Clothing capsule. Have you ever heard of it? It’s a phrase that was super trendy a few years ago. Basically it is when you purge your closet completely, keeping only a few items that you LOVE, and then buying several quality pieces that will make up the entirety of your closet. We’re talking 25-30 items including shoes and accessories. It essentially keeps you well-dressed in clothing that makes you look awesome, put together, and minimalistic in a “I don’t need much to look good”-kind of way. I want to be that kind of person. So, I’m taking the plunge because there has got to be a change in this closet. I have a ton of clothes. I do. I hate almost all of them, but when it comes time to donate or trash the clothing, I end up keeping things I have not and will not wear in this lifetime. WHY??? What is wrong with me? I’m so sick of “stuff,” yall. Why do I have so much? I’m definitely not a hoarder, but I really want to clean out and get rid of all the crap that has moved with us from one state to another with–at best–minimal usage. I wear scrubs on the daily, so I should really love what I wear on the weekends/days off, right? I’m just feeling all itchy when I think about the junk we’ve accumulated in our four years of marriage, so I’ve decided it’s about to go DOWN in the Rayner house.
This weekend, I started with my closet, and I’ve begun the purge. By “started with,” I mean that my room is littered with garbage bags full of stuff, and my closet looks worse than before I ever even started as does my room. Le sigh. Once I finish my closet (this upcoming weekend, hopefully) I will tackle at least one room a weekend, and I am throwing the crap away. I feel the need to make things simpler. To clean out the multiple “junk” drawers and throw away papers, broken pencils, receipts, used gift cards, chargers that don’t work, and strange job-fair trinkets, etc. I mean, get out of my house, random highlighter. You are not my problem anymore.
It’s going to take time, but because our lives can just NOT ever just calm the hell down, I have decided to at least live our chaotic life in a less-cluttered, less-chaotic house. I think the greater population refers to this as “spring cleaning,” but being a self-aware individual, I don’t want to set unrealistic expectations by labeling it as such. This thing might be accomplished by fall, and I have to account for my procrastinating and ever-fading determination while setting realistic goals, y’all.
Ugh. Okay. Back to “The Capsule.” It sounds so important when I refer to it as “The Capsule.” My voice gets deeper and more authoritative in my head…”The Capsule!” Ack, I digress. Anyway, there are a lot of blogs and articles detailing the process of creating, “The Capsule,” (I’m done, I promise), but I can totally envision how this thing could go:
- Waking up Saturday morning at 6:00 a.m. because Clark is starving, and Darcy is kicking the walls ready to get up. 😑
- Stumble into the kitchen to make coffee while Darcy attempts to smother Clark with a blanket because, “baby code” (cold).
- Abandon coffee-making whilst saving poor Clark from suffocation via blanket.
- Let Ben handle making the coffee.
- Drink said coffee and think about how I need to start the closet purging.
- Decide I need more caffeine first.
- Make another pot of coffee.
- Go back and forth with Ben, “What should we do today?” “I don’t know” at least 4 times in 5 minutes, never really coming up with a plan.
- Continue to stare at our phones instead of being productive and/or carrying through with vague aforementioned plans.
- Deal with the inevitable meltdown over our refusal to honor Darcy’s request to watch Moana for the zillionth time this week. Not today, Darcy.
- Finally agree to watch “Trush” (Trolls) for the zillionth time with week. Is this even a victory? 🙄
- Feed Darcy a lunch she will largely refuse and throw to Libby.
- Put the kids down to nap.
- Realize I should finish the purge, but also realize that I am exhausted and should relax because I deserve it.
- Take a bath.
- Leave bathroom and step in dog puke because Darcy fed Libby her entire lunch.
- Hear the tell-tale foot beating, and know that Darcy is kicking the walls, concluding her 45 minute nap.
- Diaper change, feed, and ward off meltdowns until 7ish when they go to sleep.
- Start purging, but decide I can’t get rid of anything.
- Keep my crappy closet and accomplish nothing.
I really have high hopes that this will not be how this thing goes. I really do, but because of who I am as a person, I will likely finish cleaning out my closet at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday evening. By then I will be so frustrated, I will throw everything away and have no clothes for a while because I only buy clothes for Darcy. Maybe I can hold it together and do better, but it’s questionable at best. I’ll update on my progress later. Have any of you created a clothing capsule? Any tips or must-have items? Throw your suggestions my way! Love to all! ❤
Rayner Shine 