KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

GreyQueen

It's so great to have newly-decloaking kondoites to join us on our merry way. More power to our collective elbows.

There's a great addition to miss mimimalist's Real Life Minimalist section this week, about what happens when you inherit somebody's lifelong hoard of Stuff and have to process that through your own life (which doesn't conveniently stop because you have all this extra Stuff to manage). http://www.missminimalist.com/2015/12/real-life-minimalists-clara/

Have turned 3 drawers of a small chest of cassettes down to one-and-a-half. This chest is coming up to my flat (is actually mine, for some reason got co-opted into the family home and is now being liberated). I shall continue the sorting there, and may even kondo the wooden chest. Or may re-finish it for another purpose, I shall see.

Continuing to use up yarn leftover from other projects into the charity knitting and to round up anything which isn't nailed down for rehoming. It's a shame I will be going back to my RL on Sunday afternoon as there is much good work to be done in the family home.

Never mind, I'm leaving my Freedom from Clutter book here, so's Mum can dip in and out of it and be inspired.:rotfl:

VALM

I like the idea of this this year and especially wanted to sell DVDs. Anyone know which site is offering the best deals at the moment. I have a lot of box sets to get rid of.

Igamogam

A friend sent me this linkDOn't know if its been posted before but lots of the mini quotes hit home................

My kondoing adventure started at the beginning of the year with a real need to get to grips with all the clutter/possessions/keepsakes/treasures/stuff. It gathered momentum when we started a very big house project and I achieved almost my goal of getting it all done by the end of August. Circumstances meant that things slowed down although there was a steady net flow out of the front door. However I look around today and I feel its as bad as it ever was - granted DD1 has been sorting her stuff ( reluctantly considering she is adamant she doesnt 'live' here anymore - she knows that this will always be her home thought should she ever need to return!!) and DD2 has also had a clear out but with more exams looming her 'I will think about this later' pile is waiting for attention in our bedroom. The contents of the kitchen is deposited around the house ( part of the Big Project - replace kitchen ) which when the kitchen is completed - soon I hope - a lot of stuff will be culled......... AGAIN!! But at the moment I am feeling a bit 'humph' about it all. I am sure the mo jo will kick in again soon:)

greent

VALM wrote: »

I like the idea of this this year and especially wanted to sell DVDs. Anyone know which site is offering the best deals at the moment. I have a lot of box sets to get rid of.

Depends on titles. Your best bet is to get apps on a smart phone/ tablet if you have one for Ziffit and Music Magpie. Then you can scan them in using the camera and see which site is offering the best price for you. DOn't forget to go through a cashback site such as topcashback or quidco first to get even more money.:D

7_week_wonder

GreyQueen wrote: »

There's a great addition to miss mimimalist's Real Life Minimalist section this week, about what happens when you inherit somebody's lifelong hoard of Stuff and have to process that through your own life (which doesn't conveniently stop because you have all this extra Stuff to manage). http://www.missminimalist.com/2015/12/real-life-minimalists-clara/

I was just going to lurk again this year, but GreyQueen's link has struck a chord with me and helped me put my head above the parapet.

My mum died unexpectedly last May (if it can be unexpected when you are in your mid-80s). Bless her, she had been recently been diagnosed with mild dementia and she too struggled with de-cluttering.

The biggest challenge was her craft room. My childhood bedroom (a good sized double bedroom) was full, and I mean full, of crafting equipment: beading, tapestry, dress-making, patchwork, you name it, she'd tried it and bought all the equipment Quite often in her later years she'd said to me "what are you going to do with all this when I'm gone" and I'd always replied the same thing: "Invite all your friends round and tell them to help themselves!"

So a month after she'd died we held a coffee morning for all her crafting friends and invited them all to whatever they could use or would like. We put a jam jar out for donations to her charities and said there was no obligation, but if they would like to make a donation that would be nice. The good news was we raised £350 for charity, the bad news was we were still left with 75% of the stuff!!

We then discovered our local scrap store (just google scrap store and your local town name). They are amazing! Our local one took absolutely anything craft related (if you are in North Yorkshire check them out: http://www.coneexchange.org). They would resell the "good" stuff in their charity shop and the things that I thought couldn't be used (half reels of cotton, scraps of wool and material) they pass on to playgroups, messy church, brownies, etc etc.

Why am I writing this? Well firstly, I just wanted to give a huge plug to scrap stores and secondly it took us a good 6 months of angst to sort through my mum's stuff and has given us the kick we needed to start sorting out our own lives.

I'll stop wittering now but I hope you won't mind if I drop by from time to time.

pollyanna_26

Ooh thank you GQ . I have typed delurking a number of times in the last few days , hateful word it always makes me think of stalking .
Decloaking is a whole other matter very elegant and a bit Jane Austen I shall type it with pride and blame you !:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
polly .

greenbee

GQ - you know we're awaiting your updates with baited breath...


... and I'm beginning to wonder whether you shouldn't change career You'd make a great freelance clutter consultant - your website/blog would be entertaining and you'd deal sensitively with you clients (even if you really did think they needed a good talking to). The combination of understanding you have as part of your own family circumstances and experience working where you do (I'm guessing you're pretty hot on the mute button and good at being diplomatic with people who are candidates for Darwin awards...) makes you an ideal person to help liberate people from their stuff.

GreyQueen

pollyanna_26 wrote: »

Ooh thank you GQ . I have typed delurking a number of times in the last few days , hateful word it always makes me think of stalking .
Decloaking is a whole other matter very elegant and a bit Jane Austen I shall type it with pride and blame you !:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
polly .

Thanks, hun.

I suppose I shouldn't admit that I was thinking more like Star Trek decloaking when an alien spacecraft suddenly shivers into visibility..............? Nah, I think your idea is far classier.:rotfl:

ETA greenbee, I have considered it, but have come to the conclusion I lack the patience and lack the physical strength (ME and another chronic illness limit my bounce). But there could be far worse ways of making a living, maybe someone else here will decide that it's their calling and go for it.

Floss

jackieb wrote: »

The tv's and one ipad could be broken though. My tv looked new when it gave up the ghost last year but it was old technology and had already been repaired once. If we were maybe more like the people who dumped this stuff then maybe we would have no need for threads like this ...' :

A lot of council tip sites have recycling or reuse areas, usually with third sector involvement, which are better recipients of stuff such as in the Mail article. Yes, some may not work but why can't they be repaired and sold to benefit others and create jobs? Dumping because it's broken isn't acceptable nowadays, its an indicator of a consumption society. We are on limited resources and need to think more about what we do and why.

MMF007

So enjoyed reading again today.

I love that some are still in PJs just relaxing with the family.
I love that Grey Queen is helping her family reduce the overload.
I'm glad that some are releasing things that are just irritating away quietly - the glass craftwork that you only see the flaws in (I know how this feels but why are we so hard on oursleves?) - the things we spent good money on but no longer enjoy - the things we have been left with but were never meant to bring us joy in the first place and certainly won't now.....They've gotta go folks.

Grunnie, I howled with combined laughter and total indignation about the stuff that you were asked to store then told to bin when the owners couldn't be bothered 😅

igamogam, having the kitchen done is the most stressful of all home improvements, surely. Gritmyour teeth and know that it will soon be sorted out, you can put the things you want to keep because they bring joy in their rightful places and you WILL feel the joy

eyeore, it is so true, the things we have tidied into the places they best suit DO stay tidy and accessible. I spent a few moments this morning simply standing in the room previously known as doom. I cannot believe how it is now, it's amazing. There is lots of floor space, the storage is propoerly purposed and there are none of the unused items that had been there years for no reason. I am also amazed at how good it made me feel, having achieved that. And now, as I cometo pack for my wintersun hol I can use this space to sort out packing and have the cases ready to go but out of the way. Gosh it feels so good, it is magic.

Seaotter - you could clear that porch in half a day, I bet. Start focussing on the joyous space you want. Maybe plan some lovely soft furnishings or which comfy seat, or a nice window dressing to inspire you. Then think of the 'stuff exit strategy' - as GQ and others have said that is vital. Once you have these in mind you adopt the KM method to decide what stays. You can tehn remove the stuff that is going and get it gone! You will find a natural place for those things that are staying but this will be elsewhere in your home, and it may take time and experimentation to get it just right. I am excited for you, I wish I could pop over to yours to help but, do you know what? You can do it without physical help because you have your virtual friends and fellow kondoites here :j

still reeling from discovering the space I have createdin the backbedroom . :shocked: ::dance:

M