KonMari 2017 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

VJsmum

Another one who grew up fairly poor. we never went hungry but there wasn't much else. One fire in the lounge and that was it, a paraffin stove on sunday in the bathroom when we all had our (weekly) baths. And, yes, ice on the inside of the windows.

DS was delivered to uni yesterday with a car load of stuff. Some things were DD's and a few things were new. My conservatory is a little clearer.

The next phase in "operation swap children" is to swap back bedrooms. DD needs her old, much bigger, room back. DS has agreed that's sensible. More painting to be done.

First the drainage needs sorting - what a week...

[Deleted User]

The thread is very emotional, I feel it, its not just kondo, it is about the psychology of why we accumulated things, why we cannot let go of some nice things, why we have more than one good coat and more shoes than we really need.

Been there, done that but the vision that just popped into my mind was the split open plastic bags, propped under the drips coming off a hill near our cottage in the middle of no-where, collecting the water into pans because we could not afford water in bottles and the tank on the hill had run dry. In the 70s with two small children

GoingToDoIt

On the positive side, a lightweight short cotton loose summer dress I really like has passed it's best. We were saying goodbye when I almost face palmed myself....I now have a lightweight short cotton nightie for next summer

elona

kittie

I have just realised much to my discomfort - the reason my wardrobe is full of smart jackets, dresses, trousers and jeans.

I realised I had put on the weight I lost a couple of years ago and that smart tailored clothes would look better (or less worse) so enthusiastically hit the online sales. With a smart jacket or dress that should have cost £100 then on sale for about £25 how could I go wrong?

I made myself step on the scales a few weeks ago and faced up to the fact "It is my fat that makes me look fat" and that I want to be able to do justice to the nice things I bought ( sausage inna skin is not a good look.)

The bonus to eating healthier means my knees now hurt less - who wouldda thought?

savvy

Been following the thread for a while, but seriously don't have time to implement the strategies.....even though desperately need to as am renovating the place as I live and work in it. And lil son desperately needs to move into BIG son's old bedroom.....but so much stuff has been left behind by various people over 26 years, the task is huge!!

minnie2 wrote: »

We only had a fire in the living room and no heating anywhere else - so I'd take my clothes into the living room on a cold morning to get dressed. The inside of our windows had ice on them and the windowsills outside had long icicles hanging down.

Ahhhh this so reminded me of my youth, we lived in an old bungalow in the sticks, we just had a wood fired heater, so when the fire went out overnight that was your lot for heating and hot water :eek: It was so cold we had ice on the inside of the metal frame windows and I had to get dressed for school under my duvet as it was the warmest place!!!

I'm 50 now and finally living with central heating (only downstairs though) and upvc windows instead of metal or rotten wood - isn't it nice!! :rotfl:Almost have a house that doesn't leak....that's a first too

MMF007

Well, I was right! DH has definitely been abducted by aliens.
We have spent the entire morning sorting a mini floordrobe he had for work clothes, sorting his real wardrobe, properly locating half a dozen bags of things he had by his side of the bed, and sorting better storage for some rolled up posters that were souvenirs from the early 1980's.

Soooo,
To CS
- 6 smart shirts
- 1 pair jeans
- 1 pair shoes
- 2 jackets
- a digital camera
- a large strong cross-shoulder bag
- an old landline telephone

Moved to appropriate location
- large bag of giftwrap/bags
- large box of promotional gifts for his clients at Xmas (fits perfectly below the rail in my side of the wardrobe because I have very little hanging in there )
- 2 jackets and 3 waistcoats (also moved to my side of wardrobe, for above reason!)
- instructions for a watch (!), a camera and a dvd player filed
- 4 years' worth of business bank statements filed in correct folder in multi-purpose room (where i do his accounts and tax returns!)
- box of superfluous business cards and advertising material (now beside the log burner:))
- warm, longer length winter coat now also in my side of wardrobe.

Still to do, and no coincidence, a plastic bag of photos from 20-30 years ago. I have fetched them downstairs so he can sit a weed them out. We have a couple of empty albums they can go into. It will be a step too far to scan and destroy.

Whilst I was relocating and vaccing, I thought I could usefully double-check some of my wardrobe contents. Sure enough, one handbag, 2 pairs of shoes and a jacket are now in CS bag. I am also going to offer a lovely pair of sandals to my niece. They are very pretty but I have had them ages and have never been able to wear them for more than 2 mins because the footbed is just not comfy for me.

Oh, and in a final triumph, I have found a great place to hang my secondhand, full length mirror, so I shall sort that out in a mo. This is important for my weight loss to continue. As Elona said, it's the fat that makes me look fat, and I need to see the improvements as i reduce some more, it'll keep me focussed

Wow, what a difference a morning makes.

M

Sj62

One nice pair of trousers that just don't look nice on and two new bras that aren't comfortable all gone to CS. someone else can "enjoy" the underwiring!

Also finally throwing out a holdall that is worn and way past it's best. Small improvements but a big lift in mood ...

catshark88

I don't know if I should be posting on here.

Have read some extremely moving, very personal posts on here and my heart goes out to everyone who has had or is having a difficult time.

I feel a bit of a fraud though. I grew up short of cash but have been financially secure for some years now. I think my love of being decluttered is linked to the fact that I finally feel safe now and that it's not all about to disappear and so I can let things go. There is also emotional baggage being released, shedding of persons I once was etc., etc.

My tidiness/ minimalism IS a conscious choice though. I'm doing it because it makes me happy, not to be fashionable, but it is a choice and I know I can replace things if I wanted to.

I don't want to bring anything annoying or negative to a thread that is so helpful to lots of people.

Fen1

Catshark, please please please don't feel unwelcome.

We are all KMing for a variety of reasons. What will motivate us will differ. Our histories will certainly be different. We are each individuals. Each one of us is unique.
Feeling like a fraud, or unworthy, or just not fitting in, those are the grubby little voices from childhood: you're either in the gang or you're the loser in the corner. As we grow and mature, becoming more confident in ourselves and embracing our individuality, then we can tell those schoolyard bullies to S*D off.

Perhaps that is the magic of KM: that asking Joy is embracing and emboldening our true selves.

We've built up a little community here; we have sad stories and wonderful successes. Our collective journey is full of surprises. And you and me and every other single person here is part of our KM family.

GreyQueen

Fen1 wrote: »

Catshark, please please please don't feel unwelcome.

What she said - please don't go/ stop posting. We're all one big (and slightly mixed up:p ) family on a journey to who-knows-where via kondo-ing. We got slightly distracted by minimalism, which is a whole 'nother thing, but there isn't any right or wrong way to live, there's only right-for-us, and we'll each have different version of that. Please stay.