KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Siebrie

Thanks for all the support! The main change for me is that there used to be a team of 7 executives, one of which is my boss. One of them will take early retirement, the others will share an Assistant in pairs, so: 6 executive people with 3 Assistants. I have so far not been updated about the exact tasks, just which Executve person will be added to my workload. Luckily, we already know eachother and get along fine, but it is going to be a LOT of extra work. I feel really sorry for the people who were let go. Apparently, some were given an option, others were fired straight away. I was never asked. That must mean I am much appreciated by my boss and the exec team? Or does it mean that I get underpaid for the work I do?

greent

More paper & card to the chiminea today Said to OH I was debating about getting rid of the shredder - sadly he wants to keep it as 'a back up' - I did point out that was in case of all matches failing, perhaps?

Box of about 8 books and couple of CDs sent to Ziffit today. Only about £18 to be received in return, but stuff out + money in = win:win

Box of Leg0 returned to shop - was a duplicate. I could have kept it for present stash - but I am trying to reduce random items, not add to them! Plus it meant £7 back to my CC

Few letters/ forms/ paperwork returned to 2 schools today - more paper out of the house :T

Letter to a bank written to close 2 old ISAs (total balance less than 20p!) and dropped in whilst I was in town anyway (Tried to do it in person in a branch a few weeks ago and that was impossible - but refused to use a stamp on a letter for such a piffling amount!)

Bag of clothing and other textiles dropped to H&M and £5 voucher received in return :T

2 spare carpet tiles returned to shop and refund received. In days gone by we would have kept these due to a combination of Justin and can't be bothered. Much better to get them out of the way and have the £6 back

Tried to find something for my mum to buy OH for his bday - failed.

x

ETA: Large bag of assorted items for Op CC collected from my house

GreyQueen

greent, I'd like to ask a bit about this H & M textile recycling. Do they always give a voucher in return? Do you just go to a store with your discards? Do they have to be their brand clothing only? TIA.

greent

GreyQueen wrote: »

greent, I'd like to ask a bit about this H & M textile recycling. Do they always give a voucher in return? Do you just go to a store with your discards? Do they have to be their brand clothing only? TIA.

They always give you a voucher - and they look to reuse/ recycle as much as they can, so are pretty responsible about it, I believe.

It can be any textiles, not just clothing - and from anywhere. I took my shrunken sofa covers in and got vouchers in return Have also taken curtains in with severe sun fading at both edges.

You can get a voucher per bag, max 2 bags/ vouchers at a time (I've used multiple people to drop off if I've needed more vouchers (such as a shopping trip with all 4 children in tow!) Current vouchers are valid until 31st Aug 2017 and are £5 off a £25 spend - which I manage easily as both my teenagers like it for basics inc jean and I like it for my smaller 2 for items such as joggers.

In all stores which I've used the collection points are big 'bins' next to the till points, labelled as 'clothing/ textile recycling' (or similar) - I let an assistant behind the till know I've got a bag (or 2) and pop them in and they get the voucher(s) for me. You can even recycle manky items (stained/ torn etc) I do still recycle rags through the CS when I have some vouchers stored up (I currently have 3 to use by next Aug)

hth

GreyQueen

Thanks, that was very informative. I may look into doing some of that at some point. One does occasionally need to buy certain things new, after all (eg undies).

greent

GQ - they're pretty reasonably priced on things too - you can get little party dresses (think 16-25yo styling, sadly!) for less than £10 up to around £20. Long sleeved tops around £5, from memory. Socks etc all good prices too. I honestly don't spend masses on my teens - but DD had put her elbows through 4 long sleeved tops (around 3-4years old each) and knees though one pair of jeans and was lacking in warmer tops/ jumpers so needed a splurge before uni (where she'll be doing her own washing and things will be hanging around dirty for longer so she also needed more clothes in general, as she actually didn't have *that* many, especially for a teenager! - I wash a load virtually every day with 6 of us)

GreyQueen

When I've got the other 2.5 stone off, I shall be in the market for a pair of jeans. Are theirs reasonable? I need a 34 leg so the odds of me finding these secondhand are pretty remote.

I have sourced one pair from a chazzer as it was a rare find and I have socked them away for another 6 months, at which point I hope to be able to fit into my proper size which is a 16.

Ummm, how big a bag qualifies - a carrier bag? A black sack full?

greent

GreyQueen wrote: »

When I've got the other 2.5 stone off, I shall be in the market for a pair of jeans. Are theirs reasonable? I need a 34 leg so the odds of me finding these secondhand are pretty remote.

I have sourced one pair from a chazzer as it was a rare find and I have socked them away for another 6 months, at which point I hope to be able to fit into my proper size which is a 16.

Ummm, how big a bag qualifies - a carrier bag? A black sack full?

A carrier bag is fine - I've been taking in old style supermarket freebie ones.

DD's jeans range between 10 and £20 from there - sadly usually £20 - but that's still darned good for something for an 18yo!

Their default leg length is 32, but 30 and 34 are also available. Being of the shorter variety in this household we usually get the 30" ones

Siebrie

I have kondoed shoes! They all live underneath the coatrack in the hallway, in two shoeracks; a small one for me and dds, a large one for dh! He is much vainer than I am and has about thirty pairs!

GreyQueen

Siebrie wrote: »

I have kondoed shoes! They all live underneath the coatrack in the hallway, in two shoeracks; a small one for me and dds, a large one for dh! He is much vainer than I am and has about thirty pairs!

How many pairs have you left him?:p