Kondo thread 10

[SnozzberryMincePie]

Just noticed the old thread was full, so hope no one minds me starting the new one

Why thank youIsItMeOr

Thank you for the advice- I think the reason I still have all the things in the gift cupboard is, on reflection, because if I care about someone enough to give them a gift, I want to give something they will love, not just something we were given but have no use for. Wow- that's a mini -epiphany for me!

Another question- I'm nearly finished my second round of clothes but after, should I go onto my books or kid's clothes? I know she said it's best to do your own things to inspire others but as my youngest are still very young, I will be doing their KM stuff.

I did kid clothes and then did books...

I would go ahead and do kids clothes. I think of it as the stuff I manage.

Oh good idea, ladymcnet, not on the ceiling I don't think, but we could maybe put a rail on the wall and put some bits up there which would free up some space!

I can't find the MN review someone mentioned recently - can anyone link?
Any tips for paperwork - I think I'm going to have to split it into categories. Maybe start with bank statements, then house stuff, child 1, 2, 3 split into medical and school, my medical and disability stuff, MrNC health stuff, insurances (any reason to keep previous years?), gazillion bits about tax, a charity I run, info needed for a voluntary organisation, stuff for work, and a few bits relating to utilities which are mainly online. If only the NHS would get with the 21st century and use email...

NotCitrus not looking forward to getting to paperwork but categorising sounds like a good plan and digitising as much of the stuff you have to keep. I did that with some that was was littering my bedroom although I may end up needing to kondo a load of digital files when I get to paperwork!

Today I'm going back to DC books and clothes for a final fling in these categories. I was getting stuck on a lot of DS's sentimental picture books but I feel readier to try to sort them today. Won't get much else done this weekend though as I need to prep for the return to work on Monday Not sure what category to do after the last push on books and clothes. Might be bags and cases I think.

NotCitrus - is it this one?

www.mumsnet.com/home-and-garden/the-marie-kondo-method-what-you-need-to-know?edit=1

Djini my dd is three and exactly the same, if I leave piles of stuff lying around to sort or go to charity she 'helpfully' moves everything around. And she is a good climber so there is nowhere out of her reach! On the other hand she is quite useful for picking things up off the floor when I have the baby in the sling (especially if I tell her we're playing Cinderella).

Witchscat we have a tiny kitchen too, genuinely too small however much I kondo . I have a hanging rack for my pans (from ikea) and lots of other things hanging from hooks eg mugs, cooking implements etc.

I'm another stalled Kondoer. I think I didn't cull thoroughly enough the first time around (common problem, it seems!). I really want to get into her daily bag-emptying habit too. I'm forever finding all kinds of junk in my handbags and forgetting which one my purse is in!

I've just read the article and I'm quoted in it!

I think maybe I have a basic problem with the 'spark joy' thing. I tend not to be terribly emotionally attached to my things. Which means that on the upside I don't find it hard to chuck things out, but on the downside I find it hard to differentiate between things I should chuck and things I should keep! Hardly any of my clothes spark joy. If I threw out all the rest, I'd be mostly naked .

Although, thinking about it... maybe what that should tell me is something about my shopping habits. I should only buy things when I really love them, not when I think I could do with getting a particular item because it might be useful...

Notcitrus and Stitches think it was me who mentioned the article having some UK-specific advice about paperwork. And it is the article that stitches has linked.

Tidying paperwork sucks!

merciful I found that too.

I have been on a bit of a shopping spree, so that I have nice pyjamas (instead of raggedy ones) and swimwear that actually fits and I would be okay to be seen in. But I've done it with a very specific goal of having the right number of pyjamas for me. So I've finished now.

I did buy an extra pair of boots after a lot of deliberation, because I had been wearing a pair of walking shoes every day, which while comfy, don't spark joy. Haven't worn the new boots yet though, so maybe that was a mistake.

It is a high bar to find something that sparks joy when you have a lot of other criteria to satisfy. I ordered a lot of swimwear over the internet, so that I could try them on at home, and kept going until I had three that I liked (going on a holiday with a pool, so wanted to have plenty to be on and in the wash!).

Thank you stitches and isitme - good article but bills and payslips aren't the problem!
Insert whinge about disability creating "the third shift" here...

merciful I think that's it- stop buying clothes you don't actually like!

Although- if my DP did that, he would be naked, he can never find clothes he likes, and ends up settling for clothes he hates less than other clothes...

Notcitrus We have a load of paperwork from DS's Education Health and Care Plan process, and the fact that it's so crucial to have the right documents makes me very nervous about tidying that. So far I've just grouped it all together.

Also school folders that get sent home at the end of the year. I am wary of throwing away something that might be super important down the line...

I am hoping that I will feel up to it once DS is back at school. And that scanning things will help too!

Stop buying clothes you don't actually like!
Grubby - now that you put it like that, it sounds kind of obvious! I'm standing here looking in my wardrobe and feeling uninspired!

Hello! I've been lurking on these threads for a while, and just read the book at last.

My clothes are done . Have also emptied the loft bar airbeds, three suitcases, a rucksack and a camping stove. To be fair, I've been working on the loft for a while.

Kitchen cupboard and bathroom cabinets also done. We had things like bathroom cleaner in multiple locations and won't be buying that again for many months.

There are six horrifying boxes of miscellaneous tat under the spare bed. That's the next challenge. Along with persuading DH to sort the garage and shed with me.

Got a big bag of paperwork to shred or burn, and we're off to the charity shop now.

It's all doing wonders for my peace of mind

merciful if you're like me, you'll probably find that you have far more clothes than you need because you kept buying more of the same because you were dissatisfied with what you have.

I read the Spark Joy book, and am ready to start from scratch (for the second time) tomorrow. It helps that I have imposed some post-40 style rules on myself, so will be the look-out for synthetics and fussy patterns...

I really enjoyed the new book. Some Amazon reviews complained that it didn't offer anything new, but I seemed to get much more from this one. I like reading about what people did with treasured items, like the sparkly frog broach in the middle of the bra drawer, and from the MN article, a badge collection pinned to a favourite old t-shirt. I am now determined to reach a stage where all I have to worry about is how best to display my 80s My Little Pony collection!

Oh, but I suppose if something synthetic with a fussy pattern 'sparks joy' then I'll be keeping it... We'll see...

And I agree that we buy things repeatedbly because we're hoping to land the 'right' pair of jeans or the 'right' black top this time. I have so many Breton style tops and I've never been keen on stripes!