Life-changing magic of kondo-ing in 2018 ( Kondo thread 11)

[Gammeldragz]

A new thread for a new year. Come and join us in freeing your home from clutter, keeping only those items which spark joy (in a practical or beautiful way) and keeping everything neat and tidy. It isn't essential to read the book, but if you can it is entertaining and endearing as well as helpful. Some great YouTube videos are available to show 'correct folding method' - I have actually kept my knickers neat and folded since my first Kondo effort several years ago and that part is indeed life changing!
Everything is tackled in categories, the focus is on gathering every item for that category together before sorting - each item must be held and the decision to keep or throw made item by item. Only once the fate of everything in the category has been decided on do you even thing about storage. There is a 'correct' order, but you can be flexible.
Info on the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up - The KonMari Method konmari.com/
www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/nov/27/top-tips-to-joyfully-declutter-your-home-from-marie-kondo

Clothes done and ready for charity shop. Loaded the app to record progress - decided it was more in the spirit than a printed list.
Books next.

How much is the app? Would you recommend it?

App is free . It has a satisfying tick list for each category. But you have to do the categories in order starting with clothes, then books etc although you can deviate within categories. I wanted to do the job in the suggested order so it is perfect for me. You can also load photos to check your progress or even to share with others for encouragement.

I'm off piste. Got a lodger here who is leaving in 3 weeks and my husband won't throw anything away. So it's a battle.

Threw a cleaning bomb in the oven so that looks fab now.

I did a mega clean at the weekend and have gone through half my dressing table. I'll tackle the other half and the plastic box under it during the week. Then I'm on to the pile in the bottom of one of my wardrobes. It is definitely cathartic to have a clear out!

Marie Kondoing talks about how important it is to have a vision for the house - to work towards. I wondered if we could share our visions here

My vision:

I want to live in a house where I don't have a panic if someone unexpected turns up. Where my clean and tidy house is not a last minute panic run-around-the-house show, but how I actually live.

I hate tidying and cleaning, so I want a home where it can be done in minimal time.

I don't want hidden items at the back of cupboards and drawers - I want to know and love what's in my house.

I want my energy to go into living, not sorting and tidying anymore.

And I want that feeling of walking into a tidy and clean house all the time!

I think that's it! I really feeling I'm getting towards the end - momentum is picking up and 'messy' areas and areas that I haven't kondoed have started to stand out.

I love how my autocorrect now turns kondo into Kondoing!

I want my energy to go into living not sorting and tidying anymore - that is the one for me! My house is often quite clean and tidy but it takes up far more of me than I want. I want to use that physical and emotional energy for other things.

My dream is to finally Kondo the sentimental category after a couple of aborted attempts.

We live in quite a big house and tidying and sorting doubles the cleaning time. I want.to be able to breeze round when it comes to cleanung it.

Hello! I'm Shantotto and I'm a filth wizard. I hate to clean and I have a hard time throwing stuff out and I like to collect things AND I have a 2.5 year old DS with crazy amounts I stuff so I'm really drowning.

Ive faced up to the fact I've got to get sorted because it's beginning to annoy me, and I normally love my piles of tat and plastic box full of photos of old boyfriends whose names I can't even remember anymore.

However! I really can't stand the thought of reducing my books anymore or getting rid of my most loved collection of stuff even though it's either been in boxes or unused on shelves for oooh, 10 years?!

Am I a hopeless case? Has anyone ever done just selected bits of Kondo?

Also it suggests doing it all in one go, and I just do not have time/ I'd need to do it in bits. I tried to do my clothes while entertaining my DS and it didn't go so well. I could get DP to take DS out for the entire weekend but I feel I need a sounding board to talk me into stuff to chuck!

I'd love any tips!

@Shantotto by "all in one go" she means over about 6 months. You can start with your undies one evening, and see how you go from there- one day each weekend will do it.
Remember that if it gives you joy... keep with confidence! It's not about making you get rid of the stuff you love, just helping you see clearly what you do love, and what you don't.
I thought I wouldn't have many books to say goodbye to, but in the end we thanked six boxes full and sent them on their way- and still have tons, it's just now it's all books we actually want.

@MessySurfaces Ah that makes more sense! I have only skimmed the book so far! I imagined her not stopping until it was all all done like some dream sorting machine. Now I feel silly.

I know I do need to get rid of this stuff I'm clinging onto, maybe I'm not ready! I think I'll give it a go and then try again in a while and again... until it's finally gone!

I find it easier to empty a drawer or two (for example, if I'm doing the category 'stationery', I'll gather all this together from all over the house.

I'll only out back what I want to keep.

So I'm not decluttering by deciding what I want to get rid of, I'm deciding by keeping only what I love or need.

Yes, dress that exactly- it's positive, isn't it? About choosing our cherished things, and looking after them (and ourselves!).
@Shantotto that's why sentimental is last- you build up your skills!

How's everyone getting on?

I'm slowly getting through categories, but every time I think the end is in sight, we have a weekend and I realise that the house can still descend into chaos

I still need to do bedding
The shed (not sure how to catagorize - maybe all tools etc)
DVDs again
Suitcases/ bags
Pans

I've not been checking in on here like I should but at the weekend me and DH sorted out 4 large storage tubs from the loft. A lot can go to charity and some straight in bin. It was mainly things like DC toys, lots of our books, twee photo frames etc. Also threw away around 20 pairs of earrings I'd forgotten I had so clearly I didn't love them enough

I can't go in the loft due to fear of being eaten by loft spiders and drowning in fibre glass but DH informs me there isn't much else in there that shouldn't be in there.

We are storing things like DC cot bed, my music instruments that I no longer use, Christmas decs, large baby toys that we won't need for a few years or so help me God

Im in

Hmm, think maybe I'll join this thread. I've been on loads of past kondo/decluttering threads and got precisely nowhere.

A couple of years ago I successfully kondoed my clothes and accessories and they're still largely ok. The kids stuff has multiplied so much that it's taken over the entire house, so I think I need to crack on with theirs. I have a little time tomorrow afternoon (if I manage not to fall asleep )

SNow day here and thinking of spending some spare time kondoing the kitchen. We need a new kitchen and I’d like to know how much storage space we actually need as opposed to enough to cram all this never used stuff in. Don’t know where to start though!!

Just placemarking here to keep me on track after mammoth Kondo session 2 years ago.

FINALLY got DH to agree to sort out all his clothes- there is a good side to being snowed in! Then I quite happily sorted out how best to store what he's got to make it easy to find (and put away)