Kondoing this and kondoing that - thread 4 for Marie Kondo's lifechanging magic with tidying. All welcome!

[TheSporkforeatingkyriarchy]

Here's thread 4 for all the KonMario converts, wannabes, and guests to the magic!

Thread 3

I'm planning to store bags today. I've already sorted and got rid of some I just need to decide where to keep them. Might also venture up to the dreaded loft and make a start - wish me luck!

I did it! I managed to Kondo DH's chest of drawers, he was lying on the bed reading while I sorted through everything, I figured it wasn't bothering him but it has been bugging the absolute shit out of me for the last two years so I was happy to do it, got rid of 7 bags of just his stuff as well as a few bits and pieces I still had to go and they are in the boot of the car waiting for me to drop them off at the OP shop tomorrow, just need to do his wardrobe and DD's and that is clothes done.
Books are not so bad as I did a purge a few years ago and I only buy ebooks now, I don't buy magazines or anything like that.
Paperwork is going to be huge, but it will. Be good to get it done, I've been putting it off all year because it is such a big job.
The kids are on notice, they are 19, 17, 16 and 9 so old enough to get it but I've told them that if they leave anything lying around then they obviously don't enjoy it enough to look after it so it's going to the OP shop.

Back after lovely few days with family, was I glad to be leaving the mountains of wrapping and general mess behind. Itching to get going again... I'm not back to work until 7th January so hopefully will get loads done.
Great to see so many new names on lovely new thread. Honestly will be best thing you can start. Was so easy to unpack when everything had a home. Dd got loads of new toys from Santa and relations so will have to have a sort through and put away some of her old stuff. Only 14 months so I still have the power!
Feel a little stuck though as all the easy fixes are done and dreading paper mountain. Might see if I can find an easy category to ease myself back in...

Must admit I kept leaving the dreaded paper mound (about 6 huge boxes full) but it was actually much quicker then I expected when i sorted it this week! I kept one of everything bank statement/CV/pension wise etc

We are now on the second day of my two day sorting/cleaning challenge. So far today I've ruthlessly been through the office equipment cupboard, the leads and lights cupboard, the Tupperware cupboard, the first aid and medicine cupboard and my make up/creams drawer and a general odds and sods drawer. Loads of out of date stuff again and I also chucked anything that was almost empty. I've now got a cup of tea and a pair of curtains in the washing machine. DH is about to sort the mountainous mounds in the garage and I'm going to dig out and reseal the tiled areas in the house after first sorting out the under sink area. On a role thankfully

Hi all. I am new here and about halfway through the book. I have spent 3 hours sorting mine and the kids clothes. I now have 4 black bags ready to be donated to charity plus a brownie uniform to sell and a bag to donate to my nephews. I found clothes with labels on! I can't do it all in one go so will start on the next category tomorrow once I have taken the clothes to the charity shop. I can finally find clothes in my drawer. After moaning about how small my house is I think I will feel differently in a few weeks. I have had to keep some clothes that have no joy as such out of practical reasons. I am hoping to lose 3 stone in the new year so will make sure I replace with clothes I love.

I don't have a plan for books yet. And I expect that many many will give me (and husband and children) joy. The problem is that we can't even find the ones we have and keep them out of inertia really. Things generally take a long time to happen in our house, and it is definitely best for me to let the ideas percolate and come to fruition naturally.

I'm wondering whether it's really important to follow the order that MK gives?

I've now finished my clothes but don't feel ready to go on to books yet. Can I skip to paperwork and then do books?

Place marking for after New Years, am away with family til then. Love MK, but have fallen off wagon!!

Young I ended up doing the children's book which are downstairs, then the paperwork which is the same room, and weeks later doing DP and mine's books that are in our bedroom.

I think having an order is good, and doing things generally from less to most sentimental and as many people are sentimental about books, I imagine many would find it easier to do paperwork first.

I'm currently trying to work on accessories which is doing my head in. Trying to figure out where to keep my joy-giving cloth hats. They're currently all folded up on my desk but I need to find a better for them rather than their usual scattered about the house. And I'm deciding what else would fall into accessories...

Reasonably successful day 2 here - I did my undies and ds2's clothes (which was fairly straightforward as he has outgrown his current lot and they are either for selling or binning)

Undies was very enlightening - I had thought I needed a load of new stuff (recently lost some weight and nothing fits) but actually I have loads of really nice stuff that I just couldn't find or see that I'd kept from pre dc. So that's saved a small fortune.

I've also started on some of my clothes because I couldn't shut the wardrobe so I've got a pile already that I know I won't wear again or have never worn. Mind you I have clothes all over the place (at least two suitcases in the loft) so there is a long way to go

Well done everyone. I'm mid order with Amazon for the book - keeps freezing on me.

But just did the tea towels to show dh. Think he was impressed. Wants me to buy all matching ones so they fold the same

I can understand that JSKLtd! I am now the proud owner of all matching teatowels (e-cloth ones - they're brilliant) - I have 20 (and manage to use that many every week despite having a dishwasher!). Love that they all match and fold the same way in the drawer. I wanted to do that for years - still give me joy about two years later! I won't go back!

Love reading about all of todays successes - well done!

I've only read 12% of the books so far and I know I'm not doing it to the letter but feeling really positive - I got rid of more than half of my map collection (which I have hoarded for the 12 years since I moved a long distance away from these areas) and a load more books (I've been dwindling down my book collection for years - this was a big jump forward again). I know I need to get rid of a lot of my academic books (I graduated 20 years ago!) but I still work in that academic field and they may come in useful...even though they haven't for the last 20 years...yeah I know!

Hello everyone! I noticed a reference to the KonMari method on a MN thread about a month ago, bought the book, made notes from the book (because I find her writing style a bit all over the place) and I am now here with 293 tops sitting on the sofa behind me... I found your first (October) thread but realized it was full, and so were the nest two, so I've jumped straight to the end!

I'm a little bit frightened of the process. My summer tops pile is by far the smallest, but when I remove what doesn't spark joy, I am left with 2 kimono tops. None of my vest tops spark joy, but would a vest ever spark joy really? I've removed anything tired looking, but it does leave several very serviceable tops.

One thing I like about this method is that it has me finally using things up. I've been spending all my accumulated loose change at the self checkouts, and burning the candles that have been gathering dust on shelves for years. It's very satisfying. I have also dyed a few things to MAKE them spark joy! The Slimer coloured bath towels are now a lovely forest green, and the sludgy coloured but well cut tops are all being dyed black - with varying degrees of success!

The proof...

gator I think a really great vest top, or one that goes perfectly under another top etc would spark joy. I ended up with 2 jumpers left when I did knitwear, but now have 6 as I allowed myself to shop for gorgeous new ones that definitely spark joy.

gatorade what a good idea to use the change for self service checkouts.

293 tops. I'm all excited - is that a record for these threads?

I'm a yo-yo dieter, and I have clothes between sizes 12 and 20, that's why I've accumulated so many. I'm currently an 18 and planning to diet from 1st Jan, but I've decided to say goodbye to all my 12s and 14s. If I lose that much weight I can buy new stuff. It's not Like I have haute couture jumpers hiding in that pile!

Everyone's amazing wardrobes are making me very jealous. I feel a clothes shop coming on

When you put it that way Mistletoe then I do have a couple of good ones!

Hello, I've come to join the club!

I'm partway through the book and read the old threads.

We are in the process of buying our first house and I refuse to move with anything that does not bring joy!

Do I need the book, or should I just chuck everything away? I am loathe to bring anything else into the house.

I've chicked out a whole box of cables and computer bits that Dh has been "going to look through" for about 8 years. To my knowledge, he's never needed anything from the box in that time, so it's all gone out without any checking through .

I've also corralled all the abroad adaptor plugs into a shoe box, and added passports, EHIC cards and foreign currency, plus a small sewing kit that was hanging around, so I now have a "travel box".

I'm avoiding the various stashes of wool I have, but I really am going to have to tackle that soon, and properly look through all the half finished craft projects one is a three quarters knitted cardigan in DD3s nursery uniform colours - she's 12 and decide what I'm actually going to finish, and what needs to find another home.

Gator that's a lot of tops! Fully agree with MissAnnersley. My definition of joy is quite large to cover the essential stuff that isn't exactly sexy but you need to keep some of - if it does the job well and makes you feel good while using it then it must bring joy on some level.

MrSheen I like your style. I would say the threads give you the essential flavour but I did actually enjoy the book, considering the subject matter. But if you're already motivated to start chucking you may not need the extra shove that the book gives you.

1 box of papers and 2 bags of rubbish to the tip today. Just feels so good to get it out the house. Made a start on books but they fundamentally give me joy so it's tough. I've decided how we're going to store them now though so I'm not so worried about keeping the ones I love anymore. We're not strictly following all the categories as our house is a mess and a lot of our stuff is still in boxes from our move but there's already a noticeable difference. Ah!

And it is so motivating to hear all of your stories as well