closet clean-out tips for a tiny house (with Glad!)

This post is sponsored by Glad. All opinions are my own and always will be! Thanks for supporting content that keeps Jojotastic going.

In light of last week’s news (more on that here), I have some work to do in the house before Sean can officially move in. Our top priority is making sure there’s enough room for both of us to live in #mytinybungalow with all of our stuff until we’re able to do a full-on bedroom renovation (like adding a closet). The first step is a good old-fashioned closet clean-out, so I partnered with Glad to share my best tips and tricks for staying organized in a closet-less home!

Tip #1: Remove everything from your closet and group like with like.

I’m sort of lucky because I don’t even have a traditional closet at the moment; instead I’m using a rolling rack for now. I rolled all of my clothes into the living room and arranged it so that all of my shirts were together and grouped by color. I learned this trick from my friend Annie of Live Simply. She suggested it because it helps to see your pieces in a totally different context so you can truly evaluate each item. Then I went through and evaluated anything that felt really similar. I asked myself the hard-hitting questions:

• How many white button down shirts do I really need?
• Are these two shirts similar and do I need both of them?
• When did I wear this last?
• Does it go with at least 3 other things in my closet?

It’s ok to have a ‘maybe’ pile, but I find that it helps to keep a goal in mind of only keeping 50% of what’s in that pile. Setting goals like this for myself reallllly helps!

Things got especially interesting when I noticed patterns… like my love of loose, boxy patterned silk blouses! How many of them does a person need??

But some… I just had to keep. Even Ellie, my photographer, noticed how much I love this cactus print top!

Tip #2 – As soon as you decide to let go of something, immediately bag it.

I can get a little… indecisive at times, especially during my closet clean-out process. If I see something sparkly or cute that I’ve already ruled out, often my mind wonders if I should keep it. One of the best things I can do is immediately place the purged item into a yellow Glad bag, so that it’s out of sight, out of mind.

Speaking of the yellow Glad bag, Glad believes the giving season is all year-round and is looking to make giving back even easier through their Glad to Give program. For each in-store purchase of select Glad Trash or GladWare products in January, Glad will donate a portion of proceeds to the WE Charity to provide a meal for someone in need. Also, we’d love to hear your stories of personal giving on Twitter using hashtag #GladtoGive — each tweet will trigger a $1 donation to WE Charity through June 30, up to $15,000.

We’re also giving away these yellow bags! To enter, leave a comment below with your favorite tip for organizing! I’m always looking for more suggestions to integrate into #mytinybungalow.

Tip #3: Donate your items to an organization that speaks to your values.

I care deeply about helping to provide care for women in need here in Seattle and find that’s “easier” to part with items when I know they are going to an organization with similar values. One of my favorite local organizations is Aurora Commons, a safe place for women who need rest, a warm meal, and resources like toiletries, winter coats, and clothing. Hat tip to Ellie for letting me know about the amazing contribution Aurora Commons is making in our local community! I suggest researching local organizations that align with your goals and make your donations there.

Photography by Ellie Lillstrom. Styling by Jojotastic.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Glad Products Company . The opinions and text are all mine.