The KonMarie method

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jinny wrote: »

http://youtu.be/Ki8F6gESvHY
I've posted about this before but posting again as the thread is becoming very long and new Konverts joining everyday
whoop whoop!
It's a young Canadian mother she runs a cleaning company
Don't be put off her home is gorgeous and so is she.
However I find her cleaning videos so helpful and realistic
Without trying to turn into a Stepford wife God forbid

I was watching her clean a toilet in 3 minutes the other day.:rotfl:

shandyclover

CEW wrote: »

As regards the giving to charity rather than just discarding items I wonder if this is more to do with the Japanese culture. I have never visited Japan but I wonder if charity shops exist over there in the same way as they do here.
Chez x

Just thought I'd comment on this in case anyone was interested...

I am not sure if charity shops exist in Japan, but I do know they donate 2nd hand clothes abroad.

I used to volunteer in a children's orphanage in Pakistan. During the cold weather we would go to an open air market where imported 2nd hand winter clothing were sold off for a minimal price (to cover shipping). There were clothes from the US, France, Germany, UK etc.etc. but for children the best quality was always the stuff from Japan. Bales and bales of adorable clothes and all of them spotlessly clean and in good condition.

penguine

Igamogam wrote: »

Furthest I got a book was to Dublin probably because I left it on a ferry:rotfl: It doesnt seem very popular in the UK as I have 'released' about 10 books and only heard back from one:(

I used to do BookCrossing too. None of the books I released "in the wild" ever reappeared on the website. I gave some to friends and family and they never posted updates either! But there was one lovely little paperback – cost me 10p at a charity shop and was quite old and delicate – which went to Thailand and then on to Australia. Someone contacted me on the site asking for the book and I posted it to her and she posted it on to her mum and they both read it and put updates on the site.

lessonlearned

Just waited in for a certain charity shop to,pick up some furniture I was donating.

They sniffed at the immaculate chest of drawers but eventually condescendingly agreed to take them. They refused to take the matching wardrobe quoting health & Safety regs saying that the stairs were too steep.

Excuse me but our ancient and decrepit removal men had no such qualms and managed it without killing themselves or damaging either the wardrobe or the walls.

Perhaps because the removal men were older and wiser. The guys from the charity shop were just young lazy and frankly you can tell from their attitude that they just couldn't be bothered...They also refused to take a lovely old solid pine table, again I suspect it was too heavy for their poor delicate little bodies. I had already dismantled it for them so it was perfectly easy to move.

Of course they managed to take the lightweight art canvasses. :rotfl:

I wouldn't mind but they were so rude and grumpy and could barely trouble themselves to say thank you.

That is the last time I shall use that charity shop.......I am seething.

Rant over - I shall have a cup of coffee and then get back to Kondoing to calm me down and restore my equilibrium.

Igamogam

On similar lines to LL - I only take my stuff to one high street charity shop now as I found the 'staff' and I know they are mostly volunteers, would question me and rummage through any bag I brought in, in some of the other shops. Sadly I found the more mature volunteers very sniffy. The last straw was when I took some jigsaws in and was asked to count all the pieces out before they would accept the donation! I didnt BTW. I think some of the volunteers have their own rules and regs because I have since spoken to employees of said CS and they where mortified but it put me off.

Broomstick

In these sorts of circumstances if you can bring yourself to do it, it might be worth ringing the regional office and asking to speak to the person responsible for volunteer training in your area. You can say that you wanted to let them know in case it (the specific collection of things you are p***ed off about) was something that would be helpful for them to know about for future volunteer training. In that way, it doesn't seem like a personal attack on individual volunteers or a particular shop but gets the info back to the organisation to deal with in their system. None of the charities should be able to afford to lose custom.

B x

maddiemay

My book has just arrived:D, but I dare not open it as I have to go out for several hours:(

Justamum

I ordered the book yesterday and it's just arrived. I think once I've read it I'll pass it on to my teenage daughter :cool::rotfl: Mind you it will probably just end up amongst the mountain in the middle of her floor.

mamaninie

Well I dived in..... And while I don't have a lot left my wardrobe now only contains things I like and that fit. It looks very pretty. 4 bin bags of donations, 1 of rags (mostly old work uniform) and 1 of stuff I'll try in the dress agency :eek::eek::eek: I've also got a pile of maternity clothes i need to try to sell or give away.

lessonlearned

Broomstick wrote: »

In these sorts of circumstances if you can bring yourself to do it, it might be worth ringing the regional office and asking to speak to the person responsible for volunteer training in your area. You can say that you wanted to let them know in case it (the specific collection of things you are p***ed off about) was something that would be helpful for them to know about for future volunteer training. In that way, it doesn't seem like a personal attack on individual volunteers or a particular shop but gets the info back to the organisation to deal with in their system. None of the charities should be able to afford to lose custom.

B x

Yes that seems a good way forward, thanks for that.

Now how can I phrase this. The two young men in question would I think be "forced volunteers" - rather than ordinary volunteers.

I used to volunteer in a charity shop - of my own free will - but we had to take a percentage of our workforce from some government scheme or other. Most of them were either young offenders or people with learning difficulties who were trying to get a bit of work experience.

By and large most of them were fine, and I am very much in favour of giving young people a chance to gain experience in the work environment.

I also think that everyone deserves a second chance - even if they have committed a crime, often all they need is the opportunity to knuckle down and turn their lives around.

However, for some, they just dont seem to want to try. I'm afraid these two young men were like that,. The driver wasn't too bad and with the right person as a work partner I think he would be ok. However the other one was just obnoxious and you could tell he just didn't want to be doing anything.

I know the weather was awful and it's no fun freezing your tail end off but there's no such thing as a free ride. We all have to work, one way or another.

It just makes me cross because I'm sure there are dozens of people out there who would be happy and willing to give it a go to get a bit of work experience to make themselves more employable.

He's got the chance and just can't be bothered.......

Anyway I have t aken this lovely thread off topic, I do apologise.

I'm having a nice time pottering about and Kondoing to my hearts content.