My children's closets were driving me crazy. The clutter, the winter clothes piled on top of the spring clothes, the lonely socks: it was almost too much to face. Last weekend I gave in and tackled the mess. I touched every item and made a decision about whether to keep it, store it, or donate it. I felt I had reclaimed my sanity when the project was over.

When kids are growing and seasons are changing and siblings are handing down clothes, it can take an engineering degree to come up with an efficient clothes sorting and storage system. I love the feeling that comes from making the best use of the space in the closet.

A clean closet is close to zen because the kids spend less time whining and wondering what to wear before school each day, and those once-lonely socks are snuggly paired with their rightful partners. Check out some of RCPL's books on organizing and feel inspired to reclaim your sanity too.