Clutter, emotions, and folding our socks - Kondo thread 6. All welcome!

[SteptoeAndDaughter]

The Book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo, Cathy Hirano

Summary of the process link from mipmop

Article of top tips by Marie Kondo

Thread 5
Thread 4
Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1

And BeCool's copy of Coughles list of ORDER from Thread 2 for everyone:

"ORDER TO DECLUTTER/LOCATE THE JOY*

Clothes folding by rummy
Books
Papers
CDs
DVDs
Skincare products
Make-up
Accessories
Valuables (passports, credit cards, etc.)
Electrical equipment and appliances (digital cameras, electric cords, anything that seems vaguely ‘electric’)
Household equipment (stationery and writing materials, sewing kits, etc.)
Household supplies (expendables like medicine, detergents, tissues, etc.)
Kitchen goods/ food supplies
Other (If you have many items related to a particular interest or hobby, such as ski equipment, then treat these as a single subcategory.)

KonMari stresses that sentimental items should be left till the end. So for example, when you are doing papers, don't include photos of your children, love letters, old school reports etc, leave anything with a sentimental connection for later."

*As discussed in previous threads, your order for decluttering and finding the joy/spark/recognizing may be different to recommendations.

That is a really good idea, thank you!

Should I get some suitable containers to use like drawers on the shelves or not buy any kind of new storage at this stage?

Thanks everyone, gives me more motivation to get rid of every last joyless thing. No way am I moving clutter with us.

Hi newbies and de lurkers:-)

Welcome to this crazy ride Isabeller love the name! Am wondering if you're a West Country-er? Or maybe it's just the way I say it !!

I would say no new storage until finished. Just think about feeling the joy

Had a migraine this afternoon so don't feel like doing anything, apart from slobbing on the sofa

However, I do have the urge to go and spend another hour on paperwork. Starting to feel a bit twitchy about my misplaced log in details for my tax return. Ds is out until 8ish so maybe I'll go and do something then.

I am finding myself a lot more proactive in getting long put off stuff done now. I've changed my details on my pension scheme to married name, moved my son's savings to a better interest rate account, taken some old camera films for developing and have even organised a decorator to finish painting my hallway (the bits I can't reach). - I've done all these things this week and they are things I've been putting off or forgetting to do for years.

It's getting quite odd in my house, my work top isn't quite mess of clutter, my lounge looks quite nice, my bedroom feels relaxing. I can't remember who else said it but I'm also not tidying up and cleaning til 9 or 10 at night anymore. We are not finished but it's nice to see it coming together

Also hermione I went past the charity shop today and my donated item had gone. It had a £15 price sticker on it the other day so I'm glad that's gone to the charity

I made a tentative start on paperwork today. Books is really next but I need dh home to go through the joint ones with me.
It's a huge job though. Just thinking about it is massive.
I've decided I'll make a huge pile of everything I'm getting rid of so j can see it all at once when I'm done:)

*upandaway, good job, that's what I want to do! What is it FlyLady calls it? Anti Procrastination Day, I think.

I just booked flight tickets for me and my kids to go home to Denmark over Easter. I need to return my mum's suit case to her, and I am now wondering if I should fill it with some of the things she has given me over the years that I have held on to but never used/liked. It's not so many, but some of them are valuable. On the one hand she will probably never know if I get rid of them, and she is a hoarder, so I really shouldn't burden her, but on the other hand she usually appreciates it if I return things to her. Just not sure. Any advice? Ideally I woiuld like her to read the book and get kondoing, but she is a bit of a lost case, so much stuff that she is holding on to, it's crazy. She keeps saying that she is clearing out, but when she takes things to the charity shop she comes out with more things that she brought in. So she's not really getting anywhere, although she does get very inspired when I tell her about my efforts.

misscph1973 Get your Mum the book! Also, have a look for a similar site as this in Denmark, and encourage her to read that too. You might find a de-hoarded house at Easter!

No, I can't Iqueen, I don't think she has ever finished reading a book and books are a major part of her clutter. I have sent her a link to an article in Danish online explaining the principles.

I think the best I can do is show her a good example and perhaps help her a bit when I am there. She has toiletries that I remember from my childhood! I think I will return a few select things only to her.

upandaway well done on achieving so much!
I've going to do some more komono tonight if I can stay awake much longer.
Oh I almost forgot, a PP was talking about DCs' paintings/drawings. What about photographing them and then getting the photos made into a book? It will be much neater and probably keep the colours better than the originals. Another trick that my DSIS used was to get some of her DC's paintings put on to canvas. They look like modern art even though they were completed in nursery! They always make me smile when I see them.

I've been showing my kondoed rooms and cupboards to relatives today. They could see a real difference which was encouraging

I offered to show a neighbour my drawers drawer today - kondoing is having a funny effect on me

Neighbour politely declined and backed away slowly .......

Aww daydream they don't know what they're missing!

inadaydream so glad I'd put my cup down before reading your last post, or I would have snorted tea over my keyboard!

No kondoing for a few days as work is stupidly busy. Other things are moving forward though. Remortgage is complete, and we're signing contracts with our builder for our extension. We're also out most of the weekend, so I'm going to think of a small category I can kondo tonight.

Misscph you could tell your mum that you are decluttering and ask her if there's anything in particular that she's given to you that she would like to have back? Anything else can go to charity.

About all the useful links that are posted on these chat threads, and the fact there are already so many kondo chat threads - there could be a separate thread just for links (e.g. "Kondo web links, no chat"). The first post of a new Kondo chat thread could give a summary as usual, and link to this separate thread. People could post links on both threads if they want and it'd hopefully make it easier for new people to find what they need.

mipmop I agree. We need to kondo the kondo threads. Its hard for newbies to wade through all the old threads - I found this when I started several threads ago. The running commentary brings joy at the time, but not lastingly. But the links etc bring longer term joy. I love it. Maybe a top tips thread?

Sorry I haven't had chance to read the thread, but it's paper sorting for me today. I know MK says keep maximum of 1 year of payslips, but I'm not sure about that. What do you think, folks?

Good question, mabel - I was wondering about that too when I was doing my paperwork. I haven't kept any of mine (have been working freelance for 14 years and got rid of everything apart from my P45 and P60s a while back), but DH still has all his and decided to keep them. As mentioned earlier in the thread though, we're not in the UK and there's a lot of bureacracy here!

According to the gov.uk site, you should keep them for at least 22 months after the end of the tax year the tax return is for. However, there's an article here that recommends you should keep them for as long as possible. At any event, I think this is one area where we shouldn't set too much store by what MK says as the rules are likely to be different in Japan.

mipmop Good idea about a thread for all the links. The chat is good for keeping you motivated on a day-to-day basis, but not quite as much fun to wade through afterwards. Top tips sounds good too Starface - maybe a combination of both?

Oooh yes! Top tips thread would be brilliant. I didn't do much Kondoing yesterday though did do a bit of tidying and cleaning and my bedroom still looks great. Very weird, but I'm very happy.

I've been thinking about what to do next (clothes - didn't have much to chuck, may have another sweep if I'm feeling brave) books were kind of done already, paperwork is essentially done just need to keep on top of the stuff coming in. Toiletries/make up/stuff like that got done when I did the bathroom the other day. So I'm getting towards the komono, which is essentially the kids stuff. Feel nervous about this. Did someone say gathering it all in a pile and clapping over the top of it helps?!

I think you have to add a dose of sanity when you decide how many years of payslips/ bank statements you decide to keep. My Danish bank insists that they have to send me paper statements. But my bank here in the UK have started only this week to offer going paperless on statements - I just signed up and I can't wait to get less post ;)

I had the old PC collected yesterday, and I got the contents from the craft box from the garage to fit into 2 small drawers, really pleased. Then I tackled 2 small suit cases with komono - I found the DCs first shoes and other bits ;) Obviously I kept the first shoes, but I did manage to fit everything into 1 suitcase only.

Today I am finally giving my charity bags to a local teenager who does car boot sales for a charity. My boot is full to the brim, I hope she wants it ;)

Am beginning to think of photos. I have some CDs with photos that I am not sure I have on Flickr (I store all photos on Flickr). I also have a box with photos from my uni days. Not sure I wan't to look at them, they are bound to be drunk party photos ;) Also I have to admit that I have not put any photos from our wedding in a photo album - we got married 15 years ago ...