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

999 replies

LinzerTorte · 07/02/2015 14:58

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.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
11
Zippidydoodah · 17/03/2015 13:09

I also dream of being finished- don't think that's happening any time soon, though!!

Zippidydoodah · 17/03/2015 13:09

Oops, should have said well done weasel!! Grin

JKSLtd · 17/03/2015 13:18

Just binned a tonne of Kinder egg toys from when ds1 was little and love collecting them. Freed up a lovely Lipton tea box that I'm sure will come into its own for something. My jewellery possibly?

defk0ndo · 17/03/2015 13:29

I never realised how maintaining possessions was actually a thing... It is, though...

Iqueen · 17/03/2015 14:06

defk0ndo Maintenance of excess, certainly does not only cost us time, but money, too. Bigger homes, fancy storage solutions, insurance, cleaning, repairs, up-grading, fuel, waste...

The poet Kahlil Gibran put it nicely: Tell me what you have in your houses? ...have you only comfort, and the lust for comfort, that stealthy thing that enters the house as a guest, and then becomes a host, and then a master?

Eventually, the home we intended to fill with love, happiness and, possibly, children, is full of crap, adding nothing to our lives except slavery. Sad

defk0ndo · 17/03/2015 14:58

Iqueen, that is sobering! Indeed.

Must kondo my FB time. terrible today. need a social networking detox...

I kondoed a bank account yesterday - the old-fashioned way! Into branch, cash in hand, sign on dotted line, walk next door, deposit in bank a/c I actually use... Done! 20 mins. Hate to think how long the old me would have spent faffing around online Banking, calling up, sending bits of paper through the post... And possibly even changing my mind halfway thru and not actually closing it in the end. Feeling more decisive.

JKSLtd · 17/03/2015 15:10

I like how you've put that. Fill our homes with love and children but actually it's full of crap. Or at least stuff we don't need.

I think I was on some sort of mission to set up the equivalent of a preschool in terms of toys. A full set of everything.
I need to address my desire to acquire sets of stuff.

Have gone through the toy kitchen stuff. Again. And bagged up some to get rid of.
And the toy toolbox.

An eg of what I mean: I bought a full size toolbox and bundles of toy tools off ebay.
I had 5 saws,
3 corner measurer things fgs.
4 spanners.
And so on.

I've rationalised down to the nice small wooden toolbox. So if it doesn't fit in there - tough.

The shelves in the playroom are looking so much better.

Pausing for tea and a biscuit before school run.

defk0ndo · 17/03/2015 15:43

There's probably some unmet need around the acquiring, sure it was with me, but hey, let's all be glad it manifested itself just in that rather than some awful dangerous addiction or sth!!!

Iqueen · 17/03/2015 17:47

defk0ndo As someone who has hoarded (literally, but not badly enough to 'star' in TV programme!) loads of stuff that I no longer need, or will use, I can say there are many reasons we acquire.

Impulse buys, we plan to do/make something and never got round to it, 'it might come in useful', we are swayed by advertisers, we need a comfort treat, we planned to cook samosas, we 'will' be growing all our own veg this year, we've joined an art group/gym, etc, etc, etc.

But the real reason for all the stuff is: we have the money to buy it. Grin

defk0ndo · 17/03/2015 18:49

So is it affluenza? First world problems, eh? Feel a bit guilty on that score, I must admit...

misscph1973 · 17/03/2015 21:04

Iqueen: "we have the money to buy it" - when I have had very little money I have held on to things in case I would need them as I wouldn't be able to replace them. When I lived in a smaller house I had more stuff than now. But I do appreciate what you are saying.

I am quite sure that my DMs tendency to hoard comes from being a post war child and not having much, at least in part.

Zippidydoodah · 17/03/2015 21:37

Misscph - i do think my tendency to hold on to stuff is because I had very little as a child. (In the 80s, not post war! I'm not quite that old!)

I find myself wanting my kids, especially, to have what they need and want.

That said, today I have given 3 carrier bags of toys away, and have binned two bags of broken/old/useless toys. Woop! Hopefully the kids will get much better quality playtime with fewer things. I even put the toy crockery through the dishwasher! Grin

defk0ndo · 17/03/2015 21:52

Has it been the Perfect Storm for those of us whose parents and grandparents instilled the "keep in case you need" frugal mentality in us (post-war) but we then grew up and entered the Era of Plenty (disposable cheap stuff and internet shopping) = mismatch...?

NotCitrus · 18/03/2015 00:00

I think so defkondo. All the lessons in home economics I got from my parents are defunct as what they taught me about thrift doesn't add up any more. They think two sets of felt tips or Lego is huge frivolous wastes of money, yet think I should have bought a nice semi in Chiswick. I did check, and no they didn't have a spare half million to give me for a house, but they haven't realised pens aren't now something to save up for. I got a 64-crayon Crayola set when I was 8, and this was a Big Deal - main birthday present, loads of warnings to be careful with them and then they were lovingly saved for my own children.

Until I went to Poundland when ds was born and could get a set for a quid. Local teacher got a few carrier bags of pens and pencils at that point. I'm still finding more stationery in odd places and my craft drawer needs a rethink as there's too much, but dd is now really into making things so stuff will be used.

I put a foot-high stash of papers away today and also filled 3 emptied magazine holders with the paperwork from our extensions, and chucked a recycling bag of old catalogues. So at least that lot won't land on our heads.

I have no idea how some people have so little paperwork - I have online utility bills and bank statements, but paper credit card ones, then there's pension statements (MrNC has five), work contracts, mortgage and insurances, planning letters, my health records, benefits letters, and all the stuff from school and nursery. And receipts and guarantees from every part of the loft and rear extensions and doing up the rest of the house. Add stuff from a charity I'm a trustee for, and magazines from any place I've ever studied at or given money to, and it piles up...

We did have online childcare vouchers but nursery appear to have lost payments so we've had to print off statements for the last 3 years to try to sort it.

Gibble1 · 18/03/2015 05:43

Didn't manage anything yesterday as DD decided to break her nose at 5pm and I started work at 7. Was only half an hour late to work though, yay!
MiL said to me as I was leaving, "have you got someone at work who is going to look at her face then?" "Err, only the same as any other British national has as in the NHS!"

defk0ndo · 18/03/2015 07:00

NC, indeed. It's a different world... I love your Crayola story, I seem to recall similar dire warnings re use of pens!

I agree about paperwork. The konmarie method is inadequate on this point, and following her advice to the letter could leave many people painfully exposed. Having said that, there is room to prune paperwork, especially at point of entry to the home. What has helped for me re nursery and school paperwork is recognising that newletters etc have a temporay function, and are vital while they are fulfilling that function, they do not need to be then filed for future reference. They are not keepsakes. similarly magazines etc, athough I have always done my bes to unsubscribe from these anyway.

Better go as an unnecessary alarm is going off - need to kond that - wow, this method can be applied toANYTHING!!!

JKSLtd · 18/03/2015 09:19

I always dreamed of a full set of crayola crayons!! We have tonnes in a box now - not all crayola though. I need to Kondo them at some point.

A couple of bags leaving he house today to various people.

Tomorrow i have a day without kids so hoping to sort through their clothes pre-summer and assess what if anything needs buying. Involves a loft trip too.

defk0ndo · 18/03/2015 11:33

Ooh, a loft trip...

Does anyone have an inventory of what's in the loft?

misscph1973 · 18/03/2015 11:48

Gibble1, I hope your DD is okay? Did you take her to A&E?

I have been super busy at work, and DH just as busy, but I do notice that it's easier to keep on top of things as there aren't as many things!

Called appliance repair guy (dishwasher broken for the 3rd time) who was really cool and is coming out Thursday at no charge unless it needs a new part (shouldn't, it's blowing fuses, probably just needs some tweaking of wires).

Iqueen · 18/03/2015 12:20

I think, you're right, defkondo - it is affluenza.

I was born just as the war ended and , yes, the 'make do, and mend' mentality was prevalent - not just from the war years, but it was the general ethos for everybody, except the very wealthy. Even they, were somewhat careful about unnecessary waste, and would recycle, what they no longer needed or wanted.

Growing up, I didn't feel deprived, even though my mother was a widow. I had similar experiences with crayons, or most other items, and I was unaware of people 'keeping up with the Joneses', which has now crept into our lives, (or worse, 'keeping up with celebs'!) I noticed attitudes changing in the 1980s.

Most of the hoard that I am kondoing is due to living on a small income and keeping things 'in case'. However, even though I now manage on a tiny income, MK has certainly persuaded me to use all the 'best' stuff, rather than leaving it to be skipped, unopened/unworn! Now, the things that bring me true joy, are those that cost nothing and are not always tangible.

Of course, as Mums, our downfall is the emphasis today, on being 'good enough parents'! Too often, we see that in providing 'stuff' - clothes, toys, treats, various activities, and equipment, because we are 'time-short'. Our time, after love, is the most valuable gift for our children.

misscph1973 · 18/03/2015 14:12

Well said, Iqueen, and "Our time, after love, is the most valuable gift for our children" is exatcly what I am hoping to achieve to be able to have more of as a result from kondoing.

Iqueen · 18/03/2015 17:14

misscph I thought you might agree! Grin

The best thing my children have ever said to me, as adults, is "Thank you for giving me your time, Mummy". Had me in tears.

Smooshface · 18/03/2015 20:30

Mango re:postcards
I hole punch them then thread them onto binder clips, I will try take photo later. It makes them into a book you can flip through. Do the same with birthday cards I want to keep.

defk0ndo · 18/03/2015 20:44

Gibble, How is your DD? Is the nose really broken? Is she ok? That sounds very sore....

Zippidydoodah · 18/03/2015 21:17

Aaah I have that as one of my goals, too; to spend more time doing crafts etc and just sitting on the floor playing instead of attempting to do house jobs.

I can't wait to not be at work anymore. I hate it and I miss my babies.

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