Home       About Us       Salsa Store       Referral       Lifebooks       Recipes       Videos       Blog Headers

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Fashion Challenge Day 4: I think my inner control-freak is unclenching

Wow, I've gotta say the outfit selection process was pretty painless for Day 4 of the fashion challenge. Maybe I'm just getting used to the idea of letting go, or maybe the girls are better at this than I expected. Maybe a little of both. Ro went first this time (which just about killed her impatient clothes-horse sister). She started gravitating toward another all-pink outfit, and I broke my silence to say one tiny little thing, "Hey Ro, did you know that you can wear more than one color and still match? Different colors can be complementary. It's fun." She must have felt freed by the information, because she grabbed some yellow Gymboree pants and a pink top and a crazy Children's Place sweatshirt that kind of ties it all together in my opinion. Go Ro! Finally Ree got her turn. (Man, she was dying to get in that closet -- I had to chase her out and shush her the whole time Ro was picking because she kept darting in and saying "Pick dis, Ro, dis one good!") She made a beeline for the pink corduroy Hanna Andersson dress she'd almost chosen yesterday. Then she chose light pink Old Navy velour pants and a light pink Olive U long-sleeved shirt for underneath "In case I get cold." I think she was done in about 15 seconds. Maybe she picked everything out in her mind while she was forced to stand outside of the closet? Who knows. Still no yellow for little Miss Sunshine, in case anyone's keeping track. And would you have guessed which girl was which in this photo if I hadn't described their clothes? DSC_3027m2 Rett, a fellow twin mama, asked for a peek into the girls' closet, and I know she's not the only one who wonders what the heck we've got going on in there. So here's a behind-the-blog look at where the girls' clothes are: IN THE CLOSET The girls share a small walk-in closet, which is in Ree's room. I believe the out-of-sight-out-of-mind theory is true, so all of the girls' clothing is here in plain sight, rather than in drawers. And it's all organized the way the girls think because they like to pick things (I want to wear xxx color, I need something with short-sleeves or long-sleeves, I want some pants or a skirt...). It looks like there's a lot of plain white, but most of the white things have appliques or fun graphics. I'm a sucker for a cute/funny white tee. The only items in drawers are PJs and underwear. Off-season stuff that might still fit when the season rolls back around is folded on the shelf -- I usually buy big, so the girls get at least two years out of any item. Easily half of the girls' favorite things (including 4 pieces that they're wearing today) are hand-me-downs from other twinados, which is cute because I still vividly remember the joy I felt receiving boxes of prized hand-me-downs from my older cousins back in the 70s. Their stuff was The Best! The girls' closet IN SHOE AND JACKET BASKETS We've got kid shoe and jacket baskets in the downstairs hall, right by the entry to the garage. We also always keep a set of jackets in the car, because you never know when you'll end up on an unexpected roadtrip to a cold place. The girls pick their shoes and jackets out of these baskets before leaving the house. Shoe bucket and jacket box in the downstairs hall IN THE SINK Ree and Ro are hard on clothes. I've mentioned that before, right? There is constantly some stainfested item soaking in the laundry room. On the left side of the pic you can see where we keep swimsuits, by the way. The girls have been using them for dress-up clothes lately, so the baskets keep disappearing and we're missing half of the suits. Always some stainfested item soaking IN THE LAUNDRY Ah, and then there's the laundry. We've got small hampers upstairs, and these ginormous garage bins, which are ALWAYS full. Always. Have I mentioned always? I'd guess that half of the family clothes are here, or hanging on the rod in the laundry room, at any given time. Laundry, laundry, and more laundry So there you have it, that's where the girls' clothes are and how they're organized. Seems to work for us. Tomorrow is the last day of the Fashion Challenge and I'm not scared anymore -- bring it on!

40 comments:

  1. You are so organized! The girls look super cute, they have a great fashion sense. Question: What do you use to fight stains on cloth?
    The most usual stains here are chocolate, spaghtetti sauce and paint!

    ReplyDelete
  2. you read my mind ~ I was just wondering what their closet looked like!! love your way of organizing!!

    I think the girls are doing great ~ what fashionistas!! I'm sure it helps that you have nothing but awesome clothes for them to choose from!

    Bet you continue to let the girls choose...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Holy cow!!! I think if I put together all of my clothes, my husband's clothes, my 2 boys' clothes, AND my daughter's clothes, we would only fill maybe the pink section!! Good gracious woman, THIS is why you have so much laundry! LOL I do however love how organized you are and the girls have been doing brilliantly selecting their outfits. I understand now why the decisions would be so difficult--so many choices! Seriously though, could I come live with you for a while? :)

    -Heather
    www.godzeera.com/blog

    ReplyDelete
  4. The girls are rockin'! I'm so impressed. And your clothes organization? I'm just amazed. All our dirty stuff is on a basket in my closet and all the clean stuff is on the guest bed. That's it. I bet when mine get to clothes picking age, I will have to change my ways.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Anonymous3/25/2009

    Given how wonderfully creative the girls are why not let them just continue to select their outfits?

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have to say, "I am going to miss this when next week rolls around."

    ~Mad(elyn) in Alabama
    www.xanga.com/madewyn

    ReplyDelete
  7. Do the girls have their own clothes, or are they all shared between both of them?


    I am loving the closet, I would love for my girls to have a closet like that! Mine both have very small, over stuffed wardrobes. The Laundry situation looks familiar though, and I am feeling a lot better about my own very full laundry baskets.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous3/25/2009

    WOW !!! I think the girls do great picking out their own outfits (better than some adults i see walking around) WAY TO GO GIRLS!!! And M3, hats off to you for being so organized, with having twins, great job!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I can't believe how organized you are! I used to color-code my closet when I was single and home on weekend nights. With just one kid, I can't even make the time to hang up and/or fold my daughter's clothes! Today I had to fish through the dryer and laundry baskets of clean clothes in our bedroom to find my daughter an outfit.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous3/25/2009

    Don't feel guilty about the amount of clothes they have!! I too, have two kids with closets that put mine & my husbands to shame. Their's is also a mix of hand-me-downs, yard sale, consignment & Mama-had-too-much-time-on-her- hands-at-work-today-and-had-a-free-shipping-from-Old-Navy clothing!!! My kids always look better than me, but that's what it's all about.

    I did feel one smidgen of guilt when my daughter came home from first grade and said "Mama, "Susie" only has one coat!" Umm, because it might be that my daughter wears a different one every day.

    OK, I'm seeking help, I swear!

    ReplyDelete
  11. I have a heck of a time with my girls clothes. I have soo much (twins needs soo much) and I have to buy as we have no one to get hand-me downs from.

    THe closet thing is intriguing to me. I could put up another bar in my girls closet and do like you do. cause we need another dresser or some other storage arrangement! We are inundated with clothes, EVERY WHERE! (girls room, guest room, laundry room, mud room, my closet!)

    Thanks for the ideas. And laundry, Ha, I just dump and run, all together...too much for me!

    ReplyDelete
  12. My twins are 6 and 99 % of the time they pick out their own clothing.
    The other day I just had to nix an outfit of striped shirt and pants.
    Now I'm thinking maybe, I just should have let her go.
    The teacher would have know that I did not dress her for sure. lol

    PS...love your system. I always had one girl one size ahead of her sis. Not as fun or easy unfortunately. lol

    ReplyDelete
  13. WOW, Im not going to complain anymore about my ONE full laundry basket hehhahahah
    I love the colour system in the closet that is a good idea

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous3/25/2009

    Very cute....now next week let them choose for each other! Tehe!!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Okay, how do you get your girls to pick clothes that look good? My daughter picks stuff that is not hers and no color is off limit. Send some of the fashion sense this way. Also, you gotta be kidding me....how do you keep the closets organized? Mine isn't even nice and I am old!

    Okay...you are mother of the year! I nominate you. I second it and I will send the trophy. You are my hero!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love the fashion challenge! I vote for an entire month! :o)

    Snorted out loud when you asked which girl was which....finally others would have mixed them like I do on a regular basis. Ahhh, someday I'll learn!

    Loving today's funky outfits and how comfortable the girls are getting at choosing their own. Do you think they're relenquish control quietly come Friday??

    ReplyDelete
  17. Love the "fish-eye" view of the closet.

    ReplyDelete
  18. So fun!! I just found your blog today, and I love it.

    The pics of the closet are great; that is how I would organize things in theory, but in practice they wind up in something closer to disarray than that.

    And a great stain fighter is the Oxy Clean Laundry Spray, this stuff: http://www.oxiclean.com/17541products.asp?MainNav=Products&SubNav=Laundry. Works great on food-based stains, and on baby poop and blood, too!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous3/25/2009

    The girls outfits are so cute! & You are amazingly organized.

    ReplyDelete
  20. That closet is amazing

    ReplyDelete
  21. It's been fun tuning in to see what outfit the girls will pick! Thay have been doing really well.

    Hey, is it scary that I may have just as many hangers in our closet for one child? ;)

    Donna

    ReplyDelete
  22. I have to ask...who's benefitting more from this week's exercise? You for letting go, or the girls for gaining some independence???

    ReplyDelete
  23. OMG!!! Do you really have that many beige shirts or was that a digital photo illusion?

    I can't even manage to get my kids clothes into their closet (they live for several days in the laundry basket!) and can't imagine clumping them into color groups! You are my idol!!

    (PLEASE come to my house!!! Please!!)

    Donna
    Our Blog: Double Happiness!

    ReplyDelete
  24. Awesome organization! What is in store for next week?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Wow! Can my 3yo borrow some of your girls' clothes??? ;) I think mine has ONE white shirt. Mostly hand-me-downs from a set of twins we know, actually - we're so thankful for them!

    ReplyDelete
  26. first-- i LOVE Ree's style-- that girl can put an outfit together!

    Second-- i covet their closet-- botht ehs size and their cute clothes-- how fun!!!

    third-- laundry is the BANE of my existence- but i repeat to myself: "i am blessed enough to have clothes to clean" sometimes it works!

    ReplyDelete
  27. I think you have the right amount of clothes for your girls. Who is the one that goes "clothes" shopping for the girls? In my home we both do it but Daddy will always buy more than me (especially shoes!)
    By the way, do the girls know that the fun stops tomorrow? I got a feeling that you just lost your job!

    ReplyDelete
  28. Wow. That blew my mind.

    I hardly use a laundry basket for dirty clothes anymore. I just leave the washer open and throw clothes and towels right in until it's full and then I turn it on.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Thank you!!!! I just had to see it! And yes, I'm here sighing and saying, "One day...one day I'll be THAT organized!" In our house, I think it would just be easier in our house to move their closet to the laundry room! I'm a clothing freak and the piles just get bigger and bigger and bigger...ACK!

    You get the "Uuber Organized Award" from me! Thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Loving this fashion challenge ... am tuning in every day and anxious to see how they look!

    ReplyDelete
  31. Anonymous3/25/2009

    My hubbies eyes just bugged so far out of his head when I showed him the girls closet...........it was priceless. It sure gives me a challenge. Amy in Canada...MOm to Emma, 3 yrs.

    ReplyDelete
  32. I LAUGH at the fact that you classify their closet as "small. By our NYC standards, that's a small bedroom! ;)

    ReplyDelete
  33. Since the girls are doing so good are you going to continue letting them pick out their own clothes?

    ReplyDelete
  34. I have eagerly awaited each day in your Fashion Challenge, and I certainly must say that Ro and Ree have done a fabulous job all week!! The girls have a great eye for fashion!! Can't wait for tomorrow's outfit in your 5 Day Fashion Challenge!! I just don't know how you manage to keep everything so organized! I can't keep up with the clothing for one child, let alone twins!! Love, love, love their closet!!! Gee, I wonder how it work if you upped the challenge, and have the girls pick clothes for each other??!! Sounds like there could be a Round 2 in the 5 Day Fashion Challenge!! What fun!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Hi guys, to answer the questions:

    Leidy: I spray with whatever spray I'm hoping will finally work (I think I've tried them all) then put the items to soak in a bucket with Tide. The soaking works best if I get the clothes in the water FAST. If I wait a few days, I'm hosed. I learned that soaking tip from blog readers. :-) The best trick I know is that sunlight can take out a ton of stains -- especially anything tomato-based.

    BevS97: It's pretty much a free-for-all, I can't think of any clothes that are specific to one girl or the other. Shoes are a different matter, particularly when the girls are different sizes (they're the same right now, so the shoe-stealing is rampant). :-)

    Jenny: Definitely put up another bar! We got non-permanent extra hanging ones at Orchard Supply Hardware and put them in so we'd have more hanging space. So much better!

    Catherine: Yep, I think they'll be just fine going back to "normal" on Friday. They were kind of scattered and squirrely picking out outfits tonight -- kind of tired of it maybe? I usually ask them what they want to wear and they grab something (a shirt, some pants, some tights, whatever) and then I build an outfit from there. So they probably think they're doing it all anyhow.

    Monkey Mama: I think we're all having fun with this fashion challenge. One bonus thing I've noticed is that the girls don't pick the "expensive" stuff, so I don't spend even one second worrying about dirt/paint/stains.

    Donna: Yeah, they're real. :-) Although they're mostly white, not beige, the picture was kind of dark.

    Mexican chopsticks: I do all of the shopping and TubaDad does all the appreciating. :-)

    To everyone who asked if the girls will keep on picking their clothes: Hmmmmmmm... I have an idea and will write about it tomorrow!

    ReplyDelete
  36. I'm definitely going to employ your closet organizing system for Jammer and his future sister.
    And I'm with Catherine...I'm betting that they will continue to want to pick out their entire outfits, maybe not everything every day but you won't be able to go back now.

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'm really enjoying the twins' outfits!!! It's so fun to see what they pick out! Thanks for challenging them (and yourself) and sharing with us!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Looking into that closet makes me feel like all of those Nazi's whose faces melted off when they saw the contents of the Ark of the Covenant (you know - Indiana Jones, now you know how much of geek I am). Wow. Any way I have always wondered how you have things organized because the girls always look so great and fresh. I feel I MUST go to Target to totally reorganize Ev's closet after viewing this.
    Also, I love how the girls have been dressing themselves- cool.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I am so jealous of your walk-in closet and your organzing! Since lately I've done more than my fair share of shopping for the little one, I think a little organization is in order. I just run out of space too quickly. I am the one who buys the clothes, and my DH thinks I am nuts...he thinks why does a three year old need so much. I am just living vicariously through my girl. :)

    ReplyDelete
  40. Where did you get your baskets from for the shoe and coat storage? Neat idea by the way!

    Your blog is fantastic! A good friend of mine, who also adopted a baby girl from China, sent me your blog. We've had such fun watching your adorable girls and enjoy following your blog as we have a 2 and 3-year old too.

    Lara

    ReplyDelete