KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

mumps

Slinky wrote: »

My neighbour had their two grandsons visiting, who are only a few months apart in age, but one lives abroad. Turned out they both had the same style of shoes. One returned home by plane wearing one of his own shoes, and the other was his cousin's, a size too small.

When my son was 5 he came home from school in what looked like his shoes. Angry knock on the door and a dad was standing their saying I had his sons shoes. We checked and he had one of my sons shoes and my son had the other, my son had another shoe but it wasn't the man's son. Turned out there was another boy with the same shoes. Two of them were in E fittings, one was in F, and I think my son was half a size bigger than the other two. I thought it was hilarious but this dad was really mad. You would think we had deliberately plotted to steal his son's shoe and we didn't even have it.

milasavesmoney

Still on paperwork and I'm taking it as it comes....going through files, updating, tossing, and making calls if I need to. I've sorted the home insurance to make sure all is well with the policy. I upped my coverage, as it needed to be reworked and it cost very very little to do so. The agent on the phone was very patient with me and explained throughly when needed. I feel much more educated on the subject than I did because she made such an effort. I'm happy with the result.

dragonette

evening all

Not very much has left the flat, but I did manage to have the place visitor-ready within 30 mins while ME-crashed and very sore This is little short of miraculous! As I'm still feeling pretty terrible, moving about much will not be happening - energy for food and to get to the loo are much higher energy priorities.

I tried some digital kondoing, pics on phone and bookmarked pages. I managed some and am happy with that as progress

mothernerd

I have been through my clothes again (I was putting away the clean clothes not that I have many). Have finally taken my beloved 'best' jacket out of the wardrobe and folded it, for the cs. Loved it the first time I saw it but thought it was too expensive. Black 'brocade' style material (shiny black and dull black) in a Nehru type jacket.

I kept going back to the department store when ever I was visiting the towns/ city which had branches, checking if there were any offers and hoping my mother and brother would give me enough Christmas money to buy it. Then my dad died. So I 'needed' it. DS1 and I bought funeral clothes for me and 3 sons in just over an hour on a Sunday afternoon (I had to wait in for phone calls the rest of the time). The other two didn't want to come shopping so we measured everyone, worked out what could be handed down and did the rest in one lightning sweep. Got 20% off my jacket as well.

So it's over 13 years old. Seen me through many funerals, the odd wedding, worn lots of times when I was on duty as a Church Warden. Could be dressed up or down, worn to hide less smart layers when layers were needed (funerals in North Wales in Winter). Always made me feel wonderful and smart.

Except that for the last five years (probably more if I am honest) it hasn't fit me and has lived in the wardrobe. I have put weight on, lost it (nearly four stone), yoyoed, put it back on. Currently trying to lose it again but I have decided the jacket should go. When I lose weight I will hope that there is another jacket just as wonderful, waiting out there for me.

So just have my 3rd hand MnS Black vaguely suede looking with fake fur collar and trim (smart enough for all occasions, although funerals are me primary social activity these days, warm enough for winter worn with the panda hat) and my light cagoule which I wear in Summer if it rains.

There are some things which do not bring joy but I have to keep them until I lose some weight or I will have to spend all my time indoors with the curtains closed (had to buy jogging pants just to get through Winter). If I lose a little weight I have a few new to me purchases from the cs which should give me great joy. Have recounted and I may still have 5 pairs of knickers (fingers crossed will see me through Summer).

I have packed 12 things (kitchen/ candle holders) to take to cs in the morning. Also have several things which can go in a sack. Will pack and label mum's curtains and take them this week. Thinking of donating some completed embroidery pieces to various local charities.

Think I need to read the zen habits daily and get to grips with my multitudinous 'fears'.

Re shoes - we have had boys go home in someone else's shoes and they were in their late teens / early twenties at the time. I was always told it was lucky to put clothing on inside out (but not if you do it deliberately).

greenbee

An ex-colleague has just been over and taken away the flatpack wardrobe that we put into the garage 2 weeks ago. Don't have time to sell it, freegle is non-existent here and it's ethically questionable US-owned equivalent isn't that well used. So I put a link to the original product (ik*a, so nothing has changed in 5 years) and asked if anyone wanted it. Picked up 3 hours later and I now have a bottle of wine and have caught up with someone I haven't seen for ages.

Also remembered to hoover when the builders left. Haven't got round to mopping though.

Karmacat

There's still good news going on here, it sounds nice

The only thing I've done today is mend the lid of the recycling bin, so that cardboard can go in it and not get soaked. Two boxes are now living in there temporarily

tibawo

eBay collected but missed a small carrier of clothes and oil converse. Emailed the guy but instead of getting not got back to me. Am sure he has seen message as he has left positive feedback. Dilemma of what to do with bag as I want it gone!!!

Will post the other two bits today. It is so nice to have that small space back, even dd1 commented on how the room looks bigger!

Had a bit of a splurge today as dd1 is off from school and we don't finish till end of this week and she was feeling low as normally I have arranged activities etc for us all to do. I did feel sorry for her so while we were waiting for sister to finish dance we wandered round local town supposedly getting jeans but she had her skin tone done in boots to find the right shade of foundation. There was a 3 for 2 offer on ... Need I say more?! She was so over the moon as she was not expecting it... Sometimes it is nice to be spoilt!

Four days till we break up and I have plans to KD overload!

mrs-moneypenny

Morning kondoers.
Hope everyone is well
Replaced a couple of lightbulbs yesterday so just had a tidy of the drawer they are kept and ended up putting lots of empty packaging in recycling so it looks much neater now but I'm sure I don't really need a whole drawer of spare bulbs so made note we do NOT need to buy any more!
Found some kettle descaler while I was in there so kettle is getting a run through now.
Will kondo past it Easter flowers into compost bin this morning.
I got Dh to put a new hook up in the kitchen for my calendar yesterday and have finally got round to writing birthday/anni dates on it so will get Aprils cards written later so no more birthday get forgotten.
While tidying the kitchen yesterday I decided I really don't need a specialist gadget for removing the stones from mangos a knife works perfectly well and is what I prefer to use anyway. I also have a bag sealer that I've never used as I buy sarni bags that flip over or self al anyway. So they can both go in the CS bag.

Have a joyful day all.

prudencekitten

After a couple of days of warmer weather I decided to put away winter clothes and take all my summer clothes out of storage. I managed to fill two bags for the charity shop of unwanted winter stuff. Another two jackets are in reserve for the next cull and if not worn this spring, they will be going too. A pair of stained not Uggs hit the bin along with a draught excluder and a foam travel pillow that had lost its shape. I passed on to d s a coffee maker I got last year as a gift with insurance cover - used twice. So far, so good.

But summer clothes ... Last year I decided that tee shirts and my spare tyre did not go together and fancied some loose linen shirts to go over trousers. From charity shops of course. I now have fifteen. :-(

I also have eight shirts non linen. And the offending tee shirts. And three dresses. And assorted tops.

Let me tell you about my life. I am retired. On week days I walk a neighbour's dog while dressed in my special dog proof clothes. Home again I dress in my fleece pjs.
I go"out out" maybe three times a week when I will wear proper clothes.

And all my summer clothes spark joy. (I forgot to mention there is also a bag of holiday/heatwave clothes hiding under the bed.)

I will wear all the summer collection in turn and discard those I can part with. I actually feel ashamed I have so many. They were bought from charity shops and supermarkets mostly, with others from Marks via vouchers, so not a huge financial investment.

I belong to a crafting group and I sew children's clothes for the Syrian refugees and am very aware of those poor folk with so very little while we have so much. Hence the shame.

oceanspirit

Thank you greenbee for the link yesterday. It helped me to make a big decision.

Kondo-wise more paper left my desk yesterday and lots of old emails removed from inbox plus old documents etc deleted from hard drive.

OH wanted me to keep a jumper which is in the charity box but my heart definitely sinks when I look at it so I know I'll never wear it again so it stays in the box.

Plan to do yet more paper today.