The KonMarie method

PollyWollyDoodle

Lara wrote: »

I decided to sort the bedroom out in what was middle son's room. GD sleeps there now when they are over from across a very large sea! Threw out two pillows, did the over your arm test first and they drooped just enough for me to say "yes!" And in the wheelie bin they've gone.

The 'over your arm test' - can someone enlighten me, please?

By the way, I agree about the neighbours' house - they have probably rammed everything into cupboards. Every time I've moved house I have looked at the estate agents' leaflet and been astonished at how good my home looks when it's tidy!

GreyQueen

Kondo-ing for parents, that's a tough assignment. I can empathise as my beloved Mum is a hoarder. She had a very rough early childhood and a lot of uncertainties and tends to cling onto things. Unless she can find someone who needs the stuff, in which case she is generosity itself.

About 6 months ago, she agreed that the wigs could go. These are custom-made human hair wigs from about 30 years ago when she had a health problem that left her nearly bald for a time. They were very expensive, she hated wearing them, and she hadn't been able to part from them. Hasn't used them since the 1980s, though.

I'd seen that they'd got as far as the top of the cupboard in the hall (each was in its strong cardboard carton, about the size of child's shoebox) and no further. I refrained from commenting that they hadn't made the final trip out to the bin for several months, until she brought it up.

Mum They cost over £100 each.........That was a lot of money back then.

Me Could you sell them and get the money back?

Mum Of course not, no one would buy them, yuck. Couldn't give them away either..........Can't even make anything out of them.

Me I could put them in the bin for you, if you can't do it.

Mum I can't..........all that money, wasted.

Me Shall I take them into the back garden and bury them with full military honours ? (in-family running gag, too complicated to explain. The prospect is so absurd she bursts out laughing).

Mum Don't be daft.

Me When you're dead, Dad will put them in the bin. Or I will. So they're going to end up in landfill, anyway. Why not let me do it now, then the 'germs' (meaning stigma-of-wastefulness germs) will land on me, not you?

Mum All-RIGHT. But you've got to recycle those boxes..........!

And so I did. I have checked that she is still OK with the decision, and she is.

Now all we need to do is work on the other 999,999 random items in that household and we're good to go.:rotfl:

ali-t

I found additional paperwork at the weekend that detailed issues in previous employment and was all things that were really stressful at the time. Kondo'd by fire was my solution and it meant that the burning bin I bought last month has been getting quite a bit of use. OH has turned into a bit of a fire-starter. I am thinking of getting him to burn some of his old clothes as it is the only way he is likely to adopt the KM principles.

cpt574

Hi, it has been a very long day, and quite stressful but I think I have finished books:j, will move onto paperwork (for the second time) tomorrow, but can't find any guidance on whether I should keep credit card statements and store card statements for a set amount of time?am ok with keeping bank statements payslips etc, but these card statements?? Don't want to throw out if I may need them but can't see why I would...

june89

The YTer I watch who is kondoing her home just posted her book purge. Might help some people? I like the modified approach she took for whether to keep or not, which was asking if she would re-read the book rather than if it sparked joy. I got rid of my books ages ago (re-reads are on Kindle, everything else is borrowed) but I am using the same reasoning for DVDs...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWCRDAw1NHY

Lara

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

The 'over your arm test' - can someone enlighten me, please?

By the way, I agree about the neighbours' house - they have probably rammed everything into cupboards. Every time I've moved house I have looked at the estate agents' leaflet and been astonished at how good my home looks when it's tidy!

If you place a pillow over your bent arm with your palm upwards and it falls down each side then it's time for a new one. They say pillows only last for a few years so I always test mine like this. The heat from your head and dead skin etc can penetrate a pillow it is said.

sushistar

We've been away for a couple of days, but when we got home I managed to unpack straight away, which is a first for me! Somehow easier in organised drawers and wardrobes. Then I kondoed the kids books, with their help - not easy, as they keep far more than I would like, but still got rid of maybe a quarter, and since we have a LOT of books, that's quite substantial.

I'm really noticing that the places I've kondoed already have really changed - I'm not ending up regressing and I'm fining it easier to keep on top of things. That's the biggest shift for me; before I would tidy up a space, and in a week or so it would be a mess again. Now it somehow stays tidy!

Pooky

DH's parents are on the very blurred edge of becoming hoarders, they're both incredibly messy too which really doesn't help the general air of chaos.

MIL offered me a pair of curtains (to use for the fabric) - not anything I'd use but I said yes and whisked them out of there and popped them in the fabric recycling at the tip - every time I go now we come home with a few bags of stuff that I might find useful and it gets sorted and donated/chucked as appropriate - I'm not sure if she thinks she's doing me a favour by passing these things on or if she knows what I'm doing and it's her way of starting to tackle it but either way it's more stuff out of their way.

Lara

Reading about all the kondo-ing of books reminds me we have lots in the loft, which incidentally needs a huge kondo sort out!
By the end of the month (going away so giving me extra time) the loft will be cleared of books and all the toys up there. "children" are errrrmmm all over 25. Asterisk figures all in boxes and immaculate. Is it worth trying eBay selling for toys? Money could then go in grandchildren's money box for when they visit GB, which is twice a year usually.

Lara

Sounds like my Mum Pooky. Tried to relieve her of some gross ornaments she has in her lounge unit. Failed miserably. Was told when she's gone we can do what we want but in the meantime she'll keep them. I wouldn't mind but the glass dome contains some artificial flowers which look as old as they are, 39 years old! :eek::rotfl: . Each to their own as the saying goes.