How Earl Changed Up Labor Day 2010

Day 58

Normally, I get really sad about Labor Day because it means the end of summer, the end of boating, the end of beach days... But we've had such an amazing summer this year that not only can I not even imagine spending one more day out in the sun, I am actually looking forward to the cooler temperatures and everything else fall has to offer - college football, apple orchards, pumpkins and pretty leaves.

I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but if you live on the east coast, chances are all you heard about last week was how tropical storm-turned-hurricane Earl was on his way up the coast and preparing to rear his ugly head just in time for the long Labor Day weekend. We decided to scrap our plans to head down to the beach on Thursday night, and reevaluate Saturday morning after the storm had passed.

Well, Earl came and went, but we decided to stay put for Fall Cleaning 2010 - a Labor of Love. Not everyone's dream holiday weekend, I'm sure, but getting organized makes me happy.

First stop - the guest room that still holds unpacked boxes from the move one year and three months ago. We found some random clothing and shoes that, honestly, should have probably been immediately donated since they hadn't been missed in all this time. But we sifted through and decided what to keep and what to donate. Hubby had an entire box of t-shirts and baseball hats.

Next stop - Hubby's bureau and closet. In order to make room for the rediscovered t-shirts we had to go through drawers and decide which to keep and which to donate. We even put some in reserves to replenish as others grow too old and raggedy for wear.

Next up - Bed Bath & Beyond (for the first of three times over the weekend) for an over-the-door hat rack for the hats and a few other necessities to help facilitate our Fall Cleaning weekend. I am so ridiculously jealous of how gorgeously organized and pristine Hubby's closet is right now. Sometimes when I walk by I turn on the light and just look at it. Mine, on the other hand, did not get touched this weekend.

I was too busy swapping out plastic hangers for cedar coat hangers in the coat closet; raising the guest beds off the floor with bed risers (to prevent the bed-skirts from dragging on the floor); organizing travel-sized toiletries by category (have I ever told you how I'm obsessed with organizing?); hanging my dresses in new dress bags; and weeding through/organizing all my fun accent and costume jewelry that I never wear because it's in a big pile in the closet.

All of this takes much longer than one would think, but the payoff is so worth it. It's such a great feeling when everything has a place and if it doesn't, someone else might need it more than we do. I'm sure I'm going to envy everyone's end-of-summer tans - this weekend turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous one - but I couldn't have planned a better weekend at home. Thanks, Earl.