'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'.

rocktheboat

I don't iron much so folding won't work for me. But yes, fold after clothes have dried and put away straight away. It's manageable as long as you don't let it become a mountain.

coughle has it only been three weeks?

Re-marking my place now that it's October - I finished my work-related reading so I'm going to request the kondo book :)

Cool it has been (drum roll).... 3 weeks and 3 days since Frances very kindly started this thread

I have done:
My clothes
Kids clothes
Kitchen towels
Kitchen items
Blankets and sheets
Books

So far everything I have done has STAYED done... With the exception of the kitchen as I didn't do it properly according to the method, so not everything has a place and not everything is with its friends.... Is a good proof of the method really!

" It's manageable as long as you don't let it become a mountain. "

What if you have???

Ironing matterhorn looming in background blocking out the sun

Rock but they are bringing you pleasure, either by the enjoyment of the bargain, the knowledge of the moment you'll get to read them or the fact they look amazing on the shelf, many of mine will stay because looking at them all lined up beautifully where they belong is enough pleasure for me.

coughle, wow, well done you! You're an inspiration

queenceleste I took all my tops out of the ironing mountain and folded as I sorted, ok everything in the drawer isn't ironed but if I want it, I can iron it, if I don't then it wasn't worth the effort ironing it in the first place. I'll do this for everyone then start afresh with the ironing once we're sorted. I figured that eventually it'll all get done as it's worn and washed again.

Couldn't fit any more potato balls in DH's sock drawer so folded them all last night, I have come to the conclusion I married a centipede!

Thank you MrsC

I've just started on papers... Finally....

It was hard - I kept wanting to put things back and not deal with them!! But I got through a pile and I even chucked out the contents of TWELVE files in my filing box... Didn't even look at them, just figured if I hadn't wanted them in the past couple of years I never would.

The ones I chucked were things like "baby music group" "phone bills" (from an old account we don't even have any more) , "membership information" (we always use websites anyway).... So they were really easy as there was no emotional attachment.

That got me going and feeling good and then I was able to do a little more on my scary pile.

Anyway feeling good right now, more clear, and starting to wonder what life might be like once I can't hide behind the thought, "After I get the house organised...."

and for everyone who's tidying today.

3 weeks and 3 days - is that all? I feel like I've had Marie in my head forever.

for me the biggest revolution has been the folding. My tops are STILL folded and nice and neat. Clean tops get folded and put straight back into the system - piece of cake.

I went through the DD's clothes on the weekend (I do this at least 4 times a year these days) - 3 bags to charity and many (but not all yet) of their clothes are folded the KM way. Damn it feels good to open those drawers - especially to a life long messy person like me.

I've folded DD2's tights. Beautiful.

I can't bring myself to fold socks yet. It just seems like the road to lost sock hell and my drawers are the wrong size for it. I'll get there.

Been off with flu for a couple of days so yesterday I went through bathroom drawers and chucked a large bag of stuff out, relocated a few bits. I folded all the face cloths the KM way, not just in half, but in thirds then thirds (just like the tops really), so they stood together nicely.

last night DD2 was being stroppy about me trying to wipe yoghurt off her face with a bit of loo roll (she is THAT age) and in a fury pulled open the bathroom drawer to get a facecloth - lo and behold she got the right drawer and there were all my beautifully folded, lined up and tidy face cloths. I kid you not, we both gasped at the sight of them!! DD2's tantrum was halted momentarily at the sight of them all waiting patiently in their perfect lines like little soldiers. Then she plucked one out perfectly and stroppily (without disturbing the others) and washed her own face. Wonderful.

I think the KonMari method is changing me as a person. Respect!

Well I downloaded the book yesterday and have read up to the end of the chapter about clothes. The bit about the mother trying to keep things made me laugh because that is exactly what happened to me. My mother came in and saw the pile for the charity shop and took a load away to try on! She returned later having decided she didn't want them I haven't got round to doing the folding yet though.

I'm happy with my socks having their tops inside each other, but folding trousers so I can see them all in the drawer is definitely a good life hack.

Time to sort the dc's books again. If dd wil llet me...

I'm soooooo delighted... Walking past the local charity shop and seeing my stuff in their window!

Creating space feels immensely liberating.

Getting rid of stuff which is nice, but not really what I TRULY want, is fantastic.

On the back of this clear out, something I hadn't envisaged is happening... I'm becoming one of those people with a kind of capsule wardrobe.. Ie everything goes together and getting dressed is quicker and more successful and I feel happier By FAR in what I'm wearing.

Uh-Mazed by the benefits of this, on all levels.

Btw..been taking a bag of stuff to charity each day...... For weeks! Cringeworthy really how much stuff I had. Eek.

Ok, how are you supposed to fold pants and socks without them falling over?

I fold socks in thirds or quarters depending on their thickness and length. Pants I fold the sides into the middle, then in thirds. They do fall over if you don't pack them in fairly closely though.

I have decluttered all the bedrooms but not the living room or hall (including big cupboards). It is really noticeable how much easier it is to keep the decluttered rooms tidy. The bedrooms (even the dc's rooms! ) are still immaculate, which is unheard ogf!

minkah that's always been something I have wanted - to see my clothes in the charity display window. Kudos to you.

notcitrus try it with the sock folding. It's so satisfying.

I wish everything I owned went with everything else. That's another dream of mine. But choosing stuff to wear is so much easier. Yay!

Minkah - not quite as exciting as seeing your stuff in the charity shop window, but last week I dropped off a couple of bags of clothes off on the way to school pick up... as I was leaving school I saw a mum (who works in the charity shop) arriving in a cardigan I'd just dropped off!

It was a really nice cardy that I've owned and quite liked for... mmm... it must be about 8/9 years, but worn possibly once, as it wasn't quite right for me - but its survived previous culls as it was nice and hidden in a drawer. When I KonMari'd it it sparked guilt that it hadn't been worn, not joy, so out it went and now its having a happy new life. Hurray.

This system really can make you think about your belongings in different ways.

I've not done any KonMari things around the house this last week as I got a 120 page photobook credit to make our annual photobook of the kids - and only a month to make it! eek! So I'm hoping digital decluttering by picking which photos to use counts. Certainly choosing cute baby pics is bringing me lots of joy. :)

Ooh whats this photobook? Who do you do that with?

about the cardigan, its being loved already!

I think I need this in my life.

I have finished clothes I am just left deciding on 1 waterproof jacket of mine, whilst it isn't very fashionable or flattering it is waterproof and most days I walk 6-8 miles so maybe it will bring joy by stopping me getting soaked. I have washed it this morning and will keep it until the weather turns and see whether my other coats are up to the job. If they are it will be clean and ready to donate, if not it stays and I will be thankful for it.

I am excited about going on to books next.

I am so glad I bought the book(well kindle version) rather than just reading the thread for tips as it is inspiring.

I talked to the kids last night when they came home from school/nursery about their toys and joy and they were actually really receptive and we have got rid of 4 medium sized bin bags of cuddly toys (they have hundreds of the things). I was .

Checking back into thread - haven't got back to decluttering as I've been away for a few days, but am v keen to get going! More clothes today - I have some skirts that I've never really worn as they didn't really suit me and now they're much too small. I guess even if (when! ) I am that size again I will still never wear them, so I need to free them to their happy new life, like leeloo's cardigan :)

SmatteringOfPatois

Welcome, its an energising end to the year, out with the old!

Stay long enough & we will have the shirt of your back

Woodenheart When Ds was a baby I printed out all his baby photos (about 350 - eek) with the idea of putting them into albums, but it was just crazy and overwhelming!

So instead, when I download photos from my phone/camera, I now dump them into monthly folders, then I upload them to photobox in the same folders. I then click to 'organise in date order' for each folder and then just click & drag photos onto the page where I want them and add text if there's anything I want to say/remember about what was happening.

Or you can have them organise the photos for you and then tweak them if you want to, but I'm too picky for that option. :)

Then for each year I have 1 A4 book to flick through and its so much nicer than the old albums I have where the pages lose their stickiness and the photos start to change colour after a while.

I use Photobox and have found them good quality and good at dealing with problems (1 year a book was damaged in the post & they sent a replacement immediately). The quoted prices are astronomical, but if you sign up with them then they regularly send out special offers for photobooks etc - this year 2 x 120 page books was £77, instead of £246.

What about
'Saving stuff for the carbootsale we might get round to organising'?

Queen I would say that depends on a few things - same as saving stuff to ebay.

Do you have an out of the way place to store them?
Does the potential income from CarBoot outweigh the value of being free of these items + value of having the space the items are taking up + the values of shedding clutter (which as many on here can testify is an amazing and trans-formative feeling).

I had stuff kept/saved in my hall - so for me the value of any income I might make was not worth the value of freedom from the crap, and space.

Also do not underestimate the value in your lives of freedom from the Obligation to Ebay/Car Boot. This was a hard one for me to 'get' as it was changing enforced messages of a lifetime, but was very valuable to learn and feel. In the end, being free to make a Charitable Donation as opposed to Obligation to Ebay was highly trans-formative and liberating for me - one of the best lessons I learned from decluttering.

also the clue is in the "might".

If you are the sort of person who 100% WILL do a car boot, OK.

If you MIGHT do a car boot, then I'd say you are not committed and it is just a blockage in your system, probably adding negativity to your life.

So either commit to a date to car boot and do it, or accept that you aren't that person and donate/get rid.