Need to get organized? Call up a girlfriend!

My friend Carole is ORGANIZED. Like big time. She can sort through things, straighten them up and transform a space into something beautiful. In fact, that’s exactly what she helped me do to my closet a couple years ago. Together, with my organizing girlfriend, we sorted through my clothes, threw out pieces I hadn’t worn in years and rearranged it to be no less than magnificent!

Sometimes you need a girlfriend, a voice of reason, a second opinion in if you should keep that sweater you got on sale and discard that dress that you haven’t worn this decade. A trusted friend, especially one with some style and organizational skills, is a wonderful asset in getting organized – and making the process more fun. And, with getting ready to switch back to Fall/Winter clothes, now is a perfect time for our Day 17, girlfriend ‘assignment.’

September is National Women’s Friendship Month, aka: our Month of Friendship, and every day we’re sharing ways we can reconnect with old friend and build into new friendships. Today, aka: Day 17, we’re getting organized – with a girlfriend. (Which fits perfectly with our BlogTalkRadio interview today with Dana from “A Slob Comes Clean” – listen in! 2-2:30pm ET, Friday Sept. 17.)

We’re just taking on the closet today – with a girlfriend. Here’s our girlfriend advice for getting organized with your favorite organized friend:

1. FIND THE RIGHT FRIEND - You need someone you trust who has style and organizational skills. She doesn’t have to be a professional organizer but someone who is more organized that you and willing to help. Also, find a friend who you trust her sense of style and her style in communicating with you. Choose a friend who will ‘gently’ tell you that those pants are a little too snug, whose opinion you trust and who knows your sense of style.

2. KNOW YOUR GOAL(s) – Are you in need of more space? Changing over to Fall/Winter clothing? Lost/gained weight and need to to clear out clothes that don’t fit? Just want to be more organized? Know what the objective of the day is and be prepared for whatever you hope to accomplish (especially if it means letting go of clothes with memories and that you’re emotionally attached to).

3. MAKE ROOM FOR PILES – You’re going to need to sort through potentially a lot of clothes and accessories (and all the other weird things that end up in your closet). Clear out space for several piles of your stuff: Donate, Re-sell/Consignment, Keep and Alter/Repair. (You might want to have four boxes with those words on them to avoid sorting incorrectly.)

4. DRESSING ROOM – Wear something you can easily change in/out of so you can try on items that you’re not sure if they fit or are still in style. Let (as in TRUST) your girlfriend have input on what’s a keeper and what’s not (then off it goes to the appropriate pile).

5. DON’T LEAVE THEM HANGING – I’ve seen the ‘trick’ on Oprah where you put everything on hangers back in the closet (that you’re keeping) with the hanger pointed the opposite direction. Then, when you wear something, hang it back in the correct position. After a year, you’ll be able to see what clothes you really haven’t worn and (should) discard them. Group colors and types of clothing together to save time knowing where it should be.

6. GET CREATIVE – When my girlfriend Carole helped me organize my closet, we searched around my house for organizational elements it needed. We found a hat box that became my socks box, a small bookshelf that holds my t-shirts and some big plastic bins to contain my jeans. You may need to throw in a little Target or Walmart shopping to get these items but that might just make a nice break in the day for you and your faithful friend. (And good hangers are a must!)

7. CELEBRATE AND APPRECIATE - After the sorting, trying on, more sorting and convincing you to let go of old memories and ‘mumu’s’, show your girlfriend gratitude by celebrating with your girlfriend. Take her out for a margarita or meal and show your appreciation for her time and friendship. (And don’t forget to capture the day and before/afters in photos so you can look back on that fun girlfriend day and be happy you had that time together!)

p.s. As a reader shared, you can also swap your old clothes with friends.

What friend would you dare to clean out and organize your closet with? Any organizational/ closet girlfriend advice? Share!

More organizational girlfriend advice, listen to this interview with ‘Organizer Sandy.‘

Days 1-16 of our Month of Friendship:

• Day 1: Throw a girlfriend dinner party
• Day 2: Girlfriend Gratitude
• Day 3: Social Media Friends
• Day 4: Make a memory gift for your girlfriend
• Day 5: Phone a Friend!
• Day 6: Plan a Girlfriend Trip
• Day 7: Pamper your Pals
• Day 8: Make a Friend Laugh
• Day 9: Start a Girlfriend Tradition
• Day 10: Go Shopping with your Girlfriends
• Day 11: Remember a friend you’ve lost, in honor of 9/11
• Day 12: Make dinner for your girlfriend
• Day 13: Send your girlfriend a card
• Day 14: Host a Girlfriend Happy Hour, GNO
• Day 15: Practice Random Acts of Kindness
• Day 16: Get a Mani/Pedi Together

Tags: clean your closet, friendship month, organization, organize your closet, organizer sandy, slob comes clean

This entry was posted on Friday, September 17th, 2010 at 1:38 pm and is filed under Be a Better FRIEND. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.