KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

x_raphael_xx

astrocat wrote: »

Please excuse a post from a long time admirer and lurker on this thread. A charity I am involved in has a tutorial for Activity Quilts and a knitting pattern for Twiddle Muffs on their website (Activity Quilts here) (Twiddle Muffs here)

....retreats back into lurkdom:D

ac

Links aren't working for me

Edit:
Odd, now they're in a quote they're working!

procrastinator

Thanks for the advise Greyqueen, unfortunately I cannot take it to Mums, she demands attention and if I have something of mine she gets very upset and often accuses me of stealing her stuff. She is in the between stages, often seeming fine but with occasions of paranoia and delusions. These are getting more frequent but she will not hear of any kind of help.

Well I've made the room tidy enough for sleep. Have a big bag of recycling and another or rubbish. Several good items given to DH who will take them to a charity shop whilst I'm away. Will be back to this next week.

Mara_uk7

Its a start Procrastina, and thats the hardest bit. Like the old question, how do you eat an elephant ? Little chunks at a time ! When I was starting out, I gave myself a target of five items a day , and always ended up with extra ! Good luck x

GreyQueen

Ahh, sorry that's not going to fly, Procrastinator.

Woke up this morning to find I'd had a freegle request come in after I'd put the pooter to bed last night, so that should go today from the outdoor hidey-hole. This is the item of my brother's I bought up at the weekend. I was going to give it until the end of the month and then take it to the recycling centre (only partially functional item) but re-use is to be preferred over recycling.

Work today, and will be dropping something I've borrowed (only a magazine) off to my pal afterwards. Returned a library book yesterday and thus only have one left on the premises and am getting through the to-reads.

As I was remarking to my brother, another avid reader, a book which is unread is just a lump of wood pulp and ink. It hasn't a value in and of itself, it needs us to interact with it to draw out its value. Whether that value is entertainment, education or sheer escapism.

Without human interaction, it's just a dust-gathering chunk of dead tree. I figure if I'm not interacting with my books, I need to get them out there into the world so someone else can have the pleasure.

I had a bit of a LBM once when reading a blog where someone remarked that if we're holding onto things we don't need and don't use, we're harming other people than ourselves because we're depriving them of the opportunity to use those items. Or the components of those items, if they have gone beyond use in their present format and need to be returned to the component parts to be re-born.

One of those smack-upside-the-head moments for me, I must admit.

PollyWollyDoodle

Procrastinate, I'm so with you on the bags of paperwork - for years my way of 'tidying' was to scoop everything into a carrier bag when visitors were coming with the delusional idea that I'd sort it all out and it would all be in one place. Cue much anxiety then when crucial documents were missing and then a bag would be discovreed in the wardrobe ...

GQ is spot on as usual- probably 50% of your paper mountain will be disposable on the first pass. As others have said, baby steps - just do as much as you can. If you're going to tackle paperwork then find a film to watch or put some music on, have a cup of tea or something stronger and set a time limit- could be as little as 15 minutes or longer if you can, but know that when the time is up, you're going to go and do something else. It makes it seem less daunting, then you repeat each day. Don't try and do it all in one hit.

Astrocat, thanks for that link; I think twiddle mats could be a great way to reduce my stash and keep me occupied (not that I'm short of things to do).

Siebrie

I once helped get a law firms' filing system in order by giving all the lawyers 5 items to file every morning. It still took 3 months, but we got there! I was always the first to arrive, and would take 15 items from the top of the pile, put 5 items on each desk, and await their decision. Usually, I only got 1 or 2 items back with filing instructions, the rest was binned. Nice side effect: it gave everyone a sense of accomplishment.

wort

Ah thank you then Sweetpea 😊 I'm coping at the moment with the flushes, and whilst I've been off work this week haven't had any🙅 I have to say I never had pms and never kept a note of when periods were due ( ducks to avoid flying objects) it was only in my 40s that I developed extreme pain which was the womb lining not coming away and so had hysterectomy! I kept my ovaries so I wouldn't need hrt.
Procrastinator don't beat yourself up. You've made a start. How do you get to your mums ? If on train you could maybe use that time? Either for papers or for yourself, certainly coming home have a nap or read to relax.
It certainly sounds like you are trying to do too many categories at once, so the advice given to make little chunks is more achieve able. So instead of all your clothes break it down , so all outerwear coats, ponchos,jackets. Then all trousers and skirts leggings etc.
Also although you have paper work to go through. Make sure you aren't adding to it.so the post everyday go through it and have somewhere to put what you need to keep. A file or box for statements? Even better sign up for paperless billing. I get very little post now mostly junk mail!!
Which doesn't come past the porch.it goes straight out to my blue bin . Look after yourself you have a lot going on hopefully kondo will simplify things for you.

wort

Silvasava, do you have other autoimmune problems? I'm coeliac as well! And my niece has RA alongside those and diabetes. My other niece who is coeliac has fibromyalgia. Apparently they all are linked so if you have one you're prone to others. It's surprising so many on this thread have health issues, or not ! As I'm sure we all find kondoing has simplified our lives.��

[Deleted User]

you are doing well procrastinator, in difficult circumstances. When I have a procrastinating day then I make myself put 5 things away, not always kondo`ed but just away and tidy. On a good day then I can do a lot but going with the flow always needs to come first. I have been downsizing, kondo-ing for three years, just nibbling most of the time but by heck it has made a difference

I had a good look upwards in my craft room and I have really useful boxes on top of tall units. Today I realised that I have 8 fab pristine lots of superb fibre to spin :eek: , enough for 8 tops and I am talking cashmere/silk/merino blends, all sorts of combos but all top quality, neatly and tightly packed so I didn`t notice them. I can kondo rough packs of waste merino but they will be fun to neeedle felt. I made a hare once, really enjoyed it. Am keeping them all, hobbies are formost in my changed life and keep me happy

Siebrie

A colleague gave me 3 large binliners full of clothes from her 3 dds, most of the jeans still unworn, and some lovely dresses! Dd1 wore one to school yesterday and got quite a few compliments. Most items are smuggled into the attic, as dh does not like me accepting stuff from others, whereas I only see the benefits (no shopping!!!). Some items immediately put in boxes 'for Africa (= dh's relatives)' or 'for local clothes bank'.

I love shopping in my attic! It's out of sight, sorted into 'dd1 to grow into' and 'dd2 to grow into', and anything too small for dd2 immediately gets sorted for destination, and goes to that destination as soon as the box is full/my parents visit/we go to my parents/someone we know goes to Africa/etc. As long as it's moving, it's fine.