KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

oceanspirit

I'm still having those conversations too VJ's mum. I had one earlier today about writing addresses into my new address book - I was feeling reluctant to do it because addresses for people I've lost contact with might come in handy!!?!?!

Re: textbooks the only thing I can think of is recycling. Our kerbside collection now takes books and I disposed of a broken, tatty dictionary that way.

GQ, I was wondering if greenbee was having a ropeladder too. greenbee, The change of staircase style sounds fantastic and I am very envious of your new space for Christmas tree.

Not been doing much kondoing as away from home for a few weeks however have been catching up with emails and other correspondence which I suppose is still carrying on with clearing clutter. And I will get around to doing the address book which I have brought with me. There, now it's written down I can't get out of it.

GreyQueen

oceanspirit, I feel your pain about the address book. Mum has several, as they tend to arrive as gifts. I think several address books, all in use, in a cluttered home is too much and have tried to have the conversation about consolidating the viable addresses into just one.

One of the address books isn't even the parents' own. It is Grandma's. Grandma died in 1970 in her late seventies. There is no one listed in that address book who is both alive and at the address they were at then. Grandma's 'children' are either deceased or 80 + and their whereabouts for the past several decades is at other addresses, which we do have and sometimes even visit.

It is an address book without purpose and gets on my wick no end - it came to the front of a pile on my last visit and still cannot be got rid of because we might need that information for something.

Am properly exhausted today and there is some feelthy cold going around my workplace which I hope I'm not sickening for, but have grounded myself for tonight but will definately have to water the cold frame tomorrow after work. It will then have to mind its own business until Tuesday evening next week.

Busily meal planning to use up the fresh stuff in the fridge before the Bank Holiday weekend and then will pack my spotted hankie ready to head off after w*rk on Friday.

Then, mes enfants, let the kondo-ing begin.:rotfl:

Siebrie

I have Wednesdays off, and today it led to a discussion with dh that has been brewing for some time. He thinks I should be housecleaning on this day off, I don't. I only have the morning to myself, from 8.50 until 11.35, that is 2.5 hours. I go grocery shopping in that time, clean the bathroom, do two loads of laundry/linedrying/folding/putting away, some admin, take two fifteen minute breaks with coffee and a book or this forum. Then, I pick up youngest, start the pancake dough with her 'help', start baking a pile of pancakes, lunch and play with both girls, practise recorder with eldest, take her to music lesson, play with youngest, tidy, start dinner, pick up eldest, play, help with homework, read to and with them, finish dinner.
We had a cleaner, which dh cancelled, because he wanted to save the money and do the cleaning himself. Fine, I don't want to do the cleaning myself, cleaning is subsidized in Belgium, it is only 7 euros an hour for a 'white' cleaner, we can afford that, and we both work fulltime (my Wednesdays off are only temporary for three years). I know this is a luxury position, but I would really appreciate a cleaner every other week.
Anyway, dh remarked today that I should not have weeded the drive (that's a grand name for a paved front garden ), but should have cleaned inside first. No way am I cleaning inside in this lovely weather!
And it is not really messy inside, it's 'mess in motion', on its way to a better destination. For instance, this evening I put all rain gear into a cardboard box, which now lives on a shelf over the coat rack. 9 coats and trousers less on the coat rack itself.
Sorry to rant, I just needed to get it off my chest. DH and I hardly ever argue, we are a good team, it's just that when we do argue it hits much harder.

Charis

VJsmum wrote: »

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....

Just read this on a completely different thread:
'I've entered some old textbooks on to We Buy Books and they've offered me just over £40 for them'

Might they be worth a try?

PollyWollyDoodle

I don't think the 'conversations' about getting rid of stuff ever end, they just become less frequent.

Interesting point about the records above. I still have my mum's LPs, but don't own a turntable. My mum has been dead for more than 13 years. The LPs have not been played during that time. Nonetheless when I Kondoed that category I just couldn't part with them. They are so inextricably linked with her, I couldn't bear to. I still have them in boxes; I'm at an impasse.

GreyQueen

PWD, don't stress it about your late Mum's records. If the time is right, the time will be right, and you'll recognise it.

A former coworker was able to release his late mother's books in his late twenties, when she had been gone for about 15 years. Before then, he couldn't let them go.

:jI have successfully kondo'd 9 kg (just under a stone and a half) in exactly 12 weeks today, so am feeling pretty chuffed. Plenty left to go, but getting there. And I have discovered that one of the pairs of work trousers which I only just managed to get back into has some irritating features and will soon be too big and I will be joyously releasing them to the charity shop.:rotfl:

mothershipton

Siebrie. Sounds to me that you are doing the right things with your day. Making good memories with your kids and doing the housework. I assume that the point of having the day off was to do that and not clean! Hope you don't argue any more.

mavvymoo

Siebrie wrote: »

I have Wednesdays off, and today it led to a discussion with dh that has been brewing for some time. He thinks I should be housecleaning on this day off, I don't. I only have the morning to myself, from 8.50 until 11.35, that is 2.5 hours. I go grocery shopping in that time, clean the bathroom, do two loads of laundry/linedrying/folding/putting away, some admin, take two fifteen minute breaks with coffee and a book or this forum. Then, I pick up youngest, start the pancake dough with her 'help', start baking a pile of pancakes, lunch and play with both girls, practise recorder with eldest, take her to music lesson, play with youngest, tidy, start dinner, pick up eldest, play, help with homework, read to and with them, finish dinner.
We had a cleaner, which dh cancelled, because he wanted to save the money and do the cleaning himself. Fine, I don't want to do the cleaning myself, cleaning is subsidized in Belgium, it is only 7 euros an hour for a 'white' cleaner, we can afford that, and we both work fulltime (my Wednesdays off are only temporary for three years). I know this is a luxury position, but I would really appreciate a cleaner every other week.
Anyway, dh remarked today that I should not have weeded the drive (that's a grand name for a paved front garden ), but should have cleaned inside first. No way am I cleaning inside in this lovely weather!
And it is not really messy inside, it's 'mess in motion', on its way to a better destination. For instance, this evening I put all rain gear into a cardboard box, which now lives on a shelf over the coat rack. 9 coats and trousers less on the coat rack itself.
Sorry to rant, I just needed to get it off my chest. DH and I hardly ever argue, we are a good team, it's just that when we do argue it hits much harder.

Siebrie I would print out that list and leave it for him.It may make him think. You are a superwomen and dont ever forget that. Get the cleaner back lifes to short to spend your day off cleaning and for that price I would have one everyday not just every 2 weeks ;)My DH has said to me before 'I dont know what you do all day' He has been off work for a few weeks and cant wait to go back for a rest :rotfl:He now knows what I do all day as its still a struggle with the both of us doing it I know he will NEVER utter those words again


Everyones doing great what with builders in and sleeping in cat hair covered beds yuk Feeling rough, using a bike to get to the tip, husbands.kids, too much stuff,ebay, freecycle,charity shop runs, work, sorting out family,parents,cupboards, worry,stress, and god knows what else we all deserve a bl**dy medal :rotfl:

So lets take time to spend just a few mins today doing something that brings us joy no matter how small

Mav x

Edited to say well done GQ fantastic weight loss !

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all.

Mavvy I don't really want a medal, I'd have to polish it and find somewhere to put it. LOL.

Hugs to all that need them siebrie there's an old poem along the lines of the housework will always be there and kiddies grow up and don't need to so much anymore.mso do what you ar doing and what brings you and them joy, soon enough they will grow and not want to be cooking reading and practicing recorder with you they'll be taxing off somewhere with friends or too busy doing their own things. Spend time build memories and enjoy them being young. Have the cleaner back or let Dh do the cleaning on his day off it was his decision to stop the cleaner and he wanted to do it.

Going to alter my dress today and get a bit of tidying done, then I have work followed by food and a Drs appt so day will be pretty much gone

Have a joyful one all.

VJsmum

Charis wrote: »

Just read this on a completely different thread:
'I've entered some old textbooks on to We Buy Books and they've offered me just over £40 for them'

Might they be worth a try?

Thanks for this - I will bear it in mind for the future. But my textbooks come to £12.49 - and there are 9 of them, so really not worth it. Colleagues have suggested Oxfam Books who will know how or where to use them, so I will do that.

Mavvy - please don't mention the cat hair, I have only just stopped itching.... :eek:

Siberie - hugs, I don't quite know how much more you could do in that time in any case..... My answer is usually "if you don't like it, do it yourself.."

GQ - well done. It's a fab way of eating. I have a friend who seems to think i am depriving myself, she says "I just eat what i want" and always seems surprised when i say "so do i" She can't fathom that i don't want the sugary, carby stuff. I consume my sugar allowance in alcohol form :beer: :rotfl: We ate out last night, before going to a concert which was DH's birthday pressie (no stuff, see ) and i amused the waitress when i ordered the "topless burger - but bottomless as well". I.e. no bun....

Did have beer though :beer: the advantage of retraining my sweet tooth is that real ales now taste sublime...

No Kondoing for me today - although my office tidy at the weekend has resulted in a box of random carp to be sorted. i will allow myself 10 minutes today to do what i can with it - and another 10 tomorrow etc. it's the only way i can face it...

But at least the desk is clear