Kondo thread 8

[Isisizzie]

New thread for Kondo addicts.

Sorry I can't do all the links that were on the top of thread 7.

I think that what JKS and Cycle are saying is very wise. Sometimes things have already had their day. Maybe if you can find a quiet moment to hold it in your hand and see how you truly feel the answer will be obvious.

A bit of progress today but more just tidying up loose ends and getting current papers which really are important sorted out and in order so that I can work through them. However I am finding that kondoing has helped me think more clearly about what is important in all the paperwork and indeed in issues more generally, which is a great step forward as I often felt overwhelmed by detail in the past.

Just a tiny bit of dealing with papers here tonight, as well- mostly filing a handful of financial ones that I feel I have to keep.

I'm not really getting the "see what's important more clearly" but that might be due to me being all grumpy tonight.

Wannabechic1; they are both old enough to operate the washing machine inasmuch as they can put the clothes in and turn it on but I have to sort through the clothes first most of the time. That's fine, I generally have the most time but what annoys me is the fact that they are so lazy, they won't bring down any washing. I then get about 10 loads to get done in one day and because they are bigger, DD takes my knickers and the pair of them take our socks until I am left with a pile of 57 pairs of socks to fold one day (that was what survived the sock sort that I always do as I fold them).

Homeaway, I have done my clothes already but I don't have enough drawer space in my room. I have only just got back from our cubs planning meeting for next term so I haven't managed to do DH's ironing. Tomorrow evening, I really would like to kondo the clothes properly. I just don't know how I can fit them in the 3 drawers we have! We have fitted wardrobes and, at the moment, I think we could have done better with Ikea Pax system. I may measure it all up and see if we can get any of it to fit into our wardrobes because on the exterior, they are lovely but the interior isn't quite right.

DD has loads of stuff out still. She went from "Mum, I really need you to sort out my life!" To getting snotty about me grouping like with like earlier. I took all of her hair grips off the top of her unit and put them with the other ones in her divided sliding drawer and she got really narked. She is not seeing the benefit with some things but I will keep on. It doesn't help that she isn't putting things away behind herself.

DS had 2 friends over this afternoon. I was mortified, I do hope that they don't think we always live like this! Oh well, the kitchen and bathroom are both clean and very tidy.

Gibble, I think you should consider giving your DD the book and leaving her to get on with it- it sounds like she's a teenager, or almost there? My DD is almost 6 and she's already been given autonomy over her clothes and toys, in a what to keep, what to move on sense mostly. I didn't ask before bagging up pens and markers but in my defence, she glomed straight on the crayons and wanted to keep every single broken one, plus she has a set that came with a pencil case and these all are duplicate colours. And I did veto keeping favourite clothes that were too small
I'd also address their habit of wearing your socks and underpants ewww maybe you could choose a distinctive colour/style for yoursel, or for them, then raise holy hell if they're caught wearing someone else's?

What's the state of your own personal things? It sounds like you haven't quite finished your own clothes yet? Want to join us in paper purgatory? ;)

For the closest, can you post a pic of the current situation and maybe we can offer advice? Or it might be ththe clothes you like simple are happiest hung up, not folded :)

*That the clothes are simply happiest. Bloody phone got updated and auto correct has gone weird!

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I hadn't thought of getting someone else to finish it. Will see how I feel about it after the move.

Has MK or anyone got ideas about how to turn paperwork into smaller categories? My huge ones atm are ones for dcs1,2,3 (v little sentimental stuff, mainly school statement and medical stuff, school record for possible diagnosis, and a pile of nursery invoices), my medical notes and ATOS evidence and letters, ones related to pay, earnings and tax (i have shredded almost all statements from over 7 years ago), only keeping summary statements for utilities and council tax, then there's all the letters and plans relating to building work, all the guarantees and manuals relating to appliances and materials (chucked ones that are bleeding obvious or very cheap items), then accounts etc for a charity I'm financial director for, records for lodgers etc, insurances, and a few shares and pensions, and that's a whole filing cabinet before we get to the stuff I might not need.

Trying to be stricter about special offer leaflets, flyers I might reply about, etc. Takeaway leaflets have their own drawer shared with Downstairs Pens (cos you need a pen to order a takeaway!)

All sounds quite well organised when I put it like that, so wtf are all the papers scattered everywhere else??

gibble- I feel outraged on your behalf that your dcs are being lazy about sorting their own washing and then taking your and dh's underwear! You need to take drastic action. I'd be tempted to lock up my stuff to force them to sort their own out, but it feels a bit extreme I suppose.

Is their a lockable filing cabinet drawer or something that your underwear could temporarily live in?

Can you fine them (not necessarily money - may be loss of phone, ipad, internet access for a time or reduced phone contract every time they do it) or confiscate something (precious) of theirs (eg make up for dd?) or cancel a lift to somewhere ( eg to mates house or whatever - not to school!) each time.

Explain to them what will happen and then stick to it when they (inevitably) test the boundaries!

Fining is a good idea actually! DD is the main culprit with the undies as she pinches my knickers. That makes me savage- so what I did last time was go and get a pair of hers on and then recreate the scene from friends where Joey was wearing all of Chandlers clothes. She hasn't done it since mind!
DS I feel a bit more sorry for because I know she pinches his socks too.
My clothes are definitely sorted, just not folded yet. That's one of the reasons that I have got everything out ATM. Our underwear drawer has been kondoed for years and works well. I'm not sure what to put in the other drawers though. If I did DH's jeans, they would fill one and his T-shirts would fill the other. Gah! Also need space for pyjamas.
I actually am a bit boggled by the amount of makeup DD has, she's 13. She said herself, she's going to ask people to get her what she wants for her birthdays and Christmas. I said she should just take them to her room and show them her stuff, they wouldn't buy her anything then! I'll try to get a photo up later when she surfaces.

Regarding teenagers: (Mine are well past that stage!)

When my five became teenagers, I decided that an important part of my parenting was to prepare them for living away from home eg university, house-sharing etc.

At that stage, I impressed on them that this was their home and always would be, if they needed it, BUT as young adults, they were actually house-mates, too! And in that context, we all had responsibilities to ensure that the house ran smoothly.

We also started to democratically discuss what the 'house rules' would be and make joint decisions about things that were age-appropriate. This worked very well and stood them in good stead later in life.

Luckily, I was not as slim as they, so clothes-nicking was not an option for them. My daughters' socks were the same size as mine but they never encroached.

They did ensure that their washing was in the laundry basket - because, otherwise, it didn't get washed! They did help with the household chores, sometimes, ( it was not often automatic!) and they were responsible for tidying and cleaning their rooms.

Oh, and later, when they got jobs in their vacations, I charged them 25% of their earnings, to ensure that they had some RL financial awareness. (I needed the money, but I would still have done it even if if I didn't; although, in that case, I would have saved it to give them later.)

Gibble

I know in the world in marie everything would be folded but I have not folded everything, a lot of my things are hanging up, but there is an order to it so it can be done. You put like with like on hangers and then arrange them according to her rules, which off the top of my head I can't remember. If t

Oh riiight! :) Yes that does look great. I never buy milk cartons that ginormous so I was struggling

I did a bit of shopping today - one mascara (Defencils), and the only one until it starts to dry out, I've used so many that I know which is my favourite. Likewise one handwash (L'Occitane Almond) and one toner (Liz Earle). I'll be so happy when I only have one 'ultimate' version of as much as possible!

Plus, I can also afford to buy 'nicer' things now, because a) I have more disposable income as a recovering hoarder than as an active one, and b) things aren't being kept for best while I use up things I don't particularly like, so I can buy 'best' and get straight on with using it. It feels much healthier!

Have you ever heard of Irma Bombech (?sp). She was terminally ill with breast cancer and she wrote about her regrets. She said that when she had been sorting things out, she came across a pink rose candle which she had been given by a friend as a gift. She had never burned it as it was too beautiful. So she put it into storage. When she found it, it had melted and was ruined. That was her one biggest regret. That she wasted something so beautiful by not thinking that she was special enough to enjoy it.

I have just been to the tip and emptied a car load of rubbish there. I have managed to get the front door mat sorted and think it's fitted ok. Just need DH's advice re the door bar which seems to be sitting a little high.

That's so sad about the candle. A good reminder to use our best things and enjoy them.

I've tacked the baking cupboard - not sure where it comes in order but dc wanted to do baking and it was a falling on your head kind of mess in there. Have chucked loads of random candles and holders and out of date colours and icing.
Not sure it's truly kondoed but at least i know what's in there now. If I find I don't use stuff then I might get rid of more. Lots of piping kit for a start.

That is awful Gibble. I read somewhere about a woman who was given a set of (I think) Creme de la Mer products and didn't want to touch them because the set was so nice looking, and then when she finally did decide to use them they had gone bad.

One set of people I think are kind of crazy are the Lush hoarders - the unique selling point of that stuff is that it's freshly made, yet people on YouTube show off collections of over 100 items!

For those of you in the paperwork phase, don't make my mistake: if you'll be shredding important finantial documents like you should dont mix them up with expired bus timetables, leafelets, etc... otherwise when you decide to only shred what you HAVE to, you'll waste time sorting between the ordinary recycling and the stuff for the shredder!

I'm hoping that I'll start feeling lighter again, as at the moment, i just feel burried in a paper-avalanche :(

MK's kondoed 1.5 stones for me since Christmas!

Well, DD just needs to hook out underneath her bed and she'll be done. I'm actually going to get under bed tomorrow while she's out because I want to get her clothes shopping on Saturday. She's left with very, very few clothes as she's thrown most of them away. She has used the top small drawer of her Malm drawers for undies, the other small drawer is holding her CDs, DVDs and DS. The bottom drawer holds all of her memory stuff. She has 3 drawers empty. The whole bureau is empty too. She has got rid of so much rubbish and loads of unworn clothes. The new drawers and shelves in her wardrobe have made so much difference :)

I have the day off work, and my plan is to take a load of stuff to the recycling centre, charity shops, etc. and finish my papers.

Wish me luck.

Well done to you and your DD Gibblet! :) Maybe you could pinch her no-empty bureau to give you the drawer space that you need?

can you make the clothes washing a specific chore for one child so it gets done and sorted? And maybe hanging up/sorting/putting away form part of the other's?

Or say 'if it's not in the basket I'm not washing it' and emphasise that piling massive amounts next to basket won't do any good?

wonder if this will work on hubby ;)