KonMari 2017 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Siebrie

I'm taking a week off kondoing, because I need to get back in the school routine first, assessing storage needs. I've already noticed that dd1 was given two tasks that she can take a week to finish, as opposed to the normal next-day-return, so we need somewhere to put the paper for these longer tasks.

daisy_1571

Catshark welcome, join in and keep us going !

Mmf, hard to say whats good nowadays since my newest must be 20 year old, some kind person on here will know tho, between us all I think we know everything. I'm like u, 5'3-and-a-half on a good day and with a good grip on the ground. I find tights that fitted when I was slimmer now dont have the stretch to go round the wider legs and hips. The larger sizes that are fine on the stretch are too long and go Nora Batty round the ankles. That's one reason I don't like them - always having to hoick them up. Ive always prefered long skirts and boots then I wear socks. In fact on my wedding day (days, ahem ����) I wore long dresses and ankle socks altho they were the lacy kind with extra lace round the tops rather than white sports socks. (That was cute when I was young and slim at 19 and again at 24 lol, not quite so cute now im overweight and 51but it doesn't stop me lol).

Good luck on getting thru all those knee highs lol. V handy 20 pairs lol !!! God love mils.

Daisy xx

catshark88

There is a very interesting book "Goodby Things" by Fumio Sasaki, who takes the minimalist living idea a bit further.

Someone jokingly described it as "ID the things you love, then throw them away anyway". It is fascinating because it is influenced both by the very high rental prices of flats in Japan, but also the attitude created post the last big earthquake. You treasure things less if they could fall off the wall in a tremor and kill you.

It's too hard core a way of living for me, but elements really made me think. You keep what matters to the person you are at your core, but nothing that presents an idea of "who you'd like people to think you are". E.g. If you love art, have lots of books (that you actually have read and will re-read) about art, but don't keep art books on your shelf in an attempt to impress people.

On reflection, its prob this chap, rather than MK who led to us choosing a house that we would never have considered before (much cheaper than our budget, but ticks all the boxes that really matter to us as a family).

It's on kindle.

[Deleted User]

I watched I Daniel Blake in bed last night and it moved me so much, helped my KM efforts no end, knowing that much of what I give to the cs will go to people who struggle. Many people are just a few breaths away from what Daniel went through but whoever buys them, knowing that my things help to make people comfortable at the end of their lives, that is enough

I have a brand new cake tin, a good make, makes an apple cake in the shape of an apple. Silly buy for me, I`ll thank it and let it go. Some lock n locks are in my trolley, I don`t know why but I find those very difficult to release, I think it is the `what if` syndrome but I believe I can reduce them if I do a few at a time. Later this morning I will start on my herbs (medicinal) and I`ll just be keeping those most useful to me. Seems like another KM phase has started

GreyQueen

Morning all.

Hello and welcome, catshark88, two very thoughtful and interesting posts, I am so glad that KM has helped you and your family towards a happier mode of life. Welcome to the thread.

kittie, re donating your L&L boxes, all mine are from charity shops, different ones over the years, including the bowl one which I use for my daily packed salad lunch at work. I was thrilled to bits to get L&Ls secondhand and very grateful to the anonymous people who donated them. You will be similarly thanked across the ether by strangers.

I've always had a bit of an interest in Japan, and in Zen Buddhism as a philosophical viewpoint. One thing which resonates with me is the Zen koan; Now that my storehouse has burned down, I can see the rising moon.

Simple, beautiful and true.

Many of us have had the experience of clearing out a loved one's goods and chattels after they have died. Sometimes that of one person within a household which is still going to be running, sometimes breaking up a whole home and dispersing its contents to the four winds. Those who haven't been there yet, will know people who have, and will be there someday.

What struck me during the emptying of my Nan's two bedroom bungalow (her home of fifty years) was the amount of totally unused items. Nan was not a hoarder, not a greedy person, not even more than very modestly comfortable on state pension after a typical working-class life, where money was always tight.

What did we find? Lots of pairs of unused stockings still in their packets, a brand-new sheet still in its packet, which had obviously been put away for Justin and forgotten entirely, as she had instructed her daughter to go and buy one just like it, tea towels which had never been used, a set of crockery which my parents had bought her (she asked for such a gift and actually chose the set herself) which had lived in the cupboard and only had a couple of outings whilst she continued to use the old, dinged and mis-matched secondhand plates.............

I could go on but you get the picture, I'm sure.

Many of these items are now in the hands of close family, the ones which would not serve our purposes have been donated, but the sadness is that she chose these items, paid for them herself or had them as gifts and didn't get to enjoy them.

I'm going to make a real effort to only have things which I enjoy and use, and to identify and release the rest to people who can use them.

Wednesday2000

catshark88 wrote: »

There is a very interesting book "Goodby Things" by Fumio Sasaki, who takes the minimalist living idea a bit further.

Someone jokingly described it as "ID the things you love, then throw them away anyway". It is fascinating because it is influenced both by the very high rental prices of flats in Japan, but also the attitude created post the last big earthquake. You treasure things less if they could fall off the wall in a tremor and kill you.

I've read about that movement in Japan, very interesting.

PollyWollyDoodle

Great to have some more people posting about how KM has helped them, it keeps me going (and I did the whole house, but I still keep finding areas to revisit!). Very little comes in these days but I'm very aware that I need to go through the wardrobe again as I've still got too many items. Some things didn't get worn this year and will have to go. I'm struggling with shoes, posh ones I wore to a wedding - I'm unlikely to wear them for anything else but they have a matching bag (SO not me!).

I buy supermarket tights, usually XL size and opaque/high denier, I always get opaque because of my hideous varicose veins. Loathe putting them on but occasionally I need to wear a skirt and shoes.

If I'm wearing boots then like Daisy, I wear thermal leggings and ankle socks - so cosy and easy to wear. However I have been caught out once or twice when visiting clients at home who have asked me to take my shoes off - it's hard to look professional in leggings and brightly coloured socks!

daisy_1571

GreyQueen wrote: »

Morning all.

What struck me during the emptying of my Nan's two bedroom bungalow (her home of fifty years) was the amount of totally unused items. Nan was not a hoarder, not a greedy person, not even more than very modestly comfortable on state pension after a typical working-class life, where money was always tight.

What did we find? Lots of pairs of unused stockings still in their packets, a brand-new sheet still in its packet, which had obviously been put away for Justin and forgotten entirely, as she had instructed her daughter to go and buy one just like it, tea towels which had never been used, a set of crockery which my parents had bought her (she asked for such a gift and actually chose the set herself) which had lived in the cupboard and only had a couple of outings whilst she continued to use the old, dinged and mis-matched secondhand plates.............

I could go on but you get the picture, I'm sure.

Many of these items are now in the hands of close family, the ones which would not serve our purposes have been donated, but the sadness is that she chose these items, paid for them herself or had them as gifts and didn't get to enjoy them.

I'm going to make a real effort to only have things which I enjoy and use, and to identify and release the rest to people who can use them.

Absolutely resonating with me this beautiful autumn morning. As I walked the big dog today I was pondering my tights. The barely worn and the new ones I don't want to 'waste' and i was trying to think how many i should keep and how i could dispose of the others without just bucketing them. It is ludicrous that some of these have moved with me to this, possibly their 5th home, still unused, unwanted and unloved. So by this age I know what I will and won't wear. I won't think of the fact that I also spent years not having much disposable income and yet spent 'good money' on these things to then store and transport them. They will go. And I am glad for them being there in case I had needed them over the years, but I can trust that I will be in a position to rebuy if I need more than the colourful ones and maybe 2 pairs of boring ones that will be kept.

I'm fed up using stuff I don't like, that 'will do' and would be 'a waste' to get rid of when ive got stuff i love which i 'keep for good'. Why do i feel is it better to hold onto Stuff in my cupboards endlessly, than for some stuff to be chucked out ? I'm surely worth more than being the equivalent of the local tip? As long as I dispose of what I can to charity shops, to recycling, to others that can use them, as long as I am not chucking things out in the rubbish this week and going out buying more Stuff that will get chucked out next week then a one-off cull through the things already manufactured, already in the world, that I already own will not see the end of civilisation as I know it. I don't need to be stymied by the indecision of holding onto things whilst trying to think of the perfect place to get rid of it to.


Breathe, relax, get over yourself daisy and let go. Repeat as required: "Sending some stuff off to the tip does not make me a bad person. Using my lovely belongings is A Good Thing. Other people can be trusted to deal responsibly with my Stuff"

Energised Daisy xxx :j:j:j:j:T:T:T:T:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

(Think I might reread pink candle again to really embed this)

Moneysaverme

DAISY,

Your tights inventory post from last night really made me chuckle. Thank you for the laughs!

MMF007, I have one pair of Pretty Polly thick black tights that I acquired from my sister. They are fab quality, don't fall down and actually make me feel slim. Not sure of the price, probably more expensive than the cheapie useless ones but they feel as though they will last. You might want to take a look. Better one worthwhile enjoyable pair than a multitude of rubbish annoying ones.

[Deleted User]

Breather time for me and am appreciating that carrying on with MK is for me also prepping, hence me posting on both threads. That clock will not stop ticking and the older one gets, the faster it goes, so MK is, for me, a method of getting rid of the hurdles on that road which could very well stop my enjoyment of my future life, which will be different, we all know that and now, at my age, I cannot chuck that thought under the carpet

The kondo magic worked again this morning, I am sorting my herbs (medical) and have re-packed a few into kilner jars to join the others which I am keeping. Out with the random packages and in with labelled neatness. During the process I looked at the lock n locks in my wall cupboards and now I know exactly which of the rectangular sizes I will be keeping, these were the sizes I had most mental trouble with. These kitchen cabinets are not as deep as the normal ones and everything is in a single layer. Whatever happens when I buy a house, this will be similar to my kitchen layout in the future

Back to it now, washing blowing on the line, all downstairs windows cleaned inside and out. Long may the energy continue