The KonMarie method

in_need_of_direction

This evening I called out a plastic box of !!!! that has been sitting on the landing for ages. Didn't find homes for everything but did put some stuff into another half full box in the study. So, some things dumped, some to go and some still to be sorted but at least one box has been emptied.

chaliepud

Well, we didn't manage to sort the board games today but my 10 year old son decided he wanted to tidy his room a bit more! He sorted out his misc drawers, where all the tat of the last 5 years or so has found its way, then we sorted out his rather large wardrobe and cleared EVERYTHING from under his bed! The boy did good! One large binbag and various other bits later it looks great, just the bookcase to sort, being the youngest of three he gets given all the books the older ones don't want anymore, and he isn't much of a reader so we can probably kondo lots of them. Not sure whether to enter a sad or happy face there. I'll do both!

He was rewarded with some PS4 time, while I cleared and sorted two kitchen cupboards and made a lovely chicken chasseur with roasties for everyone.

PollyWollyDoodle

Gosh, some real Bank Holiday progress, well done! I don't think I could do this without this thread, part confessional, part advice line.

Confessions first:

Greyqueenyour comment about paint struck a chord. A friend came over last weekend to help with the 'shed' end of the garage and amongst other things we took 12 cans of paint to the recycling centre. Some of it predates me moving here 8 years ago, was rusted, dried up and useless. I still have several gallons of white emulsion for when I've finished Kondoing and can start decorating!

The PWD walk of shame this week - I did the baking cupboard. Two half-used tins of black treacle (which I use about three times a year) and two full, unopened ones! What was I thinking. My niece has benefited from two carrier bags full of slightly out-of-date or surplus baking ingredients.

Now a question: I Kondoed the toolboxes (I have three, not counting the one dedicated to upholstery tools). Apart from a lifetime supply of fuses and enough picture hooks to rehang the Wallace Collection, I have hundreds of screws of different diameter, length etc. I'm a competent DIYer, can put up a curtain rail or shelf, but I'm not likely to tackle anything very technical. Should I keep them (JIC), sort them into sizes, give them away - although there are a lot, experience tells me you never know when you'll need an odd size. I have no idea where they've all come from, I don't think I have ever bought this many!

Igamogam

Finished tidying the garden but failed to get OH to even put one thing in bin from his workshop shed. Attacked some piles of paper that were beginning to grow again but didn't find my new debit card which arrived sometime ago. So I have no debit card as the current one runs out today well yesterday technically. Oh well cant spend anything ! Will have another look tomorrow night after work and if I cant find it then I will have to order another Have just realised that having kondoed a lot of clothes I do not have anything suitable for work, in that it is all too good! I work with very young children with challenging behaviour - sometimes our clothes get covered in nice things like glue paint and glitter and other times its not so nice:eek: So I will order my standard 4 pairs of black M&S tracksuit bottoms and fish out some tops/ T shirts tomorrow - dont really need to be back in 'uniform' until next week as we wont have a full set of frogs until then

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all
Had to laugh (in frustration) at some non kondoing over the weekend, nipped round mils, she asked Dh to get all the stuff down out of her top wardrobe that she can't reach. She said I'd mentioned there's no point having something if you don't know what it is or where it is, specially if you don't like it or it's no use to you" so Dh gets the steps and lugs down and old food mixer, a bag or Christmas wrapping paper, a box full of old broken picture frames, a toy she knitted for when late fil retired, he died 5 years ago having never received said toy! A load of boxes crockery that Iceland did a token collect for years ago and a full dinner service from a daily mail even more years ago.
DH stacked it all on the spare bed having told her what each box contained, oh no you can't leave it all there she exclaimed, put it back put it back, but I thought you wanted it down to use or were going to donate it to the CS. No I just wanted to know what was there, none of its any use to me but it can go back for now I case anyone needs it later on. Goes off to bang head against wall. Her parting request was that we do the same in the attic next week.

Back to work today so not sure what kondoing I'll get done but I'll see what can be shifted as I've not finished my journey yet by a long way.

Have a joyful day all

GreyQueen

greenbee wrote: »

bit of a challenge there I'd say GQ, but at least your mum has the seed planted.

Could you suggest baskets for gloves/hats etc? Maybe she could make a nice shelf to go above the coat rack, and then put some baskets on it (bet there are some baskets in all the stuff they've got). Maybe she could make some cubbyholes to go below the coat rack (or just a couple of shelves) for slippers and bags? Stick filing box labelled 'cats' on there when you put the cat stuff back, and put a waste paper basket next to it as well... And suggest a couple of boxes/crates labelled 'recycling' and 'CS' which you could help deal with whenever you go back there...


ETA - think I might be away in late Sept., but in all seriousness, you would be very welcome if you were down this way. I'm sure Mrs LW would love to meet you too. Although if you bring Nurse you can camp in the garden...

All good suggestions but the hall is a narrowish straight area, apart from the 'L' bit at foot of stairs, and the coats are hung on hooks on the plank-like bannister rails which run diagonally up the stairs. This is an ex-council house and pretty basic. There's no room for free-standing anythings in the hall, and the cabinet opposite the foot of the stairs is just one of those too-convenient places to deposit carp, IYSWIM.

Family are marvelling at how light the area looks, even on yet another dank overcast day. I'm waiting for breakfast to be completed before chivvying the rest of them to other parts of the house so I can crack on; will be covering the tabletop with newespaper again, to put the humungous 7.5 l tub on emulsion on, and ladelling it into the paint kettle for use. We will have to throw the spider out of the hall again as it came back since it was last thrown out 24 hrs ago.:rotfl:

PWD, know that experience with the paint pots. I moved into a private rented flat and found I'd kindly been left a shelf of paint. Levered open all the tins to check if they were viable and discovered only about three were OK, the other 14 were solid. What a waste of space.:(

I find myself wondering what proportion of the paint we purchase as a nation actually ends up on walls and woodwork and what ends up drying out in sheds and up corners. Bet it's a shocker.

Shall be taking my breaks throughout the day and checking on what you gals (and any guys) are up to. Keep the faith.

Oh, and it's raining again, the newspaper-errand shopbot has just come in with the news.

just_the_two_of_us

Morning everyone. I'm back from impromptu weekend at DS's. Lovely to see him and catch up with him and his cleaning!! Now need to get my head around pensions!!! - aagh!


Bit miffed as dragged two enormous bags of books 250 miles to his O***m bookshop and didn't get so much as a thank you - that's the last time!!


Need to get on today as work and mess is piling up and it's getting me down.


Floss must be in the same area as you.

greenbee

GreyQueen wrote: »

All good suggestions but the hall is a narrowish straight area, apart from the 'L' bit at foot of stairs, and the coats are hung on hooks on the plank-like bannister rails which run diagonally up the stairs. This is an ex-council house and pretty basic. There's no room for free-standing anythings in the hall, and the cabinet opposite the foot of the stairs is just one of those too-convenient places to deposit carp, IYSWIM. Family are marvelling at how light the area looks, even on yet another dank overcast day.

Sounds very similar to my last house (particularly the banisters...). Get them to think about where the light comes from and what might be blocking it (I took an extreme approach to this and moved the kitchen doorway, removing the door at the same time). They may work out that it's the volume of coats :cool: I ended up hanging mine in the corner between the sitting room and kitchen doors but it did limit space (I put other coat hooks up at the back of the kitchen where I converted the old washhouse and covered passageway into a utility room so I could keep the damp and grubby stuff there).

GreyQueen wrote: »

I'm waiting for breakfast to be completed before chivvying the rest of them to other parts of the house so I can crack on; will be covering the tabletop with newespaper again, to put the humungous 7.5 l tub on emulsion on, and ladelling it into the paint kettle for use. We will have to throw the spider out of the hall again as it came back since it was last thrown out 24 hrs ago.:rotfl:

I KNEW they did that

GreyQueen wrote: »

PWD, know that experience with the paint pots. I moved into a private rented flat and found I'd kindly been left a shelf of paint. Levered open all the tins to check if they were viable and discovered only about three were OK, the other 14 were solid. What a waste of space.:(

Ah... but at least you knew what the colours were if you wanted to repaint with the same ones

Work today. And the builders are back. I think they'd hoped to be working on the external paintwork, but the weather isn't looking too great here either. I guess they'll either be in the loft or the bathroom then.

chaliepud

GreyQueen, sounds like you're going great guns at your parents house. Could it be worth giving the dreaded cabinet a bit of an uplift? If you had to rub it down and give it a coat of paint you'd have to empty it for a time, perhaps not everything would make its way back in?

greenbee

chaliepud wrote: »

GreyQueen, sounds like you're going great guns at your parents house. Could it be worth giving the dreaded cabinet a bit of an uplift? If you had to rub it down and give it a coat of paint you'd have to empty it for a time, perhaps not everything would make its way back in?

Ooh... what a good idea.

Home made chalk paint GQ for a bit of a shabby-chic look? It would be white (and therefore help with the feeling of light) but have a softer texture. And if there's a bit of something else around (maybe a tester or some dregs) you could do the top/handles a different colour. Actually, bet there are some replacement handles in [STRIKE]the[/STRIKE] a shed...

ETA - builders are busy rubbing down the paintwork on the roof... hopefully the weather will dry out enough for the windows to be opened to dry for a few days before they start doing those.