'The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying' - Marie Kondo

[FrancesHB]

Has anyone else read this? I did a search but couldn't find any previous threads.

Marie Kondo is a Japanese expert in tidying and decluttering and her book has been translated into English and is best selling. It's wonderfully eccentric and inspiring and in some ways rather a breath of fresh air compared to other books on the subject (have read 'em all and my house is still messy...).

She asks us to ask if an item brings us joy and if it doesn't we thank it and out it goes. A bit like fly lady 'you can't organise clutter', but in a less annoying and at times quite endearing way.

I wondered if any MNers had used her technique and if it helped them 'get their house in order'.

This reminds me of a neighbour of my mum's who is freakishly tidy. Her house is immaculate. She has loads of shoes and each pair is in a separate plastic box with a photo of the shoes on the front so that she can see at a glance which is which. Now that is a bit obsessive, no?

For a few years I had the "trofast" drawers from Ikea.... I did have either a photo or an internet image of each type of thing for each drawer so the kids could put back in the right drawer.... but yes shoes is barking ;)

Oh I can see it would be good for kids, but adults...

Anyway, better get back to putting the clothes away or I will not actually be able to get across my bedroom to go to bed tonight!

The shoe thing seems like quite a good idea actually. Or for anything which is going to get messed up by opening and taking the thing out of the box to look at it.

After we moved loads of stuff was in boxes and I got fed up opening and rifling through every one so I sat down with a sharpie and wrote on the flap of each box what it had in it.

Thank you everton, I appreciate that. I wish I could put it into practice and actually get the clear surfaces though!

The separate plastic boxes for shoes would drive me potty. I will never think that is a good use of my hard earned cash.

I've just bought the book on the kindle (after lurking on this thread!)

Haven't done any tidying yet, going to read the book all the way through first.

So far I really love the idea of only keeping things that bring you joy, I have a lot of stuff crap that I've kept because I feel obligated to, because I will eBay it at some point, because I don't want to be wasteful etc but the truth is it just sits for years and years without being used.

Looking forward to a big sort out...but my socks will be staying balled up!!

She has loads of shoes and each pair is in a separate plastic box with a photo of the shoes on the front so that she can see at a glance which is which.
Gosh I used to do this in my former, pre child existence. All but forgotten now .....

I actually do have plastic boxes for shoes, but only for "occasion wear" shoes, so it stops them getting scuffed/bashed/squished at the bottom of my wardrobe. Couldn't be faffed with it for everyday shoes although occasionally DD2 sorts out the shoe shelves in the hall, allows three pairs per person, and arranges them so they all have their own space

Have you seen the Q&A with Marie Kondo on Gransnet?

I've not had time to read it yet, but in her pic she looks about 12! Its making me feel a bit better as when I was at Uni/20s my room & shared space were immaculate - its only since gaining a husband, kids & house that I have trouble with 'stuff'.

Just googled her photo Leeloo if getting rid of stuff makes you look that you do then I am going to hire a skip straight away

Oh I don't know if I want to know what she looks like! I have this image of a tiny imp-like person full of an infectious energy and youth. Although if she looks so young perhaps my image will remain

M reading this after seeing the OP. Have just done all of my clothes, god it felt good.

How does everyone store accessories. Haven't got around to sorting through them yet but am just wondering what to do with them when I have instead of my current method of sticking them on my dressing table until I've run of of room and the pile starts galling on the floor.

Yes - I came across the concept of the "burden of ownership" and realised everything you own has to be stored, cleaned, maintained etc. So I am cutting stuff down and also I managed to throw 5 bin bags of stuff out of the playroom. DD didn't even notice - we end up with so much stuff we don't even know what we have and so much of it totally unnecessary.

Now I'm cutting it down to worthwhile things.

William Morris said you should only own things that are either practical or beautiful. It's not a bad way to think.

Mug and glass cupboard done. We've allowed ourselves 4 mugs each (me and DH, not the kids) to keep (number decided by the fact I had 4 I couldn't ever get rid of!) and I've got rid of all the spare wine glasses and mugs that haven't been used in years. Cupboard looks beautiful!

I put photos on the outside of 'normal' shoe boxes too - they weren't all in plastic boxes. It's an insanely practical idea really & I had so much fun at my initial "photo session" and then used to snap new shoes as they arrived. it was one of the most organised things I did - of course I had other issues re ownership/possessions etc in them dark old days.

Miggsie I had that William Morris quote on the wall when I did my first big declutter.

Some great progress being made on here - very inspiring.

Marie is insanely perky looking.

Even better if they're practical AND beautiful I try to buy the nicest looking kitchen appliances (e.g. toaster, blender) I can afford and that go with the other things in my kitchen so they're pleasing to look at while also doing a good job. I avoid trinkets as they have no practical purpose and take up space and accumulate dust. So when we do rooms in our house we buy beautiful lamp shades, lovely clocks etc so I create the beauty in my house with the practical things rather than having to add pretty but useless statuey things etc.

At least then the only clutter is paperwork and broken plastic toys ;)

Lol I've just got to the bit where she texted her old phone to say thanks!

I am finding myself thanking things though. I'm wondering if the book has some kind of secret brainwashing between the lines as I am certainly not that kind of person usually!

I agree thst this thread is inspiring. I haven't managed to do much yet however!

Been away for a few days this week - did read the book on the train though.

I have been tidying and decluttering and have been working hard at keeping the places that I have sorted tidy.

We have an ikea delivery if new desk, wardrobe and bookshelf arriving tomorrow for DS so I have sorted his wardrobe a bit this afternoon. DH will be building desk and shelves first so we will sort them and I am determined to be ruthless. He still has years of school stuff going back to nursery. He is in year 9 now!!!

Then my next job is my tops. And again I will be ruthless.

Completely agree with getting rid if stuff straight away rather than holding on to it all to eBay. Been there done that, got rid of the t-shirt!

Joining the thread, after a bit of revolutionary T shirt folding. I was a bit disappointed some tops had too floppy cotton and still have to lie down I've sold the idea to dh though, we have new bedroom furniture so everything is in flux, plus dd is off to university soon and she also wants to change bedrooms at Christmas.

I'm a struggler with EBay, resulting in a few piles of unsold things. And the mug cupboard is over stuffed. There's a charity shop opening near us soon with convenient parking - yet another of my excuses for not actually getting rid of the sorted clutter. I suspect once it opens I'll be stocking it all on my own! Wish it would open soon.

Oh don't get me wrong - I can see the appeal of the photo shoe boxes but I can't help feeling they would actually take up more space than just the shoes on their own.

I'm about 3/4 of the way through the book now - bwahaha at the bits about talking to your house and possessions! It is just toooo cute.
Most of my very reduced clothes collection is now put away, in the method prescribed except for my huge washing mountain . I must say, my wardrobe looks fab and it was very therapeutic. I now need to bag up the teetering piles of discarded clothes or risk breaking my neck on the way to bed.

Tomorrow: make-up, jewellery and toiletries. Woo hoo!

After reading a bit more of the book yesterday I thought I'd practice on Ds' (6) t-shirts and it made such a difference in his drawer to have them folded instead of in a pile - this morning he came and thanked me for making them look so nice which was a real boost.

So this PM I started on my own clothes. I was reading where she talked about gathering clothes from all round the house and thought 'thats easy all mine are in the wardrobe'... then remembered I have storage bags of clothes in the loft, and thought 'I won't have any to get rid of' - and managed to get rid of pretty much everything that was in the loft bar 3 dresses and 14 tops from my wardrobe - that I thought was pretty lacking to start with!

So many of the tops I'd kept through several previous declutter sessions through guilt of never having worn them and there being nothing wrong with them per se... but asking 'do I want to wear this' (I found 'bringing me joy' was too strong) really clarified my thinking and I actually did thank them for being nice colours/cosy when I was pregnant/making me realise I don't wear tank tops! :)

1 bag went to the charity shop on the way to collect DS from school & a huge bag is waiting & I thought I might try one of those 'cash for clothes' places as there's 1 in the car park where Ds swims at the weekend - does anyone know how much you get? I think it was about 9kg?

Getting everything out actually meant I realised how dusty it was and washed down the rail - and some of the hangers before tidying it all back too! I have nice tshirt hangers so did hang them all up again (don't they get creased folded?) but I'm happy with how they look (and all the empty hangers!). And I did the heavy things on the left through to lighter things on the right.

So I'm a happy bunny with a tidy wardrobe! :)

Amiga I think she says if it's floppy it's folded wrong so try again as you'll find the right "spot" with all of your clothes.

Ok you're beginning to convert me with the clothes.... I'm going to try after preschool tomorrow... all my washing is up to date, just running a load through tumble dryer now. It lives in messed up piles on ikea shelves... so will see!