KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Clutterfree

Hi All,
Well on Sunday hubby emptied the loft! :eek:
First time in 14 years....

Good grief the amount of stuff we'd kept up there that we thought had gone years ago!
Had a quick sort out on Sunday which resulted in 5 dustbin bags to charity shop on Monday.
There will be more to go but still sorting through.

Think there will be approx 10 boxes destined for the loft at our new home. More than I'd like but most is sentimental and I don't have the time or mindset to KM that before we move. I did grab a few old letters from long forgotten pen pals that had been stored in a box up there and recycled those.

The kitchen looks like a bomb has gone off with all the boxes stacked there, but at least the loft is empty....

How is everyone else getting on?

greenbee

Was out of the house for work for most of today (well I worked from home 8-12 then drove to the station, got a train, worked in a cafe until 5, went to a meeting 5.15-7.15, walked back to the station, got on a train, drove home and finally got in at 9.30) during which time some of the plumbing appears to have been done, and a bit of painting.

The hall feels MASSIVE now the stairs have been changed (but I'm not letting GQ's parents have the space). So much nicer to come into - light and open and spacious. Although still carpeted with random offcuts and full of crap from elsewhere. As are the sitting room, dining room, my office, kids room and my bedroom. For some reason only the spare bedrooms are under control!

mothernerd

GreyQueen I recently read an article which said that cassette sales are on the increase, higher than they have been for years. Don't know where they are sold (suspect from the context that it is a 'yoof' thing - return of the mix tape?).

When I finally got rid of my beloved LPs (many years after I had anything to play them on) I found I had to take the whole lot to the cs at once (they were still taking them in those days), looking through them was fatal.

I did try with the builders yesterday. I told them that the attic was not boarded but provided them with a flat pack wardrobe (DS1 took it away, brought it back saying I had given him the wrong fittings but neglected to bring the instructions back and it's a 3 door, 4 drawer one), two boards from an old bed and the doors from the old attic cupboards.

I said they could take up as many boards as they liked to stand on, could screw them down if they wanted and leave them up there - Mr Builder took one small board. Ah well back to the drawing board.

No builders today, so I have been attempting to tick off some admin tasks - phone calls as will have limited access to the front room for the rest of the week. Took a few things to the charity bin in the library (already bagged up last week) - would have been more but not a lot of space in there. Finished off the washing mountain. Have left 2 quilts outside (not needed until DS3 returns in 3 weeks time) and think there are 8 pillows (+ 2 I have for 'stuffing').

Some paperwork can go as the first phone call was successful. Second phone call was dreadful. How can companies admit that they did the wrong thing and it was their fault, then come up with a range of 'solutions' which involve you giving them more of your hard earned cash?

Decided to leave the latest missive to my (should be ex) energy company until tomorrow as the prospect of more of the same was too dismal to contemplate. Desperate to resolve the situation as I have a whole drawer full of paperwork - print outs of their 'bills', spreadsheets trying to work out what the he** they had done, lists of my e-mails, detailing their numerous errors - which can go, if they will let me go. Still trying to get a final bill for the house I sold at the beginning of January - they have now passed the 6 week deadline after they said they had 'solved my issue'.

Glad to leave the house and go off to the city where I was fed by DS1. Took 3 more parcels for him (1 arrived yesterday and DS3 must have put 2 in the wrong place - they turned up whilst we were preparing for the builders).

Slowly things are leaving (2 more bins put out today - green waste and recycling which included some rusting cupboard hinges). I have asked DS1 about tools. He and his gf are saving for a house and I have suggested that at some point I could provide him with a basic tool kit from my duplicates. DS2 was given a basic set as a 21st present and made a point of leaving them behind and DS3 has inherited his father's diy skills i.e. none (except for cameras and stereo equipment - wonderful how selective the male brain can be).

Will continue to sort through various boxes and bags when the builders return but have lost count of things that have gone (had the figure of 67 written down at the weekend and not added on but not kept track since).

I too am looking forward to GQ's weekend adventures.

MMF007

Been very busy with paid work today because I had to compact 3 days into 2 so I can have a long weekend away, starting tomorrow!

Kondo'd a bag of recycling (did a cardboard round up last evening and, dare I say, got rid of a shoe box!). Forgot to take a couple of items to CS but they are not taking up much space and I intend to find more Stuff to go, so not a problem.

Spent 3 hours with anxious client this afto, reassuring and assisting with various tasks. She said she had been worrying for several days about all sorts of things which she is getting back into perspective now. She said she was glad to see my cheery face :cheesy: I managed to pursuade her to recyle the 8 year old Yellow Pages she has that is for an area about 100 miles from her house
There was talk of sorting out some more Stuff to be released but she was not in the right frame of mind so I shall wait and see when she next raises the idea and then i shall jump at the chance to help. We have done this once before, on a fairly minor scale and I was able to help her re-home some haberdashery supplies to a craft group, a part- made teddy to someone who finished it and donated it to a fundraiing event, and several items to a CS.
It is definitely only possible for her to let things go if there is an identifiable new 'home' for them.
I have found the same with my mum, the need to be reassured that the Stuff won't go to waste'.

Right, off to finish packing, MK-style, small bag for the long weekend. I realised I have Kondo'd my slippers because I never wear them round the house, just wear a pair of clog-style shoes. Shall buy a cheap pair so as to appear house-trained at our friends'
M

mrs-moneypenny

Morning kondoers, everyone looks very busy and seems to have loads going on.
Hope you are all as well as can be.

Kondoed some stashed fabric into a dress yesterday, then wore it to go and see Adam ant last night. That was a very joyful experience. Dd3 treated me and Dh to tickets as fathers/Mother's Day pressies. Fantastic night.

Got work all day today so won't get any kondoing done, toninght I need to take dress in I made as its a bit too big and I'll sort the paper recycling as there a bin full that can go.

Have a joyful day all

GreyQueen

Morning all.

I'd be interested to know how changing greenbee's stairs has created more space and light - I reckon she's replaced them with a rope ladder, what do you think? :rotfl:

I do think all of you with a dose of the builders are very brave. I once stayed over at my parents to manage the building of their extension (never detach the back of the house in November, it's proper parky) and each day of builder-time felt like a week.

Today is work and then a flit up to the allotment for watering the cold frame and doing a little work. Will probably do a dump run with some non-compostable weeds like the horsetail and a couple of other bits which are in the shed awaiting the tip - my allotment is nearer the tip than my home is, so things sometimes take an indirect route up there.

Tell ya, having only a pushbike for transport, along with ME, makes you incredibly energy efficient.

Righty, readying for work and off for the day, have a good one, everybody. GQ xx

PS, if Mum & Dad can't have greenbee's spare space, could I have it, pls? Badly needed at the homestead. TIA.

greenbee

GreyQueen wrote: »

Morning all.

I'd be interested to know how changing greenbee's stairs has created more space and light - I reckon she's replaced them with a rope ladder, what do you think? :rotfl:

At one point the amount of muttering and swearing suggested that might be the solution! Previously the stairs went up the side of the hall (past the window) to a half-landing, turned round 180 degrees and went back on themselves to join the landing, cutting across the middle of the hall (so from above, looking down from the landing, the gap was completely full of stairs). Now they turn the corner and to up the end wall at a 90 degree angle, freeing up a HUGE space in the middle of the hall, letting the light through from the window, and allowing me to have a fabulous chandelier/giant christmas tree going up to the first floor ceiling in the centre of the hall. And I don't bash my head on the stairs trying to get to stuff underneath it.

GreyQueen wrote: »

I do think all of you with a dose of the builders are very brave. I once stayed over at my parents to manage the building of their extension (never detach the back of the house in November, it's proper parky) and each day of builder-time felt like a week.

Yep. Only three days to go... :beer:

GreyQueen wrote: »

PS, if Mum & Dad can't have greenbee's spare space, could I have it, pls? Badly needed at the homestead. TIA.

It's not spare. It has an important function. Being EMPTY :cool:

VJsmum

Morning Kondoites.

Put on a t shirt this morning, having had a "I don't want to wear it" conversation with myself. it is now off and in the chazzer bag. it is too baggy, the neckline is too low and i like fitted t shirts. The fact that it is a bit of a "brand" name is irrelevant. I was surprised that i still have to have such conversations....

Where can i send old text books - any ideas? No word on the book harvest and they need to go. They have no value whatsoever....

I was at dads thhe last two days. Unlike GQ's parents' house it is both cluttered AND unsanitary :eek: Not dad's fault, brother and his girlfriend live there - quite how they can live in such muck amazes me. I got into the spare bed on Monday night, started itching. It is full of cat hairs :eek::eek: oh dear god, I itch even thinking about it. I will have to think about sleeping there again - but i can't tell dad cos there is enough tension around the "lodgers" (brother is dads carer, so they can't really leave as dad would probably have to go into a home), the girlfriend causees dad a lot of resentment. At the least, if i do stay there, i will take a sleeping bag (or at least a sheet sleeping bag.).

Anyhow, I have offered to come over in the summer for a little longer and with the car (i usually go by train) and help them all declutter. But i have said that stuff needs to leave. Frankly i can't wait to get my hands on it, but we will have to see. Dad is keen on the idea but thinks it means that the girlfriend won't leave. I don't think he gets that if she leaves, brother leaves.... What a mess....(both literally and metaphorically).

hey ho - I have decided that i can only do what i can do and there's no point worrying beyond that. So i won't Have a fabby day all

Siebrie

DH has found a relatively cheap and efgicient way to get stuff to his relatives in Africa, hurray! There is a company that will let you fill an oildrum (clean, I must add) with anything you want to, then seal it, and send it to his country for €150 (gbp 120). I managed to fill it with the contents of three moving boxes by rolling every single item and pushing it down hard, and some stuff for the house we are building there. It will be gone this weekend, and our attic now has an echo!

Hobsons_Choice

I hope at least a few of you lot live near me in Worcestershire, then
I can go chazzer hunting and pick up some real bargains .....obviously only stuff I really need, not stuff I only want