KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

stephnyc

Thank you all for your help & support. I was away enjoying some sunshine for a few days so have just now caught up on the the thread (it is a busy one!)

It's DH, and DD1 who's 6 and DD2 who's 4 and me. However, I split the housework with DH and laundry is my domain. I'm happy to get the DDs folding, but need to be able to do it myself first! Anyway, I'm only folding my own clothes for now.

Folding 6 tops took me more than 10mins yesterday. Instead of 30sec the old way. So if I'm to do all of my clothes thats a big surge in time. I did stand at a higher counter though, which really helped. I also only did 10mins & played some music - both good suggestions from posters on this board.

I think I'm going to try to purge more sections in the house, and maybe as space opens up, the folding will become easier.

Karmacat

Rather a sad kondo moment last night. I love Doris Lessing's "Canopus In Argos" series, a science fictional look at human development and history ... the first one, Shikasta, I've had it for years, re-read it a couple of times, but not for many years now. I'm about two thirds of the way through it, and its unreadable in its entirety, we're too far away from when she wrote it in the 1970s ... I'm glad to get rid of the book, it's musty and unpleasant, and it has to go It's literally falling apart too, so its not even good for the charity shop. Never mind. Thank you Doris.

Slinky

Careful what you wish for with thunderstorms, found out today several local properties were badly flooded on Tuesday afternoon.

I've finally caught up with the washing and ironing from our holiday (yay!) as I had a quiet day workwise. Am going to Kondo a pair of linen trousers which have shrunk and are now too short in the leg and too tight round the crutch..........grrrr........... note to self, do not buy M&S trousers ever again. Medium are too short and long are too long. I only bought these last year and they've only been washed 3-4 times.

Finished a book a couple of nights back to go into the CS bag, so small steps are starting to happen again.

Need to finish putting away the non-clothing stuff from the holiday so that the suitcases can go back to the loft this weekend. Job for tomorrow.

MamaSaver

I've been very slowly reading the 2015 thread, so sorry to hear about iQueen.

Mavvy, I'm very impressed with your out-of-the-box forward thinking. It's people like you that keep the world going round.

Been very slow at Kondoing recently but today (while the sun hid) I took the bull by the horns and kondoed a huge box that's been an eye sore on my landing since October. It was a free job I promised to do and since there was no deadline, it liiiiiingered! All done now and took a third of the time I thought it would. Landing is now nice and tidy.

MamaSaver

I just read back my post and I think I've been a bit hard on myself. So here's my list of my progress so far.

Clothes - this was done in two hours and I was ruthless. To the point where I recently had to change quickly after a bird released one on me but I had no summer clothes left! Went shopping the next day, but I hate it and I'm being very fussy now. Replenishing my wardrobe will take time but I must be choosy or I'll end up back where I was. In my frenzied kondo session I got rid of my 18th birthday dress. I had held onto it for nearly 20 years but when I held it to see if it sparked joy I realised it made me sad that my youth was gone and people who were at that party were now gone too.

Kitchen - I have lots of storage so this has been a work in progress. My friends were horrified at what I was getting rid of but again, I was ruthless. Still a few areas to kondo but looking good. One major success was a drawer of komono that has remained tidy with a few essentials within easy reach.

Playroom - this has been my most successful kondo category. I knew what my DD played with so everything else went. I said it was going into the attic and to her, that means gone. Anything she objected to was kept and I have was pleasantly surprised at how unattached she was to a lot of stuff. Now everything has a place and toys are in easy general categories so it takes her 5 minutes to tidy up now. It has never ever been a room where I could walk through in the dark without tripping. Now it is and we're all happier.

Shed - we did a complete clear out a few weeks ago and I'm gradually selling the remaining extra electrical items. We now only have about 30 items in there :eek:

DDs room - my 10yo absolutely loves an organised space so she was thrilled when I offered to kondo her room. We spent two days doing it and still have a few piles of paper and komono but it looks a million times better.

To do -
spare room (half done, needs final push)
drawers in sitting room, have started but need time commitment
Office - needs a year :eek: don't know how I'll ever get through it
Attic - began taking stuff down gradually. Found a pile of paper from my teens/20s and got so emotional I was crying to a friend. Very unlike me! Downed a bottle of wine that day to drown my sorrows. All old love letters from ex's thrown out, I've moved on to better things.
Car needs an overhaul. I'm finding toys etc in it that I know have been there unused for 8 years!

I find I keep tidying but the cleaning really suffers. I can't do it all, it's very difficult to find a balance especially when mking is so addictive!

MMF007

MamaSaver you are doing brilliantly! :T
I am plodding atm because RL is intruding rather more than I thought it would after I realigned my work-life balance. My DH is working very hard so almost all chores from shopping to domestic admin and finances, as well as cooking and cleaning are falling to me. I am not complaining, it's that way if you live on your own and for many others!

I did think I'd get chance to blitz categories but I have done more travelling and socialising lately and you can't do much Kondo-ing if you not at home (although, funnily enough I too did my car yester while out and about - needed a clear out of clutter from boot and litter, which although neatly in car bin had not been emptied for a fortnight). It felt good to do.

today I have to be at home as we are having the boiler serviced so I shall get my housework done asap and try and select a category to deal with. Fingers crossed I shall also have time tomorrow because we are out all day on Sunday!

Take heart from all the successes you have had and how good that makes you feel, and how it has helped the whole family!

M

mavvymoo

Hi everyone
Everyone is doing so well on the kondo front :T
The items I picked up on Monday I havent had to reject one item out of 145 :eek: Just goes to show these items can keep going on to a new life and helping so many people in the process.

In this lot we had an amazing massive pair of curtains in a very small pretty vintage cotton floral print. Sold them to a lady who was going to make bridesmaids dresses out of them for her daughters wedding :)Another lady who was there was chatting saying how much that curtain tape was in the shops. (it was a special one ) and the lady who brought the curtains said you are more than welcome to the tape I will take it off for you as I dont need it.:) So they swapped numbers and left chatting away like old friends

To me that summed the whole thing up and made me feel good inside

I am no saint and please dont think that:D There is a couple on this thread who know me and would vouch for that

But I do feel it gives you a really nice feeling inside and is good to give something back.
If we can all just do something small it really would make the world a nicer place.

Also the sales/PR person in me which never goes away :rotfl:Knows both those ladies will go away and tell everyone and will be back at the next sale with their friends:) and the circle will continue


Mav x

Karmacat

MamaSaver wrote: »

In my frenzied kondo session I got rid of my 18th birthday dress. I had held onto it for nearly 20 years but when I held it to see if it sparked joy I realised it made me sad that my youth was gone and people who were at that party were now gone too.

Woah! Mamasaver, your 18th is only 20 years ago and you feel your youth is gone? :eek: Er, no. Think of it, David Beckham was still playing professional football at your age! You're fine, you really are :j

mavvymoo wrote: »

In this lot we had an amazing massive pair of curtains in a very small pretty vintage cotton floral print. Sold them to a lady who was going to make bridesmaids dresses out of them for her daughters wedding :)Another lady who was there was chatting saying how much that curtain tape was in the shops. (it was a special one ) and the lady who brought the curtains said you are more than welcome to the tape I will take it off for you as I dont need it.:) So they swapped numbers and left chatting away like old friends

To me that summed the whole thing up and made me feel good inside

I love that!

Trying to think of my own kondoing? I kondoed a headache and I also got ready a huge bag of shredding to go through, the bin's been collected today, so I can do that over the weekend.

Slinky

Kondoing money like there's no tomorrow. Car has been in the garage all week whilst a part was sent away for repair. When it's been refitted the brake pressure keeps dropping but there are some ni pp les on the calipers which have seized so it will need new calipers. OH had to have new disks on his car last week as well as pads as a stone had got in and scored a disk. His was nearly £700, I'm sure mine will be over £400 by the time they're done, but what can you do? Too important not to sort out and my MOT's due so it's got to be done.

Siebrie

MamaSaver wrote: »

Attic - began taking stuff down gradually. Found a pile of paper from my teens/20s and got so emotional I was crying to a friend. Very unlike me! Downed a bottle of wine that day to drown my sorrows. All old love letters from ex's thrown out, I've moved on to better things.

Mamasaver, well done on all your work. Are the old letters still within reach? Then I suggest burning them, it's very cathartic!