Your Closet: Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

It's time to go back to your closet. If you think through your morning routine, where is one of the first places you go when you get out of bed? Your first decisions of the day are made right there in your closet. What do I wear? If your closet is cluttered and out-of-control, no question it can add stress to your morning. If you're anything like me, you love shoes. Perhaps you have a big pile of shoes on the floor of your closet? Let's clean that up, here's how:

Yes, we must purge! I know it's hard, but I also know you have shoes in your closet that you don't wear. Maybe they hurt your feet, or you got a great deal on them and you're still waiting (three years later) to find that perfect dress to go with them. Perhaps you're a stay-at-home mom now, but you still have ten pairs of heels. Let's just use the same rule we used when going through our winter clothes, if you haven't worn them in a year, it's time to say bye-bye. Of course, you do need to hang on to a grubby pair for yard work or what have you, but do you really need five grubby pairs of tennis shoes?

Okay, so now we should have a pile of shoes that are going out. The really grubby ones can be pitched, the nicer ones can be donated or taken to a resale store. If you participated in the winter closet clear-out then you know, you must not leave this to deal with later, finish it now. Put the bag of shoes in your car and write yourself a note if that's what it takes to remember to get them to their new home.

Now, we must address the keepers and it is not acceptable for them to be in a pile on the floor! There are several inexpensive ways to address this problem. I am a big fan of either over the door shoe holders or shoe holders that hang down from the rod. There are also plenty of options for shoe racks that sit on the floor of your closet. Preferably, it would work best if all of your shoes had a home in an organizer. If you have limited space, you might consider putting your out-of-season shoes in a bin. If you choose this option, be sure and label the bin before tucking it away.

I'm going to venture a guess that many of you already have shoe organizers, yet your shoes still end up in a big pile on the floor. Here's the habit that must be formed: when you come in, you put your shoes back in the organizer. I'm guessing it takes all of two seconds to do this, but the habit will keep your closet tidy. You'll find I repeat myself a lot, but habits and routines that take very little time really simplify your life and help create a peaceful haven in your home.

Here's the clincher: when you bring a new pair home, an old pair has to find a new home. This will make you think twice before impulse buying that cute pair calling your name. Wow, I'm really surprised how much I just wrote about shoe organization, anyone still with me?