Kondo thread 10

[SnozzberryMincePie]

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

Betty I put them in a bag labelled rags and put it in a textiles recycling bank or give to charity shops (after checking they accept them).

I reduced the 0-12 months clothing to 2 x 80L boxes which I'm pleased about, especially as I had 3 x 80L and also found a huge carrier bag too. A huge sack went straight to a charity shop. I've got 5 items in the wash to see if I can get them clean enough to donate, otherwise they're in the rag bag.

I haven't got the same volume of larger size clothes because a small baby goes through sizes quicker but there are still 4 x 80L boxes in the loft. I reckon I can reduce those by 50% too, freeing up 2 boxes for the current outgrown stuff piled up in the nursery!

DS starts school in Sept and he is going to need far fewer clothes than he currently has. I'm hoping he'll be in shorts for most of the summer which makes the growth spurts less obvious!

I can't wait to get started on this. I've ordered the book but still waiting for it to arrive. I'm hoping that the bits that everyone is saying makes Marie a bit 'bonkers' will be what helps me the most. I really like the idea that you say 'thank you' to things before throwing them away, I think that will take away a lot of the guilt for me. I not a hoarder but I do find throwing things away really sad sometimes and although there is nothing I regret getting rid of I do sometimes feel like a bad person for not keeping stuff - like the kids baby toys etc. Crazy hey?

We're in the process of moving house - fingers crossed it all goes through ok - so I'm not sure whether I will be able to follow the program correctly but I definitely want to read the book before we move so I can implement it as we unpack. I've been sorting through things for a couple of weeks now, throwing things out I don't want to take but I know I've kept a lot I don't really want.

Sorry this is long, but just wanted to also say: I've been reading the older threads too and it's been really comforting to find out that I'm not the only person in the world who sometimes dreads receiving more gifts from family. Christmas is sometimes quite a stressful time as I sit there looking at everything and thinking 'where am I going to put it all?' I don't mean to sound ungrateful but sometimes the amount is overwhelming. I feel our house is full of 'stuff', it's not like everything is an individual item any more but just part of a huge group of 'stuff'.

Great to see it's working very well for everyone. :-)

Right - my 4 days start today! Clothes first so just about to iron what is in the basket first!
Typical that I feel ill though.....

Yesterday I tackled the bathroom cupboards after first collecting similar stuff that belongs there from round the house.
I smugly thought "this won't be too bad" as I thought it's not that long since I last did them.
Wrong!

A couple of weeks ago we "ran out of toothpaste" so had to really squeeze the tube to get enough to clean teeth before being able to get to shops to buy more.
I bought 2 tubes, one to use, one spare.

This is what my Kondoing revealed...

Also 5 packs of dental floss...

Help!!!! Folding pants not going well they won't stand up!!!!

I wouldn't worry about them not standing to attention.
The Youtube vids always show her balancing them on one edge all on their own. I assume hers are made of sterner stuff than mine.

Once you have a dozen in a drawer they can loll against each other like a drunken hen party!
I have got a load of shoe boxes (thank you to Local Clarks shop) and have a lid of correct size (baby shoes!) with a few pairs in, which can slide up to act as a bookend when your drawer is running low on laundry day

Ha ha re toothpaste Alisonwunderland

And yes my knickers are "lolling" against each other

I'm enjoying re-purposing things...
Thanks to the plastic bag charge, I have finally got to the bottom of the enormous pile of bags under sink and stuffed into IKEA bag holder which is now empty.
(My Tesco Orla Kiely bags bring me much more Joy!)
It was about to go into the Out pile until I remember someone on one of these threads using theirs for wrapping paper storage. So it's having a second life

I have achieved very little in my life, with one exception, of which I am inordinately proud. My knickers stand up independently.

I lay them out, fold up the gusset, fold them in half then half again. If I have succeeded in helping just 1 MNetter to have standy-up knickers, my life will not be wasted.

Oh and if you see me on the tele receiving a Nobel Prize for Gifts to Humanity. I will be the short, grey haired one with the large nose.

QuerkyJo
Thank you for that!
I have had a knicker cull and 3 more pairs in the wash. I don't think they look toooooo bad now!
Nobel Prize here you come

Sonnet I am awarding you the 'Student of the Year' trophy. As this is a Kondo thread, there is no actual trophy for you to take to the Charity Shop. There is however copious amounts of Gin and Champagne. Which means that even if you can't stand at least your knickers will.

My knickers are always falling down...

wine is actually in the fridge for later!
Thank you Quirky and Alison for your support today - hope you will be around tomorrow for books, paperwork and stationery....
Update for today: Just taking a breather... ALL my clothes are done ( 5 bin bags in car to dispose of between charity shop and rag), all the families outdoor coats and shoes done, jewellery done, make up and beauty stuff done last week. About to start the chest of drawers full of family sports kit and the towel cupboard on the landing. Feeling really pleased with myself 😄

Tomorrow is going to be a long day - 7.30 start planned!

Impressive sonnet
You've definitely earned your wine!

I started the Drawer of Doom today. And its disappointing sequel Drawer of Doom 2- Even More Random Crap.
Yes that's a location, not a category, but I chucked half the contents and am now trying to define a category for a few of the remaining objects so that I can go hunting for their long lost siblings in the correct Kondo manner.

Glad other people are finding dragging categories together a job of it's own !

I have a sofa of dvds which I thought could be sorted until I remembered we keep some upstairs with the kids tv.

I have two chest of drawers in the living room. Full of odds and sods. So I will chuck all that I can and take the rest to our room dumping ground whilst I find the rest of the categories they belong too iyswim.

Well I've done books but still need to put back
Done paperwork
Doing school and revision stuff....
Then need to rev organise that cuboard to contain paperwork as well.
Also need to do CDs and DVDs
Hard work....

6th pack of dental floss found in kitchen drawer today!

There's a few things I can't see myself putting away, like measurements of room needing new furniture, my tablet headphones,

I'm seriously thinking of allowing myself a small box file for things that have no home!

Cupboard under sink done today.

Anyone else's DH totally unsupportive?

I think the D H getting on board takes time .One day after 3 months of me gradually clearing our house my OH came downstairs with 40 years of paperwork. As an accountant he never threw any papers away. Car documents, invoices, receipts, a whole wardrobe full reduced to one shelf. Me and the kids were in total shock.

Hmmm maybe I need to be more patient. I started in November but have stopped for 6 weeks as have been so poorly. Started again last week.

I am getting a bit disheartened. I have done almost our entire home alone and it doesn't look very different apart from over 1,500 books going.

Ive binned/given away about 30 bin bags from cupboards etc plus have a charity shop bag on the go at all times. His crap belongings are everywhere & it's driving me bonkers.

I'm so proud of what I have achieved so far, this morning I said to DH "doesn't the house look better?"

*bemused expression from DH..."looks the same to me"

I suppose it nearly does as most of the tidiness is inside drawers and cupboards he rarely looks inside.
And maybe the fact that EVERY surface no longer is decorated with 3 pens or pencils (2 of which are useless), 4 golf tees, a screwed up receipt and 73p in loose change doesn't actually register with him

alison exactly that! Every drawer is tidy. Every cupboard is done now. And he hasn't made a single positive comment.