KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

mumps

pavlovs_dog wrote: »

I've caught up with the thread and am plodding through kondoing jobs. Spent some time tackling the study today. A recycling bag is filling nicely and the shredder is holding its own.




OH and I have an extensive collection between us. What we have done:

Stage 1 was moving to digitisation; with the exception of very special boxsets that will be devoured in their entirety and treasured for years to come, all new media entering the house has been in digital format. We've bought a very large hard drive to accommodate this.


Stage 2 was to transfer discs to storage books like this:



Discs are organised by category (e.g. Disney, comedy, horror etc). The empty boxes are currently stored in boxes in the attic, as I'm hoping some will be re-homed as we streamline the collection. The books sit in the sideboard in the living room, taking up much less space than the boxed counter parts did.

I am slowly gearing up for stage 3, which is to sell ones we will never watch again via CEX or similar. We'll only get pennies back, but it is better than nothing. This is one area of kondoing where I've struggled with the 'sunk costs' of the initial purchases vs what we could potentially get back. The further I progress along my kondo journey, the easier it is becoming to rationalise them leaving the house, but I'm not quite there yet.

Brilliant way of sorting them out.

When I was clearing out my son's old room I was shocked at how many DVD/computer games he had. They have been sitting there for nearly 5 years, since he went to uni so I suppose four and a half is more accurate). I did a rough calculation and reckon he must have spent at least £3,000 on them and quite probably closer to £5,000. :eek: That is quite an accurate depiction of my face when I worked it out. He subscribes to something (nexflix?) now so doesn't buy many DVDs, only special box sets but it is shocking to think what they all cost.

pavlovs_dog

I'm also slowing doing away with CDs in the car. Santa brought me an FM transmitter, so I've slowly shifting my collection over to the SD card and getting rid of the CDs (which were copies not originals, and invariably end up scratched after a year or two in the car).

huston_kw

I went to take a few things to charity shop and have a look. I'd normally buy stuff without thinking and not wear it, so I tried on two tops that I really liked but they didn't sparkle joy on me, they were okay, normally this would be good enough and I'd end up hating them, so I put them back!

It's my third day and I'm finding it's getting easier to part with things, I got rid of a suit I bought for my mams funeral, which has being hanging in my wardrobe for 5 years worn just the once, it's ridiculous how much I couldn't get rid of it before, it's a suit and I hated it when I got it (best of a bad bunch to buy at the time) - I even didn't get rid of it when I got a lovely suit for my fathers funeral 18 months ago.. so it's gone and it's made so much space as it was a three piece one!

For the clothing (tops first)I've decided to wear item for a day and see how I feel in them, not allowed to wear anything twice until all tops are done. Yesterday's top is going, it's nice but really didn't fit far too big, today's top I love, never worn it before got it from a jumble sale a few weeks back, looked okay but I feel fab in it! I don't have many tops as I mainly wear spaghetti strap tops with jumpers, and I got rid of the two jumpers I disliked yesterday!

I can see how much I'm going to enjoy this!

Karmacat

GQ, glad you've had some good news on the hospital visit.

huston_kw wrote: »

... It's my third day and I'm finding it's getting easier to part with things, I got rid of a suit I bought for my mams funeral, which has being hanging in my wardrobe for 5 years worn just the once, it's ridiculous how much I couldn't get rid of it before, it's a suit and I hated it when I got it

This rings bells with me! I've got a black V neck dress and a boring brown skirt, both bought for funerals, both of which I'd never wear at any other time. They weren't particularly expensive, even though they were new. I haven't turfed all my clothes out of their hidey holes as Marie recommends, so I haven't actually held these in my hands and talked to them. I might keep the dress, if it flares well when I twirl but a plain brown mid-calf skirt is so very not-me.

For the clothing (tops first)I've decided to wear item for a day and see how I feel in them, not allowed to wear anything twice until all tops are done.

Thats an interesting rule - I know, I absolutely know, there are tops just by that horrible brown skirt that I want to go ... and I keep on not turfing them out. This is my Achilles heel - its really hard to let go of clothes that are fair quality, that haven't been worn very often, but that I don't like, for one reason or another. I think I might really have to follow the Kondo rules **exactly** when I pay attention to my clothes again ...

greent

Karmacat wrote: »

This is my Achilles heel - its really hard to let go of clothes that are fair quality, that haven't been worn very often, but that I don't like, for one reason or another. I think I might really have to follow the Kondo rules **exactly** when I pay attention to my clothes again ...

You know it makes sense, Kc! - after all, who wants to spend retirement in clothes which they don't actually like wearing....


xx

MMF007

I am safely down from the step ladder! The wall is all shiny, as is the cooker hood. DH says I was exaggerating about the height, it's only about 10.5 feet.
He carried on in the garden while I teetered

I was tasked with going to collect (more) prescription items and a few groceries - the folks are making the most of our visit, understandably.

We both cooked dinner together, which is not something that normally happens. It was nice to do and we worked well as a team (which we know from other contexts).

I discovered a cupboard of doom in the utility room where, it seems, surplus and or unwanted jam, chutney and the like are relegated to. I have not previously delved in here, as far as I can remember. My research this afto, looking in there, would indicate that they don't like cherries in kirsch, and haven't liked them since at least June 2006. Same goes for strawberry conserve with champagne, since Aug 2000..... What a shame they just didn't given it away. Now the produce is, even by my lackadaisical standards re best before dates, past it!

Good news GQ.

PWD is right, clumping things together to deal with later is the road to hell. I have been guilty of getting stuff 80% done then fleeing to another task but I am really trying hard not to do this anymore. I don't know why I have had this bad habit, perhaps it's just that other things look more interesting after a while? Or maybe it's more deep - seated, as I once read that you can have a fear of finishing things in case there is nothing to take it's place.... who knows. So long as I recognise the signs and concentrate on actually completing a task I shall be OK

Enjoying the lighter evenings :j

M

greentiger

mumps, I'm another holiday undie discarder. I always feel hard done by, if I don't have enough to ditch! And I count out my meds too! I usually just tip out left over toiletries and sunscreen (I take small bottles)

newleaf

Had a massive clear out over the weekend. A large bag of clothes went to a doorstep charity collection yesterday. Two bags of 'better quality' things went to the charity shop where I'm gift aid registered today, and I donated a sewing machine and a large number of sewing patterns to a local craft shop which runs classes.
I've also sorted out a carrier bag of 'work appropriate' clothing and accessories for a friend still in employment, since I'm now happily retired.
I cleared a lot of space, it feels good.

dragonette

So after getting home and discovering that the bath board does let me shower easier but its V V messy with how my bathroom is set up, I promptly fell asleep for several hours. So I kondo'd part of this afternoon

Sorted my meds out for the week, need to use a dosette box or i cant remember if I've taken a dose or not. 6 tablets in the morning and 7 at night!!
There was a mishap with the laundry meaning some water went over the floor on monday evening - flatmate didnt clean it up and slipped n cracked his head in the kitchen yest, but under the rug is still soppy and the kitchen stinks. So tomorrow will be a thorough gut/clean of the tiny kitchen, I hope there isn't water the white goods as I'm not sure if I can even tilt them up to check. Oh well - might spur me on to clean the fridge too

While I'm not looking forward to it, it may not have been feasible for me to try that alone a few months ago A combination of pacing and kondoing is making decent progress to my health

PollyWollyDoodle

The best place I've ever visited for Kondoing purposes (although I hadn't heard of the concept when I went there) was Cuba. Knowing that luxury goods are rationed there, I deliberately took some t-shirts that I could leave behind, and the tour guide asked if we had any medicines or cosmetics that we could give him on the last day, we handed over everything from tampons to toothpaste and sun cream to shampoo.

Everyone is making great progress, I like the suggestion of wearing tops in succession till they've all been gone through. And really, if I keep rejecting a certain top in the wardrobe then it's telling me something...