"The Life Changing Magic of Tidying" continues to magically change lives (PT 2)

[BeCool]

Come fold your loved clothes, and feel the spark of joy in every object you own (or thereabouts).

Continuing our journey on from the Original thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/good_housekeeping/2178442-The-Life-Changing-Magic-of-Tidying-Marie-Kondo?msgid=50091328#50091328

I've joined in. After reading this thread and part 1 last night.
This morning I have done my wardrobe got rid of 2 black bags.
Chucked cups, tuppleware, a fold up chair. Dp is off to work soon and just put ds down for a nap. Need to tidy up now so that I'm not doing it all later when im on my own with the kids but once they are in bed I aim to sort out my hair stuff box that hasn't just got hair stuff in anymore. And deepening what time it is after that I might do the paperwork in the draw that we can hardly open as its so full. Dp is on board which makes a massive difference.

Can't even remember what I put in the bags now and only done it today so I guess I really don't need whatever is in them.

Thank you for the motivation it's been a long time coming. And we'll done to everyone x

alemci I agree, the book is all about throwing things away but I think everyone on here is selling, recycling and charity shopping where possible.

I do wonder what happens to a lot of the stuff I send for recycling though, whether it just gets shipped off somewhere else.

I think in future I will be very careful about the things I buy.

Books, dd is reading a massive range of her books from quite young up to the fairy magic series. She still reads and enjoys the picture books but the house is overflowing with children's books (I have a terrible charity shop book habit and never walk away with nothing, but find it near impossible to ditch a book!)

Any advice on book hoarding? I find the noble Marie's question of joy doesn't bring me any clarity with books, not really.

I love it when people post photos of their triumps, great pan work Proveme!

My daughter's shelving unit has been, and miraculously, has remained very tidy since I kondoed it with shoe boxes for pants and socks and folded into little rectangles. Oh the pure joy of the beautifully folded rectangle!

I have three Kondoed drawers which used to drag me down and now they give me joy...

I honestly believe that it is a crime to deprive children of books, so I would err on the side of too many rather than too little - as long as it's not impeding on your happiness.

When you say overflowing, are people tripping over piles of books everywhere they turn or are they nearly shelved away?

We had loads of books in my house when I was growing up and I loved it. I loved being able to reread old favourites anytime I liked. Even now I like to know that they are all still there in my mother's house.

As long as you have the room for them I truly do not see how it is possible to have too many books. KonMari says that "ordinary people" have no need for lots of books, but she is obviously not a reader. Books should be on shelves and loved and looked at and borrowed and lent out - and in a house with children there should always be more books than anyone could possibly read.

Apparently I feel strongly about this

I think generally the book isn't entirely suitable for families with young children anyway, TBH.

We have lots of books for the DCs but it is less than it was before, and it's definitely better since I weeded out lots. We had some 'meh' ones, in particular some TV-based ones (peppa pig, dora etc) and once we got rid of those it was much nicer.

What I mean is, while we still have loads of picture books for bedtime, I am VERY selective over what is good enough :o

Massive thanks, Fuzzpig and Coughie, really helpful posts. I often think MK can't have kids in her home given her assumptions.

We are just starting to trip over piles; what I really need is a tall bookcase in her room, we only have a smallish one. I need double the storage and then we would be fine, I think.

But I am a book hoarder. I have far too many books that I can't shed myself and dh is bad as well. But poetry books e.g., it makes no sense to me to chuck them because you never know when a poet may at some point become necessary to read and what if you've thrown them all out? Disaster !

Re children's books - we have loads and loads, but I am planning a purge. I think if we put them all in one place it'll be obvious which bring us joy and which are 'makeweights' or 'meh' as Fuzzpig says.

Cleaning my jewellery this afternoon to make them happy. And treating my house to some orange peel and cinnamon on the stove to make her smell nice!

I love books too and think children should have lots. But I have always encouraged my kids to pass on books when they've had enough of them. My daughter is nearly 16 and still has a shelf full of loved books - and a few books from when she was little, in a cupboard. I'd never make her get rid of books. With my own books, I have been quite drastic. It's been a sort of tipping point for me in my life - I still have a lot of the books I had when I was little, and I have in the last week got rid of a lot that I haven't read for over 20 years and that I don't want to read again; and some I was hanging onto for no reason, as I didn't really like them much when I was little either, but didn't want to let go in case I might like them one day! I've realised life is too short and there is a finite time to read all the books I want and if I haven't read these 20-30 year old books by now, or I won't read them again, then I'll pass them on. I still have a lot of books, but now I feel like whenever I look at my books, I feel all happy, because every book I see (pretty much) is one I feel affection towards, rather than a pile of double stacked books, some of which I didn't much like. I've also ditched a few of my degree books - I graduated in 1989 - and if I've not done orchestration since 1989, I am sure as hell not going to do any now!

have been helping DM with this asking her if she really loves stuff, and she's taken a few bags to charity. she wants me to cull her photos. brill! she told me she has 7 drawers full. yikes. will take some pics for thread. doing it on Thursday. mental preparation commencing

Oh god chaffinch 7 drawers! I'd be retracting that offer! She does realise that she has to choose them herself right? I'd hate to be the person who had culled them and she then regrets it!!

Just catching up on the thread while DS is napping. Dropped off a bag of clothes and a big bag of shoes at the charity "bin" thingy nearby, all I could manage on the pushchair, got loads more to go!

Planning my next step which will be to retrieve ski stuff that's been packed away and put it all together,..then clothes will be completely DONE :)

will find a way to pack the ski stuff neatly later on. I am emptying boxes and bags left right and centre, definitely don't need anymore storage. I think KonMari is right that the best organisers are shoes boxes.....

After that dig out boxes of crap/books etc so then I can tick off the books category, and get rid of other stuff along the way.

Regarding photos, I'm about the print off about 600 to put in albums of DS's first year (so far ) ..... Wonder if I'm going to majorly regret it when I end up with a huge bulk of albums. Mind you I do enjoy regularly going through my existing albums, and I want to keep them out on display to be enjoyed

Are those of you doing a photo cull chucking out loose photos or reducing down your albums.....I think I recall that it's both depending on the poster actually.....I just can't imagine doing it myself! but I guess each to their own with joy bringing etc

Sorry another post.....I am feeling withdrawal symptoms from shopping!!!

Have so far resisted a beautiful vanity mirror tray thing...that is just what I wanted for on top of my bathroom drawers. It's on sale too [sheds tear]. Bathroom needs decorating and drawers need painting before I should get any accessories though :(

Also, despite getting rid of a mass of kitchen stuff, am soooo tempted by these gorgeous side plates I saw. Already got 12 side plates..plus four picnic ones..really can't justify any more. Maybe they can go on the wall for decoration as they are a set of 4 different ones?? But I really have so many projects to finish first (including this one of course!) and loads of other stuff to go on the wall already.

Help me!

OneWaySystemBlues - I'm absolutely with you on the books. My bookshelves are now pure joy rather than a mixture of joy/ obligation/ boredom/ guilt. I still have a few hundred rather than a couple of thousand. I won't force my children to declutter theirs either - but getting rid of the ones they/we never read esp if formulaic and not v entertaining seems like a good plan.

went shopping today with my mum but came home empty handed
but enjoyed browsing.

Hubb regarding photos.

I had 3 big A4 albums, all about 1/2 full and 8ish small flip albums.
plus a couple loose ones - admittedly not many as obviously photo processing died off with the old internet etc.
I also gathered up my excess meh framed pics

frames - unframed them. some were horribly faded! will mobile phone pic them then bin.
Will slot the rest of those into back of the one of the two A4 album Ive kept - the nicest ones, one a wedding pres.
empty frames- to charity shop
1st album is my honeymoon album
2nd album now has the best shots in of all the events I had, all of the rest weren't good enough to make the album
I had the weaker honeymoon stuff - they were the hardest, but I already had the best, didn't need the rest. It's all in my memory.

three pics feature best friends and my sister in fancy dress, and my sister on a horse on holiday, I'm going to hand them back - they are nice shots will be a nice surprise. may even post them with a cute note - thinking of you, remember this kind of thing.

I still want to chronologically order the main album, and there is space at the back for more. Also - inside it loose were the 'other' pics done by the photographer of my wedding; forgot they were there! so that was lovely.

similarly to the books - people have said now I can look at them and they're all lovely, and there's not -oh I wish that pic was better, or I had a headache then, or I looked ridiculous in that top etc, Ive edited all the annoyances away!!!

I've always had my DC's photos in albums and we do have a lot but they bring me great joy so I'm not culling any! I use a site called Snapfish to print my photos in. One of the things they do are collage prints where you can have up to 20 photos on on 6x4 print (or bigger if you want!) It means that a holiday only takes up a couple of spaces in an album instead of needing an album all to itself!

Thank you to whoever recommended Zapper! I sold over 15 worth of books today!