The KonMarie method

Igamogam

[QUOTE=iQueen;68646044



I haven't given myself a deadline, more a target to aim for. Deadlines have always been deadly for me - I leave whatever it is, to The-Night-Before, and then panic! :eek: But this is showing signs of changing. I'm now recognising that dealing with anything, as soon as, brings joy and maintains tranquility! :dance:[/QUOTE]

yes I have always been a last minute kinda person - thrive under pressure and all that:eek: In fact have a large piece of 'work' to be handed in which I could have finished 6 months ago but havent...deadline looming and I know it will be a last minute/burning midnight oil activity.............however I agree with you regarding the dealing with stuff 'as soon' as which is what I am finding with the house clutter. The deadline is because I have promised myself this is the last summer break I spend rearranging the carp............I owe it to myself.

Large bag dropped off at CS. Its been a few weeks since I dropped by with a BIG bag - I was greeted with a cheery - "we have missed you. We have got the barcodes ( for gift aid) ready ( I new that already) - you have your own personal space back there"............:eek:

Wasn't sure how I felt about that - embarrassed or amused or really sad.............

Igamogam

catshark88 wrote: »

This can work really well.

20+ years ago, I had to move from a house I adored, in a part of London I'll call X. I took a cutting from a buddlia tree in the garden. I have kept cuttings of that cutting ever since. There is a possibility we might buy a house back in that area, soon. The thought of taking the
"X buddlia" back to X, makes me quote tearful.

Of course maybe I just need to get out more! :rotfl:

When my grandmother died I realised I was never going to go back to the family home so I dug up some peonies ( very dark red and remembered them being in the garden all my life) and took some cuttings of the golden privet hedge at the front of the garden as I had fond childhood memories of grandad cutting the hedge every week in the summer and me brushing up the cuttings. I also asked a neighbour if I could have some plants from their garden - the person I remember living there when I was a child was a great friend of my grandparents but although long since gone there where still some lilies that grew every year and I always loved........I think there had always been a secret garden rivalry between my grandmother and her neighbour:rotfl: The privet cuttings did root but did not survive the following very cold winter. The peonies and lilies however have thrived. Have no idea of the variety of either but the lilies we call Mrs M's Stinking Lilies - they are yellow with swept back petals and too close they really pong but at distance the evenings are filled with perfume - just how I remember.

A few years after I was back in the town where I grew up and decided to drive past the house .............how sad those beautiful competitive front gardens had been dug up and replaced with tarmac....... for cars:(

iQueen

It's lovely reading about all these cuttings suggestions!

Most of my garden has been taken over by huge brambles, but a few things are struggling through! (Was stricken with sciatica last year and the brambles got a grip that I still have to conquer, but at the moment I'm conquering the kondoing inside!)

Now is the time to take cuttings from shrubs, and they should have rooted strongly enough for planting out, by the autumn, or over-wintering in a sheltered spot, for planting next spring. :j

Most shrubs will take, if you cut them just below a bud, on a strong, sturdy shoot. Don't cut into the lower woody stem, and, preferably, not a shoot that has flowered. Cut off the growing tip - so all the energy will go into making strong roots, and stick it deep in a pot of damp compost.

Keep it moist. Don't worry if it drops most of the leaves. Wait until you notice new buds/leaves, before planting. As soon as you notice signs of life on the 'stick', you will know that it has grown roots!

You may be lucky with just one cutting, but I like to play safer and take 4-6, planting them around the edge of the pot.

Many of my shrubs are joyful memories, from gardens that have family history.

Hollyboll

Hello fellow Konverts

Been an unusually ‘out and about ‘ day for me so no kondoing today (although I did kondo quite a lot of tapas and wine with some committee colleagues in a planning session tonight).

Thanks so much for the lovely welcomes, encouragement and good wishes.

Dragonette / Iqueen – great thoughts about the hoarders’ threads. It made me laugh in the book when MK said her hardest clients had been lawyers … that’s my background too, the ‘what if ‘ is deeply embedded. For now anyway I recognise my serious procrastination at reading so much before getting down to it, so not getting started on another forum atm.

I do have a pathological hatred of waste / chucking though, so like the finding of new homes where possible … fr@@cycle good and also CS / other charities.

Iqueen – loved the comment about your front door – one of my lightbulb moments was realising when I came home to my flat which I should love so much (and did once as it is my security, pace mortgage debt etc) that I had a sinking feeling just approaching it. And if you liked the avalanche you’ll love this … cooking the other day in an effort to kondo both freezer and lbs, and roll of binbags I’d stuffed in cupboard above hob fell open, onto pans, melted, then I grabbed, messed my hands for days and smell STANK ☹ ☹ ☹

Catshark88 how did the clothes go today?

Susan / Mav – thanks for the encouragement. I particularly liked the idea (which is probably true) that all the thinking I’ve done and reading about this even before starting has shifted stuff for me … I definitely am seeing random things and ‘outing’ them already. And I do already LOVE my drawers rather than shelves, where I can see everything and it’s all nice and folded.

GreyQueen – you being a “person of enthusiasms” is definitely a positive example on this thread, I’m sure we’ll all agree. Even Gary the towel …

PWD – loving your tips … much better articulated but I think kind of where I got to … stay away from the ‘rational’ questions and by handling each item just go with feeling – it’s already thinning out more than before, and I’m sure a second cull to come. You posted something a while back about how you’d like your home to be which I thought was great, must go back and have a look ….

and yes – oats in the microwave. Is there any other way? (except maybe soak in fridge overnight and eat just like that)? Definitely no pot-washing activity.

Greent - thank you, when I tackle the kitchen tomorrow I’m going to imagine I’d have to pack it, pay for the removal and then unpack … good tip ☺

Jinny / Mav - so much you can do with pics now – mousemat, computer wallpaper, screensaver, wall things, keyrings, textiles (only which bring you joy and have a place to live of course). Mav, might be worth taking a few pics in different weathers from inside and outside your kitchen window. If you do move, will far eclipse any memories of the Silly Old Fool.

‘Night all – out in the morning but time for paper avalanche and kitchen kondo tomorrow afternoon ….

allybee101

Hello and welcome new folks! Hope you're settling in well.
It a very friendly bunch of folk on here and IQueen summed it up perfectly: successes (no matter how small) are celebrated, there's no judgement and we can share such inspiring stories of how Kondo-ing is working its magic in other areas of our lives.


Mavvymoo I loved your story about the tree, made me smile.

I have a steadily growing pile of bags for the tip and charity shop which I plan to remove on Saturday.
I find I am kondo-ing weight successfully as well - with more determination and steel than I've ever had before. After my wardrobe clean out I have held onto a few well made items that are slightly smaller, they are inspiring me to lose weight and keep going. In fact I have turned one dress into art - it's on a hanger on a picture hook on the wall facing the bed. When I wake up I see it and it reminds me to keep on track every day so that I can get back into it!

dragonette

Hollyboll, I'm in awe of your ability to remember things by all the posters! I'm useless at that!!

Got some of the previously decided upon things out today - will be able to do a lil more tomorrow. Maybe. Still, everything that goes is progress! I'm really not kondoing properly, but the 'joy spark' is being very helpful to me

GreyQueen

The thing that I find about kondo-ing is that you can even do it in random idle moments, and even away from home. It's as if some items have been hidden in the shuffle and come to light (and to mind) and you suddenly see that they can go.

I'm getting a daily report from the parental homestead (they're in their early seventies) about the upheaval caused by having the new CH boiler installed. It's a big job as a back boiler and tanks are coming out and a combi boiler is going in. All this is a house built pre-CH and quite a few workarounds having to be done. The upshot is that there's barely an area of their home which isn't in a muddle. And it's a hoarder-ish home anyway, I mentioned that the 4 drawer 5 ft tall filing cabinet had been lost and found, didn't I? There have been other things as hilarious.

I'm having some interesting convos with my Dad (not the owner of 90% of their Stuff) about decluttering. He is very aware that they are in their latter years and that they won't need most of what they own. Mum is resistant to decluttering but I am hoping that restoring the house to its normal (cluttered) condition will cause some items to be reviewed and rejected, rather than replaced. They haven't moved house for 45 years.......:eek:

This morning I was washing dishes inc one of those oval ice-cream tubs which I'd just finished and was about to brag on here that I am now pure and will be recycling it today, then had a LBM. My blackcurrant bush on the allotment is almost ready to be picked (less than a fortnight should see the job done), and this tub will be used for bringing the currants from the plot (several trips) THEN recycled. I am determined it will exit post-harvest. This is what I used last year, and it worked well, you don't really want blackcurrants in proper plasticware as they can stain it.

Continuing to plug through the pencil stash, finished another one up at work yesterday, and the scrap paper stash likewise. I find joy in using stuff up and hate using new paper for the scratch notes which I take during calls and which go into the confidential shredding at shift's end, anyway.

Knitting project is ongoing (blanket) which will be kept in the form of a photo of the finished item and then donated. That way I get to have my cake and eat it, too.

Gary Update; the now-famous Gary towel is having to be kept firmly in the airing cupboard as he'd got a bit above himself and started to talk about getting an agent because now he's been mentioned on MSE he's famous. He feels he should probably have a proper career, not be limited to a few feet of roaming (airing cupboard-bathroom-washer-airer-airing cupboard etc etc). Naturally, this has to be crushed and he and TROPICAL are commiserating together whilst the nameless towels are having their day in the sun. SPORT towel has left, which may be an example of their fate, should I feel it necessary to assert my authority.

A woman should always remain greater than her linens, don't you think? :rotfl:

Pooky

I'm doing a little happy dance.....

DD's (17 and 19) had both started to get the MK bug - slowly filtering in but I've been noticing a lot of trips to the wheelie bin with bits/bobs/general tatt.....there's been a designated place on my bed to leave anything that needs to go towards the CS (so i can check it's worthy and not better suited to the rag bag)....they'd done really well and it all started to tail off......until last night. DD2 arrived in the living room around 8pm with a black sack for charity (a separate bag for rags) and had bagged up lots of winter stuff for the loft, her wardrobe was organised, neat and tidy and in some semblance of order, her shoes neat and tidy and bags all hung up.

If only I could train the cats.....

mavvymoo

Hollyboll wrote: »

Hello fellow Konverts

Been an unusually ‘out and about ‘ day for me so no kondoing today (although I did kondo quite a lot of tapas and wine with some committee colleagues in a planning session tonight).

Thanks so much for the lovely welcomes, encouragement and good wishes

Jinny / Mav - so much you can do with pics now – mousemat, computer wallpaper, screensaver, wall things, keyrings, textiles (only which bring you joy and have a place to live of course). Mav, might be worth taking a few pics in different weathers from inside and outside your kitchen window. If you do move, will far eclipse any memories of the Silly Old Fool.

.

Thanks everyone for the great ideas on the cuttings /photos etc I will see if I can take some cuttings as I know now that Mums Tree will be left here if we do move already after thinking about it long and hard yesterday :)So will see what I can do after asking google :rotfl:Yes the silly old fool will be eclipsed:)already has been by a worm I found in the garden

On the clothes front I went out for lunch yesterday with my Dad I took him out for Fathers Day even if we both think the whole idea is carp :rotfl:Just to a local pub so was going though my fully kondo'd jeans all standing up like a row of soldiers

There was a pair at the back which had gone though about 7 cullings.Looked at them and thought I will wear them. Tried to put them on and they are tiny (I am a size 10 and these are about a size 6) Couldnt even get them up my legs :rotfl:How did they escape? dont ever remember buying them they would never ever have fitted me. and to be honest I dont want to fit in them as I would look like a stick :rotfl:So just when I thought clothes all brought me joy I find they dont ALL bring me joy :rotfl:

So charity pile is starting to grow again.So maybe I am not completely kondo'd after all

Mav x

PollyWollyDoodle

Re the porridge: just cook it on 'medium' setting rather than full, as someone else has said - I usually do 2 mins and find it enough.

I'm another one with a garden full of plants grown from cuttings, many of these remind me of my mum who loved her garden.

I'm snarling with chagrin and fury, my sister is arriving to stay today and then tomorrow two other guests (living near the Tube I'm a handy hotel for London!). That's not why I'm grumpy though - MK has stalled here, and I have just had to do the usual, drag all the carp out of the spare room into my bedroom to make it habitable.

Admittedly some of this is already designated for CS/donation to a friend, just haven't had time to take it there. And there is less of it than usual, and my bedroom is now so tidy that there's more room for it .... I swear that this time none of it is going back in the spare room after the guests have gone though.

This may be the push I need to get going again! At least the filing (spare room is also my office as I'm self-employed) is now easy to do as everything is in ring-binders, it takes so much less time than delving in the filing cabinet. I'm still inspired and invigorated by hearing of others journeys, so I'm keeping on.