"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 think it is good to tidy up and sort things out but not to get rid of things that might be useful like warm coats and boots. If you have enough storage then keep them. Otherwise you waste money replacing things.

I think getting rid of the bits and pieces is sensible especially using up cosmetics and toiletries and sorting out those dreaded cables:)

I've nearly finished papers. I have halved the amount of files we have and I've moved them into a place where I can get to them all easily. I've not sorted my son's SEN records yet, but they are now in his room. They're things that, once thinned out, we'll want to keep but shouldn't need to refer to, so they're on his shelf. I've put all the stationery I've found along the way into a cardboard box, for me to decide where it lives. But I really like the idea of having everything of the same category in the same place - makes it so much easier to find things and know where things are.

I'm finding that the house is looking messier in parts, whilst I get things out, decide what to keep and then put them back - or decide if they need to live somewhere else, which then means clearing out the space where i think they SHOULD live, which makes more mess! But I'm still loving my book shelves. Every time I look at them, it makes me happy because I like all my books!

Found this whilst googling.
www.gransnet.com/forums/webchats/a1206347-Keep-calm-and-declutter-Q-A-with-tidy-expert-Marie-Kondo

thanks for that link.

I didn't realise that actually physically touching things can help understand if they bring you joy.

I've been lurking here and have read the book. I have done all our food cupboards and kids toys. Plus the random drawers with wrapping paper, screwdrivers etc. all easy.

I am so stuck with clothes though! I just feel overwhelmed by it. I think it is the whole thing of having pre dc clothes that I really felt like me in and that I have to let go as that lifestyle has gone.

It's really frustrating - I just want to do tidying ALL THE TIME now! (which is very unlike me) The parts that I have done, I just love, and so I keep seeing categories I want to get stuck in to...Wool! Jewellery! Kids art stuff! Bottom half clothing! But I need to do it when the DCs are out, or else they will just try to keep all the stuff themselves - DD2 in particular is such an acquisitive wee soul, she hates the idea of anything leaving the house.

Agree with alemci, do keep useful cosy stuff, but maybe just find a good place to keep it. I'm already planning to put a chest of drawers in the hall (once all the komono has been shifted ) and put the winter outdoors/ sports gear into it. And put something nice on top so I can see it from the kitchen and feel cheered up rather than guilty.

Dc drawers sorted :)
The bottom of the middle drawer keeps popping out so I've had to leave it half empty. How do I fix that? I've tried bashing the front back onto the base board but it keeps coming out :(

Yes I think we should keep things which are only used occasionally provided that they bring joy when they are worn (whether because they are beautiful or because they keep us warm and dry) and it brings joy to know that they are there when we need them rather than making us feel guilty that they are sitting there unworn

yes the tidying makes a mess and makes everywhere untidy. in the long run though things should improve.

Levantine I really relate to what you're saying about pre DC clothes....it's really emotional going through old things and realising they just don't fit the current lifestyle isn't it. Its not that they don't fit so much...well apart from the tiny vests and hot pants but just that I will never get the opportunity to wear these old fun things again. So for me it's not even about the letting the item go, it's realising oh crap, I have grown up without realising! No more being young and free spirited!

Got an hour or so til my DS comes back from his grandparents so I'm going to get on with some jobs....got a load of painting projects on the go at the same time as project KonMari!

Socks & pants komaried. Who knew I had 15 pairs of knee socks

Oo thanks oh help, i will get myself to b and q. On the plus side the drawer looks neat!

Rummikub I had this with an underbed drawer that I'd seriously overloaded. I superglued it back in place and then used spare panel pins from an ikea flatpack to hold the sides together that were pushing apart. Touch wood... its still holding where it should be a couple of years on.

Thanks leeloo, I think I will try the glue first as can do that tomorrow. I told my dd that crumpled clothes in drawers are unhappy and showed her how to fold them.

I am late to this party, but have almost finished reading the book (on kindle - tidy!) and have done my clothes and DD's clothes. I love looking at my clothes cupboard now! I felt genuine joy discarding three dresses that I never wore but kept as "ought to wear" items - my room feels loads better without them and the truckload of other junk

I too am restricted to doing this when DD is at nursery, so no upset it caused. I have done DVDs and CDs. Books and papers next week hopefully. Genuinely excited about attempting to get the papers down to the magic three folders - is it really possible???

Still plugging away at it here too. I don't have the book and am not strictly following the order, but so far I have done just about all my clothes and have pulled three massive bin bags of old clothes from my wardrobe for the charity pile (We have an Oxfam depot near us that separates them into:

good enough for UK charity shops
OK to be sold in poor overseas countries
Only fit for rags

So I will take them there when I get round to it. I just have to sort a pillowcase full of tights that I don't think I've been in for about 10 years, but I need to have a look and maybe keep a couple of pairs.

Despite living in a small house, it's nowhere near one-room Japanese territory, so I'm happy if I cut down on stuff but not massively minimalist. I still have to keep things like extra crockery for Christmas day, etc and we have a large walk in cupboard on both floors of the house and wardrobes and Billy bookcases too, so plenty of storage.

I'd rather keep stuff even if it's only used once or twice a year as I hate shopping and wasting money and it doesn't spark joy for me to throw things away to then have to buy them again.

I've got rid of a massive bin bag of paperwork, including gems like service receipts for vehicles we no longer own and about 20 booklets from various insurance companies filled with information that is probably available on the web.

Was a bit sad when I got to a whole shoebox full of paperwork relating to the all the cats we've had over the years, most of whom died long ago . That definitely didn't spark joy, but pruning it down to about 4 items that now fit in one section of the filing drawer certainly did.

The big news of the evening is that I found the carbon monoxide detector that I mentioned early on in thread one .

I can see a slowing of progress as I'm trawling the Komono, and we have so many bastard wires. I might put as many as I can in the shed out of my sight for DP to deal with as I haven't got a clue what most of them are for.

I managed a binliner of clothes for charity and one to be ebayed. I get that it is a sunk cost and all that but some of it is stuff to be rebayed iyswim.

I have also pulled together all the stashes of toys that I have bought in sales over the years and I honestly have pretty much enough to sort out the children for Christmas without spending a penny more. Feels a bit strange, some of those toys had been in the attic for two years.

Finally, I did jewellery, which i really enjoyed. Found some lovely things I had forgotten about.

Levantine it sounds like you've done a good job and had fun and saved money at the same time! I found jewellery really nice rediscovering some things i've not seen or worn in ages, even better once i had dunked all the silver in the aluminium foil lined bowl with a spoonful of soda crystals and they came out all sparkly! This week i've been wearing things to match my outfit rather then the same three necklaces all the time!

I honestly really recommend just sticking all the dang lies into a side of a cereal box too! Really easy to store and very easy to choose the right pair! Thought I would buy new storage but thinking I might leave it as is as it's better than any system I've had before!

I am definitely going to do the cereal packet thing. It is really energising isn't it! I have had a great time.

Well, I was quite productive this morning, I filled 2 bin bags with clothes that have gone to the charity shop. I now have twice as much room in the wardrobe and an almost empty drawer. I don't have many clothes left to wear, but it is mostly ones I was wearing all the time anyway. ohhelp I was having a serious sneezing session this morning from the dust on some of the clothes - you could actually see the dust on the darker items!

I'm flying home today to see family, leaving a huge pile of mid-Kondoed Clothes in the spare room! I need to watch the videos of how to fold I think mine are more technically rolled, although they look awesome and have stayed tidy for over 2 weeks.
Cannot fold my pants/knickers they won't stay! Any tips from pant folding ninjas?
Have also had an Xmas epiphany that there are things DH and I need, those will be bought and not a load of crap we don't need. So he's getting a dressing gown, new socks etc and I am asking for a rain coat, pyjamas etc

Obviously I'll get nice chocolate for him or something too, but I am absolutely NOT bringing a load of stuff into this house which will be chucked out in 18 months time unused.

Here's how I fold my pants:

Lay flat on floor/bed front up
Fold gusset upwards to meet waist
Pants now look more rectangular
Bring right edge to the middle
Bring left edge to middle so both edge are touching
One vertical fold in half again into the centre (bending where r and l edges meet)
Now they're a small square which you can halve vertically again in order to line up like an upside down v with all its friends.