With Leah being my second girl, I'm barely getting started into this. I have certainly enjoyed buying Emma and Isaac clothes and not having to deal with pulling out any buckets. As organized as I've tried to be... some how I can't seem to find the articles of clothes that I'm looking for or hoping will fit. For instance, where has that ladybug costume gone?

You are signing my song. If you get any great advice, send it my way. Right now is a tough time cuz Brynna is outgrowing most of her 4T's but there are some she still fits. So we can't pack away the 4T box cuz we'd have to dig it out again to put the other stuff in when she eventually outgrows them or...which is much more likely, they end up on her closet shelf likely at anytime to fall down on someone's head. So, right now we have the 4T bucket on her shelf instead waiting for her to outgrow the rest of the clothes. Just to prove a point about my laziness. The bucket is on the shelf, but there are clothes that I've tossed up on the bucket lid because I'm too lazy to actually open the lid and put the clothes inside!

ugh! i HATE this dilemma too. i hate hate hate all the clothes! bins and bins of the stuff...

i have no advice. i just wanted to commiserate.

Yesterday I read this great quote, "If you get rid of the clutter you don't have to organize it!" That doesn't exactly fit this situation, but I loved it. Now, as your mom, you know me - I'm a concealer. I just keep finding better and better hiding places. Now, when we moved into this house 20 years ago, I had to go through EVERYTHING in the old house. The children's size buckets were the worst. I still had baby clothes and my baby was eight years old! As I went through the clothes I kept thinking...now why did I save, for instance, 12 "play" shirts? etc... If I had to do it over again I'd do what a friend of mine did (and I was too weak to do). She figured that she did laundry at least once a week, so she only saved a weeks worth of clothes in each season and size. And she only saved the very best. She explained that by the time the next child grew into the clothes, there would be birthdays, Christmas, and new styles, and to give her room to shop just for fun. Her kids always looked great and, I know firsthand, there was room in their drawers to put clothes away - they didn't just wear the top 3 inches that had to be shoved in on top of the unloved clothes. I think the key here is to count what you're saving - you choose a number that you think would work. I am in awe of all you younger moms - it is a much more complicated world that you are mothering in - you are all amazing!

I am RIGHT there with you! With the birth of our 3rd, a boy, I have been going through the buckets of our first born, a boy. However, when our 2nd, a girl, was born, I borrowed some of the gender neutral clothes from older sibling, and now, the bins are a total chaotic mess! I am determined to park in the garage before the snow flies (and since I live in Utah, that could be any time now!), so I have to go clean these buckets out. But it's causing me anxiety! =D
Funny story - Shopko is having a "Lowest Price of the season" sale, and my husband was looking through it; of course the buckets are on a killer sale. He looks at me all excited, and says "Hey, do we need more buckets? They're on SALE!" :p It's a disease, I tell ya!