'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'.

woodenheart, me too..

beCool it was being demonstrated to me! I didn't NEED to clean although we stay in someone else's flat so I have to leave it spotless, so I do clean LOADS on holiday! And the flat is perfectly organised and there is
a
place
for
everything
and
everything
is
in
its
place
(Buddha emoticon)

oooooh wouldn't it be lovely to have a (Buddha emoticon)

Hello. I'd love to join you all. I've been lurking and reading and just started the book.

My flashpoints are my wardrobe, hall cupboard, paperwork, kids toys and kids school work*, utility shelves, larder cupboard. Then DH who can't throw any books away as he says he'll read them all again. Then there's the loft.

• What do you all do with your children's school work books that come home at the end of the year? I've archived them in archive storage bags then into archive storage boxes in readiness to go up to the loft.

Since reading this thread I realise that it's bonkers and in reality it will all still be up there gathering dust in 20 years time. What would Marie do? I'm torn between chucking the lot/keeping the last year/keeping reception year/laboriously going through it all and collecting pages/photographing some of it. What do you do? I'm worried that if I chuck it all out I'll regret it but I can't say it brings me joy!!

deux I second that children's school work thing!!

I have a utterlydeclutterly friend who photographs her children's artwork and only keeps about 1%...... fabulous....

Are people saying thank you as they banish stuff?

onilkley why do you feel so guilty about getting rid of stuff? My mum is the same as you, she never throws things away, she uses chipped plates etc. I always think that eating off chipped plates makes me feel that my mum does not value herself. I don't think she would see it that way though.

Just done the top of the piano, and inside the piano stool (I forgot to say thank you though) then lit the candle which was on top to make it a lovely space! (Happy)

onilkley you've reminded me about bedding, that's really hard to do as I always think what if I get visitors, or we get a bad winter and I need an extra duvet...?

Oooh, DP has noticed my efforts and just said "I wonder if I should get rid of stuff".

I was inspired by my earlier post. Discarded a load of magazines, birthday cards (from August) that I'd stuffed down the side of some books to deal with later -why? Odd shells/stones etc that were surplus to a dc's art project. Kids artwork. Place is looking and feeling better already. I did say thank you as I heaved it all in the recycling bin.

Asks self - do you really want to keep your ds's science workbook from yr 4? I'm thinking I might keep one workbook from each of them for each year which will reduce my archive by 80%. I wish I had the strength to hurl the lot. I do photograph artwork, and 3 d creations but these workbooks are getting on my nerves.

deux How about their books from reception and year 6 only. That way, you and they can see the progress they have made from starting school to finishing school.

Today I am going to declutter DDs clothes and toys. She's only 2 so hopefully won't notice if we get rid if some pink tat.

She has toys all over the house but ironically the toy storage in her bedroom is half empty! Time to use it properly and get all of the toys in one place.

Hope everyone has a productive day!

I think I feel guilty about throwing things away because I see it as waste and also because most of us are so incredibly lucky and spoilt in this country compared to a lot of the world.

There are people that go sifting through landfill in order to find things that they can sell so that they can get money for food FFS. And if those people are lucky enough to have jobs, chances are that they are being paid buttons to manufacture disposable shite for us to buy relatively cheaply.

We blindly chuck things away and buy new because we fancy a change, whereas if you have absolutley nothing you will enormously grateful for a chipped plate or some slightly worn shoes because the alternative is no plate or shoes at all.

I'm from the 'eat your dinner and be grateful, there's starving children in Africa' generation and even though I know that whether or not I eat my dinner, or throw away chipped plates has no bearing on the fate of disadvantaged people in poorer parts of the world, I still feel bad about it.

It's probably also because my dad was a striking miner in the 1980s, so we had a year with no income at all, and while we didn't suffer too badly (Grandparents probably helped a lot and we received food parcels and christmas presents from German miners - we discovered the joys of Aldi and Lidl 20 years before everyone else in the UK) .

But I too am hoping that I'm going inspire DP into decluttering his clothes and two man sheds, so that they can be used to store some stuff that is in the house that is more appropriately stored out of my sight outside.

BTW, not decluttering today, firstly because we're going on holiday tomorrow and secondly because it's a lovely day so I'm going to go for a nice walk in the country while DP is working.

To me, decluttering is an activity more suited for dark cold and wet winter days and I'm sure there will be far too many of those over the next few months.

I need some martini glasses- I love a manhattan. I will be stalking charity shops.

Frances I believe MrsJ has some martini glasses she no longer takes joy in...

Just done books. Feel a bit sick and tearful and have diarrhoea. I didn't expect it to be so emotional. I only got rid of one box, but just touching all the books and remembering where and when I acquired them felt very raw.

There is one book that I had no reason to discard, it was a gift, but I've never read it and it doesn't really appeal to me... But for some reason I was having a hard time letting it go. Then the idea occurred that perhaps it was just waiting to bring someone else joy, and I chucked it in the box

Fair enough onilkley .

I agree that a large number of people in developed countries are needlessly wasteful. But pretty much anything can be recycled and reused these days so when you de-clutter your house and sheds, I am sure that you are creating very little waste. Those recycling centres where the public come to buy stuff take in all sorts - I forget what they are called.

I've done my dresses. The hanging space in my wardrobe is now all colour coordinated or as coordinated as you can get with clashing prints. I never realised that I like such, erm, vibrant, bold dresses. Bit like my scarves. Rest of my gear is as plain can be. Weird. I'd post a pic of the hanging space but would be worried that someone in RL would identify me and blow my cover. I will post a pic or two of the folded stuff.

Just got handbags and coats to go.

Please may I join?

Have read the whole thread beginning to end and am thoroughly inspired by you all.

Esp love Woodenheart's wardrobe as that is so me!

Spent 6 hours clearing out the study and took 3 boxes of books to the charity shop this afternoon. Clearing, cleaning and rehoming loads of things - lovely feeling.

I agree re the developing world and just how wasteful we are. I love that so much stuff can be recycled these days and that other people will get pleasure from these things and that the charities will make some money from them - win win situation really.

It is a lovely day and I should be walking the dog, but have all the windows and doors open and it is inspiring me to do even more which is nice.

Right back to hoovering up spider's webs and putting things by for charity .

Just cleared out 50 tops at the first pass. I'm actually horrified I even had that many never mind that many that didn't 'spark joy'!!

Where are you guys that the weather is lovely. It's miserable here.

Welcome nusal and MrsC*. Wow at 50 tops that did not spark joy.

Onilkley - I completely agree on the waste. I only started decluttering when I accepted that I could never replace it so needed to address my spending habits too at the same time. A lot of my decluttering has gone to friends (baby clothes, maternity clothes) or to the charity shop. Relatively little has gone to landfill. And I have a healthy savings account balance too after 10 months of not spending on pointless things! I no longer impulse purchase and weigh up purchases. Many things I thought I needed I've still not bought as actually I realised I didn't need then at all :) I've been on the minimalism threads to help with my overall thinking so it's not just getting rid of old stuff so there's space for new.

And I never have anything to wear! 117 tops and most of them don't fit, had holes in, were misshapen or just ugly. I'm sure more could go too!

Did writing implements. Massive bag to chuck of pens that don't work.

Wow evertonmint, that's a lot of tops!! I've not tackled clothes yet, I've not read the book but this thread is inspiring me enough.

I've just hoovered enough spiders and their webs to give me nightmares all weekend

So glad I came upon this thread as I had started this in a low key way and this could be the boost I need.

Have tackled clutter first of all by refusing to buy anything that is not entirely necessary e.g. replacing something broken/outgrown. Or brings joy, I suppose, as I bought more craft stuff at the Handmade Fair last Sunday ;) To be fair, I have made the knitted brooch kit already, almost finished the mobile phone cover and will then start the embroidered Christmas bunting before the long term shawl project - so these are not going to languish in cupboards. Last year I went through my acquired stuff over the years and realised that my tastes have moved on and changed, so sold some unopened cross stitch kits, donated patterns I will never use to local charity shop, organised the rest into projects to be ticked off and done.

Went through the youngest DDs' school stuff when they were out - kept a few choice bits, ditched the rest into recycling bin.

My aim is to have "empty" drawers i.e. everything fits in easily with space around it so I can always put things away and see what I have.

Haven't found any dodgy banana liqueurs but have almost finished drinking up the blueberry vodka, moving on to raspberry next (I call it cleaning the cupboard...)

And I bought the Kindle edition of this book as it's less clutter!

mmmmmm stuffof gorgeous