KonMari 2020 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying

Plasticfreemama

Brilliant thread! I am trying to leave a more eco-friendly life and the links were super useful, thanks!

Siebrie

1 shopping bag of rags to H&M for a 15% discount voucher. I bought 2 pairs of children's gloves, because dds had lost theirs So the advantage was €1,05.

I took the church's teatowels, handtowels, and dishcloths home to wash, and threw one badly discoloured and ripped teatowel into the ragbag.

Siebrie

To the donation bag: 4 pairs of girl's winter tights, as dd2 had had a growth spurt.
To the ragbag: 1 bright red woollen sweater I used for cycling/gardening, with patched elbows, which had developed a hole mid front. I think it was 13 years old, so I have taken all the use I could from it.

Igamogam

Slow and steady wins the race.....well that is what I am trying to convince myself!

Last weekend saw me sort through many boxes/tins/baskets of sewing stuff....and I dont really "sew"! I have inherited stuff from grandmother and MIL over the years and when DDs where younger there was the sewing /making of costumes for various concerts/ dance events and nativities I thought it was going to be an easy job.....nope! Very emotional surprisingly. Bits of ribbon and sequins and buttons brought memories flooding back. Cards of "vintage" hooks and eyes, a photograph of a childhood pet, wooden cotton reels both empty and unused, darning needles, school name tapes - mine and both DDs, a needle case I made in the Brownies, a button hook for doing up boots and the ear off a sheep costumes I made for DD1 that was also transformed into another animal for DD2 and stuff I had used and handled and looked at over the years but never really thought of....all conspired to make me an emotional mess for about 2 hours :eek: Recovered now and some stuff sent on their way the rest packed away with plans for some and a mental note to revisit another time.

I understand the emotional attachment to things and I think there is no shame in it - so many of these 'life laundry' gurus dont seem to get it and make you feel as if there is something wrong with you ( sorry not a KM fan) My experience and behaviour keeping 'stuff' is varied - some practical which in the long run has paid off...others I would say totally irrational :rotfl: It has caused tensions and I recognise that .

Not sure where I am going with this post- my slow and steady race continues is what I am saying at my pace with my methods. Whatever methods you choose will be right for you.

But just for the record: in 2019 I bought NOTHING for the house. I bought NO new clothes or shoes replacing only my swimming costume and some underwear. We stopped using things just for 'special occasions' and enjoyed it at any time and so let surplus items go. I bought NO toiletries - using up what we already had. I donated many bags full of things to CS. I recycled many many items - plastics textiles electricals. We put our NON RECYCLABLE bin out 7 times in 12 months ( we get about 17 collections a year). I sold items and made about £700. I forgave myself for keeping too many things for 'Justin' and not burning 'that candle'. It can be done.

January has been a slow start, but not unproductive I am hoping 2020 will bring me a little closer to the finishing line.

Although I stopped spending hours on MSE , removed some of the more 'needy' threads I followed and reduced my time posting, I still love the stories on here - the little gains and the massive achievements. It is what keeps me going;)

Siebrie

I find that I am slowed down by dds having their sports on different nights of the week, by them staying up later as they get older, so that I have less time for myself, less time to get focussed. Currently, I am just picking up the occasional item and making a quick decision about it, which helps, just not as organised as I like to be.

Hazelnutty

Hi all
Slow progress this week. Shifted a whole load of kids' plastic plates and bowls (next birthday DD is 11 so way uncool), a lamp and some more bike bits. I'm going to take my wedding dress to the chazzer this weekend - had tried to donate it to one of the charities that turns wedding dresses into gowns for stillborn babies but every one I contacted already had too many to deal with.

This weekend I'm going to do another round of decluttering and house sorting including taking down the next load of shelves for polyfilling and touching up ahead of the move (fingers crossed for end of Feb). I don't feel yet I can get excited as we haven't exchanged yet but I am poised to get going with a flurry of decorating choices!

Hazelnutty

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

Such a lovely thread to read.

I’m de-cluttering mid-divorce and hopefully pre-house move!

Lots to CS, eBaying and FB marketplace.

Getting into the shopping mindset that if it isn’t 100% what I want/need then I don’t buy it which is very liberating!

Keep up the good work everyone

I've just got divorced. I initially stayed in the family home but had to remortgage as I earn a lot less than my XH. I'm now moving with my new partner and DD to a much smaller house but will be better for the whole family, closer to XH and to a hospital my new partner's being treated at. So am now in the middle of a 2nd phase of decluttering so we can fit in the new place and raise a bit of money to do it up.

silvasava

Igamogam - lovely post, the things with an emotional attachment are so hard to make decisions on. I'm in the process of sorting some of my mothers things and finding it very difficult.
I have a confession - I've just kondoed two pairs of knickers into the rag bag ......that I've realised are about 25 years old!!!!! They don't make them like that any more

Frugal_Freda

Wheeled a whole suitcase of books and clothes to a charity shop. I'm always reluctant to donate in January, as having volunteered I know there is a New Year deluge at a time when staff may be away visiting relatives or off sick. I decided to donate clothes that still have tickets on as these normally go quickly. Sometimes it takes a long while to admit that a sales "bargain" really wasn't a good buy. Left the case there as well as the zips still work and if it stays in the house it risks becoming a new "junk bunker".

PollyWollyDoodle

Igamogam, thanks for that post - Your comments about sewing stuff really struck a chord with me, I love to sew and I’ve inherited a lot of bits and pieces, like you, and yes they have huge emotional attachment.
I have decided that 2020 is going to be the year of finishing the unfinished projects, and if I don’t want to do them badly enough to complete them then they have to go. This is one area of my life where I have found MK quite difficult, compared to other areas.

However, there is something you said above which really made an impact on me. You said “I forgave myself ...”. Your comment has made me realise that I’ve begun to feel guilty about not decluttering. That is not what this journey is about! I have simplified my life and removed an awful lot of stuff, and I’m going to stop beating myself up about the things that I haven’t done.