KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Siebrie

Kboss2010, well done on taking the step of actually using the items and not keeping them for best (or for Justin...), and thank your lucky stars that you actually collected something useful, unlike glass cat ornaments or porcelain thimbles. I used to collect guest soaps (I had over 400) and can claim joyfully that they have all been used up or donated to charity (Operation Christmas Child, mainly).

GQ, well done on keeping your temper, and well done on clearing out that bungalow so fast.

My lovely parents have washed all my windows! Mum has done some mending, and Dad has done homework with eldest dd.

mrs-moneypenny

Kboss well done on starting to use your candle collection. I used to be guilty of saving them for display, they get used now.

kboss2010

Thank you for all of your lovely, kind words.

I got a bit stuck with the kondoing mid-decorating and didn't know how to proceed. Then I remembered someone on here having a quote in their signature about some famous person who said that their biggest regret was saving things for best and that they should've burned the pretty candle that got melted in storage. So I started there.

GreyQueen

Morning all.

Woken up by some early bird neighbour parking a Transit with its radio blaring right outside my bedroom and thought about getting snotty then realised it was only 20 mins before my alarm went off and not worth snotting over, so to speak.:rotfl:

I found this website and thought this post was very pertinent: http://www.raptitude.com/2011/01/i-dont-want-stuff-any-more-only-things/

I found this particular website from another one, sort of a consolidator of blogs on simplicity, minimalism etc etc which has much of interest: http://simplicityvoices.com/

Re the candles, I got the pillar candle to my pal as she burns a lot of them and I know it will be used. The drips and dregs will eventually come back to me and be reborn as new candles. There were several candles from the bungalow:

1. Pair of green dinner candles from the back bedroom, had got warmed at some point and melted into curves.

2. Another pair of green dinner candles, broken.

3. A part box of fancy lavender scented candles.

4. The big pillar candle given to pal, rather christmassy looking, probably a gift.

5. Quarter of a carrier bag of plain white candles, part burned, from little stubs to nearly whole candles, from the wash-house. Looks like remnants from 1970s powercuts.

No. 3 are going to a chazzer as they have the relevent safety labels. Candles without stickers or boxes telling you the bleedin' obvious such as not to leave them burning unattended are apparently rejected by charity shops, according to their websites - they're not allowed to sell them.

No 4 was handed over last night and all the others will be reconsititued into stripy pillar candles by me and some may end up being given as pressies to pals who can be trusted with matches and candles without needing special instructions.

The line about burning the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage is the second line of Erma Bombeck's poem If I had my life to live over.

Beautiful poem.

mrs-moneypenny

Morning all
I was up earlier than usual as well gq but decided to take advantage of the extra hour by making a start on another paperback while having an extra cuppa in bed made by Dh before he went off to work.

I agree the poem if I had my life to live over by erma bombeck is beautiful.

Busy day today, got extra shift at work plus usual one then after lunch I'm going to help dd2 try and scrub some of the smoke damage from her flat. Hoping for no rain today as I have loads of her washing to hang out.

Hope everyone is well and has something joyful in their day.

Igamogam

GreyQueen wrote: »

5. Quarter of a carrier bag of plain white candles, part burned, from little stubs to nearly whole candles, from the wash-house. Looks like remnants from 1970s powercuts.

We have the exact same candles - boxes and boxes of them brought from my grandparents house in 1999 and used for those 1970's power cuts. we make use of them though as we often get power cuts during winter storms here




No. 3 are going to a chazzer as they have the relevent safety labels. Candles without stickers or boxes telling you the bleedin' obvious such as not to leave them burning unattended are apparently rejected by charity shops, according to their websites - they're not allowed to sell them.

Where is the rolling eyes smilie

The line about burning the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage is the second line of Erma Bombeck's poem If I had my life to live over.

Beautiful poem.

It was reading this poem that set all the alarm bells ringing for me and it really hit home when I found a lovely candle in one of our sheds that DD1 had brought back from a school trip to Kenya as a gift..........it had melted beyond recognition:( I am not a smelly candle fan I have to say (especially yank€€ type......sorry :eek:) I had consigned this candle to the shed,to be dealt with later, as I thought it was a smelly one.........turned out it wasn't. .......:(

PollyWollyDoodle

Thank you for that link, GQ - very relevant and I like the distinction between 'things' and 'stuff'! It's also worth clicking on the link within that article, 'A Day In The Future' - food for thought.

Refreshed by reading both of those, I'm going to go and turn out a bookcase that has somehow filled up with random items!

mavvymoo

[FONT=ARIAL, CHICAGO] [FONT=ARIAL, CHICAGO] If I Had My Life To Live Over

[/FONT] by Erma Bombeck

[FONT=ARIAL, CHICAGO]The following was written by the late Erma Bombeck
after she found out she had a fatal disease. [/FONT][FONT=ARIAL, CHICAGO]


[FONT=ARIAL, CHICAGO]

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's".. More "I'm sorrys" ...

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.




Mav x

[/FONT][/FONT][/FONT]

mavvymoo

[FONT=ARIAL, CHICAGO]Morning all
Its good to read Ermas poem again even if its imprinted in my brain now It will never hurt all the new konverts to learn this off by heart

I am joining the ranks of cold sufferers at the moment as have felt pretty rough over the last few days.A bit better today so hopefully the worse is over.

Last week I sorted Dads massive cupboard in the kitchen and found 31 :eek: Glass dishes. If I hadnt made a fuss then 30 would have been kept :rotfl:But he ended up keeping 7 and the rest have gone to the charity shop.There was a lot of carp in there which has now gone and the lovely linen basket is now in my spare room as a bedside cabinet which I will put the spare bedding in at some point in the distant future (When I tackle the ironing mountain)

We are going to move on to one of the cupboards in the hall next :eek: So I maybe a while in there as it was the one I couldnt see the back wall of The one with the hanging rail at the front so you have to move all the coats before you notice thats not the back To give you an idea I reckon a single bed and bedside cabinet could fit with ease :rotfl:

I have been doing a bit of kondo here with 3 quilt sets released as I have replaced them with new joyful bedding which was a cheer me up purchase and not really needed if I am honest with myself but I am enjoying snuggling down at night in them so I am not too p*ssed off with myself.

Going to try and start the northface of the ironing today but doubt if I will reach the summit as I always find something a lot more joyful to do.:rotfl:

Mav x
[/FONT]

Tea_Lady

Hi everyone
I have been to the homestead for a couple of days. Must say it's looking very good. Have completed decorating all the walls (painted). I have a light bright empty house and its great. I don't want to put anything in it. Is that’s taking minimalist a little too far?
We have a moving date of the 23 December.
The day after we finish work, for the Christmas break. I will be unemployed, my DH will be working from home mostly.
I'm looking forward to the move, we are going to do it ourselves. I can see that we are going to be able to put all our things in one Luton van, in a couple of hours. Very different from our last move to our present rental home.
For the newbies on the thread I kondod my whole house in a few weeks after I read the first couple of months of posts on the original thread. Never looked back, didn't miss anything I threw out. Have been living the life of Riley. House work is a breeze, had time to do what I like when I like. More cash in the pockets too.
Each time I visit the homestead I take a couple of boxes of things with me. I only have a little compact car and the dog has to come too, so it's not loaded. Already I have a my welsh dresser empty, all our books (20) cd's (100ish mostly DH) dvds (30ish) photos, spare bedding and towels are all at the homestead neatly stored away in the cupboards there.
I have emptied 3 cod's and the contents are in 3 boxes and a suitcase ready to go next time.
I think that it's not the furniture that is the problem when moving house, it’s the stuff that is crammed in to all the nooks and crannies about the house. Once that’s all cleared out and gone to a better place where someone will use it. Moving is a breeze.
I think I'm really lucky with this move, 1. I have an empty house to move in too. 2. I can move in a little at a time. No boxes piled up everywhere and trying to live around them. 3. I know the house well and where stuff need to go. 4. I have a fair amount of built it storage all clear, empty and newly painted, ready to go.
Is that luck or the power of woooo.
Tealady