KONDO Thread 9

[Iqueen]

Kondo your Home and your Life. Live the JOY!

My house is a tip. Shit just gets moved from one room to another. No sooner is one area tidy, it is a mess again within the next few days.

I hate throwing stuff out as it may come in handy one day. I need help.

Do I need to buy this book or can you do it without!

Clocks, I ebayed a handful of things that I guessed would go for a bit. Charity shopped some, and donated some through a sure start centre (baby clothes) I found it best to get things out of the house asap, otherwise I started to lose momentum, and struggled storing things until they sold. Also, our local charity shop gratefully accepted our old hangers too.

bedunkalilt, your local library will probably be grateful for the books. Might be worth giving them a call and explaining that you have a lot of books you'd be happy to donate if someone could please collect them?

Ok, tomorrow I'm thinking toiletries, make-up and shoes. and maybe sheets. Not sure.

Am I supposed to do books next though. Oh, maybe I'll do books next. I do want to do it right.

nomore my folding is also dreadful. It's so loose.

Hello all, please may I join? I was on a kondo thread ages ago and did the whole thing. The house looked so much better once I finished. However since then life has got in the way and things have started to go downhill (although not as bad as they were before). I feel like I would like to do the whole thing again.

I have a 6 week old baby and a three year old, and the days that DD is at nursery I can do some decluttering while the baby naps (in theory!).

I remember that you are supposed to start with clothes but that will be difficult as nothing fits me at the moment as I am a size bigger still and can only wear clothes with easy boob access for breastfeeding. Most of my nice clothrs are in boxes under the bed, I don't really love any of the things which fit. Do I miss out clothes for now (and go straight for the dreaded paperwork?)? Or just do the ones which fit?

The great thing is we aren't having any more dc after this one so I have already got rid of my horrible maternity coat, and I can get rid of baby clothes as ds grows out of them.

Even a little bit at a time is going in the right direction though!? It might be a while before I do kitchen stuff and stationery and documents and miscellaneous.

Also, my dc are too old for me to just walk in to their bedrooms and kondo their stuff.

Mango That's a good idea, I'll make some enquiries. Apparently BHF also collect donations which would help with the clothes too as there's quite a few of them.

I fear I am off script Kondo-wise Must get a copy of the book to know how she actually prescribes setting about!

I have repurposed some toy storage for cleaning storage. I have no idea if this is Kondo! I am reverting to some thrifty minimalism style tactics. Nonetheless the outcome has been positive!

We merrily swapped storage about as I progressed. Even more so after DH decided to join in. She advises to use shoe boxes, (nappy boxes chopped in half here, had far more of those than shoe boxes!) at least until you've finished tidying, but using storage you already have is kondo. She says something along the lines of "your home will provide the solution", sounds like yours did.

Sounds like everyone has gone Kondo Krazy after Khristmas! (I'll get me coat. Ahem.)

I also threw out a lot less in the way of paperwork than MK advises. Mostly because TAX CRAP, SO MUCH TAX CRAP. Still, I did end up chucking millions of bank statements and credit card statements (kept the annual ones) because I figure if I'm in need I can pay the 40p or whatever to get a new paper copy. And that seems unlikely in the first place.

Still, things related to HMRC generally stayed. Because...yeah. Those guys.

I did throw out a lot of manuals too, because seriously, I just google my problems nowadays, so unless it was an actual warranty paper, why would I bother keeping it? I know how my stuff works! (Mostly!)

And all this has the added bonus of making the Really Important Things (birth certificates, marriage certificates, house-related legal papers) much easier to find.

Glad my tip helped, kermit! And I'm right there with you, mango. Clothes are one of those things that I keep going back to and chucking the odd thing. Like the tunic which I loved last winter which has now got mysteriously shrunken arms. Oh well, it was great while it fitted!

Right, going to do shoes, toiletries and make up now. Today's bag mightn't be too big, but hopefully the dressing table will look clear by the time I'm finished and that will give me joyful vision.

Yesterday, I only really felt like a person with fewer clothes.

And books, I'm going to come back to books because I don't have that many. (that's another story :-/)

I could only throw out two pairs of shoes. And one, I'm thinking "what if I get a job in a really conservative office?''. I'd treat myself to a pair that gave me joy?

Underwear, much better. So much GONE. So much space in my chest of drawers.

Toiletries now. Putting them all in the same place at the moment. On the bed. Needed to take a break while I have some tea.

Just wanted to pop in and say hello- downloaded the book on my kindle earlier on this week and read it in a single go- before attempting to begin at 11pm! Since then I've managed to sort out about 3/4 of the house, using my week off work to spend about 3 hours a day to bring some order back to a chaotic house, and with about 15+ bags either donated to charity or taken to the tip I feel so much lighter- and ready to welcome in 2016 and a calmer home. DH and I always seem to argue about how slovenly I am (which i can freely admit as it's true) but now I feel like maintaining the house won't be as hard as it usually is. I suddenly feel excited about making the house a sanctuary and it's all due to Marie Kondo- I'm a true Konvert

Wow, amazing progress! So many bags. I feel like I haven't done it properly.

I've done my clothes, shoes, toiletries and make up and even that much, I'm beginning to feel it in the air - peace, joy, clarity!?? I might be able to get rid of a clothes rail, a chair. The more I feeel it, the more likely I am to go back and throw out more clothes I think. Because I've only thrown out two black bags of clothes and shoes, and one bag of rubbish (total rubbish) and I've got a box for my mum /friend to root through. That doesn't seem like much compared to you.

I'm only half way through the book.

Complete novice here-started with clothes today and had plenty to throw out but:
A. I have so few items that bring joy I can't throw everything or I will have nothing
B. What about functional items like threadbare strappy tops for under things, and fleeces and hoodies that are just functional but not joyous in the slightest

C I have to hold on to some pretty sad bf tops to get me through next 6 months or so and will ditch then

I am two binbags down nonetheless and doing well.

Pinkheels, that is amazing. Your house must feel totally different. I think I have only got rid of about half of that (plus a couch!) and I have noticed a huge difference. Hubby is a bit of a hoarder though, so we've still got lots of stuff. :(

Mikado, same here, I only have one dressing gown. It's 13 years old. It doesn't bring me joy but it's warm. Never thought about it before.

I'm also casting a gimlet eye over my grey towels that were white about 40 years ago. When I moved in to my house my mum gave me her old towels and I haven't replaced them. I'm still using them. I might sort through them, throw away the worst four and buy one new one.

So much to do.

Happy New Year Kondo0ers

Happy New Year NoMore, and all other Kondooers.

My New Year's resolution is to re-Kondo everything as I am sure that there is more I can get rid of, and get rid of my last annoying 10 lbs too!

yes, those ten pounds aren't sparking joy.

I'm laughing at her book here, where she describes clients who have used the ''sending things to their parents' house'' method of tidying up. I was about to try and pull that stunt (on a small scale)

I think emptying your handbag when you get home is mad though. I won't be doing that.

:) definitely no joy in those 10 lbs. Not sure if I can say I'm going to Kondo them though as I can't donate them, or give them away. :)

Snozzy I would recommend doing your clothes now even if it's just the ones you're currently wearing. With two little ones it's more important than ever to be wearing clothes that make you feel good. Plus now is a good time (price wise) to get a few new bits to wear for the next few months. I'd say then move on to the 'nice' clothes in the box. Ignore the size of them for now just decide whether they bring you joy. That way in a few months when you start wearing them again you'll know that you like and will wear everything that is in there - plus you can look out for bargain replacements in the meantime!

In relation to people asking about what to do with old stuff I donate everything I can to charity but a tip I've learnt from a previous post is to take things as soon as you assign them to the 'to go' pile. Otherwise you end up with piles of stuff and it becomes a chore to take them. I've currently got piles of stuff cos I hate going near shops/trying to get parked when the sales are on. No excuse really as I live opposite a Police Convoy clothing bank and that will take most of it! Oops. Will do it today!

Happy new year everyone! I'm inspired by those of you who were up and kondoing last night. I reluctantly stayed up till midnight last night then was woken lots by the baby too. I'm shattered now and we're off to visit friends in a bit.

I think I will start with clothes that currently fit as you suggest virgin. Although I will probably end up with nothing left!

My new year's resolution is to clear the loft as we're hoping to have a loft conversion done at the end of the year. I have lots up there to ebay which I know is against the rules but we need the money when I'm on maternity leave.

Mikado I chucked out any tatty vest tops etc but kept the ones that I use. They may not bring me join on their own but if they're being used to stop me flashing my boobs or add another layer for warmth then I count that as joy or at least value. My rule is that even though they're being used under my clothes I have to be happy that if someone saw them they wouldn't think I was a slovenly wench! As far as the dressing gowns go I have three! One of them is lovely and cosy and truly brings me joy! The other two really need to go. Might be worth getting one that you do actually love. There's nothing nicer!

I'm 8 and a half stone now from a diet I invented myself and it's so easy. I did the 5:2 diet for a while and it was awful. All I could think about was how hungry I was , but it did seem to be working. So I adapted it slightly to 3 days (mon, wed and fri) of eating about 850-900 cals. Much easier, if you postpone breakfast as late as possible. This diet doesn't have a name. It's the no more pie diet

ps, apologies for tangent there.

I just kondoed a few of the children's coats to my mum's friends grandchildren. They won't wear them. They'll only wear coats they've chosen now [sigh]

I've a big box to ebay as well. I have a beautiful pair of rose beige uggs that I bought for my dd last year but the sizing is odd and I thought they'd be size 38 but they are only 37 so they've never been worn. They are so beautiful though. I have no documentation to prove they're genuine but they're unusual. Not obvious candidates to be copied. I must take pictures of everything before I get back to work and ebay them at work oh ha ha.

Right, I'm going to move all my books to the one location now. Books and DVDs and CDs today.