How to Organize your Seasonal Clothing with Evernote

Spring is coming, right? I honestly believe that one day soon all these snow suits, sweaters and knitted hats will be but a memory. And when it finally gets warm enough to box up and put away any winter clothing, we will be so happy to be wearing shorts and t-shirts that we’ll just want to shove everything somewhere and not think about it.  However, in Chicago at least, we all know that one day it will again be time to bundle up, so it’s best to be prepared.

An easy way to stay on top of your children’s clothing collection is to use Evernote. This is a wonderful app which allows you to capture almost anything and keep it in one place. Here are some simple steps to help you organize your kids’ (or even your own!) off season clothing, in a way that lets you remember what you’ve stored away:

1. GATHER everything together – all fall/winter clothes, including holiday wear.  Weed out anything that none of your children will be able to wear at some point in the future.  Toss, donate or consign these items asap.

2. SORT through everything you want to keep and make piles based on what can be worn when and by whom.  For example, a sweater which is too small for your oldest daughter might fit her younger sister in four years.  Put it in a basket or pile with a note “Fall/Winter 2023”.  Another sweater which will probably still fit her in six months can go in a basket or pile with a note “Fall/Winter 2019”.  And so on, and so on.

3. MAKE NEAT PILES and prepare to put away.  Take each Fall/Winter pile and fold the items.  Group them according to which child will wear them that season, and lay them spread out just enough to be able to identify (or remember) what they are.

4. Create a note in EVERNOTE titled i.e. “Fall/Winter 2020” and PHOTOGRAPH the collection or collections for that season.  You can add notes near the photos to jog your memory, like whose clothes are in each photo and where they are stored.  It can also be helpful to make notes on anything lacking for the coming fall/winter so you know what to shop for.  Repeat with a new note for each year.

5. STORE each season’s clothes together.  If you’re short on storage space, vaccuumable bags like Space Bags are great for this type of storage.  Put everything in sturdy, labeled plastic bins with lids and if possible, leave room to toss in extra items which might pop up after your big organize.

Voilà!  Enjoy the warm weather and the shorter amount of time it takes to get everyone dressed and out the door.  Then when you’re out shopping or someone offers you their kids’ outgrown clothes, reference your Evernote note and you’ll easily be able to remember what you already have on hand.

Content provided by Women Belong member Kelly Brask