KonMari 2017 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

PollyWollyDoodle

Finding a gold ear stud, that I thought was lost for good, when I tackled the under-stairs cupboard! It must have been there for over a year, and nearly got hoovered up, I couldn't believe I'd found it.

MMF007

catshark88 wrote: »

Some elements of MKing can be tough and emotionally draining. However, every so often, you get a win that really lifts your spirits.

What finds, or moments of realisation have you had, that have lifted your spirits and really cheered you in the process?

Mine was when I opened a book to see if it sparked joy (it didn't) and a load of lovely photos fell out. I've no idea how they got to me, but the pics certainly were joyous.

The main things for me -
A) The first time I happily released stuff that 'I had paid good money for' was cathartic.
Realising that keeping stuff I don't like, want or need was bad for me.

Siebrie

When I moved abroad 10 years ago, I divided my home library in 3 parts: 1 part to storage, 1 part to Friend1, 1 part to Friend2. When I had finally rented an apartment with space for books (2 years later), they asked me if I wanted the books back. I realized that I didn't. I had found a decent library close by. They had by then read all my books. We agreed that they would sell them and donate the money to charity (this is Friend2's side 'business'). Ever since, I am working on keeping a re-readable collection in just one small shelving unit (with doors, to keep the dust out! I don't want extra work )

We spent yet another weekend at my parents', that's 3 weekends in a row. This time, to celebrate St. Martin's day (11 November), where the children have (schoolmade) lanterns, and as soon as it's dusk, they go from door to door, sing a St. Martin song, and get candy. We rang doorbells for an hour, and dds collected half a shopping bag full of candy. It's Monday now, and most of it is gone

We came back home at 5 on Sunday, I had unpacked, a load of laundry going, and dinner on the table at 6. Yay kondo!

DD1 wanted to wear a full pyjama (usually she wears a nightie or just a vest - she's hardly ever cold), and we discovered that all the pyjama bottoms were too short. So, up I went into the attic, and I sorted through our 'pyjamas' cardboard box. This took me about 10 minutes. She picked out one very long nightie, and has about 10 pyjamas to fit today after school. DD2 also has about 5 to try on. I love my stock and my system

[Deleted User]

oh the extra work, I so agree with you siebrie, all that fussy dusting. I can`t be doing with dust magnets

My heart is in my mouth today, the extras to add some warming feng shui to my bathroom, most are arriving today. The terracotta bath mats came and just one, on the side of the bath with a colourful stripey towel, it is making a difference already. I will be able to take everything with me, so nothing is wasted anyway. Today will be hyacynth woven linen hamper, loo brush and accessory holder in rose marble. When the rug arrives, well that will be the item that makes it all go pop. I am very excited and have everything crossed

wort

Sounds lovely Kittie. I also made valances for my bed, as it's very high off the floor and standard valances wouldn't fit. I just bought a very thick white material , similar to very good tablecloth material, hemmed with hemming tape, then tied to bed posts with ribbons. Tbh I could get rid of it now as I've kondoed everything from under the bed now!!

Slinky

Just watching an item on the TV about food waste. Have just binned some Sainsbury's frozen fruit today, really don't do that often but it was mixed black fruits with some really sour blackcurrants in it. Horrible. Cannot recommend their Forest Fruits. I normally buy the black cherries but they'd run out.


On the other side, I have just eaten a 3 egg omelette with eggs that were out of date last Thursday.....

MMF007

Vicarious kondo today! In between jobs I called on my auntie (she's been poorly so I am keeping an eye on her) and found her pondering a long plastic tray, very long, which had 6 small house plants on it. She said it was in the way but she likes the plants. She has another long tray with more plants on, in a different room. That tray is quite, er, ugly, and does not really serve the purpose very well because it is too flexible to safely move.

We conferred and a decision was made to amalgamate all small plants onto the good tray and bin the rubbish one. The plant display looks so much better and one window sill is now clear of clutter!

My day involved changing 6 beds, cleaning all the windows inside 2 houses (I guess the low winter sun is showing up dirty windows!), hanging out 2 loads of washing, the usual vaccing and cleaning, and doing some shopping. I also put away a lot of clothes for a client who was swapping summer to winter clothes, of course they are all kondo folded now . The day went quickly!

Pooky

Yet another CS bag started - a couple of paperbacks that I've finished with starred it off but I do t want it hanging around so went in search of other bits to make it a bag full.....I've now got a black sack and 2 bags for life! A couple of pairs of trousers passed to me by a friend, whilst they fit nicely, they're almost office smart type, I just don't need them, I work from home and stick to jeans or leggings (or jimjams). Added to them, a few t-shirts I didn't wear during the summer and saved in case I'd want them under jumpers....but I've got thermal vests, I don't need both. Some cushion pads I'd been saving to restuff (and then forgotten about and brought new), a few bits of fabric, a duvet set that shows every single cat hair, a fitted sheet that's to small for our king sized bed and to big for the small double (and I've got enough sheets for that). 2 pairs of shoes, a wooden bath mat/duckboard that we never used, a bag of wool, a couple of old towels and a dressing gown that DD1 left here but doesn't want.

In the process of sorting that I found several bits that can go on the bay of E and I made a decision about getting rid of our old sofa, listed it on a local site and it was sold and collected within the hour!

GreyQueen

catshark88 wrote: »

Some elements of MKing can be tough and emotionally draining. However, every so often, you get a win that really lifts your spirits.

What finds, or moments of realisation have you had, that have lifted your spirits and really cheered you in the process?

Mine was when I opened a book to see if it sparked joy (it didn't) and a load of lovely photos fell out. I've no idea how they got to me, but the pics certainly were joyous.

In the dog days between Xmas and New Year 2016, I turfed out a wooden lidded bowl at Mum's to sort out the misc carp which had been added to what should have been in there (small balls of sock wool for darning handknitted socks) and found The Window Key.

This caused incredible jubilation and Mum hugged me in delight and said finding it had 'made Christmas'!:rotfl:

This is the only key to their humungous front sitting room window, which is about 5 ft square and can open like the page of a book, ideal for getting furniture in and out. It had been MIA for years and was greatly missed in October 2016 when one bulky armchair (which had entered via the window originally) had to exit via doors, which caused a lot of grief.

I was pretty pleased as had been looking for it, on and off, for years, and frequently remembered it as a niggle. Several copies of this key have now been made and stored in their key cabinet.

Siebrie

DDs have tried on the pyjamas: 1 was too small for smallest, so is in the donation pile; 1 was faded (but the fabric was still fine), so is also in the donate-to-Africa pile (to relatives, and they don't care; I've seen what their children wear); DD1 now has 7 'new' pyjamas, DD2 has 3. 3 were still too large for DD1 and have gone back to the attic, 2 were too large for DD2 and are also back in the attic.

I had a bit of a setback: the charity I wanted to donate clothes to, no longer accepts clothes, as they are closed for renovation. They also want a picture of any furniture we want to donate before they come and pick it up. I think I'll put the chair and small cabinet on our drive again tomorrow, with a sign 'free', and see if they get taken away.