KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

procrastinator

Well I emptied two double under cupboards in the kitchen but still can't decide what to keep. Have recycled quite a bit and donated some - charity shop bag taken in yesterday but that still leaves me too much. However DD comes tonight with friends (Heaven Help Me) so I have had to put stuff back to make the house presentable. Looking more hoarderish each day. Desperately trying to tidy LR where sofa bed will be needed. Will get back to kitchen next week when they are gone. Finding this so hard.

mrs-moneypenny

Had a busy afternoon with my sewing machine. Dd2 is by nature a hoarder and can't let things go easily. She asked me if I could make her a throw using some of her old slogan Tshirts she no longer wears but can't let go. She said they were too old and tatty for the CS which was a fair comment. She's bought two huge black bags round, so I've cut 96 13 inch squares and sewn them together it is huge!!! The little offcuts have gone in the rag bag for recycling the larger pieces are going to dd1s work for use as cleaning rags so nothing is wasted and now the throw will be used and bring joy rather than being two black bags of old clothes stuffed in her wardrobe. I'm thinking I'll ask mil for a pack of her unopened flannellette flat sheets she's got but will never use. They were bought for the double bed which was got rid of over 30 years ago! Then I can use them as backing to save buying something else and at least then the sheets will get used.
I know it's not the true spirt of kondoing but it's as near as dd would have got with them.

GreyQueen

Hmm, now thinking on about sink protectors etc.

My steel sink does have some pre-me damage, a lot of scratches on the bit which goes around the plug-hole. Given the smallness of the sink, and that I'd be clattering around inside it with stainless steel pans (some v.large) and stainless steel cutlery and knives, I have concerns that I'd worsen the problem.

However, having read your collective input, I think I will sit on my wallet for a while longer and experiment with bowl-less washing up. I have just recalled that I have some of the rubbery anti-slip matting that I got from Poondlandia. It was lining a drawer but isn't needed there any more as I now have a plastic cutlery tray which fills the space entirely.

I resisted an excellent rectangular deep-sided Pyrex in a chazzer this aft for only £1.50. It was useful, but I have other things which serve the same purpose as it would, so not needed.

I have a fondness for Pyrex and stainless steel cookware, plus proper wooden chopping boards which needs to be carefully reined-in.

One thing which kondo-ing has made me aware of is the importance of giving careful consideration to what you let into your life, as you can easily see yourself kondo-ing it later if it isn't exactly right.

greenbee

I FOUND ONE!!!

Gentleman's wardrobe, walnut, 77cm wide (I had to come home and measure to double check that it will fit), with the bakelite labels on the shelves and everything...

A bit tatty, but unlike ebay I've seen it (well, most of it, god only knows how they will get it out of the vast shed full of junk), and can clean it up and make it look lovely. So need to call in the morning and find out how soon they can deliver. Oh, and cheaper than any I've seen on ebay, with free delivery.

GreyQueen

:T Oh well done, greenbee! So pleased for you. And walnut is a lovely wood, too.

dragonette

Yay Greenbee, that wardrobe sounds lovely

Have little to no progress here, decluttering hospital appts doesn't really count. Indeed I bought myself another candle but the smell is joyful so no guilt

greent

mrs-moneypenny wrote: »

I know it's not the true spirt of kondoing but it's as near as dd would have got with them.

I don't know, mrs m-p - I think getting rid of 2 large bags of sentimental items which may never have seen the light of day again and converting them into a large and joyful and sentimental and useful item is totally KM.:T Plus all the little oddments will be useful one way or another - total win!




Greenbee - fantastic - great news




DD has declared that she doesn't want several small collectible cuddlies. Rather than offer them to any of her brothers they have gone straight into the CS bag :j


My mum has visited and brought a large bag of hotel/ airline toiletries etc. Straight off I have removed the ones we'll use (small shampoos and conditioners are great for swimming bags and the toothpaste tubes are C0lgate and I refill the soap dispenser in the boys' bathroom with the shower gels) and taken them to my bathroom (where spare toiletries are stored) The remaining items have been split into 2 further piles - 1 for the charity I volunteer for (sealed toothbrushes) and 1 for Op CC (the unused and sealed hairbrushes and combs) - Op CC stuff being collected next week from here (I have 2 large bags of various items) and the toothbrushes will be taken to charity premises next week when I'm next there. All dealt with:T

ETA: I know having spare toiletries isn't very MK - but I don't care - we get through them quickly, so stores are only ever temporary!

oceanspirit

Wow greenbee, what a find!

Did a bit in the kitchen today so it's looking a little better in there.

Cleared out more emails and bits of paper, ordered a new handbag online which is of a style that will be able to replace two separate old, scruffy bags and a bag which hopefully can be used as an overnight bag to replace one which is too big and cumbersome to store. Looking forward to see if they both spark joy. If they don't, they will go straight back - no 'it'll do' type thoughts allowed.

MMF007

Some great results and wise choices all round! Mrs MP, you must be so patient to cut all those t's, and now you have to sew and back them....wow.. That's a lovely thing to do for your DD (and a good use for the 30 y.o. new sheet! ).

My project plan was hijacked by the MK magic this morning. I started to put away a few bits and found myself irresistibly drawn to 2 smallish boxes of stationery / info leaflets. They are in the not-quite-so-doomy room. It was a reasonable solution and not untidy but the contents had bred, as pens and pencils do! Anyhoo, I had a LBM, although a somewhat embarassing one.... I remebered that the desk I have had about 4 years has a sort of concealed drawer recessed beneath the top. In my defence it's face is angled away, it is not visible and it is very shallow. I have never used it. It is ideal for writing implements, post it notes, stapler, etc. So re-homed that lot, binned a few that had DIS, filed the leaflets in with other 'travel related' info. Cleared the boxesaway for future repurposing.
Then.....because I had the MK urge (it will come, procrastinator, honestly), I re-did shoes and boots. It helped that I could get rid of a pair of work shoes (hee, hee). I, get this, cleaned them all. Realised that I have 2 pairs of ankle boots that I haven't worn for ages but that I love, so pulled them to the front. Stashed sandals in drawer at bottom of wardrobe until the weather warms up.. That led me to put a handbag from said drawer into CS bag.
That then led me to sort pile of DH stuff that is endagering access to said wardrobe. I also moved the coat he has bagged up for CS into the aforementioned CS bag so I can take it in tomorrow. The moving round prompted me to do an emergency vac of the newly revealed space.....:embarasse so I vacced all of upstairs.

Unfortunately my plan for today was to clean and tidy the 'public areas' prior to entertaining on Sunday :rotfl:
oh, and then I cleaned the oven :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Panic set in when DH txt to say he was on way home and I hadn't thought about dinner (well I had thought about an Indian takeaway ). So, we had bacon butties for tea! We know how to live:D

M reviews post and wonders if she really did do all that M realises that semi-retirement is going well :j

mrs-moneypenny

Well done letting the wardrobe find you greenbee. The magic of mk strikes again.
Sent dd a photo of the squares out together and she's really pleased with it so far.

Hope everyone has a good weekend I've got a busy one so not sure how much I'll be about.