KonMari 2017 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

MMF007

I loved the Farmhouse Kitchen! I wasn't old enough to do much cooking when they were on TV but the ladies were so practical and sensible. I wish they would re-run it but I suppose it would seem very dated.

GreyQueen

I'm pootling around at home and have had everything off the computer desk including the pigeon holes and the shelf at the top where the To Be Read books lurk.

Everything was sooo dusty (:o) I feel thoroughly ashamed of myself. Have damp dusted with a microfibre cloth and much better now.

I have thrown out a worn-out change purse where the zip is coming away from the teeth and coins fall out. I'd replaced it but had put it aside for, I don't know, a spontaneous healing to take place?:rotfl:

I've placed the things which need to live up there more sensibly and have put all the books in a basket on the opposite side of the room. One of the groups of things there are three historical novels of a series, representing 2, 3 and 4 of a larger series.

The backstory to these is that a year or more ago, I was in a chazzer and they had a tabletop booksale, 3 for 99p. I got two batches of three historical novels by two different authors. One represented vols 1-3 of a nine-strong series. I have read them all now, donating mine as I went and getting the rest from the library. Anthony Riches' Empire series, very enjoyable.

The second batch I've held fire on starting because I wanted book 1 first. Then, on author's website, I discovered there's a prequel, book 1 and then the three I have, then more.

I'm starting to lose the will to live.......... I shall start at book 2 and if it doesn't grab me, I shall donate all three of them in short time. Life's too short to stress about completism.

[Deleted User]

I could do with some help re photos, I have done two sweeps so far and have a beautiful collection of photos out on show, as collages in a few industrial-type bronze see-through frames. I am very happy with those and don`t want any more photos on display. It is the 18 litre `really useful` box that is bothering me. I started with three of these boxes and now have one, so made good progress. I haven`t looked at this box for a year, nor am I likely to look in future. Old sepia photos, the ones that were dumped on me, family photos that I already have on cd. The main thing has to be my wedding album, all individually on thick card in a thick padded album in a box. There are photos in there that I would have no second thoughts about removing but obviously some that I would keep forever. I am going to have to tackle this head on but don`t have much idea. No point keeping them for the children, why would they want them? They already have the photos that are most meaningful. This photo clearing, it has to be one of the hardest to KM but in my mind, it has to be done

firebubble

Catshark, I did exactly the same thing with my books...decluttered a few whilst they were on the shelves, then later decided to do what MK insists is a better way by taking them off the shelves and handling them...wow at the difference! I was able to release loads.

GQ's summary of the average home library is spot on. I read something once where the writer was scornful of home libraries, on the basis that they are just ways of showing off, whether it's the glossy cookbooks that are never opened, the aspirational classic reads (never reread since school) or the sheer quantity of 'look how much I read'. It was amusing, but it made me think about why I had always kept all the books I read, and I realised that whilst I love reading, and I love going into libraries with their lovely sense of potential from all those new books, I didn't love my own home library because I was never really going to read anything again as there were too many exciting new books to read. It's easy not to notice book clutter as they are so neat and visually pleasing when put on a shelf, but they are still clutter if they won't be opened again.

On the topic of cookbooks, I didn't have loads, and I mostly kept the older ones which had far simpler recipes - even exactly the same dish, in the seventies would have 5 ingredients, but the recent recipe would involve at least 10 ingredients. I cooked a couple of dishes as an experiment, but there wasn't really much difference in taste, just in price and portion size.

[Deleted User]

Last photo sweep
No time like the present, nothing on tv and I have Ella Fitzgerald on cd. I just did a quick sweep and put all the positives to get rid of, in a basket, for now.

Next step is to lay out all the remaining, so that I have enough of each immediate family member plus their spouses and children and a few of ancestors going back to grandparents but not extended family. Plus husband and I as children and young adults. I obviously need to double check any going out as there is no return.

I am well on my way to just using a much smaller box. I undid two screws on the wedding album and have done the quick sort, I know which will definitely go. I can now get rid of large bulk ie album

So far it isn`t too bad, I think the worst one was the first sweep when it was very daunting. The photo frames and collages have helped the whole process along

GreyQueen

I'm not sure what my home library would say about me; books on nature, on thrifty living, an apocalyptic novel, some historical fiction and a few other odds & sods......... I expect we've got a right one here would be the conclusion of any onlooker.:p

kittie, photos are hard. Following Nan's death last October, some of the family photos came to Mum and Dad and some to Aunt. They've been going through them putting them in albums and labelling where they can. Too much time has passed for group shots of working men around traction engines in the early-mid 20th century (our people worked the land including the threshing engines) to be conclusively identified, although some names have been put to some men in these shots, but never all of them. These things might be of interest to the descendants (if any) of the men pictured or to local history societies.

A good way of labelling photos is to write lightly on the back of them with something called a chinagraph pencil. Better that they be album'd but we all know how that ends sometimes and at least a picture keeps its writing with it.

There a lots of things in the old family albums which are meaningless to me; family dogs from the 1940s and 1950s, someone who used to lodge with Grandma in the 1950s, Mum can recall him but its meaningless to us, things like that. I shall have to fillet them down when I become the custodian and think things like baby and childhood shots of Mum's foster-brothers' children can go to them and/ or their children when the time comes, as I don't know them now and they mean nothing to me or to Kid Bruv, but it seems wrong to bin them, IYSWIM.

On the subject of collections, my pal with the juntique shop has people come in with what they describe as their late relative's Collection several times most weeks.

Unfortunately, what most people have isn't a collection, it's an accumulation, he says; they've gathered up random examples of certain categories of stuff, whenever they saw them, piled them together and imagined (and told their families) that the Collection would be worth serious money someday.

Usually, it's pretty worthless, there has been no attempt to research the field and obtain good examples of whatever-it-is and the hoard is pretty much worth less than the vintage biscuit tin which holds it. Sometimes the disappointed rellies believe the pal is trying to beat them down to buy the treasure for pennies but that isn't the case, these things aren't wanted even for 50p the lot, they are so without value.

So, a gentle suggestion for any of us who are mentally stashing a Collection for our own future prosperity or for our heirs to benefit from; a little research to check we have actually got something worth saving could save clutter now and wasted time and disappointment later.

Siebrie

We've caught a mouse! So that's one mouse less in the attic; I've put three mousetraps up again, to catch any other mice. They only seem to be in the attic, not in the kitchen or garage (where my pantry is), although I have heard them/it in the living room cavity wall.

I went through dd2's T-shirts and have removed half (about 10). The T-shirts filled a drawer, but now I have put them standing up in a small shoebox which takes up half the drawer. Then, I put the cardis in a smaller shoebox and put that in the same drawer. She can now pick out her own cardis, as before they lived on the topshelf of the wardrobe.

catshark88

Firebubble, I totally agree with you! I loved the colour of my books and I do re-read things on occasion, but a lot of unwanted ones were hidden by the ones I loved. I probably recycled 150 books today, but now I have a far more exciting library, made up only of things that I want to read and that there's a proper chance that I will. I really hurt my back lugging them all about though, so I'm in bed with the leccy blanket on!

Kittie, photos are v hard. I got through them by doing them in several goes. First sad ones went, then happy but poor quality and finally I reduced the nice ones to a sensible number. Putting my faves in an album helped too, once I was actually looking at the nicest ones, I was less fussed about the also rans.

Good luck with however you choose to do it.

My kids Kondoed their toys tonight and 2 black bags went out. I don't try to get the kids to throw things away, I just put toys on one side of the room and they physically move the things they want to keep. I try to keep it v low key, so that it just becomes a habit for them to review their stuff.

elona

GQ

I loved the Anthony Riches series too and read the lot. I was initially disappointed that the main character did not get the rewards or credit he deserved then realised it was more true to life especially at that historical period.

Did not get much cleared this week but got a few loads of laundry washed and dried and got the electric pull cord that switched on the shower repaired :j and the electrician comes back on Friday to adjust the circuit board and check there are no faults.

Not exactly kondoing but I have made lists of what to buy for presents and food and made a start on shopping online well in advance. Hoping this will mean less panic buying and stress than usually was the case. Likely to be eight of us from time to time over the holiday so want to be prepared well in advance.

[Deleted User]

I have finished photos, for good, thats it and now all in a small box. We already had the photo books of extended family etc, plus an immediate family scrapbook album , thank goodness to qvc when they were all the rage because it is a lovely memory book. There are also many back up cds, which my husband did over a long time, scanning etc

I have subtracted the wedding photos that I wanted to keep from the boxed album, cut around the actual photo and stuck the transparent protector back after cutting to fit. All these photos are now in labelled categories in envelopes per category and all old photos are labelled on the back. Another big job done with good results and a sore finger joint from cutting. I have no hesitation now, taking everything to the recycling tomorrow. It was playing on my mind but now anyone could cope with the envelopes if needed