Since fall is very much in full effect here in Germany with temps in the 40/50’s F (8-12°C) during the day, it was time to finally do the clothing switcheroo in Mackenzie’s dresser. That little girl has so many clothes, it’s just not even funny. And she’s growing like a weed (up to 106 cm last week) so going through everything was definitely needed to get her ready for school (which she’ll be able to start again in about a month) and just so we make sure we get her into all the clothes at least once before we have to get id of them (that is assuming she will actually put the clothes on — which trust me, there are more of those diva moments than I’d like lately.)

I started a bit backward this time around but it ended up working well for me. First I pulled out the winter stuff like hats and gloves and made her try them all on. She wasn’t too thrilled about all the back and forth of it, but she cooperated just fine…telling me each time that she was going to take the hat or gloves off because it’s simply just  too warm to wear them in the house. And she’s right of course.

Everything she can wear is now by the front door in a basket, mostly because with us running as the sun is setting, it’s getting colder and colder by the day…especially with the icy winds which frequent Berlin. Since we’re running and sweating, it’s not such a big deal. But Mack is riding along in the jogging stroller (good thing we decided to keep that thing!) and it gets quite chilly for her. And until we need the hardcore snow pants and boots, they’ll be waiting in her extra closet, along with the summer clothes that will hopefully still fit next year!

Then I set off to actually organize the stuff in her drawers AGAIN since this is one of those projects that I feel has to happen nearly once a week. It’s frustrating but aside from building in tons of dividers (which would eventually change since she’s growing so fast), it’s just going to have to work for now.

The good news is, the stuff that is just WAY too big that was part of a big package of clothes I bought on eBay last year is getting smaller and smaller.  As much as I like having clothes for her for the future, it’s also a bit of a conundrum to keep it all organized and sorted — and then you have to keep checking what is in there and when she’s going to be able to wear it so you don’t end up skipping over them altogether. Um, yeah, I’ve definitely done that before…but thankfully only with a few things instead of a whole wardrobe!

This was all sparked mostly because there was a sale at one of the local clothing stores and I wanted to see what exactly Mack needs so she’s ready for the winter, especially when she’s out and about with her preschool. But honestly, I couldn’t remember what was in there, what was still going to fit or anything else. And since the drawers were practically overflowing with clothes (didn’t think to take any before photos), it was definitely time to do this.

So yet again, there’s a big pile of clothing to be added to the donate/eBay list. Does someone want to come to my house and write eBay listings for me in German? Seriously. I just don’t know when we are finally going to make that happen and there is SO much to get rid of it seems overwhelming. I know, I know — listen to my own advice and do it in baby steps, right? Fifteen minutes at a time. Thankfully with the cold approaching here, we’re not quite as excited about getting out and exploring — but we also don’t feel like digging through clothes either. 🙂

Strangely enough, I never switch out my own clothes in spring & winter. I don’t know whether I just feel like I don’t have the space for it (which I kinda don’t) or whether I’m always trying to make the most of all of my clothes regardless of the weather so I keep everything handy year round. Do you switch out your clothes with the seasons?

How many things in your closet do you know you never wear but just can’t part with? I’d bet that about 1/4 of my closet falls into that category but somehow I figure at some point I’ll need those clothes for business-related meetings and so forth (which I rarely have). Yes, I have issues. 🙂