KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

MMF007

Yes GQ, a ginnel is a small alleyway but here it usually refers to one between or behind houses rather than any other alleyway such as those at the side of shops.

Had a couple of friends round for lunch. Having 'cleaned public areas' - VJ'sMum, read it again, more carefully! - last weekend I was delighted to see it only required a quick fettle (GQ, let me know if you need a translation). KM does indeed make life soooooooooo much easier, eh?! And, even more astonishingly I am enjoying keeping the place tidy - NEVER thought I'd say that :rotfl

Am crossing my fingers that tomorrow DH will agree to release at least 6 t-shirts to CS, on a 'one in, one out' basis.!

Have been pretty shattered all week but 2 lovely days ahead with hardly any actual commitments, although I shall endeavour to do a few useful things!!

The Woo continues with regard to gainful employment - I now have 3 regular customers for my cleaning and general assisting services to elderly neighbour and 2 of her friends. I spent Thursday afto mooching round shops
with one of said customers, helping her find a new arm chair - she no longer drives, has no internet access and is
not terribly mobile so, having someone to asssist with the process seemed to help a lot. We enjoyed ourselves and I had no inclination to purchase anything :T

Flubberyzig, I like the quote, going to use that. It dovetails with Mao's 'every journey starts with a single step'. As Karmacat says, the little steps do add up and slow progrees is better than backsliding!

Have a great weekend Everyone,

M

mumps

Tackled the tax returns today, mine and husbands. I hate doing them and put them off till January every year so here we are half way through April and they are almost done, just got to wait for the P60s and then they can go. They normally hang over me like a grey cloud so I am really looking forward to getting them submitted.

I also got rid of some old tax stuff, I keep it for seven years and then it goes, and bought a nice little file for the new tax year so it will be nice and tidy for next year.

Karmacat

GreyQueen wrote: »

Err, what's a ginnel when it's at home? Something like an alleyway?

Yep, GQ, as MMF007 says, an alleyway. My dad used to use the word, maybe its northern?

Went for a bit of a chazzer crawl this aft (I know, the shame, the shame ) and came away with a useful little Addis plastic pot. I like this brand and the pot which I use for my workplace lunch is dying on me (lid splitting) so wasn't going to pass by its replacement when it presented itself for 25p.

Ooh yes! Sounds good.

decided to have an early bath and attend to various bits of self-maintenance.

Y'know, after a certain age, it can feel a bit like re-arranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, but you have to make a bit of an effort or you can end up going all Wurzel Gummidge before you know where you are.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl: this sums up an uneasy, nonverbal sense I've had about my ablutions for quite a while now, good one

MMF007 wrote: »

Yes GQ, a ginnel is a small alleyway but here it usually refers to one between or behind houses rather than any other alleyway such as those at the side of shops.

Yep, we called them entries, but as above my dad used to come out with the word "ginnel" every so often

Have been pretty shattered all week but 2 lovely days ahead with hardly any actual commitments, although I shall endeavour to do a few useful things!!

I could have written that :T

Flubberyzig, I like the quote, going to use that. It dovetails with Mao's 'every journey starts with a step'. As Karmacat says, the little steps do add up and slow progrees is better than backsliding!

Absolutely - I think the black and whiteness of "I must get it all done" can be crippling, truly.

mumps wrote: »

Tackled the tax returns today, mine and husbands. I hate doing them and put them off till January every year so here we are half way through April and they are almost done, just got to wait for the P60s and then they can go. They normally hang over me like a grey cloud so I am really looking forward to getting them submitted.

Nice one. I often manage to do the basics at this time of year, and then do the really hard work in January, the month before the last submission date. This year, I really want to get it submitted before I retire.

mrs-moneypenny

Morning kondoers
Hope all are well
Just loaded three banana boxes full of crafting mags and two bin bags full of stuff ready to do a CS drop of, will pick mils two bags up on the way out.

Cut out role play capes last night so I can make those and take them to school on Monday.

Stuff is leaving which is good.

wort

Had a catch up on everyone's posts, some great work being done.
Had a terrible week at work all being shifted around again less than a month since last time! I have been trying to use the mindfulness course to keep from going over and over things in my head, I wonder if the powers that be realise the stress they cause when they reshuffle us.

Apart from garden kondo whilst the weather is good and plenty washing haven't done any kondoing. I have done all categories and it's all lovely and tidy, so I'm not beating myself up. My next job will be to go through summer clothes as we are going on holiday next month, so will see what can go :T

GQ I also had a go at self maintenance on Wednesday as was going for a meal, and definitely was turning into worzel gummidge, wish I could do that thing he did were he switched his head :rotfl:
last night was at my nephews 18th party so am a little delicate this morning, so when I pegged out this morning I cut a few flowers from garden and am now lazing on the couch.

GreyQueen

Morning all (just about still morning).

Fettle - at a guess, to tweak things a bit?

karmakat, I think when you're young, even if you're not one of the pretty people (and I'm not) a certain fresh-facedness carries you through. If you don't like preening, and I've never enjoyed prissing around, you can ride on a degree of youthfulness.

Howsomever, I have noticed that I'm about the age where the lack of attention to grooming and apparel isn't actually looking tomboyish and unaffected, it's starting to look downright slovenly and unappealing.

Sooo, in my time-honoured style, I splashed out on a tub of face cream for my neck (face doesn't need any) and have resolved to pay a little bit more attention to certain things and aim to look a bit more like an adult.

Well, not today, have been to the reclamation yard and then wheeled a fencepost up the road balanced across my pushbike to get it to the allotment. In the rain. I was appropriately-attired in casual trousers, trainers, flannel shirt and anorak.

Plans for this afternoon - still raining - are to do a couple of mending jobs and then I might take a stroll. I might put on a proper coat and shoes and comb my hair first, tho.:rotfl:

mrs-moneypenny

CS stuff all dropped off

I've heard fettle as in describing someone in good health as being in fine fettle.

Got some compost and grow bags as veggie growing is bringing me joy at the mo.

flubberyzing

Good afternoon all!


I have returned from my weekly Tesco run with the weekly shop, including a bunch of speciality daffodils. I had a bunch last week, and the week before, and I've really enjoyed having them on my coffee table. I do enjoy having fresh flowers in the house.
I also picked up Tesco's monthly free magazine. There are usually a couple of moderately interesting articles, and occasionally some useful coupons, so I always get a copy when I see it.


I threw out a plant earlier today. In my big Kondo-ing session of the other week, I rediscovered it looking rather sad and neglected on the lower shelf of a side table. I gave it a good drink and transferred it to the kitchen window sill. But the last few days there has been a funky smell in the kitchen which I just couldn't identify the source of... It smelt like gone-off potatoes. Anyway, this morning I identified the source as this plant. I don't know what has gone wrong, but it went straight out to the dustbin. I've had that plant the better part of 3 years, so it's done well really.

flubberyzing

GreyQueen wrote: »

I think when you're young, even if you're not one of the pretty people (and I'm not) a certain fresh-facedness carries you through. If you don't like preening, and I've never enjoyed prissing around, you can ride on a degree of youthfulness.

Howsomever, I have noticed that I'm about the age where the lack of attention to grooming and apparel isn't actually looking tomboyish and unaffected, it's starting to look downright slovenly and unappealing.

:rotfl:

You are so right!
Even in my younger days, I was never one of the "pretty ones", but didn't (and still don't) care. I've never bothered with make-up for anything other than the most special of special occasions (usually only weddings!)
But now I'm noticing that I can no longer pull of the slogan t-shirts and that unbrushed look! And especially at work now, I'm making an effort to dress in a more "tailored" style, as much as is possible anyway, considering I teach Reception! :rotfl:

maddiemay

I am another one who struggles with one of those conditions (perhaps more than one, waiting for more tests) that leaves me in pain and without any energy, as such I have had to be content with just doing a little in the house and garden when I have some energy and low pain, but even so things have really got away from me and it has been dragging me down mentally. OH and I are away for 4 nights from Monday so plenty of down time should be available. I also have friends here to lunch tomorrow, so today and Sunday morning I am having a blitz on 3 rooms (OH will do the heavy stuff) I am keeping everything crossed that I won't crash, as so far the bathroom is kondoed, tidied and cleaned and it is making me feel so much brighter:D

When I return I am going to look at the Flylady baby steps???? thing, the 5 and 15 minute bursts and regular little jobs like wiping the sinks and basins down while the kettle is boiling etc really seemed to make a difference. The great things is that the areas I have kondoed properly have stayed really good (and I do still smile when I open my sock and underwear drawers, also the cupboard from hell - under kitchen sink is still really tidy and OH now looks where things should go rather than just jamming them in:rotfl:

I really need to find an oven cleaning company, no local ones, has anyone used any of the national companies?