Marie Kondo

[Mikkel]

Anyone discovered this woman and her magic of having a tidy home?

I did last week. After some funny memes about only having 30 books (like, on your nightstand?)

I found her book on Storytel (audio book app), and got hooked. She has so many good points. And those a bit over 4 houers changed my view on a lot of my things.

I had my first clean up after her methods today, and four platic bags of DVDs are picked up today.

 

[Poppy]

I adore her (but I can be a bit of a minimalist, so I like tidy spaces)! I watched a few episodes of her new show and had never seen her fold clothes before - wow! Now my t-shirt drawer looks amazing.

Apparently some of the things she's getting criticized for (waking up the books, thanking the things you discard) come from the Shinto religion, which believes that inanimate objects can receive souls with the passage of time, and so you want to treat nonliving things with respect.

 

[silva]

I need to listen! I think I'm the exact opposite of Poppy
I definitely hold on to things, and while I haven't gone off the edge, I have to do major clean ups maybe 2-4 times a year. I hate when I get to the end of any kind of bottle. I stress about recycling, about not being able to find the same thing, or unsure if I want to buy it again, so I keep the last bits of things until I make myself go through them all.
I realized how bad I was when I sold my big house and bought a smaller one. I was floored by how much stuff I had! So little that I wanted,so much junk!
I'm in need of decluttering. My house is small and I'm so happy that it makes it so obvious, and so much easier, to get it all straight
I've binge watched the show Hoarders

 

[Mikkel]

I'm not at the thank you part. But I've always treated my things with respect, even as a kid.

I did things in a bit different order, as I thought I would only do the DVDs today. But I end up doing my books and most of my clothes. My drawers and boxes looks good now. I got rith of two trash bags of clothes, a lot of DVDs, half of my dog books and half of my cook books.

I got shocked about how much clothes I have, thinking I don't like to shop clothes. And use so little of it.

I like the spark of joy thought of it. Just keeping things you enjoy.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I tried this, but I turned off about 20 minutes. I did find the thanking the clothes part a bit silly, but the thing is I am already on the minimalist track so I'm not sure how much I would learn from it.

Last week I went to a hostel book exchange and left about 25 books and took 1. I have managed to convert my book cupboard into the book, music and DVD cupboard and soon will have a space free for something else.

 

[Mischief]

I have had to sort through so many households and offices of people who have died that I'm pretty ruthless at getting rid of stuff.

But, and this is a big "but" - people find that spark of joy in different things. For instance, limiting books to a small number - that's ridiculous, for someone who loves books. I have purged my books, but it's because reading has become much less pleasurable for me because of my eyesight. I've never bought a book I didn't intend to read more than once, and I still had thousands (all of which I had read more than once). I'm in the process of what will be my final book purge. I'm keeping only those which I reread on a regular basis and which are also not readily available from the library. I will still be left with hundreds.

 

[shyvas]

The only magic thing that Marie ( she is certainly very sweet person) has, is that she is making millions by teaching people the obvious. Sparks of job or dismay may be different to each and everyone of us.

I think that it's OK if you are in between being a serious hoarder and a minimalist freak. A home shouldn't look like a laboratory or neither a run down warehouse.

 

[Mikkel]

With millions saying a prayer to God before each meal, it's no different saying thanks to an item. It's two side of the same thing. We are just used to the prayers for the meals. Not that I will say thanks to my items, nor a prayer for my food.

And the books are the thing we get upset of, as we really think she means only 30 books. But for book lovers, the will be more books that give you a spark of joy. And then you should keep more too. But not the books you got as a gift that you never will read, just because it was a gift and never will read. I tend to keep only the ones I reread myself, so few normal books was cleaned out.

I get stuck fast in "I spent money on this, so I need to keep it". Special with dog books, cook books and DVDs. So I end up with cookbooks I can use two recipes from, a dog book from a person I think has nothing to learn me, methods that was outdated 20 years ago or way below my level (it's like keeping a book "how to knit a square" when you knit the most amaizing clothes). And way too much DVDs... And I have both Netflix and HBO...

 

[Mikkel]

Btw. Having a tidy home isn't obvious. I know people I try not to visit because of their house. It's not plesant to be in such an untidy and filthy place.

A lot of people put the reason they don't want drop in visitors is because they need to tide the house first. So their house do set an limit to social life too.

I'm not at this level at all. Well, today my floor has stacks of books, but they will be gone in a short while.

 

[PTree15]

I purged a lot when I moved into my house, but I still could do more. My issue is music and books. I could stand to donate a few more. I have heard of Marie Kondo, but I haven't delved into her strategies for a tidy home. I do have trouble parting with things sometimes, but in my last purge, I told myself that someone else could get pleasure from the things I donated. When I think of it that way, it's easier for me to part with things.

 

[Poppy]

I need to listen! I think I'm the exact opposite of Poppy

I'm in need of decluttering. My house is small and I'm so happy that it makes it so obvious, and so much easier, to get it all straight

When I say that I'm a minimalist, its more of a state of mind than the actual state of my house!

You would never walk into my house and say "Wow, this woman is a minimalist!!!" But I've taught myself to make the "rounds" fairly frequently and reevaluate nearly everything. And yes, I love having a small house too. We have a local "Buy Nothing" group and I'm always posting things for pick up.

I actually tried to do a Project 333 wardrobe a few years back. It really helped me get a grip on my clothes and I now have a much more paired down wardrobe. Granted, I don't have a real job and tend to spend my time with either with dogs or in paint, so I don't need a whole lot of nice clothes. But I did decide to keep only black accessories (shoes, boots, purses) keep my bottom half covered in jeans and black slacks/skirts (and a pair of white jeans for summer), and my jackets in the grey/black color spectrum. So the only vivid color I have is in my tops, dresses and scarves. It's really worked for me and made shopping so much easier.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

I just went and counted and I have 107 books in the book cupboard. It must have been 200 a few years ago when the book cupboard was full and books were piled up on top of each other. I have rarely book any physical books in recent years, (only as an exchange where I give away a greater number).

I go Kindle now. Kindle is very minimalist because I have 120 books taking up the space of 1. Including my Kindle books, the number of books I own is not that different to a few years ago.

 

[Mikkel]

Things like Kindle and audiobook apps are helpful getting lesser books in the shelfs. I have my favorites for hollidays in my car, I prefer not using Storytel for long car rides, as I have no AUX connection in my car. I find the selection of audiobooks very limited in the library and often damaged too.

I've seen all the Netflix shows too now. I love that they allready had mixed gender couples. I found part of myself in several of them, clinging to items that do not give me anything.

But as for living in Norway I do have clothes that don't spark me much joy, but I will freeze to death without.

I grew up with years of powerty. But with an amaizing mom, I never understood how bad it was bad it was before I grew up. I also was a easy kid, not having any interest in clothes and shoes. But it have made me keep a lot of stuff just in case.

So this is was I have taken out from this

- Clean up in cathegories. I did room by room, and that didn't work well before in every items. Getting it all out did give me an insane amount of clothes. I also found great clothes I never use in bottom of boxes and bags.

- My "dog outfits" should spark me joy, so out with a lof of old and ugly stuff.

- My drawers and boxes are looking good. And it's really calming picking out clothes now. And easy to keep a good view what I have.

- It will be easier to access and use cookbooks when they are sorted and kept to the ones inspiring me.

- Don't attach too much feeling to items that isn't of real emotional value.

- Some items were ment to only be used for one time, and that's okey.

For me, this became also a mental prosess, as I'm such a mess now after I lost my girls. I still have a lot to go through, I need to get rith of the stacks of books first.

 

[shyvas]

I purged a lot when I moved into my house, but I still could do more. My issue is music and books. I could stand to donate a few more. I have heard of Marie Kondo, but I haven't delved into her strategies for a tidy home. I do have trouble parting with things sometimes, but in my last purge, I told myself that someone else could get pleasure from the things I donated. When I think of it that way, it's easier for me to part with things.

Subject to having space, I find that there is something comforting about having a book case. I absolutely love books and despite having a small flat, I have quite a few. I sometimes part with a few of them, which are always donated to charity.

 

[KLS52]

 

[Mikkel]

This was the thing that sent me off for checking her out. We had a lot of fun with this in a book group, so I just needed to find out what it was about, as those who had read her book said it wasn't about this.

And it's not about discarding, but identifying the things that gives you the sparks of joy. If 14 black yogapants do it, you should keep them. But not the pink one you hate, that you got from your aunt Maggie that you even don't like.

 

[Jamie in Chile]

My screwdriver never fills me with any joy, neither does the spare light bulb, but it would be silly to get rid of them. (Of course, minimalists are not advocating for that either, but some of the message has got a bit lost.)

How about this (if you say no to all 3 questions you get rid)

Do I really need it?
Do I get joy from this?
Will I use this in the next 12 months?

 

[Mikkel]

A lot of things are pure neccesary. You need pots and pans, toilet paper, women's products, tools etc.

Her methods aren't for everyone.

Some people are minimalistic, some are hoarders. Most of us are something in between. But even though having a tidy home should be obvious, for many it isn't. Not that a house need to look like a show house all the time, but having over guest without having them help clean first should be a must (yeah, I have even had to tide other people's kitchen from food scraps when invited over for dinner ..)

 

[Mikkel]

I guess there is someone out there like this now too.

 

[Mischief]

One person's trash is another person's treasure....