The KonMarie method

System

VJsmum wrote: »

You jest - but it has already begun :eek: 2 Swedish store armchairs donated to a friend with an empty house and I am working on a shelving unit in the office.

Good girl....:D.

My main aim is to downsize.... eventually..... and i'm not taking all this stuff with me!:(

Suffolk_Sweetie

I am about to commence battle on my so called 'study' which has in fact become the dumping group for just about anything that we don't want to look at / use/ care about. Thanks for the tips on getting rid of stuff. This has helped enormously to toughen me up and get on with the task

SpikyHedgehog

I took a bag of stuff into preschool today when we went in for our weekly 'get stuff done in the holidays so we're ready for the kids in September' day, and have already started another bag to go in next week. Also, I have another member of staff going to uni one day a week that I can palm off all my uni books onto (that only just came back from one of the other girls).

On the subject of books, DS2 went through his books with me and whittled down his bookcase to a shelf & a half, with 3 bags full for the chazzer. And another full of assorted toys. Unfortunately, I then found 2 big bags that I'd stashed in my room when I got fed up with his books overflowing onto the floor, so we'll have to go through those as well...

I'm struggling to part with my books, so going through them gently, one bookshelf at a time and creating categories for each bookshelf, so all the 'childrens' books should be on the landing bookcase, all the gardening books together on the unit behind the sofa, etc. Out of print and not available on kindle books such as my Chalet School books and the Abbey Girls books are staying! They do bring me joy though, so that's all right.

Cooking books, DS1 bought a small bookcase for the kitchen for the cookery books earlier this year. I've put the vegetarian & vegan books on the top shelf and the others on the second shelf, and get rid of books we don't use. However, with DS1 being a chef, that does mean he won't be ready to get rid of as many books as I will be. And his room is overflowing, so I can't yet ask him to keep the ones he wants in there.

DS1 asked me to take stuff from the shed to the dump, so he can get his old motorbike in there to work on it, which is fine, except that he's not labelled what needs dumping and what not. So I've pulled out some of DS2's old garden toys for the chazzer & some for work, and have a car boot ready to go, but will wait till he gets home tonight and pull more out to go. Yesterday he only worked from noon to 4pm, but it was pouring with rain all day in Suffolk yesterday (waves to Suffolk Sweetie - isn't the weather better today!), so we didn't want to be dragging stuff from the shed...

VJsmum

Judi wrote: »

Good girl....:D.

My main aim is to downsize.... eventually..... and i'm not taking all this stuff with me!:(

That's kind of the long term aim

In the short term i just want things to be simpler....

maman

SpikyHedgehog wrote: »

On the subject of books, DS2 went through his books with me and whittled down his bookcase to a shelf & a half, with 3 bags full for the chazzer.

Perhaps we should adopt Baa Baa Black Sheep as the thread mascot!!:D

juliebunny

Upstairs in my house I only have 2 bins now - the bedroom bin is for stuff which can be re-cycled and the bathroom bin is for non-recyclables. So when I empty them, I don't have to sort them out, just add them to the relevant downstairs rubbish bag and it all goes straight out on collection day. I have a bin in the visitor bedroom as don't expect them to know my system!

Had some awful news today about a lady I worked with for 8 years. She has a matter of only months to live. I'm still in shock. I keep looking at the poem 'If I had my life to live' and thinking how I would feel in her position about how I am living my life at the moment....would I have lots of regrets....? What would they be and what can I do to change them now, so I look back at my life with joy...

peaceandfreedom

iQueen wrote: »

I think the unwanted presents thing is quite complicated, depending on who receives them.

.....

If I receive gifts from friends, that I don't like/ need, I appreciate the thought, and discard them via the kondo methods, if I can't joyfully re-purpose them.

....

Buying for other people can be very difficult, unless we know their tastes intimately. So, I would prefer to be told, if something that I've spent time making/choosing is not joyful to them - I don't want to keep repeatedly making the same mistake, and I'm sure they don't want me to either.

Diplomacy is the key, but unfortunately, most people can't bring themselves to say anything!

Buying presents for others, even people you know extremely well, is always difficult. Particularly things like clothes. Even for my own DDs, I have given up buying clothes now and get them vouchers instead. I buy clothes for the men, but they tend to wear whatever they are given and not be quite so fussy .

Where I am giving presents to people and I'm not sure if they will like it, I always provide a gift receipt and tell them I don't mind in the least if they want to change it.

When I am given small things that I don't particularly like, I accept them with delight anyway, it was a gift and gifts are always welcome. For my last birthday, I was given things I was not overly keen on - toiletries that I don't like the smell of. I plan to donate these to the foodbank collection at work - I know toiletries are a luxury that many people can no longer afford so I will pass them on with thanks. (Note they don't smell nasty, I just don't like the smell, if you see what I mean .)

Fen1

Hi. have not posted here for a long time, and need to catch up on about 150 pages.
My biggest problem is that virtually nothing I have sparks joy. I have masses of stuff, all practical and useful or the dreaded will-come-in-handy-someday. My clothes are a problem. I 've put back on lots of weight due to various health issues, but it's my skinny clothes that I like. It will be a long time before I get back into them, unfortunately.

.Pretty much everything else is crud. Hand-me-downs, charity and sale buys ( "they'll do for now..."); presents ( I have gotten rid of the ones I really didn't like and were of no use, but the useful ones, despite their ugliness, stay. grrrr )

My house is full of CRUD. It gets me down. I don't have the money to buy replacements. It doesn't help that we live in rented accom, so I'm also stuck with decor I don't like ( adjusted as much as I can with soft furnishings ) and carppy fixtures and fittings. I would gut the house and start again if it were mine.

Environment definitely impacts on wellbeing.

Rant over now:(

mavvymoo

Fen1 wrote: »

Hi. have not posted here for a long time, and need to catch up on about 150 pages.
My biggest problem is that virtually nothing I have sparks joy. I have masses of stuff, all practical and useful or the dreaded will-come-in-handy-someday. My clothes are a problem. I 've put back on lots of weight due to various health issues, but it's my skinny clothes that I like. It will be a long time before I get back into them, unfortunately.

.Pretty much everything else is crud. Hand-me-downs, charity and sale buys ( "they'll do for now..."); presents ( I have gotten rid of the ones I really didn't like and were of no use, but the useful ones, despite their ugliness, stay. grrrr )

My house is full of CRUD. It gets me down. I don't have the money to buy replacements. It doesn't help that we live in rented accom, so I'm also stuck with decor I don't like ( adjusted as much as I can with soft furnishings ) and carppy fixtures and fittings. I would gut the house and start again if it were mine.

Environment definitely impacts on wellbeing.

Rant over now:(

I think Fen That we have all felt a bit like this during this process sadly:( All you can do really is what you have done and add a few soft furnishings. Is it your furniture if it is can you paint it ? Jazz it up a little change the handles ? I have done this and its really helped me love it again. Clothes If you can pick up 1 or 2 cheap maybe good Charity shop buys and mix it with your unjoyful things it will give them a lift and you will feel a bit better in yourself.

My Clothes I love the best are my Charity shop buys and they are out there to be found I promise Go out with a postive attitude and they will find you Even if you are feeling carp dont let it show and you will feel better. and for a few quid you will feel a million dollars if you find that one joyful item

Glad you had your rant we all need those me more than most :rotfl:

Stick with it and be joyful with what you HAVE got as there is always someone who would be thrilled to have what you have and sometimes we just have to remember that


Mav x

GreyQueen

(((((((((Fen1))))))))) have a dodgy group hug on me :grouphug:

We've all experienced this to a greater or lesser degree. I know I've lived in some real s**t holes with my castoffs and jumbly bargains and felt poor as a church mouse. It can be overwhelming at times.

If you can't change stuff right now, you can't change stuff right now. Sometimes you have to put up with imperfect things until you can source an alternative at an affordable price or find one in a skip somewhere.

If I could make a few suggestions, which I hope won't be misconstrued?

I would have a damned thorough clean and tidy through your home and aim to put your possessions, no matter how humble, in order. If they have to be piled on the floor, make it in neat piles. If you have to use cardboard boxes for furniture, line the edges up straight. If your clothes are worn and sad, keep them clean, ironed and mended. Show them some gratitude in caring for them, and for all your stuff.

Try saying, OK, Thing, I wouldn't have chosen you from a shop, but that's not your fault. You're servicable if nothing else. We'll work together until I can replace you with something which sparks joy. I will be respectful of the embodied energy and resources which you represent in the material world, and I will look after you. You will serve me well, and we will part honourably, in the fullness of time, and go our separate ways with no hard feelings.