KonMari 2018 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

PollyWollyDoodle

I watched the first programme last night - it was interesting and I will watch the others, but I found her a bit too fey for my liking - all the stuff about 'greeting the house' and thanking everything, I think I skipped over that in the book! I still think her method is great and it has transformed my home but you need to choose the bits that work for you.

Pooky it's not all families with kids, some of the programmes are older people downsizing, I do agree about the annoying kids in this one! I also didn't think the house looked particularly cluttered by my standards, apart from the washing up, so I'll be interested to see if some of the others are a bit more 'normal' :rotfl:

Listerbelle

greenbee wrote: »

I've mostly cleared out one of the bedrooms I've been unable to get into for over a year due to stored stuff... as my brother's kids no longer spend so much time here now they're both at school, I don't need all the toys and craft stuff. Some of it is headed to the CS, but quite a bit has had to go in the bin. I'm not quite sure what to do with all the open paint/glitter/glue etc as I can't really give it to the CS but it seems a shame to bin it. Then again, I can't keep it cluttering the place up.

Hello greenbee
A local school or kindergarten might accept the open packages. Otherwise Freecycle/Freegle/Buy Nothing Group.

greenbee

Listerbelle wrote: »

Hello greenbee
A local school or kindergarten might accept the open packages. Otherwise Freecycle/Freegle/Buy Nothing Group.

Freecycle, freegle etc are pretty much non-existent round here. It's a very rural area where people don't tend to do second-hand... (apart from me, and I miss it... last place I could shift anything on freegle!).

Siebrie

Give it to your brother's kids to finish at home?

My parents are still kondoing, and most of it is coming my way :rotfl:, 3 hand embroidered old table cloths (for my outdoor garden table this summer), the 6 dessert bowls mentioned earlier, 2 bottles of dishwashing liquid Mum doesn't like, old cards I sent them from holiday destinations, pictures of me from several photo albums.

Mum is now going through old photo albums, and taking out pictures and distributing them to the people in the pictures, for instance to my cousins whose Dad died young and they don't have many pictures of him or themselves. Their Dad performed the wedding service. Mum checked with me if I was happy that she dissembled their wedding album; she is afraid my sis will visit one day and remove pictures and albums and just throw them away. I told her to go ahead.

ETA: how good I forget? Six bottles of hard liquor, all opened. Inherited from Mum's best friend about 25 years ago. Does it go off? The rum I drink neat, the wodka, gin, whisky I will have to check and find ways to finish. I might drink it, but seem to remember wodka was good for making herbal infusions?

greenbee

Siebrie wrote: »

Give it to your brother's kids to finish at home?

I don't think my sister-in-law wants any more stuff....

lessonlearned

I am another one who is having a quick tidy first before starting the major Kondo next week. I am currently just having a break from taking down the Christmas decorations. I just cant do things in one fell swoop like I used to, I have to take breaks and little rests. (Fibromyalgia).

This morning I stripped my bed and changed the duvet cover, that's always a struggle for me on my own. So by the time I've done the Christmas decorations and cooked my meal that will be about it today. I will feel like I've climbed Everest. :rotfl:

I think the major Kondo is going to take weeks if not months but hopefully once it's all done housework and keeping everywhere clean and organised will be easier and quicker and will take up less of my precious energy.

PollyWollyDoodle

Siebrie vodka is always good for adding fruit to, to make a liqueur-type drink - same goes for gin. Or you could use it in cakes or puddings for flavouring? If all else fails, I think you can use it for cleaning jewellery!

Lessonlearned I can't remember now how long the original Kondo took me but it was definitely months not weeks. All worth it though, as time goes on you find it easier and easier to make decisions. Not only cleaning, but filing, packing for holidays (and unpacking) - pretty much anything I do is easier these days because I know exactly where to find the (wrapping paper/insurance policy/spare phone charger/annual statement).

My tip - if you possibly can, have a designated area for stuff that you know you want to keep, but is in the wrong place and hasn't yet got a home. You end up playing Kondo Tetris as things move around the house.

Siebrie

Unpacking definitely becomes easier: we spent ten days away and had people staying in our house for new year's, so I left the house spotless and all beds made. The guests unmade the beds at the end, I unpacked our luggage, and put everything away immediately. Today (day after our return) I have the fourth load of laundry running, all suitcases unpacked, shopping put in its proper place, thanked next door's children with a small gift from the attic for looking after our rabbits , am eating my way through leftovers and planning my next shopping trip. Dd1 has a friend over (so she doesn't rely on me as entertainment), dd2 is at a friend's place (for same purpose).

short_bird

Siebrie wrote: »

I will have to check and find ways to finish. I might drink it, but seem to remember wodka was good for making herbal infusions?

Vanilla essence?

Edited to add: this is the third year in a row that the Christmas tree and decorations have not been used. It's time they went, isn't it :rotfl:

silvasava

Christmas decs down and packed up ready to go back in the loft when I've had a cuppa! All batteries removed and the tree lights in an old jiffy bag. I also found a few small bubble wrap bags & I've packed some delicate ornaments in them. A very long string of icicle lights put on Freecycle as DH struggles a bit to put them up on the guttering due to arthritic hands. The metal stand for the christmas tree is going to the scrap man - DH got a beautiful oak log about 10 years ago and drilled it to take the tree - stable and looks good as I drape it round with some artificial poinsttas. All the cards in a bag ready to go to the SM for recycling or whatever. I decided not to cut up any for gift tags as Ive already got plenty and we dont tend to buy as many presents now that need them.
Greenbee - if the school dont want the pots maybe freecycle?