The KonMarie method

Hollyboll

I now try and drag my CS piles into car just to store them somewhere 'out'. Probably not very MSE on fuel though ….

luxor4t

I got out all my embroidery skeins and looked at them.
Joy!
I touched them
more Joy!
I counted them.
oops - 250+ not counting the 5 x 12 'bargain' packets of unbranded skeins......
I sorted them into brands (simply for number / shade recognition, I'm not a label snob although there is some debate in stitching circles :whistle:)
Now I need to work out exactly which ones to keep.
And I have a KM friendly, budget friendly, storage solution - upright, in plastic bags with backing card, in a shoe box! - thanks to the lovely Pinwheel Ponders blog.
This is her picture, I hope she does not mind. I shall replace it with my version as soon as I can.

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all
Polly, would you have time to take the stuff to the CS rather than moving it into your room and could your friend come and collect the donations from you? That would save moving it twice.
Love the memories that are being shared because of mavvys mums tree.

Luxor love the storage suggestion for the threads, I bought some 'proper' dmc storage boxes with skein bows and hated them they constantly fell out and got muddled up also because you were supposed to take the label off and slip that onto a different part of the 'bow' there was the risk of it sliding off and being left with skeins of unknown colour, I donated them to the Cs a while ago, I now use the boxes were you wind the skeins onto little cards and slot them in it takes up far less space.and I bought most from various car boots already done like this so I just added mine in, like you I've got a mix of brands that need to be kept separate for ease of use and colour identification.

only got normal shift plus extra 30mins today then dreaded dentist this afternoon, plan to do exercises then sew button on DD3s shorts so they can go back to hers, need to sew hairdresser friend some chair covers so they can go out of the fabric box and into her shop. Also need to think what I've got that suitable for a pirate costume, might have to buy something at the carboot on Sunday to use then redonate it somewhere afterwards.
So far thinking cut off jeans, stripy t tshirt or flouncy new romantic style shirt, and a bandana made from off cut from my fabric stash. We have been told we WILL get wet!

cpt574

Wanted to pop in and say hi, been MIA again for a little while. Have more to do but do keep stalling. Waiting for some cross stitch bits to end on eBay and then they will be gone. Love the pic luxor!
Did sort some cables and electrical bits into one place the other day so should sort them soon.
Today however think dd17 and I are going to have a go in her room. :eek: she does have some issues with this sort of thing, doesn't want me touching stuff and moving it yet hates spiders so won't move it herself. She knows she is making things difficult but is unable to help it. She is hoping to move out in a few months so it needs doing, but am anticipating a very difficult time with panic attacks ensuing. Hopefully we will manage and neither of us will feel too low afterwards, hoping to go to the cinema this afternoon as a treat!
Welcome Hollyboll, you seem to be doing well, keep it up, and welcome all other newbies. It is worth it.
Had a major victory in ikea yesterday, took dd17 to buy stuff for her new place, did buy some bits for me but resisted the Tupperware! Had my hand on it, and put it back because what I have fits in the Tupperware cupboard neatly and is enough, more wouldn't have been good like I used to think! Did buy some yellow towels, am filled with joy every time I open the cupboard, do need to re kondo the rest though, am going to have a very bright linen cupboard, but hey ho, so long as it brings me joy:j

iQueen

My goodness, this thread is really picking up again - unlike 2 others that originally took me half a day to catch up on!

Still only part caught up on posts this morning, but feel the need to respond to what I've read so far!

dragonette, I usually jot down usernames and the point I've noted and want to comment on in a post... but it can lead to extensive quotes and responses! Maybe Hollyboll makes notes too? I shall no doubt be 'double posting' this morning with the plethora of posts today! :rotfl:

GreyQueen wrote: »

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:

When I retired, (8 years ago), I found that, suddenly, I 'had no purpose' in life. My life (and income!) had shrunk overnight, and the future appeared to be a 'waiting-room', filled only with daily routines.

Maybe your Mum is in this rut, which is causing her to hang on to things from a more positive past, together with things for an uncertain, or over-ambitious future?

This might change if you could spend some 'woman-to-woman' time together, (out of their home), talking about her visions of the future, and discovering things that can make it less bleak?

I had always had an exciting view of retirement, none of which materialised. It was a bummer! But tackling my home has taken me back to my former positivity, with new, realistic visions. HTH

Hollyboll wrote: »

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 ….

A bit of woo, about feelings and why they are so powerful, and why they can be so negative, based on my own experience over the past 2 years.

Babies and children, up till about 5-7, can only express, in very basic ways, their feelings, because they don't have sufficient language to articulate what appears to be happening. (Think a full nappie!)

These feelings are permanently stored on the brain's 'hard drive' and can only be properly interpreted and addressed, when children are able to think rationally and voice them. Many of these early feelings are inappropriately interpreted and stored away, to be reactivated later in life, when presented with an, apparently, similar situation.

For example, a toddler's lost, beloved teddy, could arouse similar strong feelings of grief, in adult life over anything potentially lost in adult life.

Today, discarding tems that we have loved, can be a problem, if our feelings revert. However, today, we can now resolve those feelings, by rational thinking - it's worn out, it's never used, it makes me sad, etc.

MK's emphasis on 'feeling joy' works because joy is the most important and powerful of our first feelings. We can easily identify it.

Later, on our kondoing journey, we start applying it to other parts of our lives, apart from possessions, because joy is what should motivate us in life.

That is why I am constantly :dance: now!

oceanspirit

Trade magazines were up to date until postie brought next month's this morning. Had a go at the reading pile and it is now half its size - am ridiculously excited about that .

Contents of herb and spice baskets slowly diminishing and meals becoming more inventive. There are also some supplements in the cupboard so now have a plan to use those up too.

Today's Kondo task is to clear the other half of the reading pile and make a list ready for a meeting to tidy up some loose ends which I also need to arrange.

Pooky, congratulations on infecting your offspring with the Kondo bug.

iQueen

Hollyboll wrote: »

I now try and drag my CS piles into car just to store them somewhere 'out'. Probably not very MSE on fuel though ….

I'm bad at getting Stuff out, for MSE reasons! I rarely go into town, so Stuff just has to stay, until I have a second good reason to go in as well! :rotfl:

cpt574 wrote: »

Today however think dd17 and I are going to have a go in her room. :eek: she does have some issues with this sort of thing, doesn't want me touching stuff and moving it yet hates spiders so won't move it herself. She knows she is making things difficult but is unable to help it. :j

Just imagine if someone else was 'helping' you disacrd your stuff! Panic! Unless you trust them to leave all decisions to you.

Make sure that DD has total control, and you only make suggestionsabout the 'how'. It will be easier and your relationship will be greatly strengthened.

When I had a serious panic attack/anxiety, a couple of weeksago, my GP told me it is due to an adrenalin rush. The cure is distraction - doing something different, that requires intense concentration. IME, it works beautifully!

But if you avoid 'bossy Mum syndrome' from the outset, she will not panic. :rotfl:

Good luck!

Will have to come back later to finish reading - need to pop out on an errand!

cpt574

iqueenwe have been through a lot, and I wouldnt dream of being bossy, I only need to help because she can't move stuff under the bed etc in case of spiders, wouldn't get rid of anything she doesn't want to. Bit of a catch 22 because she needs my help but is stressed too, will leave it today though she is not in the mood, will help when asked.

greenbee

cpt574 wrote: »

iqueenwe have been through a lot, and I wouldnt dream of being bossy, I only need to help because she can't move stuff under the bed etc in case of spiders, wouldn't get rid of anything she doesn't want to. Bit of a catch 22 because she needs my help but is stressed too, will leave it today though she is not in the mood, will help when asked.

Point out to her that if everything is clear and clean the spiders won't have anywhere to hide :-) I know that works for me :cool:

Blue_Doggy

Hi All! Just diving in on a break from paperwork. Wow there's lots of good kondoing going on!

Just a comment on microwave porridge - I have this at least twice a week for winter breakfasts. Porridge and water in bowl, m'wave for 1 minute, stir, m'wave for another minute. I watch it during the second minute as it can tend to "volcano" but I've never had it actually boil over. Serve as you like (with milk, cream, salt, jam, brown sugar, golden syrup, sliced banana etc.).

My favourite breakfast oats is porridge oats in a bowl with berries and almonds, and top-of-the-milk poured over: a sort-of muesli but less expensive than made-up mueslis and no added sugar. I've eaten this for Sunday breakfast for well over 30 years and still enjoy it!