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Original poster

KONDO Thread 9

999 replies

Iqueen · 12/07/2015 09:43

Kondo your Home and your Life. Live the JOY!

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Thread gallery
23
JKSLtd · 01/08/2015 13:24

Thanks iqueen. I think I have that printed out somewhere!

achieve6 · 01/08/2015 15:11

I am keen to get rid of clutter but having viewed the sock clip someone linked to, I know there is no way I can do that. I find it really boring doing housey stuff as it is.

I have ordered a sample of the book on Kindle...maybe the sock thing isn't a good example?

MadauntofA · 01/08/2015 16:06

I've been inspired by your thread and get the gist - do I need to book to fully understand? Has anyone read the shorter version of the book?

bobblypop · 01/08/2015 17:01

maud the book is very short. Only about 250 pages, you could read it in an evening

Original poster
Iqueen · 01/08/2015 17:09

MadauntofA People are always asking this! Yes, buy the book, read it, understand it, and do it!

When you start, and have done your clothes, you won't be worrying about the cost of the book! Especially if you tot up how much you paid for the clothes going to the chazzer! Grin

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MadauntofA · 01/08/2015 17:55

Right, ordered! I have already sort of done my clothes (after losing weight finally, and my wardrobe looks good and v minimalist) but have a long way to go with the rest of the house!

NotCitrus · 01/08/2015 19:07

Just had a week away - nothing like a holiday home to make you realise how much clutter gets in the way at home and how much the dc's don't really care about their zillion toys - until you suggest getting rid of any...

Minimalist lodger has adopted Kondo from me and now has 2 huge Ikea bags of books and videos to go to chaz shop, so I'm hoping they will do a collection or else she'd better come with me this week!

Can't really get rid of excess furniture as the wardrobes of the set are in lodger's room and can't really Kondo her atm!

Having a painful day after long car journey yesterday, but have just been awarded PIP with 18 months of arrears paid, so trying to plan new kitchen build - which will both fill me with joy and keep necessary items out of sight! And provide more storage, but that's to get items out of the rest of the house, not more items, honest.

Redtowel · 01/08/2015 19:10

Found you!!! Shamelessly marking place for tomorrow Smile

Original poster
Iqueen · 01/08/2015 22:11

Congratulations on the PIP, NotCitrus, sounds like you are working towards your vision.

Going on holiday is a real eye-opener! I used to love it! Despite any things I forgot to pack, the space and tidiness was bliss! Smile

Welcome, Redtowel. Brew

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MadauntofA · 01/08/2015 22:26

Just reading the book now - her descriptions of how she was when she was younger are a bit crazy! I don't get the sock ball problem though - won't they just unravel ??

NotCitrus · 01/08/2015 22:34

Thanks IQueen - in some ways I want to shout about it so people know it is possible to get if you jump through all the hoops and answers questions following the Benefits&Work site templates, but the reasoning is bonkers - I got 0 points for communication despite being deaf and using a STTR (speech to text reporter, ie interpreter into written English) in the assessment, which I can only think was down to them giving me points for everything before that and not wanting to award me Enhanced Rate - I'd agree with the last bit but I thought communication problems would be a doddle to prove.

I guess I can stop stockpiling medical evidence now. ????

Have acquired enormous under-bed storage box for Lego. Have said kids can go to the funfair tomorrow once their rooms (and mine) are tidy - may try offering money for all toys given away.

Has anyone had any success getting young kids (3 to 8) not being pack rats? I did leave dd's stone collection and lots of sand/water toys behind on holiday.

SillyStuffBiting · 01/08/2015 23:15

They don't unravel at all!

She does sound a bit bonkers, like the bit where she was crying because the shower tidy thing she bought was all gunky.

IDismyname · 01/08/2015 23:43

Thanks for your comments,Fish about clothes on probation. That's exactly it! They have a finite time to prove themselves to me... Christmas cut off!

Strangely, my DH has decided to go through his clothes. He's thrown out about 30% of them. I am quietly flabbergasted. I was so convinced he'd shun this idea. I'm desperate to get him onto all his family stuff (whole rooms of it, I tell you), but I'm trying to be desperately cool about the whole thing.

I just told him that if he wanted his drawers to look like mine, he'd need to chuck out anything that didn't give him Joy. Seems to have worked. I just need to gently keep up the impetus and move onto books next.

Thevirginmummy1 · 02/08/2015 08:57

Glad it's not just me who comes back from holiday and gets depressed at all the stuff we have. We've got a touring caravan so it really is 'a place for everything...'. Whenever we come back I contemplate just living in it permanently!

bobblypop · 02/08/2015 09:08

morning all
notcitrus good news on the PIP that must be a relief for you
mad yes, my first thought on reading the book was that she was totally bonkers! However a lot of the ideas behind what she says do work. There is definitely something to be said for being surrounded only by things thta bring you joy.

I am off to buy new curtains and a light shade for little ones room that is finally painted.
Will be getting them laminate flooring when I get paid again to replace manky carpet ( now more manky since I wasn't super careful when painting! Blush)
I dithering over what to do about their beds...they have one set of bunk beds and a cabin bed mid sleeper in there. All need new matresses at least. But they have covered the sides of their beds with stickers that in my opinion look awful. Then there are various sticky patches where they have removed stickers...The beds are all quite old...
my options:

  1. remove all stickers before they get home and spend hours trying to clean sticky stuff off, then hope they don't notice when they return!
  2. attempt to discuss with them when they get home and maybe persuade them to kondo some/all of the stickers, then spend hours cleaning sticky stuff off
  3. leave stickers and accept that they bring the dc joy even if to me they make the lovely newly decorated room look scruffy!
  4. Add beds to the list of things to be replaced as money becomes available

so...what would you do?

need another cup of coffee first! Wink

MadauntofA · 02/08/2015 10:03

Bobbly I would try to remove the stickers, maybe leaving some in a less noticeable part of the beds, or remove all then tell your dc that they can put new stickers on a designated part. You can get sticky stuff remover (not sure where) but it smells just like wd40! I think olive oil is good at removing sticky residue as well - experiment with a part of the bed that is unnoticeable

LornaGoon · 02/08/2015 10:22

bobblypop apparently WD-40 is good at removing stickers from wood. Or, if you've got none to hand, nail varnish remover does a reasonable job.

prettymess · 02/08/2015 10:28

I seem to spend every Sunday morning going through paperwork from the week before, filing and shredding it all, doing the budget and planning for the week/month to come. It takes about an hour or two but I feel on top of things.

Original poster
Iqueen · 02/08/2015 11:23

NotCitrus It's glarinly obvious that the DWP are simply trying to cut the numbers of people claiming. Maybe deafness is now judged like sight and mobility problems - a person has to be profoundly deaf, completely sightless and totally immobile? I heard that wheelchair users are 'mobile'! Sad

As for pack-rats: my oldest 2 didn't have enough of anything to turn into pack-rats. Of my younger 3, (who still had much less than their friends) the girls were untidy, but my youngest son was very tidy. All are tidy now, they are adults. I think the prevailing 'easy come' ethos is to blame.

I was always on a very tight income, so my children were taught the value of their things and that they had to be cared for, to last. They had far fewer things than their friends. Although they didn't have so-called 'designer' clothes and many toys, these were carefully chosen, and they were often envied by their 'better off' friends.

Removing stickers: I had this problem! (still have incredibly realistic house-flies on a light-switch and a bedroom door!)

Peel off as much as possible and, first, try Blu-tack for removing the stickiness. WD 40 or surgical spirit (chemist) may work, but nail varnish remover is likely to damage the surface - try in a hidden area. Smile

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NotCitrus · 02/08/2015 12:06

Re stickers - ds has lots on his bed and, it turns out, the far side of his chest of drawers is almost covered in school stickers - mostly "Green all Week!" so I'm sort of proud.

I figure leaving them, and if the dc's want them off, they can wear down their own fingernails peeling them or else cover up with something else. They don't take up any space.

Thing with toys Iqueen is how many are free from school, the street or car boot sales. Add gifts from gps and only birthday/Christmas presents from us - and they still have much less than their friends, but it's a pile of stuff. MrNC and I were both in the position of having little and looking after it, but that means a shedload of Lego.

I suspect we are at the ages of peak clutter of toys, as ds hasn't quite grown out of preschool stuff yet and dd wants to hang onto toddler toys still, but the Megabloks are gone and Duplo will soon follow.

bobblypop · 02/08/2015 12:06

ok. am going to try for sticker removal - wish me luck. not sure if Ive got Wd40 - will check, do have nail varnish remover though...may try in a small area...
I have bought new curtains and light shade - now just need to put up new curtain pole Hmm I'm not very good at DIY - I need to conquer my fear of drilling holes!!

Original poster
Iqueen · 02/08/2015 12:43

I'm not very good at DIY - I need to conquer my fear of drilling holes!!

Go for it, bobblypop! Challenges build self-confidence (says she who mended the washing-machine, but still hasn't changed the tyre on her wheel-barrow! Blush ) If you need to, check out the expert way of doing it on B&Q help vids or other websites. You'll do an amazing job! Grin

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fishboneschokus · 02/08/2015 12:49

I should,
I wonder how many of your clothes survive death row?
None of mine did.

Citrus,
What a relief.

But, I would keep the Lego for the grandchildren.
(Not helping)
:)

fishboneschokus · 02/08/2015 12:50

I can't bold on iPad because there is no star that I can find.

NotCitrus · 02/08/2015 16:06

fishbone I was an only child who amassed huge amounts of Lego when we moved abroad and I had no toys - a set a week for a couple years mounts up! MrNC has inherited the family Lego collection, so it's doubled. Add half a dozen small sets from presents, and there's probably 100kg of the stuff. We washed all of MrNC's and rebuilt the Castle for ds's birthday a couple years ago, but there's so much of it we have most of mine at my parents still. I'd like to assemble some of my old sets and sell them, but the stuff in our house is a bit more worn. It may get sold by the kilo if ds leaves any more in my room...