While today was the first warm(ish) day in some time, and every other organizer is blogging about spring cleaning, I’ve decided to write about a personal passion of mine.
Long before I was a “fully-insured professional organizer and member of NAPO” I was the mom of two boys; Ben and Jeremy. Full disclosure; I’m still their mom and that figures into the story that I’m sharing.
Anyway, from the time they were really little … like 6-12 months, or 18-24 months, and outgrew their clothes from each stage, I’d been storing them in plastic containers I purchased from a popular national container store. OK, Container Store.
Once my second child was born “out of season” and most of the clothes went “un-reused”, I connected with other moms of littler boys. And that’s where my idea of “Organize it Forward” began. The power of “OIF” is that you feel great about giving while you make space and get rid of unneeded items. Coincidentally, my first son was born right around the time the novel “Pay it Forward” was published.
If you search ebay for “boys 18-24 months clothes lot” you’ll find 1,267 listings; some of which have 225 pieces and asking prices of over $300. While selling your children’s clothes is a viable option, I propose that sharing with friends or donating to an organization in your community will provide you with even more value. Not only will you have a unique lasting connection, but your clothes may turn up in a future holiday card!
And the sharing doesn’t end. I recently found a kindred-spirit in my friend Rosann who is also a proponent of Organize it Forward. As a result of her generosity, among other things, Jeremy (now 15), is the proud owner of barely used shorts and khaki’s and a shirt from Aeropostale. And I didn’t even have to battle for parking!
I’d love to hear about your experiences with “Organize it Forward”.
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