Look what getting more sleep delivers… a happier mummy, a happier bubby, and an unbridled urge to declutter.  That’s right, now that I’m getting at least six hours of solid sleep a night, all those jobs I’ve been putting off seem far more achievable, like… catching up on missed birthdays (woops), spending some quality time with my husband (hello stranger!) and getting some long overdue depilation (when your four-year-old calls you Hairy Maclary, it’s time to call the beautician).

And today I started on my wardrobe. You see, we live in a small house. And somehow, since I had my first baby in 2007, my wardrobe has become stuffed with clothes I no longer wear.  Office clothes I’m clinging to, even though I work mostly from home. The gold dress I wore as MC at a wedding at the Sydney Opera House when I was a nubile young thing. The piles of outdated sportswear I’m keeping for my much-anticipated return to the gym in 2017.

I’m also lucky enough to have generous friends who regularly gift me clothing, new and pre-loved.  It’s an act of charity on their part – they know that with three children under five, I’ve got Buckley’s chance of getting to the shops. And I’m not a fan of Toddler Meltdowns, especially when they happen in the darkened cubicle of a clothing store. I’ve had my fill of standing starkers in a change room, trying to squeeze into a too-tight dress while my youngest is swallowing a coat hanger, my toddler is licking the carpet, and my eldest in spying on the woman next door.  All the while, a 19-year-old named Naomi is banging on the door asking me if everything is okay.  (No, Naomi, it’s not.)

Thanks to the generosity of my mates, I’ve ended up with lots of nice clothes, most of which I don’t need:

This stuff needs to go...

So what am I going to do with it all? I’m going to send it to Fitted for Work, a fabulous organisation which, since 2005, has transformed the lives of 6,500 women. They help women who have experienced disadvantage to get work and keep it, by providing free interview appropriate clothing at their Personal Dressing Services located in Melbourne, Parramatta and Morwell and through their mentoring and transition to work programs.

So, if you’re like me and can feel a clean-out coming on, consider Fitted for Work. They particularly need small and large clothing, near-new and unworn shoes, unworn stockings in unopened packages, good quality and work appropriate jewellery and handbags. It’s a win-win: you’ll get your wardrobe back, and a woman experiencing disadvantage will get a life-changing boost of confidence and a job-winning interview outfit. Trust me, you’ll feel good about letting it go.

See www.fittedforwork.org

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