Around this time of year, each year, women on Amelia Island face the dilemma of changing seasons. It isn’t as big of an issue for women in northern climates, but I would not trade with them for the world. Recently, as I chose my outfit for the day, I was overwhelmed with too many clothes that I am not going to wear. It is time to put my summer clothes away.

In October and November, the weather changes some and we get some crisp, cool days. This is generally followed by another couple weeks of hot weather. The back and forth of hotter and cooler temperatures can continue for months. By this time of the year, we are tired of our shorts and tees and want to wear our fall clothes to look smart for school or at the office. I love my sweaters and corduroy pants, even though I only get to wear them for a couple of months each year, but it is way too early to think about our winter clothes that we only wear for a couple weeks in February.

I am trying to organize my closet now. All year long I leave out my swimsuit, a pair or two of shorts, and a hoodie. I can put away my tank tops (except the ones I used to layer), sundresses, summer blouses, summer sandals, and some shorts. Flip flops are a year round staple. What makes things more difficult is that it is always freezing cold where I work so long-sleeved shirts are a must year round.

To change seasons in your own closet you have to take the weather into consideration. It’s best to hang in the back of the closet or store out-of-sight anything that you won’t be wearing for a while. They will only clutter the space you have and make it even harder for you to get dressed every morning. If you don’t have the closet space to store out of season clothing, you can invest in under-the-bed boxes or even those space-saving vacuum-sealed bags sold on TV. I invested in some under-the-bed bins for storage of my summer clothes. I opened my cedar chest and my winter clothes, such as my quilted and wool jackets, are patiently waiting for cooler weather.

Although the project of changing my wardrobe will take a while to finish, I am hoping my morning choice of outfit will be easier to deal with. Changing seasons and changing over our wardrobe maybe be frustrating, but is a small price we pay to live in paradise.