"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

Started on paperwork this morning. Need a rest now! Finally binning mortgage statements from a now non existant mortgage. Did keep a bit though to prove it was paid off.

So much more paper to go through, it seems like it will never end.

Have set aside this afternoon to go through paperwork. I asked my bank and credit card company to go paper free but neither of them offer that as an option which is so annoying. I seem to have forgotten to tick one of those marketing boxes as I am suddenly being avalanched with at least 2-3 catalogues per day in the mail.

educating I am exactly the same with socks, I hate almost all of mine but have to keep them for now, am going to hunt for ones I really like over the holidays.

Made a start on clothes this morning. I'm interested to see if this idea of decluttering by category will work. Managed to bin several bags of clothes for the recycling. DH's wardrobe is overflowing with clothes and I did point out that he couldn't possibly need them all (he must have about 20 black tee shirts), but he won't part with any of them.

I found asking the question, "Do you love it?" really helped when I was deciding whether or not to keep something. There are items of clothing I've been hanging on to because I felt I should; they all went in the recycling.

I also dispatched a bagful of old jeans and tee shirts that I was saving for DS2 to grow into (he's six years younger than his brother). I'm so fed up with having space taken up by them and I'd rather just save a few favourites and invest in new clothes when the time comes.

Also sorted through the laundry bin that seemingly has no bottom. I discovered that is because there was a detritus of forgotten, unwanted items at the bottom, all of which were swiftly dispatched. Now the bin only contains clothing we wear regularly .

DH has just driven off to the dump with bagfuls of old clothes in the car. Am feeling so much lighter already, just knowing they're not in the house anymore .

Oneskinny I probably did not do it the marie kondo way but .... if there were things that I
came across while doing clothes I dealt with them there and then. If they did not bring me joy then out they they went. If they were in the keep pile then they went to find their friends so they were in the right place when it came to sorting that category. HTH.

I was dubious about the category approach but its turning out well. I've done all the current clothes and made real progress on the stored stuff and random clothes (scarves etc) now. So by Monday I should have dealt with all clothes with no bags of stored clothes lurking in a cupboard. I would never got to that position if I was trying to go room to room. I have had to make shoes a separate category on account of the fact that I live close to the Dr Marten factory shop

2 sets of shelves, a cupboard to the charity shop and 3 more bags and a crappy old carpet sweeper to the tip today
I need more tubs to put toys in but the supermarkets have cleared them out to make room for Christmas stuff so will have to wait.

Thanks for the tips I think I will start designating some boxes for toiletries etc in the meantime just to keep them together then start using or dumping. I actually like having extras of deodorants etc so will always keep a stock of those. I agree that we don't have the same issues with space that Japanese people have but I want things to have a home within the home.

Any ideas where I could get shoe boxes without buying them?

That was a good day's work Cecy

You could always ask in s shoe shop if they have any spare boxes or if they would keep them for you. I just took a plastic one I had to use it for dh socks, he is not impressed.

One you can get them in ikea. The skubb range has good sized boxes. Or the new HYFS range is very sturdy cardboard. I sorted out my DH's clothes today, using the HYFS boxes for his tshirts and shorts etc.
I got the boxes that you can adjust the size, so 2 boxes fit exactly onto the wardrobe shelves.

I know our leader says don't do other peoples stuff, but I know he would never ever see it as a priority. And it was such a mess it was stressing me out.

3 tshirts in the bin coz they had holes in them, but will let him decide what to keep & passes the joy test.

HYFS boxes? What are those?

HYFS Box series -- I love Ikea.

Thanks for the link leeloo. The small boxes are very small, but the extendible boxes are brilliant.
(It's just another daft ikea name)

Online ikea box order just done here too! I don't have any wardrobes or drawers, just a billy bookcase with doors for my clothes, so the vertical folding is a battle with gravity without the boxes!

Done one of the (two) hall cupboards of doom this morning. I did the smaller one, which is medicines/ toiletries/cleaning stuff. Three carrier bags chucked, and now 1 small box for adult medicines, 1 for kids medicines - hopefully this will make it much easier to grab what's needed when someone's feeling rotten and to spot when I'm running out of calpol before I need it at 9pm on a Sunday

Made a start on the dreaded shed.

Have filleted 16 lever arch files of training notes from 12 years ago and 8 albums of (my) childhood/when-I-was-single photos. Surprisingly freeing to look through my childhood photos and now to only have ones which make me feel happy, or ones which I've selected to remind myself. Feels like a well edited version of my past, cleaner, brighter, lighter.

Husband voluntarily cleared out the drinks cabinet and is facing up to his whisky stash. Putting some away to sell in 10 or so years.

And he thought I was going to do the whole loft today! Ha ha no way. My clothes first then (when?!?) the loft another day

So the grand total of shoes and clothes is 7 big shopper bags for the charity shop and 3 bags of dusters as well as 5 pairs of unworn dm's to ebay (not all mine)

The house does not look decluttered yet as there is weird stuff everywhere and lots of musical instruments and equipment. I see papers is next and whereas that will go a long way, it will take a very long time and so this week will be books, cd's and dvd's and probably toiletries as we don't have loads of those. I am then thinking of going off plan with visible crap for a week. Drawers etc are such a jumble I will have to do hidden crap/ papers next. It looks doable...on paper

Oh just remembered I have a stunning red phase eight dress under the bed. It was for my wedding bought before dp cancelled on me hmm not sure how it would look now as not in as great shape - am I allowed to shelve that for now?

stilllearnin - does the dress bring you joy?
...or does it make you sad/angry and bring up the memory of the cancellation?
Would you be able to wear it in future without reminding yourself of the past?

Gah. I need a kicking myself!

This weekend I have had very limited time and decided to do lotions & potions. I have found it much harder to get rid of stuff, as with clothes I could send them to charity/for rags, whereas with opened moisturisers etc. I have had to tip them down the sink.

I feel wasteful - but I suppose it drives home what a waste the impulse buys are - the using moisturiser for a week or two then just storing it, the buying 3 of something because it was on offer then stopping using that product.

I have kept all the stuff I actively use, even if there are multiples, and have them in a cupboard to use up. (I will buy NO MORE, even on special offer, until the stocks are fully used up). Kick me and tell to bin everything else please!!

I started reading this thread yesterday - hadn't even heard of Marie Kondo. But I feel inspired. I will buy the book (I've just got rid of a boxful so can justify it!)

On the same book shelf was an old giant Quality Street tin full of my novelty eraser collection from when I was a kid. My sister and I had one each and invented all sorts of games with them. So I kept them thinking maybe my children may like them. I have 2 boys and they're not at all interested in them. What the feckity feck do I do with that giant tin of rubbers?! I would feel soooo guilty just putting it in landfill. Would a charity shop be interested?! Do people buy that shit?!

It's things like that that clutter up my house that remind me not to actually being stuff INTO the house that will just end up as landfill after only a small amount of use.

Thanks Ohhelp, but I rang the refuge last week and it was a very stilted conversation. They want everything donated to a local charity shop, and they then send their clients up there with vouchers. The lady on the phone was quite abrupt and I ended up feeling a bit embarrassed - as if I was being patronising by offering stuff. I'm sure that's not the case with every refuge, but it's sadly not an option for me here.

Curlyhaired If they mean a lot to you could you keep one or two of the erasers? Or are you feeling strong enough to wave goodbye to the lot?
I'm not sure if a charity shop would sell them, but if you do donate them, it stops it being you that bins them.
Which might be a bit of a cop out but makes it easier for you to say goodbye.