Kondoing away the chaos: Kondo thread 7 for yet more life-changing magic

[LinzerTorte]

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 6
Thread 5
Thread 4
Thread 3
Thread 2
Thread 1

Tips and links thread

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 went about as well as expected. DD1 loves all of her soft toys very much so didn't want to part with any when it came down to it. But I managed to get her to say goodbye to 4 she never plays with so that's something. I guess if we do this every now and then she'll get into the habit and maybe we'll be able to minimise the number of toys she has

Bless her, Grouchy; we have exactly the same problem!

I think soft toys need to be in a category of their own, after sentimental, as they are so hard to do! I wont be tackling ours until the very end. (if there is room I will keep them)

I scoffed when I first read Marie Kondo's advice to empty your handbag everyday - I said to myself angelically, "I clear out my bag so often I don't have that problem"

went through my handbag yesterday... receipts from before Christmas...

maybe she has a point!

weasel I don't realistically think I can empty my bag each night as I know I'd forget to put things back in the morning but I am trying to go through each evening and remove what I won't need. Usually receipts too!
I haven't caught up on all the thread yet but I made excellent progress in my classroom today. It is different to doing the house, less about joy more about "I haven't used this resource for years" or "this pupil left in 2003 so I can throw his coursework away now!". I think a couple more sessions should do the discarding then I can start organising - is it a bit sad that I'm excited about it?!

Hello! ive been sent here by the Fabulous Frugaleers over on the credit crunch bit of MN .. I'm just place marking , as its a bit late (and i have a kitchen to tidy and bed to make up before i can get in it!)..

Will introduce myself have a look around and say hello properly tomorrow evening...

Grouchy how old is your 3yo (ie 3 and how many months)? My nearly 3yo wouldn't even countenance giving away toys , despite my best efforts to praise his cousins as wonderfully kind when they pass toys to him or to charity.

She'll be 3 on Sunday. I was surprised that she liked the idea, if not the actuality.

pointless. I think it's great to tidy up the workplace, especially a classroom. Teachers always seem to keep years of stuff. In the last place I worked at I kondoed the art cupboard and they had resources that they had not used - the date on the lid said 1991! As a supply, I regularly walk into really messy and overfilled classrooms, mostly the teacher's stuff all over the place. All I can think is "poor children" having to learn/work in such surroundings. A fair few times, I have got the children to tidy up before we even start the lessons. They always respond well to this and even tell me that they can learn better now. BTW, the children/I don't throw anything other than rubbish away but I do leave the teacher's stuff in neat piles.

Laska welcome. I'm on the thread you started in the 5:2 section.

So far I have completed:

• Lounge
• Kitchen
• Dining room
• Adults bedroom
• Kids bedroom
• Bathroom

Only one room left ... The office :( Starting today... wish me luck!

Pointless - I ended up kondoing at work yesterday as I needed to find a form from last year, and went through all the papers in my locker, and recycled half of them. Half the rest could be binned but at least are in neat folders for each subject. Have also been trying to file emails so my successor won't curse me as much as I cursed my predecessor. And delete more as soon as they arrive...

Wrapping paper is now all together in a wine box, as the deep box hid lots of things that had slipped down. Found half a dozen rolls I didn't know we had.

My bookcase is definitely bringing me joy, not only being right for the space and holding a lot, but I can access these books again and it's a great colourful corner now.

Have just sorted out my small stash of wrapping paper. Not perfect, but it is a cupboard now at least, rather than gathering dust in the corner!
Dc3 clothes have stayed nice and folded since last Friday, my mum convinced it won't stay that way!
Great to see previous poster has successfully kondoed their garage. Dh is planning on taking a day off work once it warms up a bit so we can do ours. He is a bit of a hoarder of " things that will come in useful", but is increasing becoming aware of the joy of space, and being able to find things!

Argh. Come home from my 2 blissful peaceful nights away to:

Nanny ill with sickness bug and possibly kidney stones

Husband ill with sickness bug and ongoing pancreas/liver issues

Ds2 home from school with sickness bug

Mother emailing latest doc results, her recurring cancer is back again and she needs more chemo

Pil here 'helping' which they are but mum twitching big time. She's so ott.

JKS..sorry you have come home, and back to reality with a bump.

Oh jks what a pile of awful to come home to. I'm really sorry to hear about your mum. I have been there, it is really hard. Don't forget to take care of yourself as well as everyone else!

Oh JKS so sorry

Sorry to hear about all that JKS, I hope that at least the sickness bugs go away soon and that you don't catch it.

I've started work on the Desk Drawer of Doom today. It is full of things I have confiscated over the years that have never been claimed and things like carbon copies of detention slips. I have been gradually shipping stuff into lost property in the office so that might need kondoing soon too.

In addition I have started to deal with quick jobs immediately they crop up and then filing/shredding/recycling relevant paper. I still have a fair bit to do but there is a new sense of calm and efficiency.

I am really appreciating what I've done at home since going back to work e.g. not having to rummage through 14 pairs of tights every morning to find some that are not laddered! I have got ready in about 20 mins both days this week, a big improvement on the 45 it used to take. I don't even have to put my clothes ready the night before now as they are already ready!

Sorry jks, how awful. Look after yourself too

How awful, JKS. Hope things are better soon.

My DBs have just spent twenty minutes carefully sorting and packing all their soft toys into black (except they're white) sacks to "go on holiday" in my room, to give us more space to sort things in their room. They had to ensure that family members weren't split up, everyone was with their friends, everyone could breathe well enough, and that the monkey wasn't separated from his knitted banana! They almost wouldn't let a baby dinosaur go without his mummy (who has a hole in her leg which needs repairing to stop her leaking polystyrene balls everywhere and therefore had to be left behind), but eventually decided that he was big enough to go on his first holiday away from mummy with his friends. How old are they again... oh yeah, 13!

In other Kondo news, we did their toiletries (what? throw it away? in the bin? -- Well yes, since the hair gel has been opened since you were about 7 and has solidified...) and electrical equipment. We've still lost one phone charger, but now their phones, ipods, hudls, chargers and headphones all live in the same place. They had 10 pairs of headphones! They've only got four ears between them!

That's made me smile obligatory, what lovely children you have!

Haha, they're not mine! - just my baby brothers although it does feel like I'm the second parent a lot of the time . But they are quite lovely... when they want to be; they then spent the next hour stealing each others tictacs, throwing the Monopoly Junior pieces at each other, and taking it in turns to cry because they were losing Racing Daemon...

Morning everyone, may I join you?
I have read the book up to the end of 'clothes' and am attacking them this morning while smallest is at preschool. I suspect I'll be losing >50% of my wardrobe, which I'm terrified and thrilled about!

Morning all.

So today is looking better. Both pukers have stopped. Ds2 has eaten breakfast and is very happy playing with trains in peace. Back to school tomorrow!
Dh isn't being sick but is still doing his manflu thing. Bored now!
Pil have left. Other 2 at school for a few hours at least.

Haven't heard update from nanny - btw I always feel pompous saying the nanny word but calling her an au pair feels derogatory to her qualifications! She started working for us years ago when ds2 was seizing all day long and he needed a carer. She still looks after him mostly but obviously helps out generally now too. Feel the need to justify having her!

Going to put in my shopping from the weekend and throw out anything ive substituted for. Including lots of cheap polyester socks that I'm sure contribute to me electrocuting people randomly

Welcome, RoganJosh. Go for it - yuou'll love it!

As soon as you see your underwear neatly folded, and filed, you will be a dedicated Konvert!