'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'.

I live by the 'must be either beautiful or useful' rule - have done for years. I admit I do still hang on to stuff that I believe to be useful one day for far too long, but I am ruthless about keeping it out of sight and out of mind. I am blessed in that I have a garage and a large house so there is a spare room and plenty of space for cupboards. Nothing is ever just in piles on the floor or the sideboard on under beds or whatever. That would drive me nuts and the stuff would have to go. I honestly think that living like that contributes hugely to depression and mental illness. I realise that it's a vicious cycle and depression is often the cause of domestic chaos too, but I do think if you can force yourself (or get help to) cleanse and organise your surroundings it will improve your mental state enormously.

I am a bit lazy and untidy by nature and I am also a bit of a magpie, always buying stuff that I like the look of but don't necessarily need. But luckliy I cannot think straight when things around me are chaos and rooms have too much in them, it actually makes me feel agitated and confused and overwhelmed, so I force myself to keep on top of it. I am an obsessive cupboard and drawer re-arranger and de-clutterer and I feel sort of cleansed and calm after I've done it.

I'm also a believer in 'everything in its place, and a place for everything.' Like whoKnows just said, its easy to think you don't have any pencils if you don't group them together and keep them that way. I hate it when I know for a fact I own an item but I can't find it anywhere, and for all my attempts at organisation this happens a lot, and I end up buying new one when I know I already own it. I find it helps me to have lists and labels and systems all over the place.

I find it enormously difficult to cull books though. I do do it, but it's painful.

It's a non nursery day today so while I'm finally feeling better I have my biggest distraction around today in the form of a three year old!

Will attempt books and putting washing away- I'm trying to get into the habit of putting it away everyday. As I know that the wash yesterday had all the socks in I will attempt to pair all the odds up and chuck all the friendless odds that have been lingering for eons in an ikea bag in my room!

I did the opposite of decluttering yesterday and bought 3 tops!

Did some of the ironing. Will do another bit later.

This morning I am going in! To the wardrobe that is. We have a walk in wardrobe shared with DH and I. It's mostly my stuff but he is a hoarder too. I won't tackle his (yet) but am doing my bit. I think I will need to start with bags and boots and shoes so that I can actually get to everything else. And I am going to count my tops.

So I'm having a quick cuppa and tidy round the kitchen and starting.

Will report back later.

"Im going in"

Tut tut, CiderwithBuda! Do they bring you joy?

OMG.

times 100

So far. Tops. 139.

Not counting what is in ironing pile.

Not counting what is in washing.
Not counting sports kit.
Not counting jumpers which I haven't got down from top of wardrobe yet.
Not counting the three I bought yesterday.

I might beat her record of 160.

Some were camisole/vest tops so they could could as underwear really. But still. Omg.

Holmessweetholmes - new ones do bring me joy I think!

cider I think 160 was the average so you are definitely not beating the record.

I am dying to get going with my clothes but DP has a friend round who will be in the next room and I will be too to thank the clothes out loud. So I will have to leave it till tomorrow, when I have the whole day to sort through.

Phew CoolCadbury! Feel a bit better!

I've just counted mine...

62 tops (including t-shirts shirts, jumpers and cardigans, but not including running kit)

There are probably a couple in the wash too.

This is post-declutter though! It may not seem a lot compared to the pre-declutter 160 average, but it is still more than I would have guessed!

Hello! Can I join? JulieJiltedJohn recommended the book on the Christmas declutter thread and I am really impressed. I know I haven't been ruthless enough as we have visitors arriving from today until Tuesday but I still managed to take 3 bags of clothes to the charity shop today! Two were clothes / shoes and one was rags. I was well chuffed as lots of these were tops which survived the old 'are they beautiful or useful' culls - but I was much more ruthless AND took them straight out of the house before I could change my mind!

So I'm going to lurk and chip away at it, if you don't mind :)

I mean JohnsJiltedJulie I might just stick to Julie :o

139 Cider ! You could go 4 months without doing laundry if you wore a different top every day

Welcome One and good on you for getting stuck into it right away. I am finding loads of things also that I kept because they're beautiful or useful, it's funny how easy it is to let them go when you realise they bring you no joy whatsoever.

I have six carrier bags of tops and skirts to go to the charity shop (some still had labels on ), and I thought that I'd been pretty ruthless at the beginning of the summer .

I've still kept a box of clothes for storage as they are things I love, but are ever so slightly too small at the moment, but won't be by next summer. I'd find it too dispiriting to have them visible at present (as my "ever so slightly" translates to at least 2 dress sizes), so they're tucked away.

My book shelves were thoroughly sorted last year, so I know there are only a handful of books to get rid of from there. I need to tackle the kitchen cupboards next I think as there's so much stuff in them that new shopping has to sit on the counter. Plus the tupperware cupboard of doom has been breeding again .

Ugh! Just lost my post. So I have decided that I am going to estimate the number of things I have clothes wise. I reckon I have a pretty good idea of how much I have got but maybe I am deluding myself. Here goes:

Tops 60
Bottoms 16
Dresses 11
Pants 18
Socks 8
Bras 8
Shoes 9
Bags 5

Have I missed anything out?

Ugh! Just lost my post. So I have decided that I am going to estimate the number of things I have clothes wise. I reckon I have a pretty good idea of how much I have got but maybe I am deluding myself. Here goes:

Tops 60
Bottoms 16
Dresses 11
Pants 18
Socks 8
Bras 8
Shoes 9
Bags 5

Have I missed anything out?

Oops, sorry for double post.

Sorting the drawers under bed went really well y'day. 2 big bags for charity (that I dropped off as I went out today), 1 bag of swimming stuff (floats, noodle etc from/for hols) to go into the loft, some stuff now relocated in the space that was emptied in the chest of drawers.

There's actually an empty drawer now! I'm not used to that luxury. :)

holmessweetholmes have you seen these? You simply transfer it to whatever handbag you are going to use.

Rereading the book. I definitely need to look at clothes again. I have half a drawer of items I consider 'useful' but they bring me NO joy at all (gym stuff when I don't go anymore/big jumpers I haven't worn for ages...)

I loved 'whoever posted's' haircare drawer. I will be copying that!

I couldn't stand it any longer so I tackled the shoe cupboard. 21 pairs, not the 9 pairs I estimated. I kept 11 pairs. I also found 5 pairs of DS' shoes that he has grown out of.

I've been lurking on here for a while but my book arrived yesterday and I am excited so decided to join in . I am really really loving throwing stuff away - it's easier and more fun than I ever imagined. I have 'tidied' my house dozens of times but the key difference now is that I am actually getting rid of stuff instead of just removing it from the cupboard/drawer/shelf, dusting the surfaces and then putting it back arranged neatly. I actually feel as though I can breathe more easily already, and I am only about 20% of the way through the process.

I've stalled a little over the past few days but decided to tackle the cook books in the kitchen. I only got rid of 12 but in fairness I did declutter them before we moved house 6 months ago.

Really want to tackle the under sink cupboard next. Every time I open it something falls out so I think it would make me feel much calmer to have some order in there.

Job done re socks and washing. So that's good.

I'm starting to think of other ways to help with decluttering- I'm going to make a conscious effort to look in the cupboards to see what we have while meal planning so I can get some of the more obscure items used up (things like flavoured oils and certain spices) and I've just given a few tins to DS for harvest!

As a household we've also moved over to electronic calendar now- not that the wall calendar was much clutter (although the wall does look pleasingly bare now!) but just to help streamline things altogether.

Coughie - they ranged in size from 16 to 20 so some wouldn't fit! Part of my problem is holding on to stuff till it fits again. I've gotten rid of most that doesn't fit as althgh I am wanting to lose weight I know I will want to buy new when I do lose. I have jeans/trousers ranging from 16 to 20 as well but have kept those.

I've finished for today although still another day to go probably.

Realised I have about four grey tops, four navy/white or cream striped and a very similar grey and white striped top!

Will do chest of drawers tomorrow.

My side of the wardrobe looks much better. Wish I could say the same for DH's.

Everstrong - I got DH to fit a pull out drawer under our sink. Makes life much easier. It's an Elfa one. Have also seen on line a tip to put a rod along the top and hang bottles from.

Jimmy I brought one of those years ago - seemed like such a great idea/solution at the time. In reality everything falls out & I'm simply not disciplined enough to use it.

I think it survived the big declutter of 2013, but has recently been sent to the chazza. :)