I was really excited to receive a suggested blogging topic this week via my twitter inbox ... I love to write and blog but sometimes thinking up what to talk about stumps me. If you have any suggestions or questions, please send them through!!
This may be a boring post to some but it might just help other mums out there... wardrobe organisation and keeping on top of it given babies need a new wardrobe every 2-3 months (or more) in those early years.
First things first, if you are drowning in clothes (like we do thanks to shopaholic mumma and grammy), separate everything into size and then type of garment - so all your 0000, 000, 00, 0 etc separated by size sorted into neat piles of onesies, shirts and shorts etc.
I must add, I'm paranoid about furniture in E's room after reading a horror story in an Australia newspaper about a 2 year old and a chest of drawers so given E has a built in robe in his room, I prefer plastic drawers hidden in the cupboard and big heavy hard to move shelving unit for toys and books etc.
The plastic drawers aren't particularly pretty but are hidden away nicely and labelled to help my husband find things and actually dress our boy in a public appropriate outfit. Given we are between seasons and using both Winter and Summer wardrobes (Winter in 0/1 and Summer in 1), our labels are something like this:
I keep all the next season's items I buy in a plastic box in E's wardrobe and in the last month of the season when the weather typically changes here, during Ethan's nap I pull it out, arrange it and cull the existing wardrobe as necessary. This August, I found almost all E's size 0 l/s tees were too short over his little belly so removed all but a few of the bigger ones while all his pants and leggings are still great length and width wise so remain in a drawer labelled accordingly.
I usually pull my favourite pieces out of the culled pile (a Nike onesie or Sooki set) and if its still in good condition, I pop it in a box I'm saving for baby #2 in case its a boy. All the rest that hasn't been worn and washed to death goes to my mum for sorting and storing - she keeps it all for my sis and I so we don't need to re-buy absolutely everything next time around.
I've been pretty lucky size wise as E has been spot on in sync with seasons and sizing, at 0000 when born in June then 000 for Winter/early Spring, 00 for Summer and 0 for this Winter into 1s for Summer. Therefore I have been able to time his wardrobe refreshes/replacements with the seasons.
I find keeping up E's wardrobe is constant job and I usually spend 10 mins in there every weekend rotating outfits or re-ordering things while E has a play in his room.
As I mentioned, I'm a little OCD with E (and my) wardrobe so I hope this might offer some helpful tips to others.
This may be a boring post to some but it might just help other mums out there... wardrobe organisation and keeping on top of it given babies need a new wardrobe every 2-3 months (or more) in those early years.
First things first, if you are drowning in clothes (like we do thanks to shopaholic mumma and grammy), separate everything into size and then type of garment - so all your 0000, 000, 00, 0 etc separated by size sorted into neat piles of onesies, shirts and shorts etc.
I must add, I'm paranoid about furniture in E's room after reading a horror story in an Australia newspaper about a 2 year old and a chest of drawers so given E has a built in robe in his room, I prefer plastic drawers hidden in the cupboard and big heavy hard to move shelving unit for toys and books etc.
The plastic drawers aren't particularly pretty but are hidden away nicely and labelled to help my husband find things and actually dress our boy in a public appropriate outfit. Given we are between seasons and using both Winter and Summer wardrobes (Winter in 0/1 and Summer in 1), our labels are something like this:
- Hats, socks
- Singlets, undersuits, bodysuits
- Daycare clothes - this includes a range of shorts, tees and l/sleeve tees that are all labelled & can be worn for DC and messy play
- Leggings, tracksuit pants sz0
- Tracksuit sets sz0
- Pants, Jeans sz0
- Shorts sz1/12-18m
- Boardshorts, rashsuits/vests
- Winter pjs & onesies sz0
- Summer pjs sz1
I hang all of E's tees, shirts, vests, coats, sets and short sleeved play onesies so we can see them therefore we use them. I have them divided into type, sleeve length and colour - very OCD of me I know. I found if they were in a drawer, Scott would just use whatever was on top and E was growing out of clothes before wearing them as anything at the back or bottom was never used.
For me, I have found the best and easiest way to shop a wardrobe for E is to buy in bulk seasonally from one place during sales time for the following year and add a few extra pieces along the way. Its easy to put together a capsule wardrobe this way as most places concentrate on a colour palette so everything ends up mixing and matching. For example, this Summer, a lot of Ethan's basic wardrobe is from Pumpkin Patch. I bought about 14 pieces this time last year including tees, shorts, overalls and shirts in a range of blues with orange, lime and or yellow so almost all are interchangeable as sets. This saves me when I'm out shopping and think 'oh, I'll just get that shirt' only to come home and find E already has 5 shirts for Summer. This way I know I have the basics and just add to it as I see something I love - like the Sooki pieces when a sale comes up.
I keep all the next season's items I buy in a plastic box in E's wardrobe and in the last month of the season when the weather typically changes here, during Ethan's nap I pull it out, arrange it and cull the existing wardrobe as necessary. This August, I found almost all E's size 0 l/s tees were too short over his little belly so removed all but a few of the bigger ones while all his pants and leggings are still great length and width wise so remain in a drawer labelled accordingly.
I usually pull my favourite pieces out of the culled pile (a Nike onesie or Sooki set) and if its still in good condition, I pop it in a box I'm saving for baby #2 in case its a boy. All the rest that hasn't been worn and washed to death goes to my mum for sorting and storing - she keeps it all for my sis and I so we don't need to re-buy absolutely everything next time around.
I've been pretty lucky size wise as E has been spot on in sync with seasons and sizing, at 0000 when born in June then 000 for Winter/early Spring, 00 for Summer and 0 for this Winter into 1s for Summer. Therefore I have been able to time his wardrobe refreshes/replacements with the seasons.
I find keeping up E's wardrobe is constant job and I usually spend 10 mins in there every weekend rotating outfits or re-ordering things while E has a play in his room.
As I mentioned, I'm a little OCD with E (and my) wardrobe so I hope this might offer some helpful tips to others.
