KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Slinky

Well I've finished the book today. I had already sort of made a start with tidying underwear drawers but as yet haven't started the major clearout of clothes. OH is going to be working away from home for a while so that should give me some weekday evenings to make a start on them.

I know I'm going about things in the wrong way but have been blitzing my office hotspots today. I work from home and my office can quite frankly be depressing and I spend many hours in it. I've filled the shredder twice (and it's a big shredder) cleared 2 boxes of envelopes and a box of letterhead off the floor into drawers, found 2 mobile phones and 5 printer cartridges for recycling, and a laptop once the hard drive's been removed. They'll go to the tip next weekend.

I found a cat's whisker on the windowsill I know was our previous cat who was knocked down. I've tucked his whisker into his photoframe that sits beside my desk. On Friday I KM'd his adoption paperwork from Cat's Protection. KM gave me permission to part with it as we still have the memories of him and guilt about him being knocked down while we were away wasn't going to bring him back.

Still got a lot to do in the office, but I can see some clear spaces that have been dusted, so it helps.

Slinky

Putting away a top in my wardrobe I noticed a skirt had fallen on the floor. I didn't really give me joy when I picked it up, I think my days of above the knee skirts are over, so it and two others have gone to a charity shop pile.

The mantle clock which packed up several months ago has made its way to the collection point for the tip trip next week, whilst being thanked for its many years service.

Struggling to find a replacement as I can't find something new that I really like.

Replacement iron ordered online earlier, did some research with the Which guides earlier this week, then bought something else...... So much choice, so many different reviews....... lost the will in the end and went for that'll do (I hope!).

greenbee

Don't worry about looking for a mantel clock Slinky. Something will happen to resolve the problem. If you have managed without it all this time maybe you don't need a clock there?

Slinky

greenbee wrote: »

Don't worry about looking for a mantel clock Slinky. Something will happen to resolve the problem. If you have managed without it all this time maybe you don't need a clock there?

I hope something comes along Greenbee, I do look at the mantel several times each evening and it's been 7.50 for weeks! I can use the clock on the hard disk recorder below the telly providing we're not watching something, if it's playing or recording we lose the clock display.


We've lived without it for several months and I still keep looking at the mantel and it still annoys me, so we do need a replacement. At least the clock has gone now and I'm currently looking at a nice vase, but the vase doesn't show the time!

GrannyKate

I keep waiting for a mantel clock to appear in my life. I like clocks - not excessively - but like one in every room. Kitchen has flat wall clock - always correct and very efficient. Alarm clock in bedroom but rarely used since retirement. Skeleton clock - very large - on dining room wall. Have been through about 4 on mantel in living room - all have annoyed me and have gone. Not actually looking anymore but expect one to arrive in my life at some point.

Not much KM but have used up chicken carcase and bottom of fridge veggies to make loads of chicken and vegetable stock for freezer.

mothershipton

Igamogam wrote: »

You are tackling similar things to me Mothershipton! ( wasn't Mother Shipton a soothsayer/for teller of prophecies BTW??) Anyway I too have been through some sentimental things - well a box that was put in a cupboard about 20 years ago and I have known exactly what was in it in all that time. Last night I took the plunge and opened it up. Lots of memories. Nothing bad but not much I want to hang on to. There was a pile of 20 year old Christmas cards - crikey they were boring looking things 20 years ago - most of the senders are long since dead:( Significant adults from my childhood who kept in touch such as my guide leader, retired high school teacher, lady who lived next door throughout my childhood and a few relatives. Also in there where exercise books from school - DD2 has been having a good laugh over them this morning especially A level Chemistry and Biology which she is also taking. There are also some scrap books from my late teens and I suppose saddest thing was a scrap book I have of my sisters who I havent spoken to in over 20 years:(. There was a copy of my masters dissertation and all my notes - why? I have a bound one on the shelf and if I really wanted to read it again ( not) there is a copy in the university library!! Anyway I have kept one Christmas card - the last one I ever got from my mother. One school book from my first year in school - my pictures are fab and still very vibrant and I can actually remember writing in that book ( cant remember the high school stuff :eek::D) Dissertation, cards books all in recycle now. I am going to dismantle my scrap books and make one decent one. My sisters I will keep for now.

I too found some old letters - well I knew where they were but I got them out in the summer hols when OH was away and had a good old chuckle and cry over them. The ones from OH I threw away - burnt on log fire! The others where from that first love......you know, the one that really hurts, in that when you are apart its a physical pain........I looked him up on FB just out of curiosty........:eek::eek: he has done well but the years have not been kind. I didn't make contact, think I got the better option.............:rotfl:.............still cant part with those letters though...........it will happen but not today;)

Right 2 bin bags and a box of books for CS later today - will tot up total later:T

Mother Shipton was a soothsayer and we had just been to her cave in Knaresborough when I joined this website.

I won't be getting rid of the letters without oh permission

Ryanna2599

Busy day with kids activities, however I have managed to KM our bed linen and tablecloths/napkins. It's amazing what you discover when everything is pulled out of drawers - we definitely do not need 3 orange Super King fitted sheets (especially as we only have one set of duvet covers/pillow cases that would match...yes I do like those duvet covers, so 2 orange sheets have been thanked and added to the bag to go). A few other sets of bedding have also been added to the bag that I have no idea why we were keeping - my DD stopped liking this particular trend about 4 years ago (along with pillow cases, tablecloths and napkins that don't match anything and bring no joy)! End result is 2 ordered bed linen drawers that are not totally full and 1 empty drawer in DD's room... KM is becoming addictive

silvasava

mothershipton wrote: »

Mother Shipton was a soothsayer and we had just been to her cave in Knaresborough when I joined this website.

There's a pub in Portsmouth called the Mother Shipton - never found out what the connection was with the city and never seen another one anywhere with the same name!

Siebrie

I kondoed an argument with dh, and it seems to have cleared the air. It was brewing for some time, and I'm glad we managed to go about it more or less civilly.

prudencekitten

Hi, all.:wave:
I found this thread just last month and kondoed many, many hours reading last year's posts and this year's shiny new one. I wanted to wait till I caught up before I joined in the comments, and now they've gone out of my mind.

However, in between reading pages at a time, I kondoed all my clothes, the linen cupboard, and as many of the kitchen cupboards as my OH would allow. (He's a chef and thinks it's his kitchen.) I am a natural chucker outer, so my wardrobe had been full but up to date. Then in October I inherited from a richer, deceased relative 20 cashmere sweaters and cardis. :eek: To make room I got rid of even more stuff, then after my Kondo LBM I pruned the clothes even more. (Polo necks on a menopausal woman? I think not.)

My organised OH who is a bit of a hoarder, seeing the bags going out to charity shops, cleared out a couple more bags of clothes from his stuff. And as one of his outstanding DIY jobs was done (supergluing fronts of drawers which fell off whenever you opened the drawer), he hrew out loads of rubbish he had hoarded inside. (3D cinema glasses etc) And tidied the contents of the man drawer. :T

I change my handbags frequently as I am retired and don't get dressed up every day. (Those cashmere sweaters are going to last a long time!) So I have a canvas shopping bag in the kitchen, hanging on a door handle, and I decant everything from the handbag into that, clearing out bus tickets and shopping receipts as I go.

Christmas - we don't observe it (Muslims). I don't send cards, get cards or do Christmas shopping. I send a M & S voucher to both my kids (grown up with own flats) to go towards their Christmas dinners and that's it. When people ask about my Christmas and I tell them, their first reaction is sympathy, then often envy.

I had a birthday recently. Money from my OH (though I can't think what to spend it on as I have everything I need), and presents from family. One was a picture, easy to hang up and admire, a doorstop (useful when airing the house) and smellies, which I can always use up. I was apprehensive, thinking of all the stuff I had got rid of and thinking "more clutter", but thankfully all manageable.

I've got used to reading pages re Kondo every day and now there are only a few to catch up on. But as everyone says it's an on-going job, this Kondoing. Today I sent off to charity two raincoats, a long-sleeved T in an unflattering colour, some junk jewellery, a couple of Hello Kitty ornaments and a couple of other things I can't remember now. Out of sight, out of mind.