Become a Konvert in 2015 - Kondo thread 5. All welcome!

[PeoniesforMissAnnersley]

Thought I better set this up when I realised I had inadvertently posted the 999th post on thread 4!

Join us in purging our lives of things which do not bring joy and discover the wonder and magic of folding your knickers!

Pointless, my plastic container shelf was always a mess, but I did find that spreading them out more and allowing them to take up more space helps, which was possible after I Kondo'ed the kitchen.

bring, I have been hearing that poem in my head for a week now, like a song you can't get out of your head, only nicer as it's not as intrusive. Do you find that annoying songs in your head lessened with your meditation pracctice? My DH was on a meditation retreat and he had a Bob Marley song in his head for the duration ;)

misscph that sounds like a good idea. They are in a very narrow cupboard at the moment but when we have done a bit more kondoing I might be able to move them. I need to do baking and cake decorating next which I'm going to find really hard, I keep putting it off along with the rest of my paperwork.

I know, I used to keep my plastic containers in the corner part of the bottom cupboard, that part you cane never get to without crawling into, and the plastic containers just got chucked in there, and every time I needed something, it would just explode. I think, in the spirit of Marie Kondo, we need to give things the space they need. I only stack ice cream containers and things like the sieve get their own space, not nestled in a bowl. Obviously this requires some space! But that should be possible, right?

Which brings me to drawers with knives and utensils. How do I stop them rolling about and getting messy every time I open the drawer? It's not practical to use a cutlery drawer insert, and the knives and utensils are oddly shaped. Narrow shoe bix lids?

Hi all,

Can't keep up with the thread at the moment!

I am slowly plodding on but as pp have mentioned the great thing is that once an area has been kondoed it stays that way. The exception to this is dds toys as all the stuff we got rid of has been replaced and more at Christmas. I am struggling a bit with getting rid of stuff which was a present, especially from people who visit us a lot and will notice if their presents aren't there.

Clothing which is being kept for sentimental reasons rather than because you actually wear it should be left till last and kondoed with the other sentimental items imo.

Just a quick 'Hello' from me.

In an attempt to avoid starting my tax return, I have kondoed my kitchen drawers. Only a couple of things out of the utensils drawer, quite a few things out of the tea towel/facecloth/bib drawer and the bottom komono drawer, which was also home to cling film/foil/food bags etc, is now empty and the cling film etc is upright, in a container, in the pan cupboard.

I also kondoed the dirty dishes

Have now made a start on my tax return. Calculated all the earnings so just need to work out expenses and find my log in details to input the numbers.

I'm off out tonight so not sure how much kondoing will happen tomorrow but aiming for lots on Sunday.

Have begun on my clothes and already am feeling a decided lack of joy. Discovered that my two formal gowns no longer fit after having two babies. Am sad because they are beautiful. Trying to console myself with the thought that someone else might be able to wear and enjoy them as I did.

Could not face trying on the dress I wore for my wedding so I put it back in the wardrobe. Suspect I would be told off by Marie Kondo for that, but I might try it on when DH is home tonight and go from there. Crossing fingers that the lacing on the back means I'll be able to do it up.

Enjoyed going through the rest of my wardrobe, though. Said goodbye to quite a few things and my dresses etc are much happier with more space. Also pleased that I've only discovered two things I really shouldn't have bought!

Think I'll get rid of a lot more this afternoon.

The rythm is EVERYTHING in Prufrock ;)

May I ask what kind of meditation you practice? I think DHs is called Vipassana. He has become much calmer and he listens more to other people now, and this influences me as well, our relationship is much better now (it helps that the kids are bigger as well I don't remember much from the first 3 years of their lives).

Just lost a massive post. The gist was...

miss I did sci fi as part of my ba too and I love that poem. Am reading more since I've started this...feel like I have a lot more mental space.

As for the cutlery, I decided to stack it all upright in a cupboard in little plant pots/jugs etc. Finding it so much more practical. And dh is managing to put it all where it lives rather than just slinging it in a drawer.

Just kondoed my groceries whilst packing at the supermarket. Packed it all by type and end location in neat rows in the bags. Felt like a total loon but it made putting everything away at home a breeze!

Am definitely starting to feel more mindful about how I spend my time - unpacking groceries is normally such a pain. Today it was almost ... joy. vomits

Hiccup, well done for getting started on your tax return! Once it's done, you will be so happy. I have an accountant to do my tax return, as I am selfemployed, and me and DH run our 2 business together in a Ltd. He looks after all the paperwork apart from my inoices, so I don't have to do much. I have made too many mistakes in tax returns and similar, it's not my strongest point, so it's much better that I pay for someone professional to do it for me.

*Grouchy", isn't it true that all that space really makes your clothes happy! I have no doors on my wardrobe, it was an old one that the previous tennants left unassambled in the garage, and it was a nightmare to put it up. I could not get the backing on, so I am worried that the rather heavy doors will cause the whole thing to collapse, as it's quite wobbly (MDF),so I left them off. I can see all my clothes, and it all hangs so nicely ;) Still owuld like the doors on eventually, when I have worked out how to get the backing on or staabilise it another way.

misscph - thanks. Mine isn't a big business so it's pretty straightforward but I always put it off until January (30th last year ). Once I've kondoed all my paperwork, I'm going to set up a better system for keeping on top of it all, regularly.

Last week, I repurposed my bread bin to store reusable shopping bags but it looked messy and was irritating me...I've just reorganised them and now they fit properly and I can close the door by storing it vertically!!!

misscph1973 I love 'good' bedlinen and I get my daughter's 'White Company' cast-offs! Love them!

HiccupHaddockHorrendous Definitely holding onto my wooden bread bin (for the moment) - I'm sure it will be handindy for storing something usefully!

[oops] handy

misscph if you search for "drawer dividers" on Pinterest, you'll find lots of lovely suggestions for your drawer of knives and things... and you can use sticky velcro to secure whatever you decide to use to the base of the drawer so that they don't move every time you close the drawer!

Love the vertical bread bin Hiccups! I have a bread bin that is a wooden box with a lid, and I don't eat bread any more (Paleo), but the bread bin is lovely (only Tescos, but bamboo, really nice), so I store my eggs in it, and I keep it on the kitchen counter.

Lockie, I definitely feel mmore clever - I have more head space!

I get great joy out of packing my groceries in the supermarket - the aim is to have it all vertical ;) On that note, I have used a cardboard square 4 x wine carrier from Ocado to stick pencil cases full of pencils into for the kids craft corner. It works really well, and the long rulers and DDs feather pen (!) go in as well (I have tried to kondo the pencils, but it didn't go very well, only culled about 10. I like writing equipment, although I have horrible hand writing).

Wine carriers are actually very versatile - my mum has one that she sticks her rolls of baking parchment, cling film etc in.

Just kondo'ed DDs bed side table drawer - I hope she won't notice ;) I found old lolly sticks and sweet wrappers in it - she must have had a secret stash!

Coat I tried Pinterest, mainly saw expensive, purpose built solutions, but I will try your search terms. Sticky velcro - now there is a thought, as I am trying to use these lovely hand knitted serviets that my auntie made in the kitchen drawers, as they are not so good as serviets. Thanks!

Hiccup great repurposing of breadbin... Found a version of plastis bag folding on Pinterest to use for reusable bags. 'Tis only brilliant! I did all mine and the fit in a teeny little box all nice and cute. Honestly, it's the little things. Will try and post the diagrams...

www.modernparentsmessykids.com/2013/06/how-to-organize-reusable-bags.html

This is it..

I clicked further on the link, you posted, Times, great stuff!

I like the art folders: camper.com/en_GB/kids/shoes/spiral/camper-spiral-80356-003 - I have a roll or red duct tape (bought cheaply on ebay, I used it at Christmas to turn a large white pole outside our house (from a sign, our house used to be a B&B) into a candy cane).

Any suggestions for what to do with kids drawings and creations? I have kept so much, and I really don't want to bin it, but i's loads of stuff in a huge art folder, several boxes and bags.

misscph The ones I was thinking of on Pinterest were these:

cereal box diy one: iheartorganizing.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/diy-cereal-box-drawer-dividers.html
and one where you cut up the top or bottom of the box and fit the pieces back into the unused part IYSWIM - it's a step by step picture. The source is blog.naver.com but I couldn't find it on that website but it's self-explanatory from the pictures.

misscph1973 Search on Pinterest: DIY storage

You can add kitchen, bedroom, children toys etc

Lots of clutterbug crafty ideas! BUT some absolute gems, too!

I've recently discovered pinterest and I'm finding someone really good ideas for storage and organization. I've just started pinning some ideas for my classroom which is notoriously chaotic! As a colleague once said, I'm a piler, not a filer! Not any more though thanks to Marie K and you lovely ladies keeping me going!
misscph I used takeaway containers from small utensils e.g.measuring spoons and stood medium ones eg tin opener, corkscrew up in an empty tea tin (but still in the drawer which is quite deep). There was then only a narrow space left for tall things like the rolling pin so they don't have enough space to roll anywhere!

Do charity shops take bras? I've some in my old size and some maternity ones I didn't like that are all on great condition. Hardly worn.