Kondo thread 10

[SnozzberryMincePie]

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

I think I must be missing something. I've had a go at clothes but am finding it really hard to get rid of anything & I wouldn't say I particularly love any of it! In an ideal world I'd bin the lot & go on a lovely shopping spree but I'm not able to do that. I end up just standing there looking at all the clothes everywhere, not making any decisions & then it's time to pick up the dc's!
Can anyone help? Why can't I fill up 2 bin bags like everyone else seems to be? All our clothes are taking over my house & it's getting me down so I need to do something.

I am unsure whether to keep waiting for my reserved copy of the Kondo book from the local library which should be here in a week or two OR buy it second hand off eBay and have it here in two days.

Guess I should wait but I want to get reading !

Jemster, try picking out two or three of your favourite items and rank the rest in relation to those. Then be honest with yourself and ditch as much lower ranking stuff as you can whilst still leaving a decent amount to wear. Also break it up into categories, so do every single t shirt for example and ditch the least joyful, same with PJs or trousers as a category. Then do the km folding and storing and see how you go. You'll probably find a few more things that you are avoiding wearing. You can also come back and have another go at clothes later if you want. I know that isn't km, butbif you are usexto being a bit of a hoarder, it can take a while to learn how to let go.

Alternatively,if clothes are particularly difficult for some reason, skip them for noe and start on books. Then go back to clothes later.

jem have you read the book? I would strongly recommend doing so as it explores all of these psychological barriers. The audiobook is on YouTube instead of that works better for you?
Honestly, you need very few clothes so don't be afraid to get rid of nearly everything. If you have a pair of jeans, 3 tshirts and a jumper (and a washing machine) you'll survive!

Jemster would it help if you started with tops and then tried things on to make the decision?

I am making a list of items that I will need to fill the gaps in my wardrobe to get to a sort of aspirational capsule wardrobe. I already have a capsule work wardrobe (just 5 dark dresses, some plain some patterned) and its so easy to get ready for work.

As I typed this post I've just thought about 2 vest tops that have to go. One can go in the loft for fancy dress (that's why I bought it originally and it ended up lurking in my main wardrobe for 4 years).

Aha, thank you stiffstink and QwerkyJo. Really helpful list. Am off to do socks, tights and underwear now!

DH got up early this morning, emptied and filled the dishwasher and made himself a Slimming World lunch to take to work. Gobsmacked.

Then as he was kissing everyone goodbye he started singing Quando Quando Quando but sang Kondo Kondo Kondo instead. The crazy levels of tidiness and calm have got to him!

Earlier 4 year old DD announced 'All of my toys spark joy, but Bagpuss sparks the most!'

I've re-Kondoed the airing cupboard and another 5 towels are going. I bought two fluffy new bath towels for the DC yesterday in different colours so that they will each use their own colour and eventually be responsible for their own colour coded stuff. That is if I can get DS to stick to one favourite colour!

Right, here's a question. Tea towels:
Ours live a hard life, they get roped in to mop up all sorts of minging spills etc, dry knives the wrong way round and get cut, all sorts. I have a box of lovely, mostly vintage ones I really like... Under my bed. I put them there because I was getting genuinely stressed out about them getting stained and ruined, and we now use the ones I am more relaxed about (ie don't really like) Clearly this is not the Kondo way... What would you do???

Carry on using the stressed ones until they wear out or put them in the rag bag, then start using your best ones. Let them fulfil their tea towel destiny!

Grubbywindows I would buy some kitchen roll to store near the tea cloths to use for messes and use the nice tea cloth for the drying up only.

You are likely to be more careful when drying the knives, when you really like your tea cloth iyswim.

Then rag your old tea cloths.

Argh babies my ecological conscience won't let me (and I am not the abuser of tea towels in this house....)
You are both right of course, I could even put the grotty tea towels in a box under the sink for the specific purpose of dealing with spills, and enjoy the good ones.

Grotty towels for spills, nice ones for drying up (what else would you ever use them for except taking up some space where you don't see them), and severe chastisement for all who dry knives the wrong way round.

Grubby, I divided a kitchen drawer into 2 sections. The first has the older mop up spills and take camping ones ( that I also never bother ironing) and the back section has the nice ones I only use for proper drying up. All tea towels are folded and stored vertically of course.

was browsing in the charity shop today and realised exactly how much stuff I'd chucked! I kept coming across my clothes and books and was pleased with the prices on them. One boden gold cardi I'd kept for going out but never actually wore as it has a scratchy feel was priced at £14!

It's like I donated £100s to Save the Children 

It's really a win win, because I wouldn't donate that sort of money to the refugee crisis as we haven't loads to spare, but I have plenty of stuff to donate.

The house is looking better, and even feels better. I've still got plenty to do before its done.

My garden needs a kondo too, the bulbs are struggling to be seen through the dead stuff from the winter...

I read a blog about Kondo after seeing this thread- I then dealt with a box of papers and was thrilled at its orderly state

Do I need to buy the book or can you cobble together the method via blogs and YouTube?

Nishky the book is on YouTube as an audio book, that's how I "read" it. It was good because I could fold as I listened!

Thank you. Discordia will look that up!

Having thought I'd dealt with clothes, I found some bags of clothes under the spare bed (I thought only my maternity stuff was under there!) this afternoon. I've obviously not missed any of it so that's another 3 bags for charity!

I've also listed 4 of my 8 outfits on eBay The other 4 will go up when I see how the first 4 sell.

I'm so excited to finally be getting rid of clothes which I absolutely love, but which I will never wear again as im too old!! Letting go of the past and accepting who I am now. That's what it's all about!

Ps these are the clothes that survived the first round of kondoing!!

Trying to Kondo cat toys
Me - Which ones bring you joy?
Them - All of them
Me - Even the ratty old tennis ball?
Them - Especially the ratty old tennis ball
Me - What about the ball of paper you stole from the bin?
Them - What!? Where!? (Chase off round living room like joyful lunatics)
I give up

Cats are ace :)

My book arrived and just as I was in the middle of an massive clear up...ace timing.

Will read tonight and start properly tomorrow.

For the book sorters, if you use Ziffit/WeBuyBooks, open both sites and compare. I had one book rejected by Ziffit but was offered £6 by WBB, and one book offered 10p from WBB, but £4 on Ziffit. Worth checking!

I can understand they don't want to buy very popular books, but I'd happily send them off for free if they were willing to collect! I've still got 50+ here...