Kondo thread 10

[SnozzberryMincePie]

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

Back at work now but had a successful 5 days Kondo-ing

My Clothes all done
Family outdoor wear and shoes all done
Family toiletries all done
My make up and beauty all done
Books, CD's and DVD's all done
Kitchen cupboards all done
Paperwork all done PLUS the DC's school work/revision guides all sorted. Old stuff not useful to DC2 thrown away. All organised by child by subject in "the cupboard"
Household paperwork all sorted and organised, old stuff shredded (3 fun nights in front of the TV that was!)
Stationery gathered from its Four homes, sorted, thrown and re-organised in its one new home
Kimono stuff all re-homed including 3 drawers of doom (we have a stockpile of light bulbs and batteries some which didn't even work!!!)
DH's "Cables" whittled own from 1 plastic box and 3 drawers to 1 drawer!
The under stairs cupboard sorted, stuff re-homed and organised.
Table linen, bed linen and Towels all sorted and currently going through the washing and ironing cycle before being re organised in their new home. Ironing happening tonight :)
I have done 2 tip runs, 2 charity shop runs and 1 Oxfam bookshop run. I currently have a car full of textiles to recycle - doing that in my lunch break.

So I am very happy but still feel there is some work to do... I would like to go through each room and tweak and give it a deep clean. Back at work now until Thursday so lest see what Friday and the weekend brings.

Hope everyone else is doing okay

Sonnet Do you do home visits? You could be a professional Kondoer!

I am just so desperate for some child free time at home to get really stuck in!! Very jealous, sonnet! You've done amazingly well.

Today I did my Papers. It feels so good because:

• I slimmed it down by over a half.
• It's now all in one place and in order.
• I found some stuff belonging to the ex and although I now need to get them to him, at least now they're not there.

The good thing about Kondo is that it resets your standards. What originally looked empty after clutter removal, now looks normal. When I see something out of place, I now want to put it away, before I didn't even notice things just sitting there.

The bad news is that messy stuff that you happily ignored, now annoys... Like the garage.

The garage.
Oh god, the garage.
It is full of golf stuff, his and mine.
It looks like the storeroom at American Golf, after a tornado.

I can't do it on my own as so much in there is his, although I freely admit that a lot of the crap is mine.
There is no point half Kondoing it.
I can't ignore it as I have to see it every time I put something in the recycling bin.

Alison I would do your half of the garage, it might spur a helpful reaction from your DH. If it doesn't, even doing just your half will make a big difference :)

Or... recycling is now DP's job, until he sorts his half of the golf stuff.

Kondoed another cupboard at work and my bathroom cupboard. Very liberating to get rid of things that, on reflection, I was keeping out of guilt.

Also, I found that I had four eye liners.

I don't wear eye liner.

Two and a half months and we're moving country! Back to Blighty, huzzah!

Have packed almost two boxes (I know, I'm getting ahead of myself) and am getting quotes for moving furniture etc.

And everything has to be sorted before it goes in boxes so...second round of Kondoing, go!

Alison I laughed out loud at American Golf after a tornado. I have a couple of relatives who are really into golf whose garages are similar.

It's been too bloody cold to tackle garage, but at last the weather has turned mild and I have no excuse.
It's such a shit heap that really the only way to do it is full on Kondo, move the cars off the drive on to the road (they can't fit in the garage, see above), move every single thing out of garage onto drive.
Sort, discard, return.
I'm estimating minimum of 4 hours work. Darling H has a limit of about 2 hours...

redMapleLeaf
Did you used to wear eye liner?
Where did it come from?

I've kondoed DS's age 1-2 clothing. Only 16 pairs of jeans this time! That brings his birth to 2 years jeans total to FORTY EIGHT!

Why oh why?!

On the plus side, I have another 2 bin bags for the charity shop and will take those tomorrow. Our town has hundreds of chazzers and I pass several on the way home from dropping DS off.

I've reduced 2 of the 80L boxes of size 1-2 yrs down to 1 box of that size which I am storing for my sister. I have only kept things for her which I would be happy to sell on Ebay, so I am keeping the better quality items, although I doubt that I would ever sell them (can't really be bothered and I don't want DSis to think they have to be kept spotless).

I'm going to review what I've put aside for DD and I'll make a list of things that DD will need in future to go with what we have so I can buy stuff to complete outfits as and when I see what I need.

Is it normal to get a kind of post chuck out panic?

I'm in a crazy nesting phase at the mo as DC2 due any day and I'm desperately trying to clear out my hoarders house from hell so that I can have a serene new start hahahahaha

So yesterday I worked through all the old baby clothes from the loft and DC1's current clothes and I've got 6(!!) huge bin bags ready for the charity shop. I wasn't even being that strict with the spark joy thing as there are plenty of crappy stained suitable for nursery only type clothes in the keep pile.

Am I really going to be ok without all these things? Do you honestly never regret any of the things you let go of?

I'm having a "what if the washing machine breaks down and I need all these extras" type wobble.

Fret not, Betty. I mean, first, how likely is it the washing machine will break down? And second, even if it does, are there no launderettes/neighbours with washing machines/washing machine repair companies/new washing machines available?

I think clothes are the thing that MK suggests starting with because replacing them is relatively easy, and because it gives you confidence in your ability to discern what you like/need/want.

So: you get rid of some stuff, and nothing bad happens. And then you discard some more, and nothing bad happens. And then, somewhere down the line, oh noes! Turns out one of those things would have been useful (out of hundreds given away or recycled or chucked out)!

So you make do for a bit until you can replace it, and you realise you can totally cope, and really, your error rate is very very low, and nothing absolutely hideous happened.

And then you discard some more things, because you don't need the security they represent any more. Because you are now secure in yourself.

Sounds totally woo, I know, but I hope it helps a bit.

Its so easy to put things away now - I am loving this...
No more "where does the stapler live? oh I'll just chuck it in one of those 4 drawers"

I get your garage issues as I still have our 3 Outhouses to do.....Oh my god!!!

Maybe the weekend if the sun shines

I'm going to have a tentative foray into the Garage in the next week.
Garden stuff is a really clear category as is the category of "Haven't a chuffing clue what to do with this item, oh let's chuck it in the garage". (subtitled "Bin it" category)

THere are some garden chemicals that I should get rid of, it seems that my local Council waste recycle place should accept them.

If I can do that, then maybe Mr Wunderland can be encouraged to sort out the Golf Mountain

Have I had post chuck out panic?
I've been hoarding random boxes for gift wrapping in with the Xmas paper, but Hven't used one in the past 3 years, so threw them out.
Then wanted them as drawer dividers to create Sock Heaven, but found freebie shoe boxes do the job just as well.

As yet I have not bought any additional storage items beyond the shoe box dividers.
Have repurposed a few items

Busy day today but managed to take the last of the papers from Tuesday to recycling and ex-partner as appropriate. Also emptied cleaning cupboard and a bit at the amount of stuff in there. Just don't have the energy to finish the job tonight.

Did you used to wear eye liner?

I don't wear it often.

Where did it come from?

I've bought them

redmapleleaf totally understand this, I'm the same with mascara!

My belated wish for a Blue Peter badge led me to this Googled image...

Mentally stored away for future / never use!

toilet roll inners, in case you're wondering!

And finally a use for washi tape!

I am very sure I am not doing this Konmari thing right at all. I am too scared of sorting my clothes, as I hate them all, lol. Guess I will keep those that fit as being warn and dressed will give me joy.

I started sorting out the three massive bags of bedding and have decided to chuck 90% of it and buy eight new sheets as I am sick of mismatching, threadbare, I'll fitting sheets.

My kitchen is getting new bin (easy to clean, none rusty version) and a veg rack !

I am chunking a lot of things but buying stuff too. The new stuff is definitely sparking joy and is needed but I am feeling guilty for not doing things in right order.

Will do my clothes tomorrow !

I wouldn't worry about doing it "right" as long as you're doing something.
I certainly haven't followed the Rules of Saint Marie, but it's working for me

Can I join you tidy ladies/men?

After spending a few months decluttering ruthlessly I've recently read the book and finished mine and the kids clothes category, haven't touched dh's even though I probably could half his without him noticing!

I've decluttered and sorted most papers and put sentimental into one place ready to do at the end and have a free day and night Thursday whilst dc 2&3 are away so hoping to get as much as possible done. But that's including ebaying the bundles of kids clothes and shoes (I've already pictured those). I've got a screenshot of the master list from Pinterest too.

Feeling quietly confident as I have a big cupboard on the landing free to store anything whilst waiting to sell and will do a run to charity shop and dump that afternoon. Am I being totally unrealistic and I'll be sat on the kitchen floor surrounded by pots and pans weeping into a brew and soggy biscuit by midday??