no time better than the holidays to pay it forward. So why not use your organization skills for good this Christmas and send out a bit more love into the universe.

Here’s three easy ways to give back to others this holiday season…

ONE – REVERSE ADVENT CALENDAR

Let’s face it, while real advent calendars (where you can fill up each of the 25 days of Christmas with a chocolate, note or gift) are super fun in theory, often all the chocolate gets eaten long before December 25 rolls around.

With a REVERSE Advent Calendar you don’t take something each day, but you add something.

It’s simple – grab a Christmas stocking or hamper, and starting December 1 (or whenever you can really!) pop in a new item. The most obvious way is to add edible goods - like canned soups, rice, cereals, biscuits, tea and coffee.

Then, come Christmas day, you have a full hamper of goodies to donate to your local food bank, church or non-profit helping those in need.

While a food hamper is the most popular option, I like to think outside the box with the reverse advent calendar. Here are some of my favorite ideas:

• Cleaning supplies, old blankets/towels and new dog treats & toys – DONATE to your local ASPCA, or rescue shelter for cats and dogs. See my full tutorial for a Reverse Advent Calendar for Dog Lovers HERE.
• New or gently used books in excellent condition – DONATE to troops abroad through Books for Soldiers, students in Africa through Books for Africa, or to the many in need through Libraries without Borders.
• Spare diapers, baby wipes, and gently used baby toys – DONATE to your local church, early childhood centre or Baby2Baby.
• Gently used items of clothing in good condition – clean out that wardrobe and DONATE to the Salvation Army for those in need.

TWO – BE SANTA’S ELF FOR A DAY

Another great way to use your organization skills to give back is to host a gathering with friends and get a volunteer to dress up as Santa.

Have guests bring one small present for their child (or children if they have them) and another small present for a child in need.

Then, when Santa makes his appearance at the party, all the kids get an early Christmas present, while the other half of the gifts can be donated.

It’s a great way to catch up with loved ones and give back at the same time.

For places to donate your collected presents, check out Be an Elf (USA) and the Kmart Wishing Tree (Australia).

Also – if you don’t have kids, this idea totally works for adults too! Consider bringing gifts that would help out those in homeless shelters, or seniors in local nursing homes who may not have family nearby.

THREE – HOST A COOKIE, CHRISTMAS COCKTAILS OR WRAPPING PARTY

Nothing says the holidays like Christmas Cookies and holiday cocktails!

While gatherings where friends get together to decorate Christmas cookies, wrap their holiday presents, or just get quietly messy on eggnog are nothing new, this year add a twist…

Have each guest make a small donation (no amount is too small!) when they arrive, and at the end of the party take the full amount and donate to your favorite charity.

Just think, you can eat your body weight in cookies or drink it in holiday cocktails – all the while you’re actually giving back to others.

If that doesn’t give you the warm and fuzzies I don’t know what will!

Wishing you all a joyful holiday season. Ho ho ho!

_______________

Hi! I'm Serena - self confessed neat freak, animal lover and baker of cookies. I'm the editor behind Pretty Fluffy - an online home for dog owners where dedicated animal lovers can find stylish products, modern advice, health tips, recipes, DIYs and inspiration for living well with their pets. I'm the author of the best-selling recipe book 52 Weeks of Treats, and have contributed to Everyday with Rachael Ray, Modern Dog, and many other publications - but my favourite will always be IHeart Organizing! If you like cute animals, pretty stuff and the overuse of dog emoji you can follow along with me on Pinterest and Instagram.

12 UHeart Organizing: Sweet & Simple Baby Clothes Storage (with a FREE printable!)

Hand-me-downs are a big deal around here. With three boys growing at the speed of light, we are constantly washing, sorting and sharing their clothing. Just as it is important to us to make the most of every piece of clothing we purchase for the kids, it is also important to be able to easily locate those hand-me-downs when the time comes. This process has gotten much easier with age; they are closer in size now so clothes tend to just transfer from one boy's closet to the next. But remember the baby clothes days? All of those little pieces to keep track of... and the sizes? Oy.

Serena managed to find a way to not only organize her daughter's baby clothing in an easy and smart way, but she also made it ultra darling and sweet. Much of it is thanks to the great label she created for the sides of her bins, which she is sharing with all of us today! No more blindly digging through multiple bins for that 2T butterfly printed onesie on picture day. Now you can find exactly what you need in a flash, and spend the rest of your time with your growing cherubs.

If there’s one thing babies are excellent at, it’s growing!

One second they’re tiny newborns napping in your arms – they next they’re on their way to toddlerhood and beyond, leaving a trail of outgrown clothes (and destruction!) in their wake.

For me it seemed one day I was announcing my pregnancy and designing a gorgeous girly nursery, then the next day I had a 2 year old on my hands!

As my daughter slowly got too big for her newborn onesies, I started what my husband called ‘my box of sadness’. I’ll admit – a few tears were shed each time a lovingly handpicked item was discarded into the box never to be worn again by my little girl.

But by the end of her first year it was no longer a box of sadness – it was an overflowing mess!

That’s when I got serious and decided these clothes needed to be organized for future use. And just a weekend later, I’m besotted with our gorgeous baby clothes storage.

Keep reading to see how I did it, and grab your own free printable labels.

THE SORTING GAME

Like nearly every other organization project, sorting was my first step. But with baby clothes, it’s like EXTREME sorting (I half expected Ty Pennington to jump out at the end).

DO sort all clothes into keep, donate/sell, repair and trash piles (see my handy hints at the end on ideas on where to donate and sell unwanted clothes).

DO wash everything. Soak out any stains, and – if you can - dry all items in fresh air and sunlight to ensure their 100% dry and clean before being packed away. Sunlight is a great bacteria killer.

DON’T worry about ironing, as everything is going into storage, but fold everything neatly and compactly for easy storing.

DO repair anything that is broken/missing buttons. The last thing you want is to be hauling these clothes out for the next baby and discovering you have a pile of sewing repairs to do when you’re in your third trimester!

DON’T keep or donate broken products, unsafe products or products that have been recalled. It’s just not worth it – safety first.

DO split your items in size and seasons i.e. SIZE 0-3 MONTHS, SUMMER. This will make it easier for storing.

DO include your maternity clothes when sorting. It’s a great time to clean out your own cupboard and organize your own maternity gear for the next time you may need it.

STORAGE WARS

Once you’re done sorting you should have your keep pile ready to go into storage.

one |  As my IHeart gal Jen says, "Measure, measure, measure" your space where you want your baby clothes to go.

Handy tip, try not to store your baby clothes in damp areas such as basements. You’re looking for a cool, dry place to keep these baby threads. Ideal places are top shelves of cupboards or under beds; I chose the top shelf in my daughter’s wardrobe.

two |  Once you’ve measured your space, choose your storage containers. I chose clear plastic tubs as they stack well, are reusable for future projects, and I can see what is in them at a glance.

As a general rule, space bags aren’t ideal for long term storage. While they’re perfect for the short term – long term use invites mold so they’re best avoided.

three |  Next step is labeling your tubs! You can print out our free Baby Clothes Storage labels HERE. (There are also labels for Baby Toys and Maternity Clothes Storage.)

They’re ideally printed on adhesive labeling paper which you can then stick on the outside of the container, but if you want to print out on regular paper and tape or contact to the box, that’s fine too. I used Avery White Shipping 2 per sheet Labels (size 199.6 x 143.5mm) and printed two labels to each page.

four |  On each label, mark the size and seasonal range of the contents. Then in the Inventory List portion below, itemize everything there. While this may seem like overkill, when you’re looking for something specific it will come in super handy.

five |  Archival tissue paper is your friend when storing clothes (especially sentimental ones like this!). It won’t break down like regular tissue paper and will protect your favorite items. I didn’t wrap every piece, but wrapped vintage, much loved and treasured items to ensure they survived well.

six |  For other items, like shoes or accessories, I boxed them up separately so they would be easy to find in the larger storage container, while also not damaging other clothes inside.

seven |  Lastly, I added a few sprigs of fresh lavender wrapped in a sheet of tissue at the top of each box. It acts as a natural insect repellant and keeps clothes smelling fresh. (And much better than moth balls!)

HANDY PLACES TO SELL OR DONATE BABY AND MATERNITY ITEMS

For those items you don’t end up storing, here are some great alternative ideas:

- Loved Twice collect gently-used baby clothes, sort these precious garments into boy and girl wardrobes-in-a-box, and distribute them exclusively to disadvantaged babies through social workers in hospitals, shelters, and clinics.

- Schoola turns your baby clothes donations into funding for schools.

- Baby2Baby provides low-income children ages 0-12 years with diapers, clothing and all the basic necessities that every child deserves. They accept gently used items in everything from baby clothes, toys and maternity items.

- Terra Centre is a non-profitable organization helping pregnant and parenting teens develop the self-reliance and skills to be successful parents. They accept gently used baby clothes and equipment.

- The Uplift Project accepts donations of maternity bras (and regular bras) where they are given to women in disadvantaged communities.

- Don’t forget your local Goodwill or Salvation Army.

- SELL baby and maternity clothes on local facebook pages in your area. Sell new or excellent condition items on their own, and sell used multiple clothing items in bundles. It’s an excellent way to give the clothes new life!

- If you’d like to use your unwanted clothes to do good, sometimes it’s better to sell them on eBay/Craiglist/Facebook then donate the proceeds to your favorite women’s or children’s charity. This way the charity themselves can get what they really need and don’t have to sort through physical donations.

FINAL TIPS

• Try to check on your stored items every 6 months – just to make sure they’re staying in good condition in their current storage.

• If the time comes to say goodbye to your baby clothes and you can’t bear to part with them – you’re not alone! Grab your favorite items and make them into a keepsake baby clothes quilt. This way you get to keep all your baby clothes in a sentimental heirloom piece you can pass down to your kids.

• Don’t forget reverse storage! If you’re lucky enough to be the recipient of hand me downs and gifts for your child to grow into, use the same process as above for storing clothes. Download the printable labels and follow the storage steps above, so you can see at a quick glance the clothes you have available as your little one grows into them.

DOWNLOAD your free Baby Clothes Storage Labels HERE

_______________

Hi! I'm Serena - self confessed neat freak, animal lover and baker of cookies. I'm the editor behind Pretty Fluffy - an online home for dog owners where dedicated animal lovers can find stylish products, modern advice, health tips, recipes, DIYs and inspiration for living well with their pets. I'm the author of the best-selling recipe book 52 Weeks of Treats, and have contributed to Everyday with Rachael Ray, Modern Dog, and many other publications - but my favourite will always be IHeart Organizing! If you like cute animals, pretty stuff and the overuse of dog emoji you can follow along with me on Pinterest and Instagram.

21 UHeart Organizing: Some Simplicity in a Beautiful New Bath

I always love a good makeover story, and today's post is no exception.  My beautiful friend from afar, Serena, is here today to share every last detail of her recent bathroom remodel; including how she planned for storage, organized her necessities, and created an all around beautiful bathroom retreat.  I love that she starts from the beginning, and spills everything she experienced and navigated during the entire process.  This is a great read you guys, so grab a cup of coffee and get cozy!

I’m so excited to share this post today as it has literally been years in the making. Way back in 2013 my husband and I bought our first home together. After months of searching we found the perfect place with a price tag our budget could afford. The one sticking point? Both the bathroom and kitchen needed a major overhaul.

So we saved and planned. Then saved and planned some more. Fast forward 3 years later, not only has our family grown with the addition of our baby daughter, but we now have the bathroom of our dreams! Here’s how we did it…

RENOVATE

Our main goal for our renovated bathroom was to keep some of the original features while adding in modern, family friendly amenities.

For months I collected inspiration from magazines, TV, blogs and real Home Tours, slowly added my favorites to a Pinterest board dedicated solely to this project and slowly things began to take shape.

With the original bathroom consisting of a combined bath/shower, a sink/medicine cabinet and original toilet, our goal was to increase the floor space, have a separate shower and bath and a wide vanity.

We chose to tile from floor to ceiling for easy cleaning, with dark floor tiles (to hide any marks and mess!) and one wall of feature tiles to make a statement.

Where we Saved:

Tiles |  With time up our sleeve, as soon as we knew the style of tiles we wanted to use I bookmarked a number of outlets where they were available. By playing the waiting game I was able to score all of our tiles at 50% off in an end of season sale. These days you can get tiles online, factory outlets, showrooms and big brand stores. It pays off to keep an eye on them and grab them when they’re the best price.

Repurposed old medicine cabinet and windows |  Refinishing and repurposing this original feature not only saved us money – we felt it added to the character of our home. I love how it frames the entire wall above the bath and adds depth to the modern fixtures. It just goes to show - sometimes a bit of work and a new coat of paint can breath life into an existing feature.

Where we Spent:

Trades |  As the old saying goes, measure twice and cut once. This especially applies in a wet room like a bathroom. In a bathroom all measurements have to be spot on, drains had to be spaced in the right place and tiling had to be just so. The last thing you want is a beautiful bathroom with a drainage or mold issue. Above all else with a bathroom you need to either spend your money on quality trades or spend your time making sure you skillfully do the job yourself.

Toilet |  As the toilet wasn’t going to be in a separate room, and we wanted it to take up as little space as possible, we opted for a toilet with an in built cistern into the wall. It was more expensive than a standard one, but the extra space and clean lines it gave was worth it.

What we Learned:

• Always think about how you plan to use the bathroom in the immediate and long term future. For me, at the beginning of our renovation plans it was just myself and my husband. Yet once our baby came along I had a whole new set of requirements for the space. Save your future self the trouble and think ahead!
• Heating in a bathroom isn’t just about keeping you toasty in winter. For bathrooms that are small, or don’t get a lot of natural light, good heating keeps mold at bay. Make it a priority.
• Always spend a good amount of time trialing baths in the store. Yes, you look crazy lying down fully clothed in a showroom bath, but you need to do your due diligence to make sure you have a bath you love. If you have small kids, also practice where you’ll sit when bathing them and if it’s comfortable.
• Always opt for more storage space than you think you need.
• Good sealant is the cherry on top. Sounds like a weird thing to say, but the finishing touch of any bathroom is your sealant. Clean, smooth sealant gives a professional, luxe look.

ORGANIZE

Once we had the bare bones of the bathroom the next step was to organize it! Knowing that the bathroom was going to be used by a whole range of people – myself, my husband, our daughter and guests – I knew I had to make every inch of this space work for everyone who used it.

So, I called in the big guns… and while we were finishing off the tiling, I devoured Marie Kondo’s book ‘The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up’ and set about KonMari-ing the heck out of this space!

Step One: Collect

Using Marie Kondo’s method of organizing by category, not by room, I collected every ‘toiletry & personal care’ related item in our home and put them all in one pile for sorting. This was a big aha moment for me – for years I’ve kept my makeup in my dresser and our toilet paper in the laundry. Now that they’re happily living in the bathroom, I know it’s where they both belong.

Step Two: Purge

A life-long organizer, I’ve always loved a good clean up and purge, but this time I took it to the next level. I streamlined everything – getting rid of anything out of date, broken and any items that I, or a member of my family, didn’t love and use regularly.

Kondo’s book recommended to look at each item individually and ask if it ‘sparked joy’. That point originally garnered a massive eye roll from me - I mean how does a toothbrush spark joy? But as I worked through everything I really began to get it.

If you don’t enjoy something, or it doesn’t add value to your life, why let it take up valuable space in your home? These days we live in such a materialistic driven society that having 100 nail polishes, or a seven step beauty routine with a different cream for each step is considered the norm. And while some people may indeed LOVE their nail polishes and creams, for most of us its just stuff that we buy and it ends up chucked in a drawer to be barely used.

So as I worked through our things, I made sure everything that stayed was something that we loved and each item earned its place in the bathroom.

And back to the toothbrush… Does it bring me joy? Well, I learned in this process that while a toothbrush may not make me as giddy as my favorite eye shadow palette, it performs an integral part of my daily life and therefore a clean set of teeth of course brings me joy. Which leads me to my next point…

Step Three: Respect and Assign a Place

The final step in Marie Kondo’s method is to show respect for your items and give them a permanent home. This has been a game changer for our new bathroom. Once the great purge had ended, I was left with items that fit into the following categories:

• Daily essential products (i.e. toothbrush, moisturizer) for myself, my husband and daughter
• Bath & Shower Products
• Towels
• Child Bath Toys
• Toilet Paper
• Medical Supplies
• Makeup and brushes
• Pampering products

With these categories I was now able to assign each a place in our new bathroom where they live tidily and return home after each use. The KonMari method says to avoid the clutter coming back this step is essential. No more just chucking everything back in the drawer to find everything covered in toothpaste one day! It needs to be as simple and easy to put away an item, as it is to find and use it again.

Here’s the plan I drew up…

Inside, I used basic acrylic dividers for our daily essentials... (although since seeing Jen’s DIY drawer dividers I’m thinking I might install a set of these soon!)

Stackable acrylic trays let me organize my makeup with my essentials on the top tray and duplicates or special occasion items on the bottom.

As with a lot of bathroom and kitchen vanities, this drawer has a cut out to make space for the drain piping, yet the small box left over became the perfect place to store my make up brushes! Kondo says you don’t need to spend a fortune on lots of fancy storage options, and often solutions like this are right in front of your eyes if you just look for them.

In my daughter’s large drawer is a container for all her bath toys and towels. They used to just live in the bath and get covered in all sorts of grime (while also being a bit of an ‘primary color’ eye sore if I was to be honest!).  Now we grab a couple out of the drawer each bath time, which are dried off and returned (AKA hidden!) at the end. It kills two birds; my daughter never gets tired of the rotating bath toys and they stay clean and out of sight when not in use.

Next door, a dedicated ‘Toddler Cupboard’ is now my daughter’s own personal space which will grow with her over time as she becomes more independent in self care. As she grows I plan to add a mirror right at her height so she can get used to seeing herself while she brushes her teeth and does her hair.

An assigned medical kit filled with the basics (thermometer, band aids, bandages) meant all our medical supplies were tucked away in one go-to place. (With a toddler, all our actual medicines have been moved to a safe place in the kitchen!) I had originally planned to DIY my own medical kit, but when I saw this one for just $12, I had to snap it up!

Below, our toilet paper, feminine hygiene products and waste bin now all live right next to the toilet – perfect for us everyday and for guests as well.

DECORATE

The final, fun step was decorating our new bathroom. My main goals here were to keep to a super small budget and make the space modern and luxe, but also family friendly.

Funnily enough, after a big renovation, decorating the new space wasn’t as quick and easy as I thought. Here’s what I’ve learned so far…

Pick a Hero Piece

For my bathroom it was always going to be the mirror. Rather than having individual mirrors we went with one large art-deco inspired mirror to fit with the original style of the house. Framed by simple glass pendant lights, the mirror takes up most of one wall and reflects the opposite featured wall of hexagon tiles in the shower. By choosing one hero piece you get maximum impact and can keep the surrounding space simple.

Bring Nature In

Adding some greenery and flowers really makes a bathroom feel fresh and homely. The addition of fresh florals brightened up our space with their scent, making our bathroom a happy place to enjoy and relax in. I have grander plans for adding in either a tall standing plant or an orchid and/or succulents for a more long term goal.

It Takes Time

I think this has been my most important lesson! I honestly thought a few days of browsing and shopping would have our gorgeous new bathroom styled to perfection. But…it’s a process.

It’s very easy to pick a color scheme and go for it, but by letting things develop organically you allow yourself to see how you use the space and what feels right. It also allows you to take more chances by trying colors or styles that are new to you.

By taking things slowly, I’m allowing myself to be more adventurous with the space, and to date I’m still switching things up, trying different pieces and adding new elements while taking others away. In short – don’t feel the pressure to do everything at once. Let your own style evolve at your own pace.

That’s it! I hope some of our experiences and tips will help you with the own bathroom makeovers, no matter how big or small!

_______________

I am Serena Faber Nelson, a television producer, writer and fluffy dog owner. Obsessed with home décor, fashion, lifestyle and dogs – I set about creating Pretty Fluffy as a go-to guide for the modern pet owner. Featuring a range of stylish products, celebrity pooches, DIY projects and handy hints, Pretty Fluffy is a daily stop for smiles and inspiration, giving readers the tools they need to enjoy full and happy lives with their furry friends. My greatest loves include my family, fresh peonies, Dirty Dancing (Nobody puts Baby in a corner), Banoffe Pie, spending waaay too much time on Pinterest, and hugging random dogs at the park. I currently live in Sydney, Australia with my husband, Andy, and my sweet baby daughter. As a long time fan, I am super excited to be joining the IHeart Organizing Team!

12 UHeart Organizing: A Capsule Wardrobe for Him

Here at iHeart, I try to share tips and ideas that are versatile enough for a variety of home and living scenarios.  Of course, not everything will apply to everyone, but the goal is to offer an array of topics that cover a wide reader base.  That said, I receive a lot of questions from moms and wives looking to help their children and husbands channel their inner organizer.  Just as some woman are not born with the organizing gene, there are men out there who are less than excited about it as well (cough, my husband, cough).

I don't play sides and would never say that one gender is more organized than another.  I know many men that could knock my organizing abilities out of the water.  I also have gal pals who would rather be gardening, baking, painting, etc... than spending their weekends cleaning out a drawer.

When Serena shared with me that she recently partnered with her husband to clean out his closet and create a capsule wardrobe for him, I was thrilled.  I have seen quite a few of these closet projects done with a focus on women's apparel, yet we haven't talked too much about organizing a man's closet (and I have been a bit fearful to take on Bryan's with him to this point).  So for you moms, wives and especially for the guys that check in here, this one is for you!  Serena is stopping by from Pretty Fluffy blog, to share how they tackled her husband's space and worked it down to the essentials to achieve a fantastic end result.

Helllloooo IHeart Organizers!

I’m so happy to be talking men’s clothes and closet organization today, because I think a lot of you out there can sympathize with the situation of being a Type-A organizer married to someone who may not share your love for labels and streamlined living as much as you do.

Case in point: my man's closet. Forget neatly stacked tees, or color coordinated hanging space; his closet and drawers were a place where he would just shove stuff in until nothing fit any longer. Here are a few before photos.

#theclosetthatmadeorganizerscry

For me, I personally had the dilemma of wanting my husband’s closet to be reasonably neat, tidy and functional... but wanting HIM to be the one to maintain it. Since we’ve had a daughter, I really want to set the example that every member of the household pitches in and it’s not just mom’s job to clean up after everyone. That said, I also have to appreciate that not everyone cares as much as I do about organization – so this project was all about balance.

With that in mind, before we even touched the closet, we set out at creating a men’s capsule wardrobe for him. (Cue groans of husbands around the world who would much prefer to be playing a round of golf than creating a capsule wardrobe ☺ ) But really, this worked for us and was a lot quicker and easier than you’d think.

By creating our own Men’s Capsule Wardrobe Planner (which I’ve included as a free printable for you at the bottom of the post) we started by keeping a diary of the clothes he needed on a daily, weekly and monthly basis. You could do this for one week or over a longer period of time – just whatever period you think you need to get an accurate idea of what clothes you require for the lifestyle you lead.

By doing this we started to see what clothes were required and where there were gaps and excesses. For example, he had loads of ties that were strewn throughout the closet, yet he was only wearing a handful on regular rotation. On the flip side, he was desperately short on casual tees and shirts for weekend activities and events.

Using the planner, we were able to really get an idea of how many clothes were required for work, casual wear, events, dinners, sports and the gym – including his needs for underwear, socks, ties, shoes and other accessories.

From there, we were able to create an ideal capsule wardrobe for the season – one that would mean every morning there was an available clothing option for the day ahead – no matter what was on the agenda. Here’s what we came up with – a simple checklist for the items we needed and how many of each:

The plan? To minimize and have everything streamlined. Every single item of clothing had to earn its place in the closet.

From here, we were finally able to get our hands dirty and clean out the closet! Oh, the random stuff we found in there… Golf equipment, computer cords, Christmas cards… everything was sorted into KEEP, CHARITY, REPAIR or TRASH piles.

From our KEEP pile, we then organized all of the items into the individual capsule wardrobe we had been planning. Each category was then given an individual space within the cupboard.

We specifically chose to organize using the capsule wardrobe as a basis instead of grouping in colors, or broader categories like ‘shirts’ or ‘pants’. This way there’s no hunting for specific items of clothes when getting dressed in the morning. Want a casual weekend outfit? Go to this drawer. Getting dressed for a day in the office? Go to that section.

Every single item now had a home within its own capsule category.

The left side of the cupboard was dedicated to work – with dress shirts, suits, formal pants and dress shoes.

We chose uniform wooden hangers, and padded suit jacket hangers, along with a tie rack hanger to keep everything displayed out in the open. To keep things simple we had the exact amount of hangers per items. This avoided clutter and also made it obvious – if it wasn’t on the hanger, it was in the wash… No more lost shirts shoved in the back of the cupboard!

Anything in a dry-cleaners bag was removed and popped swiftly on a regular wooden hanger. Keeping clothes in dry cleaning bags is not good for the fabric, and keeping them on the wire hangers makes them lose their shape.

The pull out tray became dedicated to everyday accessories and items – including cuff-links, watches, belts, and loose change. Not only does it keep these items safe and organized here – it saves them from being dumped around the house. Hallelujah!

Pants all were sent to live on the pull out trouser rail (easy peasy), and dress shoes are collected at the base of the robe.

On the right side of the cupboard now lives a variety of casual clothes. To keep things easy to stay organized, these were each placed in their own section dedicated to the capsule wardrobe plan.

Hung up are casual collared shirts and jackets. Sport uniforms and training gear live in the bottom drawer. Jeans, and light sweaters live in the third drawer. Casual tees, shorts and pajamas live in the second drawer, while the top drawer is dedicated to underwear, socks and gym gear.

We used these drawer dividers to keep each of these in their own section with the gym bag placed in the perfect spot to grab and go every morning. Inside lives a towel, water bottle, headphones, gym shoes and fresh gear for the next day.

Seasonal items – such as heavy coats, and scarves (it’s currently summer here in Australia) – were stored in our linen cupboard, to be returned to the wardrobe when they’re required back in the rotation.

The aim of the game was to have every single category of the capsule wardrobe on display at first glance. No hidden storage bins where things could be hidden away, no miscellaneous drawers that would soon become overflowing with random stuff.

The one basket we did create was the ‘Too Hard Basket’. Sitting at the base of the wardrobe, this basket is the place for any item that currently doesn’t have a home within the wardrobe. I simply used a drawer divider box and printed out a subtle label cut to fit for the base.

So rather than things just being shoved inside the closet, with us only having to do another wardrobe overhaul in 6 months time, now these items can be placed in the ‘Too Hard Basket’. At the end of each week we then go through the basket and find a dedicated spot for these items in our home.

And guess what? It’s working! Golf tees now have a dedicated pouch in my husband’s golf bag. Receipts get filed away. Business cards are electronically stored and then put in the recycling. I honestly feel this little step is making a world of difference.

Rather than feeling overwhelmed about where to keep things, and having all sorts of stuff piling up in the cupboard, each item is getting its own place. In fact, in the last two weeks the ‘Too Hard Basket’ has been empty.

The last step (admittedly the super fun one), was shopping for the items needed in the new capsule wardrobe. Rather than trying to find it all in one shopping expedition, we just kept the list up our sleeves and bit by bit the perfect pieces are popping up to be added the collection.

The ultimate test really has been over the last two months where the wardrobe has been in action on a daily basis. (I resisted every urge I had to ‘pretty up’ the closet before taking the ‘after’ photos for this post because I wanted it to be as real as possible.)

The result? All the clothes inside are getting worn, and now that it is free of clutter it is much more functional. My husband genuinely feels like he has go-to clothes for any occasion, and with less items overall, the closet is easier to manage (and so is the laundry).

Truly, there is less time for putting things away, re-washing or ironing pieces that weren’t put away correctly, searching for things that were put in the cupboard because they didn’t have a home elsewhere… There are also less disagreements about keeping the cupboard tidy, as this way it seems virtually impossible to not keep it organized.

It’s safe to say we are capsule wardrobe converts. Now it’s time to tackle my own wardrobe… Wish me luck!

To use the planner we created DOWNLOAD HERE: Men’s Capsule Wardrobe Planner

Want to know more about the idea behind a capsule wardrobe?  Check out Unfancy's posts here and here to learn more about the concept and some amazing tips for pairing down your wardrobe to create a simplified daily routine.




"I am Serena Faber Nelson, a television producer, writer and fluffy dog owner. Obsessed with home décor, fashion, lifestyle and dogs – I set about creating Pretty Fluffy as a go-to guide for the modern pet owner. Featuring a range of stylish products, celebrity pooches, DIY projects and handy hints, Pretty Fluffy is a daily stop for smiles and inspiration, giving readers the tools they need to enjoy full and happy lives with their furry friends. My greatest loves include fresh peonies, Dirty Dancing (Nobody puts Baby in a corner), Banoffe Pie, spending waaay too much time on Pinterest, and hugging random dogs at the park. I currently live in Sydney, Australia with my husband, Andy, and my 11 year old Border Collie, Soda. As a long time fan, I am super excited to be joining the IHeart Organizing Team!"