The march towards Minimalism continues...

[MissAnnersleyismyhero]

Hey all, thought I'd make a new thread to encourage us all to keep going on the journey to minimalism!

I achieved a reasonable amount in a couple of hours today. Although not strictly decluttering much as I only threw away a carrier bag full of rubbish but I have really sorted out a lot of toys.

I think you have to keep folding until each item is quite sturdy. So t shirts probably need at least one more fold than you're already doing.

fuzzpig please come and sort out oour toys. I have a real mental block with them. Waaaaaay too sentimental!

clearsommespace if you fold them properly they don't fall down when others are in the wash. Mine don't anyway. You do it so that the t-shirt has essentially made a upside down v or pair of legs so it stands up by itself.

jimmy and educating I'm glad it's helped and not been too out there.

No, definitely not the lady in the book. I wish my house was so tidy I could write books about it

SO much to do before DH gets back.

I've bought the book and going to try the folding tonight. I have a very small set of drawers and need to fit in 3 lots of summer clothes that are currently strewn around - maternity clothes for next however many days plus immediate aftermath, some transition clothes I've just bought, and the actual summer clothes I own which I may start to fit towards the end of the summer!

Well - I'm struggling to focus much on anything ( think it is to do with the impending surgery next week. Rationally I'm not worried but subconsciously, I think my mind is stressing out!) however I do have 3 drawers of fantastically folded clothes. My knickers have never looked so spectacular!

Sorry Arti I can't remember any details (perhaps you haven't posted any for the sake of discretion). Are you going to be completely out of action afterwards?

I've posted a couple of more bits on a freebie site.

Not posted much about it before. It's surgery on my hip (hopefully keyhole) to sort out a bit of torn cartiledge that keeps catching in the joint. Not very major but I will be on crutches and unable to drive (and probably climbing the walls!) for 4 weeks afterwards.

Managed to empty a couple of bins ( it's kind of de-cluttering - right?) and I'm trying to keep up with the influx of paperwork etc so things don't get worse!

So I'm part way through the sorting and folding and I'm quite excited that this could be the answer to my clothes disorganisation! I've so far got a drawer of woollens and a drawer of exercise clothes, and they a) fit in each drawer without shoving or crumpling them in and b) are all visible so I can see exactly what I have. I need to set myself the task of sticking with this over the next few months with a newborn and if I can manage that then I should be sorted I like her idea of not putting away/taking out clothes each season but having them all available, which I think is particularly sensible given our frequently changing weather! Just opened the hamper of what I thought was winter stuff to find a few t-shirts for summer in there, which kind of proves the point.

Culling most of the maternity stuff now as well and just sticking with the few comfy favourites I have. Due tomorrow, so it's a max of 2 weeks until the baby's here (though hopefully sooner!) and I doubt I'll need 3 pairs of jeans, 5 dresses and assorted long sleeve tops in that time

18 carrier bags for the chazzer from our bookcase. We had already decluttered the bookcase

A lovely sunny day, DD1 at preschool.....I stayed inside and folded things!!!

Digger what have you done to me?!!!!

for everton, how exciting

arti good luck with the surgery, I hope it makes a big difference. I bet folding is good therapy for your subconscious.

everton exciting times! Jimmy 18 bags, wow!

I've caught up on our downstairs general housework this morning (to me this is relevant as it is hard to get past). This pm I am tackling our bedroom which is in a real state.

Thaks erin - I think you are right about therapy for the subconscious. Ideally I'd like to have loads of stuff sorted/cleaned/tidied before I go in but as I'm even less able to focus than usual I really don't think that's going to happen! I'll just have to keep picturing my clothes drawers and imagine the rest!

"I've caught up on our downstairs general housework this morning (to me this is relevant as it is hard to get past)." I can really identify with this - well done for getting past it!

18 bags!!!! I think you deserve and now!

I've just chucked 2 bags of rubbish (knackered shoes, broken jewellery that I will never get fixed, a horribke belt etc) and rounded up a few bits for the school bric-a-brac stall (fair this weekend). And I've been clambering around in the loft for books (don't worry too much - accessible by a door from loft extension, not up a ladder!) and having a go at folding DS's clothes in the new way. Serious nesting going on here but no imminent signs of a baby!

I really like digger's book! Some of the thanking your clothes stuff is a bit odd, but having been to Japan a few times for work I get that it might be a very Japanese approach. But she is very sensible on why 'one thing a day' or continual tidying is not necessarily the best approach. My experience the past month or so has shown that throwing myself at it is a much better way of getting things done for us. We have noticed such a difference in a month - our home is working so much better and certainly I feel lighter and less burdened by the house - whereas the incremental gains were good but not so obviously different. We have always lived a relatively minimal life in not having too much of a sentimental attachment to things, and not hoarding too much, but DCs have really thrown us - both with the stuff they bring into the house and the lack of time or energy to keep on top of things.

After a day of cleaning/tidying...

I've now read the konmari book too and was a bit sceptical, but my stuff folded her way takes up a fraction of the space! I used her principles at work today to do a much-needed clear-out and got it all done! I quite like the kookier stuff, actually, and need no excuse to converse with socks.

I admit to thanking a few things in my head before putting them in the charity bag

I've run out of things to fold. Anyone want their clothes doing?

Good evening all! Oooh I caught up on all your posts the other day and I too have bought the KonMarie book!! So far it's really striking a chord with me. In fact I'm looking forward to getting in bed very soon with a brew and reading some more (saddo emoticon). Then I just need to put it into practice. Thanks Digger for the recommendation. I WILL be tidy.

I wonder how many book sales this thread is responsible for... First Simplicity Parenting, now KonMarie... I took everything out of my bag tonight so it could have a rest. Mind you, I'm not with the kids tonight, so I had the time. (Marie doesn't have kids, I gather). I'm not being sneery, I think she's fab. Bonkers, but fab and strangely mesmerising. I just folded up my pjs and I'm going to be putting them on in five minutes.

Hello!

I've SO not achieved enough this week and I'm a bit annoyed with myself.

I'm still stuck in tidying and not minimalising. Tonight I have to sort the play room once the DC are in bed.

Today before they go to bed I need to finish a quick tidy through the main rooms and then finish my bedroom which currently looks like a clothing bomb has gone off in it.

Still at least my clothing will be nicely folded by the time I'm finished

Only one book sold to me so far (Banish Clutter Forever) but if you keep going on I might succumb to another. It seems to be a quick read or is it 'unputdownable'?

Where do handbag contents rest when they are not in their bag? Do you have to make cosy beds for them?

It's hot so we have started sleeping under an empty duvet cover. Storing the double duvet is proving challenging but we were left some clothes bank collection bags yesterday. Tis a sign [looks pointedly at DH]

I spent 06:00-09:15 clearing the lounge and I have now finished Many bags of rubbish have been thrown out, many bags of stuff we do not need are in the porch waiting to be taken to the charity shop, and I am honestly absolutely exhausted!!!

My goal: By the end of June to have a tidy house.
My future goal: By September I want to have an organised house.

Well done MTWTFSS. I would give you but don't want to bring something into your decluttered lounge

My house has been a mess all week and the only reason for it is that my DH has been home due to a swollen foot. How can he be responsible? But I have not managed to get on top of it at all. I feel like I'm slowly going mad as I definitely need time to myself (usually achieved by DD1 going to preschool in the morning and DD2 napping). I feel like I might explode if he doesn't go back to work next week!

It's a very quick read, but not really a page turner. I already do what she suggested with shoeboxes, lids, etc, (No emoticon for smugness?). Her advice about not piling is very helpful: I had a massive stack of excellent Mslexia writing magazines for reference at work but I couldn't actually refer to them because the pile was too huge. They're now in magazine files and I can actually get to them.

Sorry, my last was in answer to clearsomme re KonMari.