KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

You always put things so well GQ:D The used/useful, deaths in storage and hanging on to things through greed/insecurity. Thanks!Given me a bit of a kick up the bahooki to get back on the kodno treadmill...and yes I would rather be doing other things but I am choosing to do this as I know the long term benefits will outweigh the short term irritation at present

I never *really* understood the "death in storage" till I excavated my understairs cupboard ... awful!

I have a query - there's a horrible ornament from my lovely grandparents place (I had unlovely grandparents too, sadly) but this thing ... its a fish, yes, and its a sort of engraved horn. Its this sort of shape: http://www.cowanauctions.com/itemImages/3gs0041.jpg but definitely not 18th century, as somebody stuck it on a little plinth and pushed an electric lightbulb into the fish's mouth :eek::rotfl:I found it while excavating, and told my mum, as its her parents that it came from, and her instant response was "take it to a charity shop" To be honest, I'm quite tempted to leave it until I can take it to an antiques shop of some sort and find out if its valuable - its so weird, it might be :rotfl: and if its actual horn then I'm also tempted to get rid of the electrical parts and mash it up in my mortar and pestle to spread it on the garden to add some organic minerals.

Anybody know anything about that sort of stuff?

Hello.
A very brief de lurking to say, you have all inspired me to kondo my cleaner, I have not had the confidence to do that before, despite paying her for 2hrs and her never staying more than an hour and a half...and it's not like there isn't anything to clean....and me thinking I can do better. My mum's cleaner who is a star has said she will do odd times when I need help if I am busy or have people to stay....
Thank you - you are all inspiration to me
S x

Ches wrote: »

I kongo'd mine when I found she was wiping down the toilet seat with the teacloth from the kitchen. She put it in the wash after and thought that was ok.

:eek: O-M-G- that is absolutely appalling, you did the right thing to give her the Order of the Boot.

Igamogam, grinning at your OH's LBM that he may just have a paperwork problem. I tend to think paperwork is the most horrible category of Stuff to sort. Because some of it will be very important, although the important bits will be a tiny fraction of the overall volume, you need to look at everything before getting rid. Here's hoping he will set to and kondo the unimportant bits.

After putting the pooter off last night, I went back to the fiddly little project and took some more of the items I had reserved for my own use and prepped them for the chazzer. I did keep some but I had a careful think about the probable reasonable needs I would have and aimed to supply them, and let the rest go.

This can be an anxious process for me, although I am getting better overall. There is a mental soundtrack which runs along the lines of; But what if I need it myself and I gave it away? I'd have to buy it again and that would cost money and I mightn't have the money and and and....

I hasten to add that each of these items could have been bought new with change from £1!

I have seen a fair few things recently which have died in storage. Examples are four of the five elasticated-waist cotton skirts of Mum's in the BCofD, unused since she was at work (10+ years ago). The fifth was OK and was laundered and donated. We also found a pair of waterproof overtrousers which had somehow gone gooey and welded into a mess - not heat caused, must have been a chemical reaction of some kind.

When we did an early sort of Mum's clothes, there were several pairs of trousers with half-elasticated waists which had perished - one grows attuned to that distinctive crackling sound when the elastic is stretched. Not to mention socks with the elastic perished, giving a norah battyesque look in the ankle department.:rotfl:

Jesting aside, the waste of things which we were keeping for future need, or for best, is upsetting. Particularly if we were keeping something for sentimental reasons and it's now spoiled.

Karmacat, my mind is boggling at the cow-horn/ light-bulb combo. Do run it by a couple of antique/ collectable emporiums as it may just be outre enough to attract a buyer even if not for very much money.

I am slooowly regaining full use of my floors in sitting room and bedroom (the bedroom floor not under the bed is a small section less than 3 ft by 6 ft so is easily 'lost') and may even have run out of excuses to vacuum. At the moment, it's far too early to vac in a flat.;)

Today will be a great day, I feel it in my bones. Sun is shining, sky is blue, I've lost 0.8 kg in 24 hours, have vac'd and washed the dishes. Off to work now, catch ya laters. GQ x