MODEL SEARCH IS ON!!!

It's that time of year, isn't it.  Time to clean out the closets - out with the old, in with the new...or something like that.

On B100 last week, I told you about some easy ways to start cleaning out and organizing your closet.  I also promised that I would list some quick 1-2-3 to wardrobe organization here...so here ya go!

When it comes to wardrobe organization, it is very simple to tackle this item on the 'to-do' list with 3 easy steps:

Step 1 - Separate tops from bottoms, and make some piles
Keep all of your skirts and pants together in your closet. Separate these pieces from your tops, sweaters and jackets. As you are going through your clothing, look at each piece and consider if that piece is something you’ve worn in the past year. If not, then set it aside. Look at it and determine if it needs to be cleaned, is it stained? Does it need repair? If so, set it aside. 
photo from: http://navaniknows.com

Step 2 - Separate colors
Next, go through each section created in step-1, and separate each item by color. For example, your closet should have all the white tops together, and then cream, pink, red, blue on to black.  For patterned or striped items, fit those in with the dominant color in the piece. A white striped blouse would go with the white section. A red tartan plaid shirt would go with the red section and so on.

Step 3 - Separate lengths
First, shirts. Put all the tank tops together, then short sleeves, ¾ sleeves, long sleeves and then blouses, sweaters and jackets.

With pants and skirts, start with skirts, again by length. Then move to cropped pants, casual pants and dress slacks.

TIP: Hang pants on pant hangers (not folded over a shirt hanger). Folding your pants will leave a crease, and the part of the pant that is folded over the hanger will collect dust.

OTHER TIPS

Shoes - There are several schools of thought to how you organize your shoes, and it all depends on how many shoes you have. Some organize shoes by brand in the original box. Some people can’t remember (or don’t care) what brand of shoes they have in their closets, or don’t keep the original boxes. In this case, purchase clear plastic shoe boxes.
It is important to keep your shoes covered or in boxes. Closets are dusty places, and those shoes you are not currently wearing (out of season) will get very dirty if left sitting on a shelf.

Belts / Accessories - belts should be hung on hooks or on a belt hanger.

Storage - Plastic or woven storage tubs are great for things like handbags, shawls/wraps/scarves, and seasonal items like holiday sweaters, bathing suits. 

Hangers - One fast way to make your closet look better instantly is to have nice hangers (all the same kind of hanger). The ones I like are Ultra Slim Flocked hangers from Bed Bath and Beyond – use one of those 20% off coupons you get in the mail!


Good luck in your wardrobe clean up!  I'd love to hear what you decided to keep, and what you decided to donate to your local Goodwill store!

Kathy Friend is a wardrobe coach and fashion stylist. For over 15 years, she has consulted with thousands of men and women all over the world to help improve their self esteem through image. She is the Fashion Editor of The Family Magazine and regularly provides information on the WSBT Morning Show as a Fashion Expert. Kathy provides fashion advice regularly through FASHION DAY events at Goodwill stores in Northern Indiana. For information on upcoming Goodwill events, please visit the Goodwill Website.

Get ready! MODEL SEARCH!!!

Keep your eyes peeled for details on our GOODWILL LITTLE BLACK DRESS FASHION SHOW model search! Details on how to enter to be released soon!

photo from http://www.tamicollins.com

Spring Cleaning the Electronic Waste From Your Life

photo credit: dio5

In a world where your phones and electronics become obsolete within a year, it should come as no surprise that there is a lot of electronic waste lying around that could be put to great use and recycled today. In fact, the EPA estimates that in 2007, 157 million computer products were discarded (CPUs, monitors, notebooks, keyboards, mice, printers, faxes, and copiers). Just imagine if those items would have been donated and processed by Goodwill instead how much we would be able to keep out of our landfills?

As the season for spring cleaning is around the corner, consider a spring cleaning of the electronic warfare that is taking up residence in your basements, garage, and home office. Today I wanted to share with you the beauty of donating your electronic items to Goodwill and how some of the items gathering dust in your home could benefit someone in your community!

What is the Dell Reconnect program?

I never truly understood how amazing the electronic donation program was at Goodwill until I took a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility and got to see the processing of donations as they were happening in real time. It should come as no surprise that the donations that come in aren’t all in the best condition, but the way that Goodwill looks at donations is that every component of that donation has a valuable part to it. Some of the items that cannot be sold in their stores are processed simply as raw materials, such as metals, plastics, and textiles.

Goodwill has a partnership with Dell to process electronic waste in a technology recycling program that can greatly benefit our community and reduce the waste in landfills. The program is called Reconnect and it offers you an easy, convenient and responsible way to recycle your used computer equipment. You can drop off any brand of used equipment - working or not - at Goodwill's Drive-Thru Donation Centers at their retial stores.

photo credit: tiramisu_addict

What types of items does Goodwill take?

While you may already be aware that you can donate those computers, printers, & scanners, there are some items that you might not realize Goodwill will take for you. For example, Goodwill will happily process those cords and cables (power cord & USB cables) that no longer have a use in your home, your ink & toner cartridges (either full or empty), computer speakers, televisions and software. We even take cell phones!

Items where the glass could be broken, like computer monitors and scanners, just need to be placed into a trash bag or box and clearly labeled that they are broken and the date of your donation. Isn’t it nice to know that even those broken items in our home can be processed for donation?

photo credit: Taran Rampersad

What do I do about the confidential information on my hard drive?

Unfortunately, Goodwill cannot be responsible for the information that may exist on your hard drive. Just imagine if they had to process that along with the millions of donations that they process each year?

Before wiping your hard drive clean, be sure that you back up whatever you might need from it. Remember that when you clean the hard drive that you will not be able to get anything back from it that you might need later down the road.

It is easy and free to erase your hard drive and there are many free online programs that can help you with this process. This site, for example, offers easy instructions and a program that you can download to help you erase your confidential information. If you don’t feel comfortable doing it yourself, you can always hire a third party company to assist you.

photo credit: goodwillsp

Where do I drop my donations off?

To get your tax donation form, be sure to drop those donations off at Goodwill's Drive-Thru Donation Centers at your nearest Goodwill store. The bonus that makes the trip entirely worth it is that our Michiana Goodwills offer coupons for every donation that you make. After you create a little space in your home from that donation, you can do a little shopping for another great piece to continue organizing your space!

If your donation is a bulky one, you can call 574.472.7334 and Goodwill will be happy to pick up. There are some areas they cannot pick up from, so call ahead to see if your location is within their range.

Basically, there are just no excuses for not getting rid of the electronic waste in your life!

photo credit: Goodwill International

Why should I donate my items to Goodwill?

All of that electronic equipment that you donate to Goodwill has value. Whether it is an entirely working operating system or it is simply your empty ink cartridges, your items help Goodwill’s mission to provide jobs, training and placement services for people with barriers to employment. You can feel so proud that you finally weeded through your electronic clutter, happily accept your tax receipt, keep your electronics out of the landfill, and provide jobs for others.

I can think of no other reason than that to make Goodwill a place to unload the electronics gathering dust in your life!

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Time to confess! What electronics are you hanging on to that you haven’t been able to part with? I will start the discussion with our Super Nintendo, a whole bin of random cords, an extra printer, an extra scanner, and two old cell phones. What is gathering dust at your house?

Amy Allen Clark is the Founder of MomAdvice.com, a web community where she shares advice on parenting, money-saving ideas, recipes, and solutions for work-at-home moms. Visit her site for more ideas on ways to live on a frugal budget!

Little Black Dress Fashion Show - behind the scenes

We've been hard at work for months!  Yes, MONTHS!  Pulling together amazing outfits, finding the perfect items for the Boutique...well, it all takes time!  See what we've been up to:

 

OOO LaLa!  So cute...anyone have a formal event coming up?  This is the season's IT color...Get it now, well, get it at the Little Black Dress Fashion Show Boutique!

 Some of the looks event fashion expert, Kathy Friend, has pulled together!  These models are going to look AMAZING!

Our resident fashion guru is really talented...at SHOPPING!  Her goods on this Goodwill shopping trip were so much that they didn't fit into Goodwill bags, she needed boxes!

Yes, Little Black Dress Fashion Show preparations have begun...look at all the goodies!  All hand picked by our fashion expert, Kathy Friend. 

The event is called 'The LITTLE BLACK DRESS Fashion Show', isn't it?