KonMari 2017 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Pooky

I don’t have Top cupboards in my kitchen, I hate the things, just make a room look like a storage box (IMO).

We got rid of our mismatched everyday China a few years back and I now use our best stuff on a daily basis. It was an engagement gift (from first time around) so it’s 24 years old and still going strong.

I only seem to be kondoing the medicine cabinet at the moment as a nasty dose of sinusitis has knocked me for six. We did have some pretty naff news yesterday following a Drs appointment for DH so our quest to kondo ourselves into a bungalow is even more necessary. Once I’m feeling a bit more with it I shall ramp up the house selling prep.

catshark88

I have one set of plain, white crockery. Probably 8 place settings, so we've got plenty, but it's all in use.

I had a lunch party yesterday and had 20 or so people round. I decided to get some really nice paper plates (2 sizes) and cups as I love entertaining, but don't do it often enough to need to carry so much stuff.

Afterwards, we shared the remaining food and plates/ cups, so none went to waste. My clearing up consisted of 2 loads of quick washes in the machine, half a bag of rubbish and a bag of recycling. I've never had such an easy party! Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves, so hopefully that will work in the future.

PollyWollyDoodle

That sounds really practical, Catshark. No need to store stuff and no washing up.

Twenty-five years ago when I bought my first house on my own post-divorce, I went to IKEA to buy some furniture. I remember my friend urging me to buy a few more things, and I bought a set of dinner plates, tea plates, cups and saucers and bowls. They were nice, plain white with an orange/brown patterned rim and I thought they'd do for a bit.

Fast forward ... I have chipped one bowl, very slightly. That's it - the entire set is as good as new although I think I gave the cups and saucers away a few years back. I still quite like them but I honestly never imagined I'd still be using them 25 years later! There's nothing else I've seen that I like well enough to buy instead.

The Denby wedding-present service stayed with my ex. Never really liked it anyway. :rotfl:

Siebrie

It took me a few years (or a decade...) to realise that the items I bought as 'it'll do', actually stayed with me for a very long time, for several reasons. I didn't want to spend the time looking for the perfect item, I didn't have the money or didn't want to spend the money, the item still functioned so why replace it, I wanted to save the world and not waste resources, etc. These days, I try to buy or keep only the things I really like for the items that I care about. For instance: I like my kitchen towels and tea towels bright and colourful, but I really couldn't care about the state or colour of the bath towels.

[Deleted User]

I have tried very hard to wear cotton layers this winter and I give in, I cringe if the doorbell rings and I change when I go out, so I have been buying woollen tops, thin ones, all online. So I am going to do another cull soon, one in and at least one out and that will include hm and home spun overtops, too thick for me, I never get cold enough to wear them. Pure wool decomposes nicely in my allotment soil

tibawo

Really wish I could KD this cold as it is getting on my chest and i really wanted to go the allotment but think I will make myself worse.


Totally agree with the paper plates. We use them at the caravan breaks where we can to cut down on the washing up.


Hoping to have tidied today doubt I'll have the energy for anything else!

Wednesday2000

I got inspiration yesterday after watching some of the links on the simplify thread.:)

I have a few more things to go in the charity shop bag for tomorrow. I don't have a lot of clothes, but I have been reading more about capsule wardrobes. I want to only get clothes in certain colours if I buy any "new" ones from charity shops.

I looked through my toiletries too, why do I buy two or three of everything?!:mad: I have some mouthwash to use up and I used up some unwanted face lotion as eye makeup remover.

I did throw some things away as they were just rubbish, I can't remember what they were now...:D

Slinky

Over breakfast this morning OH agreed with me that most of the stuff in the loft needs to go.......... He doesn't want the loft in the new house cluttered up with stuff. We may try and put a pitched roof on the garage which would create some storage for suitcases and Christmas decs, but other than that, we really don't want loads of other stuff. I think there's more up there than we've remembered. Some of it, decorating stuff, will probably find a home in the new garage which is much bigger than our current one, and some stuff we'll need to keep for tax reasons for a while, but the prospect of a darned good clearout is ahead. I'm hoping we can get rid of his paperwork from his degree........ It's over 30 years old.

GreyQueen

As a family, we've long had a tradition of doing a clearout in the loft in the doldrums between Christmas and New Year. It's not the nicest of weather and there's only so much chocolate eating and TV movie watching you can do, I find.

I don't have a loft so I have to declutter one vicariously at the parents' place. I feel pretty confident that I know what and where most things are. There is a major oversupply of yarn up there but I have been told by Mum that it's non-negotiable. As she is getting better about releasing some things, I have decided not to even mention yarn, unless it is to fetch some of it down for her next project.

On the downside, it is bulky and taking up a good 50% of the storage space up there but, on the plus side, it is contained, lightweight, not liable to go off and can be gifted to others in the fullness of time, so won't go to waste.

I have just purchased the last element of the gift I shall give my best gal pal for Crimble and it will involve a small running gag; the gift box has travelled to and fro between ourselves a few times already and I have had custody of it for the past 11 months, so will be freeing up some space in my cupboard.

I also have a small admission which I have been toying with since the whole B & H saga started; I have two of their giftboxes. Square carboard white ones with butterflies printed on them and purple lids which are plain but for their logo around the rim. They nest. I wombled them empty from someone else's household thinking I'd use them for something but I haven't yet. They're taking up space but are sturdy and useful...... what should I do with them, lovely peeps?

Floss

Kitchen corralling? Holding bits of other stuf at the parental residence?