Operation PURGE: Bras, Belts, and Baby Stuff

I embarked on yet another organizational venture this past weekend (not much else I could do while home with a sick little boy - more on that later). I was putting away clean laundry and came across a nursing bra and a couple of nursing tanks. I decided it was time to do one last sweep through my wardrobe to collect all remaining nursing paraphernalia so I can put it all into storage (in case there's ever a "next time"). In the process of pawing through my bra drawer, it occurred to me, I have a LOT of bras. As in, too many. I did a rough count, and I'm kind of horrified to admit that I counted 42 bras. Forty. Two!! That is just an outrageous number. Who needs 42 bras?? No one. Certainly not me. Especially when you consider that I only wear about 4-5 of them on a regular basis!

And therein lies the problem. The vast majority of these 42 bras are not ones I wear often (or ever), which means...I am a bra hoarder. I find it extremely difficult to get rid of bras. Not because I am emotionally attached to them or am saving them for future use, but because it just seems wasteful to toss them. But what else can you do with them? I could maybe sell them privately (i.e. in a garage sale), but I don't have the time or energy to do that. I might be able to donate some, but let's be honest, some of the bras I'm holding on to are in no shape to be used (or seen) by anyone else. This week I'm forcing myself to take a hard look at my bra hoard, and here's what I'm finding:

• Bras from smaller days gone by (when I was a 34A, circa 2004)
• Sports bras from my more active youth (yes, from high school) that have no shred of elasticity remaining
• Fancy bras (a.k.a. lingerie-style with matching underwear) from the early days of our marriage when adult play time was all about fun (and not about making a baby)
• Low quality, barely-worn bras, purchased during my post-college days when I was living on ramen noodles and thought I was saving money buying cheap (until I realized how awful they were and had to splurge on more expensive, better quality ones after all)
• Bras purchased on a whim that never really fit right or wound up being incredibly uncomfortable
• Well-loved, often-worn bras that have since been "retired" from my daily rotation due to condition (tears, stains, failing elastic, etc)
• Nursing bras of all varieties (everyday, sleep, exercise) both huge and medium-size
• Special occasion bras (strapless, multi-configurable, seamless) in varying sizes and colors

It's time to let go. It's time to part ways with a lot of these. Worn out, poor quality, or uncomfortable bras will be tossed. Bras that no longer fit must go. I badly need new, good-quality sports bras, so I'm going to ruthlessly limit myself to 2 for now (the only 2 that fit, sadly); I may donate a couple that I bought in the wrong size and hardly wore, but the rest will be thrown out. I will look at (and maybe even try on) the fancy ones, and choose some favorites to keep. Likewise, I will re-evaluate the special occasion options and cut back to 1 or 2 at most. Nursing bras will go into storage with my nursing tanks and a couple of nursing tops from my early postpartum days (except for the one sleep/lounge bra that I absolutely hated, which already has a hole in spite of being barely worn... that one will be tossed). When it's all said and done, I hope to have no more than 10-12 bras remaining in my dresser drawer.

Meanwhile, I'm also tacking belts. Of the dozen or so currently hanging off the corner of my dresser mirror, I'm pretty sure only 1 or 2 actually fit. Couple that with the fact that I'm not much of a belt-wearer to begin with, and it just doesn't make sense for me to hang on to that clutter. Belts can be donated and most of mine are in good shape, so I'll be adding to the Goodwill bag for sure. I think mostly I'm excited about the prospect of a cleaner-looking mirror!

Lastly, I'm slowly working my way through baby stuff. Not baby clothes (although I am donating a few things that we just never used or liked), but more like infant toys and bottles and other things that we don't need to have sitting around anymore. I'm finding this to be harder than I expected, so I'm taking less of a harsh approach with this than with other areas. I'm only forcing myself to toss things that I know can't (or shouldn't) be used again, like bottle nipples or pacifiers or anything broken/worn out. Things that we a) didn't use, b) probably won't use again even if we have another baby, and/or c) don't have strong emotional attachment to will be donated (if in good condition). Otherwise, everything else is being packed up for storage for the time being. Not a complete purge, but just having it out of the way will make a difference and allow space for the next phase of life... toddler-hood!