The KonMarie method

GreyQueen

I used to think that I had to retain unwanted and unused gift items, even if they were still in their packaging, for a certain amount of time, even though I intended to donate them eventually, for the sake of decency.

Then I thought that this is stupid. Say I get given a toiletry set comprising of 90% stuff I don't use and 10% of stuff (say a fancy soap) which I am indifferent about using. Best I give that away that very week, rather than hang on and risk it dying in storage.

This summer the parents went on holiday with all my good wishes and an explicit instruction; don't send me a card and don't bring me ANYTHING, even a consumable anything. With that explicit instruction, they didn't have to think about gift shopping and could just enjoy themselves.

I would always thank someone pleasantly for a gift and discreetly donate in a place they don't visit (another town). If it was something which isn't my thing but which would delight a friend, I would re-gift it.

iQueen

I'm celebrating! My 2 candidates won! :j

I've been a socialist (small s) since my teens, active in local, and later student politics, but became dis-enchanted, after John Smith's death, and advent of Tory Lite. So have rarely voted over many years. Thought Dennis Skinner and I were the only two socialists left!

I thought long and hard before kondoing 2 days' food money, but went with it.

Still can't believe that my gut-feeling has been so decidedly endorsed, after endless disappointments!

Wondering if this merits opening an ancient bottle of champers, this evening? (I have two, 'saved for special occasions'. :rotfl:)

Having a :coffee:now. Hope your day is going as well as mine! :dance:

maryb

3forholidays wrote: »

I'm another that doesn't change handbags.

My bag is a small cross body one and only contains: purse, smartphone, sanitary protection, small coin purse (containing some money - in case my purse is stolen or debit card doesn't work!), pen, keys, inhaler & batteries (for my hearing aids).

Trying to get a folding fabric bag in a pouch for clothes shopping as I live in Scotland and we currently are charged 5 pence per carrier bag but the ones that I have looked at all have long handles. I am looking for a small one with short handles. My mum has one that's ideal but it was a gift so don't know where it was purchased. In the meantime I'll just borrow that!

What does everyone else carry around in their handbags? Some people have such large bags!

Try this - you can vary the pattern to get the size and shape you want. I'm planning on kondoing some of my stash to make Christmas presents


http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=177482.0

Knit_Witch

Hugs GreenT - I know where you are at re sorting other people stuff out

in_need_of_direction

I queen, I just wish tony Benn was alive to see it.

MMF007

Wow, what a lot of topics covered in the last day or so!

Probably shouldn't get political but iQueen, you are MY twin today (sorry Mav!). Not sure about some of Corbyn's rhetoric but totally agree about the loss of John Smith and the ludicrous pandering New Labour. You really made me laugh when you thought about being a champagne socialist for the evening :beer: ( never understood why that term is a term of abuse - you can't have money and still support left of centre politics??).

Right, back on topic
Where to start? Handbag - very often use the same one, across shoulder, usually contains purse, keys, hanky, headache pills, glasses, mobile, my diary (i love having something to actually write in and easily refer to), work ID, a pen, an emergency choccie biccy (my job ocassionally means I am not able to get lunch at a suitable time - the same biccy gets touted round for ages, funny that I am never tempted to eat just because its there:eek:), shopping list if I remember to pick it up off the worktop , a fabric shopping bag and sometimes minimal make up if I am going out straight from work :T

I am standing up to type the next bit; My name is M and I talk to myself.
Not always and never at the bus stop! I sometimes say out loud something to acknowledge a job done, or to encourage myself to start or carry on -you know, Come on, let's get to it, that sort of thing. My worst 'talking to myself' habit is in fact a 'shouting to myself' thing :embarasse , when I am really cross that something will not work or do what I want. Hey, it keeps me sane

Lots of other things to chip in about but the power is going on this gizzmo. Back later for another amazing Kondo Katch-up.

M

PollyWollyDoodle

I've had a folding bag similar to this one http://www.paperchase.co.uk/gifts/bags-and-travel/all-bags/mystic-rose-foldaway-bag.html for about five years, hasn't worn out yet. Might have a go at making some - to fold up small, it needs to be thin yet tough, something like ripstop nylon.

I'd love to wear a cross-body bag, but being rather well-endowed (what the French call 'a crowd on the balcony') it doesn't look good on me.

i have hung on to gifts for ages - Kondoed some wedding presents earlier this year after 29 years which is a good deal longer than the marriage lasted! However if you think about it, there's no point in waiting - if the point of the gift was its being given and received with thanks, then that has been concluded as soon as the donor has left. They're not likely to ask about it afterwards. Don Aslett suggests taking a photo of the item, then if anyone asks you've got evidence that you had it - and you liked it enough to take a picture!

allybee101

Not been on the thread in a while and you've all been so, so busy. I've tried to keep up with reading but fairly sure I've missed a few pages along the way!

Greent - so sorry to hear about your MIL, best wishes to you and family.

Hope everyone is well.

Kondo-ing at Chez Bee has been a bit slow but I did help my Mum kondo her linen cupboard at the BH weekend - for a cupboard there was a surprisingly large amount of stuff in there! And a lot of non-linens. The spare bedroom looked like an episode of hoarders briefly.
Along with some other stuff from the garage we took two car loads to the HWRC and then refilled the boot for a charity shop run on the Tuesday.

Amongst the stuff we found a small box of old jewellery.
GQ, you kindly gave me some very helpful advice way back in the mist of time on this thread on selling old jewellery (well, several months, but that's about page 110 and there's been a lot of traffic since!). Today I finally took my bits of scrap, plus the bits my Mum gave me, and after trekking round several jewellers in the rain this morning to get quotes I came away £55 better off! The un-joyful ex-boyfriend necklace netted about £20 on it's own which I was very pleased with. The money will go towards a nice meal when Mum and I go on holiday next month. So thanks GQ, your advice was greatly appreciated!

I bought some new clothes today - a couple of dresses and a couple of tops. Very pleased that they are in smaller sizes and I have a mental note of several items that will be thanked and let go. Although the old items still fit, they are getting rather baggy so I think it's best to let them go and wear joyful clothes that fit me well (and make people notice that I've lost weight!).

Right, best get back to kondoing - re-inspired by reading everyone's progress!

mavvymoo

Picklepot wrote: »

Can anyone remember the fundraising discussion about ''trash or treasure" I think it was m a v y m o o (whoops cannot override spellchecker on this tablet!)
Can you tell me how it works please ?

Hi it was me and one of my better ideas

I get the Brown paper takeaway bags.Or you can reuse gift bags if you can get people to save them for you.
You put your carp Or anything really into the bags and staple the top with a raffle ticket on and run it like a tombola. They pick a ticket out and they win the bag with that number on. If you have bigger items just put a ticket on and put them on the stall both trash (old pictures, Billy the bass, Carp ornaments, and treasure donated bottles of wine, gift sets anything that looks quite good really.

You have got to have people running the stall that will have a right laugh and you must get them to open them on the stall.You will get a big crowd and everyone will want to win something funny

Make sure that when you set the stall out do it in number order as you will be too busy to search for the right number(mistake I made 1st time) We made £200 this year and sold everything

Great way to kondo loads of carp or raid the bric a brac stall on the event before

I did 50 girls bags (green tickets)
50 Boys (Blue tickets)
100 adults (white tickets)
All the kids bags have nice things in bubbles,pens pencils, colouring books and star prices of what ever you get donated

Hope this makes sense but it goes down really well and a great time is had by everyone

Mav x

GreyQueen

Glad you found that helpful and wishing you and your Mum a lovely holiday meal with the proceeds, allybee.

Have dodged up to the allotment, grabbed my IKEYA bags and took them, and the defunct toothbrush and its charger, to the tip. Went back and did more grass clipping on the pathway (am now half-way up the 33m length of the plot), prepped another two bagfuls to leave and came home having harvested some stuff, inc half a dozen side-flowering stems off my sunflowers, which are very joyfulling sitting in a jamjar as we speak.

Weather is cycling rapidly between sunny spells and OMG-armageddon looking cloud formations. I think when it rains, it will be spectacularly-bad.

Makes you realise that Clutter and Stuff is comprised of a lot of very minor decisions about pretty minor and small objects and pieces of paper. It's when these decisions aren't being made regularly, and acted upon, that things build up and get out of hand.

Keeping pecking away at it, lovely peeps.