KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

MMF007

Another few bits into latest CS bag - a small lampshade (swapped a couple round and we are getting a new one for bathroom as current one is unsuitable ), 3 faux pears that were decorative items, some costume jewellry that a friend gave me to pick through and CS the leftovers (I selected an unusual brooch that is copper and silver coloured and a lovely belt buckle that another friend will use), a silk blouse that will never hang well on me and a couple of books.

Small things but it all makes a difference and keeps diminishing the amount of Stuff!

I also packed for the few days away at the end of the week. Easy-peasy when clothes are kondo-folded in drawers

About to kondo HM chicken & leek soup and a mini cheeseboard.

Last job of the day will be kondo-ing my grey hair

GreyQueen

Yeah, readicut rugs were quite the thing, we have several at home, including the one Mum made in the 1960s which has been in constant use.

From time to time over the years, I have stamped them clean in the bathtub, they take several days to dry completely, we have them slung over a very strong clothes airer on the patio, they will drip for several hours. Something only to be undertaken in the driest weather of the year, imo

I make my own rugs, my stripies, from a mixture of re-purposed yarn from pulled out sweaters and cast-off new yarn fragments from other people. It's a magical thing, you start a project, talk about it to a few people and then everyone and their mum turns out their leftovers.....

A pal's mum had a pic of the half-finished rug I was making taken by the pal and emailed to her smart-phone so's she could see where her largesse had ended up.

We are also doing a little remedial work on my very first ever rug from the early 1970s when I was less than ten, and then that will be offered for sale (I'm keeping pix only of this item).

mrs-moneypenny

Hello, hope you are all well.
Sorry feels like forever since I've been in here.
I'm sort of at a plateau with my kondoing, I've bought some new clothes recently but they are all joy bringers that will be worn often. I've taken a fair bit down to the CS in the last month or so. The garden has been kondoed of all its weeds and a few new bits have been planted. I need to go round mils and give hers a good spring clean - I did her gardens front and back last week so have a hugs pike of weeds and cutting to fill her garden bin up for possibly 4 times, thebin is crammed full and waiting for the post Easter empty.
I'm still working through my craftingstashes but they will take forever and do bring me joy do will stay.

Have a good Easter bank holiday everyone. X

dragonlily

I have a few more bags in the car for drop off to the charity shop.

I have been working really hard on the cupboards in the little spare room. This room can often be used as a dumping ground but have managed to get to the point where it is at least tidy.

It is less tidy now as I have had everything from the bottom section out. It has contained large bags full of mixed items. Ie small toy parts, other toys, hair accessories. Basically it is the outcome of when I would have a mad rapid tidy up for whatever reason and things have got mixed up.

Painful few hours starting but order is starting to emerge! I have also realised the two wardrobes in there are largely not touched because most of the clothes in them are my daughters and following a growth spurt this year, they are now full of about four years worth of outgrown clothes and shoes. I have gone through coats and shoes and put a number of eBay. Loads more still to do but would rather sell some of her clothes as the money can go towards some summer clothes for this year.

short_bird

Well, that was and wasn't a shock at the same time. The amount of unwatched and unlistened stuff, I mean.
I had to empty and move the Ike@ cupboard that holds the DVD's and acts as support for the CD collection. I was expecting delivery of a "new to me" 48" television and wasn't quite sure how it was going to fit in the available space because the speakers and speaker stands might need moving. I know, I know... but to me, good sound and a big picture sparks joy :rotfl:

So, have started on the DVD's. Have weeded out another 7 items to sell to one company, 4 to trade to another and added 12 items to the charity bag. As GQ said the other day, DVD's (and blu rays) aren't really worth a huge amount of cash.

Anyway, I may help the supermarkets kondo their excess Easter eggs: there's something about the shape that makes chocolate taste different.

Igamogam

I am keeping the momentum going here but not in the classic KM way - not doing categories as I found I never really finished one category before getting bored and moving to the next. I will however keep photos as a category as for the most part the 'physical' photos are all in one place with a couple of exceptions. As I come across those 'exceptions' I am making a decision there and then on them - most have been thrown along with some random negs which I couldn't make out who/what was on them.

I have turned to the 'room by room' method. Suits me more. So the bedroom is upside down but almost complete. Anything that shouldnt be there is now out and either in its rightful place or has been allocated to recycle/CS/sell/bin. It also means all clothes/shoes have been dealt with - just mine TBH OH has managed socks........:mad: I am moving to landing and bathroom next. Both relatively easy as I have kept on top of large walking bathroom cupboard since I stared this malarkey and last week had a bit of a sort out again as I was looking for sometime I felt sure was in there - it wasnt but it meant, in the process, a few more things left the building:D The landing has floor to ceiling shelving about 10 feet long crammed with books and 'carp' that gets dumped there. There are even old children's videos stored under the bottom shelf - looked on Eb8Y and they fetch a bit of money so the plan is to sell those. Z!ffit have an extra 15% offer which ends to day so I will look on there first if the books I intend to cull have any worth otherwise they will go to CS. So once all that is complete I will have pretty much gone through the house - err not in one go.......started this 18 months ago:o The crockery/childrens craft cupboard in DR needs a good sort out as does a large wooden chest in LR and the cupboard in the downstairs loo. Then there is the 'cupboard that nobody knew was there' which will yield some treasures I am sure - a cupboard behind some wood paneling we didnt find until months after moving in and it is soooooo handy for all the wrong reasons!

OK so maybe there is more than I thought.........but I am 'on it' as they say. I mentioned to OH that next weekend we need to get into attic as DD2 will be returning and access to attic is through her room - easier to do when she not home. OH was a little surprised. I think he realises he needs to step up as once I have been into the attic and cleared the carp from there it will be over to him to do his 'life laundry':D

[Deleted User]

igamogam, me neither, I cannot do categories as such, except when I did the skirts. I tend now to just do perhaps a drawer at a time. I seem to have reached that nice stage of ticking over, with a little more to do but no rush, same as in several posts above

I have been to the allotment for a good two hours this morning, I hope you are aware of the need to protect tender plants this week, I used to use newspaper in the old days, fleece nowadays. I have broad beans in the freezer that need to be dealt with, the new ones are in bud already and I have found a nice recipe in a book called green cuisine the organic vegetable cookbook 1999. I have had mine since it came out and it is always the book I turn to when I have a glut. The recipes are lovely and very easy and simply written. I am going to make a broad bean soup, with onion, carrot and mint and in process will kondo the freezer of all the beans

igamogam, you say 18 months but that sounds fine and a good schedule. I think it has taken me three years in total, starting slowly, having a gap and then full on for the 18 months

haha readicut rugs, that brought back memories. Dh and I sitting at a table one at each end but blimey heck, better than screens today. It was a nice thing to do while talking. In my young youth, ok 60 years ago, I remember cutting old clothes into strips for rag rugs. Anyone remember using cold tea leaves to clean them. Those rugs were good on cold lino floors

grunnie

I made 2 readycut rugs way back in the 70s when I was on maternity leave. Had knitted and sewed enough outfits for 20 babies and knitted 2 aran jumpers for my OH. I was bored.The rugs last forever one went to a friend's daughter who got a house and had no carpets and needed something for the front of an open fire and the other I have no idea. It disappeared.
Had another sort through again all my KMed stuff as our church is having a good as new sale with a bric a brac stall. I must have missed a few bits the first KM as though they spark joy some bits haven't been used so out they are going. Maybe they will bring someone else joy and a few pennies for the church.
Did I say how easy it is to keep the house clean now it is so tidy. I was considering getting some help for some cleaning but now I am still managing it myself.

GreyQueen

Readicut rugs are immortal, a really old and tatty one lives in Aunt's garage and is used to wrap up the potato sack in winter to prevent the risk of frost damage.

Been up for hours but not online. We've cut my hair (Mum goes the bit around the back, I do the rest) and done various other things. I have kondo'd another 4 tins of pie fillings into pies which are now in the oven, that';s 6 of those tins used up, washed up and in the recyling bin, due to be emptied tomorrow.

I have done some sorting out of the stuff which didn't sell and a smallish box is being kept for later in the year and the rest is going to be donated. Just to make clear, I'm not offloading the dregs onto the chazzer, it's all good stuff and should be collectively worth a few quid plus the gift aid element.

Shortly we'll have luncheon (and pie!) and this afternoon I intend to get into the loft for the knitting yarn Mum has asked for the next project plus bringing 'Chrismas Roses' handilhy. I'm pretty sure it's rolled up under the eaves, I can find most things in the lost from memory as I'm the most likely person to be going up there.

The modification on the rug is nearly complete and then that will be able to go. I could be sentimental about it, I parted with some sentimental Stuff yesterday, but I've come more around to the mindset that the emotions are in my head, and aren't lost because the physical item isn't there. It's much easier to keep the happy memories rather than each and every blessed thing which came down the generations.

I have some sentimental things I wouldn't want to part with, but the smallness of my home and the desire not to end up a hoarder rein me in.

Dad has even decluttered some paperwork this morning, I swear this kondo business is contaigous!

ETA, lol shouldn't have written that, kondo-fever spread to three out of the four side plates which leapt from the cupboard and threw themselves onto the floor!

MamaSaver

MMF how are you now? Will you and DH be well enough for your trip?

GQ I'm dying to know, did your blanket sell?

I'm just curious now because I have spent the past few days catching up on the thread after falling 2 weeks behind. It's the only MSE thread that I fully read because I'm still kondoing after beginning Jan 2016.

I've come a long, long way and now have all sentimental items gone or relocated from the attic, some of which were dumped a year ago into the spare room. We don't have regular visitors but a friend stayed a few nights ago, so I had to do the final push and clear it out before she arrived. It looks so clean and fresh, even though it needs a good old paint and windows / blinds scrubbed. One more room to do, which is the dreaded office. Then I need to do a few odd places that have been missed or put off for another day. People think I'm mad that I fold the kids underwear drawer but it actually stays completely tidy this way because they don't have to root around to find what they need. One year later the drawers are still perfect.

Also, one great part of KM is that I also kondoed some people from my life that were not adding anything valuable and were energy suckers. And I kondoed my Fakebook account :T