KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

greenbee

Dragonette - it might be worth doing some experimentation with grains and seeing whether some are better than others.

For example I find pasta and bread are a bad idea. Pastry is worse. Rice, wheat berries, spelt, pearl barley, millet, bulghar, freekeh, oats, quinoa are fine but I don't eat the same one two days running. Potatoes and sweet potatoes are good alternatives to grains if you need carbs.

GQ - sugar addiction is hard to break. I'm working on mine at the moment and find it is best to avoid fruit juice first thing as that gets taste buds wanting sugar from early on. I also limit myself to one portion of fruit a day and try to maximise veg intake. In an emergency dates are a great option.

Today I need to shift some of my work backlog and over the weekend get most of the contents of two rooms packed up so I'm ready for the builders to start whenever they finally finish their current job!

GreyQueen

Glad it's not just me. I can gorge on bread, literally eat a whole loaf. Don't feel great having done it, but it's a compulsion. It's as if the more I eat of that stuff, the more I crave it.

greenbee, I don't like fruit juices and the only things I drink are plain water or tea. It can be a problem when out socially as people seem to feel, in their own homes, that they're somehow short-changing you by giving you those items, even if you've asked for them. Or, if you're out, you can't just drink water. But in the past year or so, even light social drinking, such as a glass of wine in the early evening, has caused insomnia that night and a general feeling of lurgyness the next day.

And, although conventional health advice seems to use 'fruit and vegetables' as an interchangeable category, I find markedly more benefits from the vegetables than the fruits. With the possible exception of berries - still enjoying the 2015 blackcurrant crop from the freezer, eaten neat.

You have my sympathies about having to pack up to prep for builders. I know from staying at my parents' about 20 years ago, to supervise their builders whilst they were both out at work all day, that a week with builders in feels like a month in real time.

But, as you're now a kondo-ite, you will be so much more efficient/ have less Stuff to pack away, and I'm sure that will make life much easier than it would have been before.

greenbee

I'm going to be living with the builders for MONTHS GQ. And I work from home... I will have to pack up a couple of rooms at a time, move them, then move back etc. But I'm hoping if I plan carefully that I can fund quite a bit of work from cashflow so keep them here longer than my savings suggest is possible.

I think I need to start putting out feelers for work travel - not only will it get me away from the dust but I won't be paying for heating/hot water/electricity/food/diesel/laundry etc while I'm away! The garden, will, of course, get out of control, but that's already happened and won't be addressed properly till the builders have finished.

Just clearing out the fridge and making a minestrone-type soup for the week ahead while waiting for my guests to wake up and come down for breakfast.

mavvymoo

Morning all

I retired the moment the mortgage was kondoed I was about 51 at the time :rotfl:But it was being overpaid by over £1200 a month which was really hard for us but we were determined to pay it off in 10 years (we did it in 8) Lucky we didnt have a massive mortgage in the first place.But we struggled for those 8 years but it was worth every skint day we had

So DH being 11 years younger than me and loves his job will be working for a few years yet


dragonette Glad you are feeling a bit better thank you for that link I do love a cleaning product and the de-cobwebber I have is so unjoyful as the Black hairs come off it and stick everywhere so have ordered one which will be perfect for what I want it to do.

I am pretty careful with what I eat I am also another bread lover and could live on the stuff But I very rarely eat it now as it doesnt agree with me at all. Bloated tired and feeling like a slug :rotfl:is my punishment if I do

Dont have much sugar either if I can help it.It is really hard to get it right but it is a case of trial and error isnt it ?

Have made a couple of descions and one is to kondo a radiatior as it is in totally the wrong place (the plumber did what he wanted not what we wanted ) and not replace it as we already have 4 others in the room.

Which is great as i dont have to paint it :rotfl:so something else crossed off my list;) He isnt coming for 3 weeks to remove it but it will take me that long to get round to that side of the room anyway.

Been having a lot of pain and problems with what I thought was my groin so went to Doctors and its my hip so now waiting for xrays dread to think how long the wait will be But I am not complaining a lot of you are dealing with much worse.


Glad Gary the towel is still around GQ and happy and well in the airing cupboard.:rotfl:I have never heard again from Gary at the telesales company :rotfl: Which is a shame as I have a few other ideas if any of these companies ring me

Hugs and best wishes to everyone who needs them.

Kondo is really such a journey and I couldnt wish to spend my journey with a nicer bunch of people So thank you everyone for sharing your roller coaster ride. :T


Mav x

greenbee

I'm getting rid of a radiator to Mav - haven't used it since I replaced it. As I need 5 new radiators upstairs it'll mean one less to buy.

mavvymoo

Pitty you are not near me Greenbee you could have mine nothing wrong with it just in a pita place :rotfl:So would have been another one less you had to buy but on the bad side you would have to paint it ! I love new radiatiors that dont need painting and would really like to have them all replaced just for that reason


Mav x

Igamogam

I have B12 deficiency and have to have it by injection really affects the energy levels and concentration. Last summer I reverted to type on the diet front whilst I had 10 days at home on my own - grazer - grazing on whatever I felt like which was mostly fruit veg mushrooms and cheese I discovered! I ate when I was hungry - odd times of the day and sometimes only once a day. Drank only water. Weight dropped off, energy levels rocketed Basically a low carb diet. Once family returned I decided to restrict myself to 150g of carbs a day and the weight has slowly reduced - I don't deny myself anything as I know that I can redress the balance over the following days. I have found that I no longer want bread,pasta,rice potatoes and before these things made up quite a bit of my food intake and I would only eat wholemeal/skins on of any of those things - ie the 'health alternative' when I do eat those things the portions are much smaller - the weight loss is not dramatic and sometimes it stays the same but its not increasing and the trend is down I have also increased my activity - its all about eat less move more really.............:o

When I stated in the profession I am in now it was not unusual, in fact it was the norm that people retired at 55 - youngsters coming in now will be expected to work until 70:eek: I doubt if they will make it. Colleagues half my age complain of exhaustion.........I dont see some of them being able to handle the job in 5 years never mind 50:eek::eek: I will retire as soon as I can after youngest child is through university. We have paid mortgage and I agree with Mavvy - overpay it - every little bit helps!

OH has been sorting through the boxes and boxes of paperwork 'he always files' looking for a CC which he needs to do a BT......he cannot admit he NEVER files/deals with his paper work as it arrives..............:mad: Its spread allover the LR floor and I asked if he could clear it as I wanted to vacuum the room - he offered to do that job - he had to ask where the vacuum cleaner was:mad: He has just completed the job which means he picked up the paper work and dumped it into a box and then vacuumed the carpet immediately in front of sofa...he is now watching something on iplayer:mad::mad: I am in for the long haul here persuading him to deal with his clutter...............

GreyQueen

Well, rain has stopped play in terms of going out to the allotment, so I decided to do a combined bit of cleaning/ kondo-ing.

Have gone through the clothes and winkled out a couple of things for chazzer donation and refreshed my memory about what I own. Some things aren't season-appropriate at the moment, but I don't want to put them elsewhere because there is no elsewhere and it will only be about 2-3 months until warmer weather.

Nipped down to the charity shop with a couple of donation bags and bought some food and then came away. Errand took only 30 mins round trip, inc a quick browslette in one chazzer, because I took the pushbike.

Hokay, luncheon is finished, I am going back into the tiddly bedroom to put things back where they live.

MMF007

Interesting about the carb carvings - me too! Not really bothered about sweet stuff but I could eat a big bag of crisps to myself I did the Atkins diet a few years ago and the weight dropped off and I didn't find it hard (except breakfast!). I have let the weight creep back on and need to tackle it. Due to sedantary job, not enough other exercise and, I think, insufficient portion control. So, another important thing to tackle. These things are a matter of timing, aren't they? Suddenly the time is right, you know you are in the right frame of mind to crack on with making the changes......same with de-cluttering :rotfl:

back to topic - decorating has meant moving a large sideboard with our booze and glasses needing to be dragged out. I did kondo the glasses ages ago and got rid of loads, just a week before my birthday, when a friend gave me ........... you've got it .......some new glasses... :rotfl:. I still found another 7 surplus, that are now in a box heading for CS. I could get rid of lots more but DH was in the room resisting. i shall revisit when he's not here
We still have too many shapes and sizes and we rarely entertain more than 4 people at a time because our house is very small, so why have I got 6 tumblers, 6 hi balls, 6 sherry, 4 port, 4 pints, 4 white wine, 4 red, 4 cocktail and a souvenir beer glass from Belgium :mad: oh, Gawd, there are also 6 Edinburgh crystal whisky tumblers :mad::mad: That's it, tomorrow the glasses will be culled while DH does Mother's Day visit (my mum is too far away for a quick viait so she has to wait till Easter) !!

It is a rollercoaster ride :rotfl:

Igamogam

I have cleared the LR and vacuumed PROPERLY! !! Have been putting laundry away so took advantage to look at my clothes again and lo and behold I have found stuff to go in CS bag........I put a bag out yesterday for S Army collection It's funny how things 'pop' up again. I based my decision on the fact I haven't worn these things since the last time I had a sort out. Found some brand new PJ'S so have also turfed out a pair I am no longer in love with. I am contemplating sorting out the porch again.......It holds all our coats, shoes,boots,sports gear, bags,rucksacks,hats gloves scarves......its a large porch! Because of this it is a bit of a dumping ground *sigh*........or I may just clean the bathroom.........whichever, I am allowing myself an hour of cleaning/kono time:)