KonMari 2018 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Bluegreen143

Last night I did all the larder stuff (we don’t actually have a larder so it’s scattered across two cupboards and some of our open shelving). Normally I just clear one shelf at a time to clean it. This time I dumped absolutely everything on the floor and grouped like things together. After discarding out of date stuff and opened packets of experimental foodstuffs that brought us no joy, I consolidated some jars of things like pasta and spices to save space. When I put it back I made much more of an effort to keep all the baking things together etc so it all makes a lot more sense and looks so lovely and uncluttered now

Off on a wee cottage break for a couple of days so no kondoing tonight but it’s lovely to get away on our first family break with LB (I took him on holiday with my sister before Christmas but my husband wasn’t there).

[Deleted User]

THAT clean

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-5308427/Why-mothers-duty-clutter-home.html

I am 70, just and have been very aware of de-cluttering since my husband died, almost 3 years ago. I have been doing it for the children, paperwork, cupboards, the lot. KM in another name had been happening for years but slowly, worn out stuff, unwanted stuff. Started with the chicken house in 2005, then the loft in the family home, all those old cases and hand made toys, that no-one wanted.

So now I am down to `still` a lot of stuff but mostly hobby things, for me, to use over the next 10-20 years. If I were to strip the hobby stuff out, including the beautiful special cake tins and wood carving tools, then I would, at a stroke, open up the equivalent of three rooms. That would enable me to live easily in a small 2 bed bungalow but that would hasten my demise, it would mean that I have given up on things that are pleasurable to me, that make me happy. I am going to move but not to anywhere smaller, goodness me, I want to get a bandsaw and that needs a home

I will do another house sweep though, starting today, I will get rid of the stuff that would be sentimental to me only, that would make my children cry, including the letters from the 60s and I will do another clothes sweep but hobby stuff, no, my hobby things are tidy and ordered and they are my lifeline, to my future.

PollyWollyDoodle

Kittie, I love the fact that you're planning to get a bandsaw! Hobbies are what make life fun and it's really important to include them in your plans and your budget - I really need to build mine into my diary, because I'm not finding enough time for them.

I wish my parents had decluttered a bit more, it wasn't just hard work but also very painful discarding things, we didn't know whether they were treasured objects or just things they'd been given and didn't like to give away (I suspect quite a lot of the latter!). I think if I'd read MK at the time, it might have been a bit easier. My sister found it particularly hard to let go; 15 years on, she is now passing things to me that she doesn't really want. I thank her ... and then take them to the CS.

Debsnewbudget

Wednesday

The dehumidifier I bought has to be plugged into a laptop (I obviously didn't read the details when I ordered it!) so it isn't really helpful for the bathroom. Someone else will want it hopefully. Some of the charity shops around here take electrical goods.


If you mean it just has a usb type plug on it then you can buy a normal 3 pin electrical usb charger plug that you plug the usb into and turn it into one you can plug into a socket

Just search usb charger plug

[Deleted User]

PollyWollyDoodle wrote: »

I wish my parents had decluttered a bit more, it wasn't just hard work but also very painful discarding things
.

spot on Polly and I have started but on the house peripherals first as spring is coming and so comes the spring clean. Utility room: I saw the leather cleaners and creams (yes plural ) and all my leather is now done, 3 chairs and a sofa, ok I am still plural but getting there. Then I saw the mag flakes and why don`t I use them? because I cba getting a bowl out and sitting for 20 minutes with my feet in hot water.

Better way is bath and I haven`t been in the bath for over a year, make hay says me, so part filled the shallow bath and got in with 2 cupfulls of mag crystals in warm water, sloshed it all over me. Getting out was always the hard part, never fear I was safe, flipped over to hands and knees and easily stood up and out skin prickled so I needed the mag and will do this a few times every week

Next was the borax, a full box, down every pluhole and toilet and 1/3 left and two bathrooms sparkle

Coffee now and then I go to the heart of it. The rest of the utility room can wait, I don`t want another distraction anyway I want a cycle ride today as well as to do some real KM

Fen1

For anyone near London who would like to hear the Stuffocation chap speak:

/membership.theguardian.com/event/stuffocation-how-to-declutter-your-life-and-experience-more-39767258942?INTCMP=gdnwb_copts_merchhgh_mstrs_masterclasses_tracking_health_wellbeing


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stuffocation-how-to-declutter-your-life-and-experience-more-tickets-39767258942?_eboga=1865551569.1461176262

Wednesday2000

Debsnewbudget wrote: »

If you mean it just has a usb type plug on it then you can buy a normal 3 pin electrical usb charger plug that you plug the usb into and turn it into one you can plug into a socket

Just search usb charger plug

Oh, really?! Thanks for that.:)

Fen1 wrote: »

For anyone near London who would like to hear the Stuffocation chap speak:

/membership.theguardian.com/event/stuffocation-how-to-declutter-your-life-and-experience-more-39767258942?INTCMP=gdnwb_copts_merchhgh_mstrs_masterclasses_tracking_health_wellbeing


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/stuffocation-how-to-declutter-your-life-and-experience-more-tickets-39767258942?_eboga=1865551569.1461176262

That does sound interesting, a bit expensive though. Eek.

catshark88

My life feels out of control and in chaos at the moment, but hopefully towards a v positive outcome and all because of MK.

We’re moving to a dramatically different lifestyle, my Aged Parent is moving to the house I will be vacating and it all started by analysing what in life sparked joy and was important to us. It’s invigorating, but at times hard, like a deep cleanse of the soul on an ongoing basis.

I understand now why people move jobs/ get divorced after starting out by tidying their wardrobe. It is a powerful shift of focus.

If I had to do this again though, I SO wouldn’t combine it with a dry January!!!!!

[Deleted User]

catshark, that is a big life changing event, the very best to you

It has been a very nice day and now the sun is going down, one thing led to another. I did my cycle ride and my bike was so very manky, I did the full bike clean, chain as well plus lubrication. In the KM section because I need to use the excess cleaning liquids. From the utility room explore this morning, two packs of washer cleaner have been used and one grubby cycle top washed and re-proofed. Tomorrow I continue the utility room exploration

Why on earth did I peel and freeze all those garlic cloves last year? I have the bulbs from the last crop, still good and a new crop growing. I did bin the frozen ones. While at food, I managed to fill a bag full of tins, now safe in the village food bank box

Those letters from 1969, all shredded plus all the valentines and certificates and the sports medals have gone. I don`t need them, or want them any more and am not leaving it for the children to do after I pop my clogs. It was not a teeth gritting job, I felt no emotion. My memories are in my head, safe

VJsmum

So we had a 4 drawer filing cabinet in our study. it was a horrid and functional looking thing - metal, rusting, officey.

The floods meant it rusted even more and even OH agreed it could go. i argued hard for a 2 drawer wooden one with much rationalising. We did manage to reduce 4 drawers to 2 and put the remaining two out for the metal collectors. Wooden one duly bought and put together. Silly me didn't spot that the new one is A4, and old one is Foolscap Additionally new drawers are half the depth...

So I was feeling quite deflated but the new one is completed and can't go back so i have suggested that we see what will fit and then see what is left.

Today i was looking at them and can see instantly that there are 4 files (one for each of us) that can live on a shelf in the new cupboard. This frees up half a drawer. Many many old bank statements, pension forecasts, guarantees for things we no longer have and so forth that can go. Loads of stuff in the wrong files and probably superseded. it seems we have just shoved stuff in without thought at all for whether it is necessary to keep it all.

I reckon there will be enough room in the new cabinet. Maybe with the purchase of a box file or two.

Watch this space