Spring Clean your Life

At last it really feels like Spring has arrived……after tantalising us last weekend with some warm days, the Weather Fairies were merely teasing us and delivered high winds and cooler temperatures during the week.  It was very disappointing and I, for one, felt a little cheated.  Imagine my delight when this weekend the weather once again became warm and I began to believe that maybe Spring has, as they say, sprung.

Spring has an odd effect on me. It makes me want to clean, to sort and even to de-clutter.  That pile of glossy mags that I have been amassing over winter was soon relegated to the recycling bin this weekend.  I even feel driven to clean windows, wash blinds and sort out drawers.  It is the ONLY time of year I ever feel this urge and then is struck me why.  It’s because Spring is all about renewal, rebirth and the exciting possibilities that the longer days hold.  When Winter has you in its grip and you only have seven or so daylight hours per day, during which you are working, the thought of sorting and tidying is as far from your mind as your Summer holiday seems to be.

Spring however means shiny, sparkling days, longer daylight hours and I believe it provides us with the opportunity to clean and declutter our lives so that we can make the most of Spring and the forthcoming Summer as we’re not as weighed down with “stuff” at home. 

So how do we achieve this?

My first tip is to sort out your drawers.  I had a drawer full of half used aerosols……why, I’ll never know! Hairsprays, dry shampoo, deodorants, hair smoothers….the list goes on.  It was simple really.  Do I use it? No. And the answer was invariable no. Well throw it out!

Just by clear one drawer a day or sort  one cupboard a week and I promise you you’ll feel better.

Now, do the same with the fridge and your food cupboards.  Be honest – do you really need that opened box of Italian Mixed Herbs, with the sell by date of September 2001?  You haven’t used them for eleven and a half years, so are you really likely to need them now?  As for that Fray Bentos pie, well, need I say more.

Ok – bathroom now.  Hands up who doesn’t have a drawer/basket/box full of half used tubes of antiseptic cream, that course of amoxicillin you (or a loved one) never quite finished because you/they felt better or even endless semi-popped foils of tablets that you don’t even know what they are.  I’m confident there are no hands being held aloft here as we are ALL guilty of medicine hoarding!  The only answer here is to bag everything up and return to your local pharmacy for safe disposal.  It will take you five minutes, that’s all.

My next target – the book case.  Despite the fact I read everything on a Kindle now, I still have mountains of books – I’m going to resell them via Amazon or take them to the charity shop along with those clothes I no longer wear.  I will get back so much space!

Yesterday’s news!  My magazine and newspaper collection has a life of its own, multiplying at a rate of knots and don’t even get me started on the take away menus and the local magazines.  All in recycling now.

If your desk is anything like mine, it will be covered in piles of paperwork, each piece masquerading as something dreadfully important, when in actual fact some judicious sorting will give you a small pile of things that must be dealt with, whereas the rest may be shredded or filed.  Use a diary or calendar to record the important dates and recycle everything you don’t need to keep.

Let’s make-up. What lurks at the bottom of your make up bag?  Are you still hoarding that Yardley lippie your Nan gave you, when in reality you’re more of a Rimmel London girl?  Did you know that you should renew your mascara every three months as all sorts of bacteria beasties can lurk in there?  You’ll be doing your skin a real favour by having a make-up make over.  If it’s out of date – bin it!

When you’ve had the make-up bag purge, use this as a reason to update your look; treat yourself to a new blusher or even a change of hair colour.  After all, Spring is all about renewal – renew your look!

Finally, look at your wardrobe.  If like me you still have that dress that you will definitely slim into and are hanging onto, I have three words for you: “let it go”.  If you’ve had it four years and not yet worn it because those extra ten pounds are being stubborn, be realistic and ask yourself if you ever will shift that weight?  Clearing out your clothes can be amazingly liberating and time saving.

Take a trip to the charity shop or give things away to friends and sort what’s left.  I found it really useful to group my clothes into casual, work, going out and special events – saved so much time in the morning as my favourite work dresses are always where they should be.

If you have clothes that you have worn and loved but have pushed to the back of the wardrobe because they need dry cleaning or mending, then give us a call and we can sort everything out for you, with our dry cleaning and alteration service. We can even get your shoes heeled for you.  All with free collection and delivery.

A good ol’ Spring clean will make you feel better – physically and emotionally – and will leave you feeling re-energised and refreshed.  What have you got to lose apart from a manky old lippie and a dress you’ll never wear anyway!?

You Are What You Wear

I’m reading a good book at the moment that has me gripped.  Well it’s on my kindle actually but saying “I’m reading a great download on my e-reader” doesn’t have quite the same ring to it…….anyway back to my ramblings.  In the book, one of the characters has everyone fooled as she is meek and mild Beth at work, all demure cardies and sensible shoes, whereas her evening and weekend alter ego, Lizzie, is all sexy LBDs and killer heels.  It got me thinking about how we dress at work and what are we trying to say.

Everyone at IM Towers has a uniform – smart shirts/blouses and fleeces with our logo and black trousers.  It’s practical, it looks smart and we believe it gives us a sense of “team” and belonging.  It also saves an awful lot of time in the morning in deciding what to wear!

However, when you do have to choose your own clothes for work are you wearing the clothes that will get you promoted or are they holding you back?

You may think that your comedy socks tell the world that despite the fact you may have all the responsibilities of a job and family, that you’re still a fun guy at heart.  It could be telling your bosses something else – that perhaps you don’t take things seriously enough.  A reputation as the office joker may not be the mantle you want.

Ladies – much as you love that gorgeous little skirt you know makes the best of your legs, should you really be wearing it whilst wandering around accounts? The more senior you become in a company, the more there’s the opportunity to be in a client facing role.  If you don’t dress more conservatively, that may not happen.  Yes, the clothes you wear in the office can hold you back.

So, what should you be wearing during the week?  In an office a smart suit or shirt and trousers is required for men and skirt/trousers and a smart (not too revealing) blouse is ideal for ladies.  Although there are some industry exceptions, for instance the creative and media industries tend to have a more laissez faire attitude to dress codes.  However, if you work in a more traditional office, read on.

There are also things to consider beyond the clothes you wear.  There are other DOs and DON’Ts too……

Ladies:

·         Not too much makeup and subtle perfume

·         No facial piercings (although discrete nose studs are acceptable)

·       If you wear high heels, make sure that a) you can walk in them and b) they wouldn’t be better suited to Saturday night clubbing

·         Not too much jewelry

·         Nail polish should be clear or a conservative colour – never chipped!

Gents

·         Ties should be conservative

·         Socks should not declare you as “World’s Best Dad” or a fan of Duff Beer

·         Keep your hair neat and facial hair trimmed

·         Remove earrings and rings, other than a wedding ring

Ok, so now you know what you should be wearing, but  are those clothes saying the right things too?   We’ve all heard horror stories of the chap in the crucial meeting who suddenly realises he has toothpaste on his tie; or the super professional lady who turns up to a presentation with baby sick on her shoulder (ok – that was me! I confess and yes, I was mortified and it put me off my stride all day).  If this is the case, dry cleaning your clothes is the answer. And there are lots of reasons why.

For a start that baby sick and toothpaste will be a thing of the past, as dry cleaning has a much superior stain removal process. Dry cleaning removes grease and oil stains from all types of clothing by using special blend of chemicals to break down tough stains more efficiently, giving your expensive clothing an excellent “like-new” appearance.

Another benefit is that your expensive clothing will last longer than in a standard home wash. Dry cleaning agents don’t fade colours and also prevent the weakening of fabric. Fabric remains soft and new for years. Aside from this, there is no shrinkage.  Sorry girls, you can no longer blame your washing machine for shrinking your skirt – it was the pizza quattro formaggio and 2 large pinots – be honest now!

With our dry cleaning service, it’s also incredibly convenient.  We can collect it from your home or office and return it clean, pressed and bagged at a convenient place and time.  This is especially useful if you work in an out of town office, as so many of us do now with business parks being the industrial estates of the future.

Why not contact all your colleagues, get all your dry cleaning together and give us a call.  See the dry cleaning section on our site or give us a call today.  After all, you are what you wear. If you look professional, you will feel professional.