Spring Cleaning
Pam Carlson
Clean Out
Those Closets
A thorough house cleaning should include purging drawers and closets . Pam Carlson , professional organizer and owner of READY , SET , ORGANIZE ! suggests eliminating anything that is broken beyond repair , stained , too big or too small .“ People have a difficult time parting with things they are sentimentally attached to ,” Carlson says . “ They can ’ t part with an article of clothing because of what they paid for it even though they no longer wear it .” Ask yourself ,‘ When is the last time I wore this shirt ? If it isn ’ t used or worn , let it go .’” Adds Carlson : “ Less stuff equals less stress . Having less to clean and put away will give you more free time to do things you enjoy . Having less stuff also changes the energy in a home .” ( ready-set-organize . com )
“
LESSSTUFF EQUALS LESS STRESS .” PAMCARLSON OWNER , READY , SET , ORGANIZE !
Marci Kessler and Jody Baker-Goodman
Consign Your Bags and Shoes
Now that you have purged your closets , what should you do with all the stuff you don ’ t want ? For high-end clothing and accessories , consider re-sale . If you have gently used designer handbags or expensive shoes you wore once and hurt your feet , these items can be sold on consignment , says Marci Kessler , owner of Doubletake Consignment shop in Short HiIls ( edoubletake . com ). “ Brands such as Chanel , Louis Vuitton and Hermes do very well for us ,” says Marci . Consignors use the money they make to buy something they actually wear and love .” Jody Baker-Goodman , owner of JODY ’ S CLOSET in Millburn adds : “ Re-sale is a great ‘ green ’ alternative . Instead of filling up a landfill and creating garbage , the item gets anew life with anew owner who really appreciates owning a designer item at a lower cost .” ( welcometojodyscloset . com )
Consignment shops are best for highend merchandise inpristine condition . Many people think consignment shops are the place to sell barely-worn cocktail dresses and formal attire , but handbags and shoes are actually the biggest sellers .
Marci Kessler
Jody Baker-Goodman
At Kessler ’ s store , items sell for roughly 60-75 % less than the original retail price , depending on the brand , season and condition of the merchandise .
For less high-end fashion items or household items that are in saleable condition , there are re-sale online sites including e-bay , Craigslist or Amazon . Consider selling your items locally through online sale or swap sites such as the Millburn / Short Hills / Summit NJ Garage Sale Forum on Facebook ( facebook . com / groups / 317262618441725 ). And if you have the time and energy , you can always organize a yard sale .
Donation is another great way to rid yourself of items you don ’ t need and help others in the process . Kessler says , “ If a client is agreeable , we can donate the items we cannot sell to a variety of worthwhile charities including Dress for Success ( morriscounty . dressforsuccess . org ), Market Street Mission ( marketstreet . org / thrift-store ) and Jeans for Teens
“
RE-SALE IS A GREAT ‘ GREEN ’ ALTERNATIVE .”
JODYBAKER-GOODMAN OWNER , JODY ’ SCLOSET
( getouttoday . com / jeansforteens ). The Goodwill NY / NJ in Springfield also accepts donations of clothing as well as other household items ( goodwillnynj . org ). It is open seven days a week and will give you a tax donation receipt on the spot . Also consider donating children ’ s clothing , books and / or household items to benefit the Millburn Middle School . Their Gently Used Sale is held annually in May and is the PTO ’ sbiggest fundraiser of the year . ■
PAM BOLTON : COURTESY OFSUSIE SYNN ADAMSON ; MARCI KESSLER : COURTESY OFLAURA SAN FILLIPO ; JODY BAKER-GOODMAN : COURTESY OFSARI ZUCK
42 SPRING 2017 MILLBURN & SHORT HILLS MAGAZINE