Make Your Bed & Get Ahead!: Spring Cleaning 101

You can't keep sweeping your messes under the rug!
Our cleaning tips are hardcore so take off those silly stilettos and get to work!

Yes, it's true that Punxsutawney Phil has decided that there will be six more weeks of winter but we believe that its time to check-in with ourselves and see how those resolutions are going, especially if it means we can get some spring cleaning out of the way! 

We know that the last thing you're looking forward to doing is sorting your junk drawer but think of all the spare change (and other helpful odds and ends) you might discover! (Surprise shopping fund anyone?!)

It might still be February, but if that urge to pull out some spring-y accessories is cramming your closet, here are some strategies that might help minimize the stress!

If you're the type of nester that tends to get sentimental with lots of "things", the key thing to remember is that less is more when it comes to being organized. It might be hard to part with sticky notes that evoke a memory from a funny office conversation but if it's really necessary to keep, hide stacks of "things" under or behind wire curtain panels so that they're (prettily) out of the way and you can re-visit them later.

Brighten up your home workspace with colorful organizational tools like boxes and file containers that are the same shade. The uniformity will add some method to your madness and will brighten the room and your disposition when you can easily access important items.

A place for everything and everything in its place!

Start small. The mission of "clutter control" might just mean that you learn to eliminate the unnecessary paper build-up by the phone or the stack of receipts on your desk. Take baby steps to eliminate the clutter in the first place by finding ways that prevent you from getting lost in a mess in the first place!

Adding a feminine touch to your organization can be fun and creative! We loved Martha Stewart's lattice shed board for hanging tools. For the more advanced organizer, painting the lattice to match your door (or staining it so that it stands out) makes a cleaning project a fun, hands-on art project!

Lastly, find a system for yourself. If you know that doing something a certain way actually helps you to stay organized, then don't change it! The worst thing is re-learning where you put everything so stay simple and stress-free!

Matching your organization tools to already established color schemes
helps you keep the things you love while ditching the mess!


Other links to love: Good Housekeeping, INeedMoreTime.com & Don't Get Bit by the Clutterbug

Are you a fan of 'the closet hanger challenge'? Got tips for keeping clean without spending green? Comment below or 'like' us on Facebook.

We'd love to hear your tips and share them!

Put Your Best Foot Forward...In Ankle Booties!

If we had to pick our favorite song about an item in our closet, we'd probably have to go with the Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'". Little Miss Nancy was certainly stylin' in her mid-calf pleather little number that made her first single famous but in 2012 there's a new sheriff in town...the ankle bootie!

You may have seen any number of designers with styles to be coveted. Our favorites tend to be black or grey and made of shiny or matte materials (much like the ones Gwenyth and Sienna are sporting on the left). As always, its good to have something versatile that can be dressed up or down and make you feel fabulous no matter what. 

As Nina Garcia states in her book The One Hundred, "the ankle boot was originally intended to be hidden beneath classic trousers" but lucky for us, street style existed long before Ted Polhemus and designers soon caught onto the notion that ankle boots with skirts, dresses and drainpipes (see below) was a revolutionary step!

Not your mother's drainpipe pants.

But speaking of dressing, are there fashion rules for these little guys? 

Answer: Absolutely.

If you haven't noticed by now, Nina Garcia's book is sort of like the bible to us. Here are the 5 commandments to ankle booties according to Nina:

1. When wearing with pants, keep the colors the same. Black skinny pants tucked into booties will elongate the leg and make you feel fabulous.
2. When wearing with miniskirts, try them with black opaque tights to keep your line going and going. Unless you have fabulous legs, illusion is our master craft.
3. Make sure the bootie does not cut off straight at the ankle like a traditional bootie-these boots are made to be worn under pants and will chop off the leg and make it look stumpy.
4. It is a great alternative to the pump-always consider it if the pump seems too safe.
5. The bootie is a classic way to mix the masculine with the feminine, so don't be afraid to flaunt a little femininity when you have this more masculine shoe on. One must mix it to risk it...

Speaking of risks, how do YOU step out in these fashion favorites? Got pics? Send them to COSMOpolitique@gmail.com, post them to our Facebook fan page or send us a Twitpic by following @COSMOpolitique

And if you still need ideas, channel your inner Nancy and grab a black sequin romper!