This week's quick tip is a reminder that it is now time to put away the summer clothes and get out the fall/winter wardrobes.

But wait....

If you want to free yourself from this time-consuming ritual, read on.

For young children who are still growing, there's no escaping the need to go through their clothes seasonally. Now is the time to:
-donate or hand down what they've outgrown
-put away shorts and sundresses (Because if you don't, they'll try to keep wearing them all winter long!)
-stock the dresser with sweaters and footie pajamas

But for adults and teens, consider switching to a year-round closet.

Years ago, I used to perform the semi-annual Big Closet Switch and each time it was a messy, agonizing, days-long chore. It always looked worse before it got better: clothes spread all over the room; keep/donate/wish-it-still-fit piles everywhere; next season's clothes wrinkly from the bin and needing to be ironed (ugh!) before being re-hung, re-folded, and put away.

Then a few years ago, I read an article about having a year-round closet. I loved the idea of being able to ditch the dreaded closet-switch chore, but I also liked the concept of having access to my warmer or cooler clothes to wear anytime.

We're no longer in the rigid era of "no white after Labor Day" clothing rules, so why do we still think we have to switch our wardrobes with each season?
Here are just a few of the things I've discovered with my year-round closet:
-T-shirts and tank tops are not just for summer — they are great as under-layers to keep warm in winter.
-The big sweatshirt that I used to pack away is just what I want when the sun goes down or the wind picks up on those early- or late-summer evenings.
-Around here, fall doesn't really get started until part way through October and we can't count on spring until tax day, so I appreciate having a flexible wardrobe for those "Don't like the weather? Wait 10 minutes" seasons.
Here are a couple of little tricks to make a year-round closet work for you:
-Shoes can take up a lot of space, so consider just swapping your shoes each season and store the off-season shoes either at the back of your closet or in a bin in a storage area of your house.
-Coats are another bulky item that you might not want in your closet all the time. Keep them in a mudroom closet, hall closet, bin, or even dry cleaner storage when not in use.
-If you don't have a lot of space in your main closet, formal clothes (dresses, tuxedo, etc.) that you rarely wear can be stored in a different closet.
-Swap winter and summer accessories each season, instead of your entire wardrobe. Winter accessories include hats, scarves, gloves, and boots. Summer accessories include flip flops, hats, bathing suits, and coverups.
I'd love to hear how your closet switch is going this year and if you've made the change to a year-round wardrobe.
Closets and wardrobe consultations are some of my specialties, so feel free to contact me if you need help getting yours under control.

5/28/2020 UPDATE: Sadly, Wunderlist was bought by Microsoft and is now defunct. My new to-do list app of choice is the fabulous TickTick!
Cons: The free version is very limited, so unless your to-do-listing is very basic, you'll need the paid version.
Pros: The straightforward layout is similar to my beloved Wunderlist plus it is feature-rich with smart lists, list sharing, in-app communication, calendar integration, and even a built-in Pomodoro timer so you can learn to be super productive!

I’m so excited to share this week’s tip with you. It’s my favorite app ever – the one I can’t live without: Wunderlist!

This is the app that does all the work of keeping me organized and on task. I honestly can't remember what I did before I had Wunderlist. I guess I just wrote stuff down on paper -- ugh, how archaic!

Now I keep every kind of list imaginable on it: a basic To Do list, packing lists, a list of books I've read, grocery lists, a list of things I want to buy (so I don't impulse shop), and more. (As a child, didn't you love the story of The List in Frog and Toad Together?) 

My recent favorite is my Recurring list. These are things that I have to do on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis Wunderlist reminds me to do them, so now I can't "forget" to practice piano or wash the doormats.

Another excellent feature is the ability to share lists with others. This is great for collaborating on projects and for keeping your kids on track.

Best of all, the lists sync between my laptop, iPad, and Android phone, so I'm never without Wunderlist.

Oh, yeah, and did I mention it's free?