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The KonMari Method


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I finished the book and I'm ready to start this week. I'm super excited. Does anyone have any BTDT advice? Success stories?

 

I'm currently in love with the phrases "unhurried spaciousness" and "ultimate simplicity". Aren't they lovely?

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My biggest suggestion is fold clothes the way she suggests.  It takes up so little space.  I was able to combine clothing for 3 kids in a 6 drawer dresser and a hanging bar in the closet.  It allowed me to get rid of a dresser.  Folding her way takes the same amount of time and it has been easy to keep clothes organized.  I will say I refuse to talk to my belongings

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My biggest suggestion is fold clothes the way she suggests. It takes up so little space. I was able to combine clothing for 3 kids in a 6 drawer dresser and a hanging bar in the closet. It allowed me to get rid of a dresser. Folding her way takes the same amount of time and it has been easy to keep clothes organized. I will say I refuse to talk to my belongings

What happens when the drawer becomes half empty? Don't all the clothes get all floppy?

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What happens when the drawer becomes half empty? Don't all the clothes get all floppy?

Well I have something similar to what is linked below in the middle of each drawer(the thinner box.) I put one type of clothes in them and 2 other types, one on each side, and it being in there keeps it all pretty tight. Tight in the sense that the clothes rely on the side of the drawer and the bin for support and not the clothes that are touching them. Not tight in the sense that it is hard to get them in and out.

 

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00300292/

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I have only done my clothes so far. I love the closet organization rules. Graduating longer to shorter to the right. Now when I hang up laundry I put it right where it goes, not just haphazardly putting it anywhere. I have stuck with it for two weeks now and haven't faltered. It feels so good.

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We did it right before our downsize. I now have four kids sharing one closet, and I'm sharing a closet with my husband for the first time ever. Previously, we all had very generously sized walk-in closets.

 

I got rid of about 2/3 of what I owned. It has been incredibly freeing!  It's also helped slow down my desire to purchase stuff.  I'm much more cautious about making sure I really love something before I buy it.

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What happens when the drawer becomes half empty? Don't all the clothes get all floppy?

 

No, if it's done right, they'll stand up on their own.  

's a video (in Japanese) of her folding t-shirts.  Flimsy blouses and stuff like that I still hang, but anything t-shirt weight I'll fold that way.

 

I haven't been able to do the purge the way she suggests, but I did make sure that everything I packed before we moved "sparked joy."  We got rid of so much stuff!  There's still lots of room for improvement - I'm really bad with my kid's toys and my craft stuff - but it's definitely changed what sort of stuff we bring into our house.

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I haven't even finished the book and we've hauled off truckloads of stuff. It works. It's insane, but it works. I am so much more willing to just get it out of here now.

 

My younger kids' room went from a pigsty with no storage left for anything to a room with a half empty toy box and drawers empty. The kids are so unbelievably happy with how easy their room is to clean now.

 

I've done my clothes and my yarn as well as some of the living room and dining room junk. Homeschool stuff is next on the agenda!

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What happens when the drawer becomes half empty? Don't all the clothes get all floppy?

 

This is where I differ from her. I roll the shirts instead of fold them, so I can avoid the floppiness. I have antique dressers that sometimes stick in the humidity...

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I just picked up the book. I'm still trying to visualize how I want my life to be. Is that really important? The visualizing?

 

Visualizing, no. Having a general idea of your goal is.

 

For me, I wanted to have a space that was easy to keep clean and uncluttered so that I could relax in the evenings. I wanted things to have a designated place so that I didn't have to hunt all over the house for things stored in random locations. That was my "life visualization". Crap is still flying out of the back door regardless. :) I disregard some of the mystical stuff, obviously. (I've only asked a few things if they sparked joy. Most of it already knew the answer.)

 

What I have gained from it is that I am much more ruthless about just getting rid of it. The attachment to stuff is lessening, and it's become contagious. That utter nonsense she speaks about tidying your own areas and others will follow along? It works. My daughter the near hoarder saw what was going on in the rest of the house, asked for the book on her Kindle, and has a much improved room. It's not perfect yet, but it's awesome. My younger daughter and son share a room, and their room is entirely different. Everything has a place, and it takes them less than 10 minutes to straighten things in the evening. It's awesome.

 

The question I gave my kids was not "does it spark joy?" but "do I love this enough to take care of it and be responsible for picking it up and putting it away every day?" It's amazing how well that question worked for them.

 

Now if only I had time to attack my bedroom...

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I see my problem, she says she had to get to the third chapter to stop laughing. I don't think I made it that far.

 

Does anyone have trouble with the "sparking joy?" When it comes to clothes, my wedding dress is about it. The rest are things I have to wear so I'm not naked. So much is in the category of "cable I need to use projector" and "X kitchen thing I need to cook Y."

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I see my problem, she says she had to get to the third chapter to stop laughing. I don't think I made it that far.

 

Does anyone have trouble with the "sparking joy?" When it comes to clothes, my wedding dress is about it. The rest are things I have to wear so I'm not naked. So much is in the category of "cable I need to use projector" and "X kitchen thing I need to cook Y."

No, you aren't the only one! And I read it all, but didn't stop laughing at all.

 

I prefer William Morris's " Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." Most things in my house fall into the useful category. If I only kept stuff that "sparked joy" I'd have an empty kitchen and almost no clothes at all. Can't say toothbrushes or the vacuum cleaner have much joy to them, but I definitely need them.

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Does anyone have trouble with the "sparking joy?" When it comes to clothes, my wedding dress is about it. The rest are things I have to wear so I'm not naked. So much is in the category of "cable I need to use projector" and "X kitchen thing I need to cook Y."

 

You really don't find joy in your kitchen things?

My yellow breakfast dishes and the red serving bowl make me smile, I love using my non-stick pans, and DD definitely finds her red spatula, the professional looking set of nesting glass bowls, and her culinary torch spark joy. Having good tools for a task is a great feeling. I totally get the "sparking joy" thing even for household things.

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I have a more basic mantra that I use: "Do I want it, or do I need it?" Very rarely do I NEED something.  Consequently, not much stuff around here.

 

I only talk to some of my "stuff" and only on certain, special occasions: "Don't you do it....no....don't quit on me.....DANG!"  "Honey, I killed the weed-whacker again!" :glare:

 

 

 

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I haven't read the book, but have read some of the blog posts. I get the sparking joy comment and have tried to use that as part of making everything in my home intentional. 

 

I find intentional less ethereal than sparking joy. I get both. My dinner plates spark joy. I bought square clear glass plates and bowls after the divorce. Every time I use them, I feel a sense of pride and joy. Not the teary sense, but like it reflects who I want to be. 

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You really don't find joy in your kitchen things?

My yellow breakfast dishes and the red serving bowl make me smile, I love using my non-stick pans, and DD definitely finds her red spatula, the professional looking set of nesting glass bowls, and her culinary torch spark joy. Having good tools for a task is a great feeling. I totally get the "sparking joy" thing even for household things.

 

Yes for some, no for others.  My fiesta mixing bowls bring me joy.  But not my tongs.  Still need tongs.  

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You really don't find joy in your kitchen things?

My yellow breakfast dishes and the red serving bowl make me smile, I love using my non-stick pans, and DD definitely finds her red spatula, the professional looking set of nesting glass bowls, and her culinary torch spark joy. Having good tools for a task is a great feeling. I totally get the "sparking joy" thing even for household things.

 

No - I don't get that joy from kitchen things.  I can imagine using that criterion for clothes, books and garden tools, but not kitchen equipment.

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I see my problem, she says she had to get to the third chapter to stop laughing. I don't think I made it that far.

 

Does anyone have trouble with the "sparking joy?" When it comes to clothes, my wedding dress is about it. The rest are things I have to wear so I'm not naked. So much is in the category of "cable I need to use projector" and "X kitchen thing I need to cook Y."

I bought the book on my nook about two months ago but haven't finished reading it yet. Questioning whether things spark joy is silly for me as well. With clothing, I would probably substitute that question.

 

Do I like the way this looks on me? Does it make me feel good/confident when I wear it?

 

I already had clothing under control, and even hung clothes as she suggested before I read it. But paper is out of control and needs to be tamed. Also kids' toys. I'm not sure how I'm going to go about that with a four year old. My six year old might get it, but then my sentimental (about the kids' childhood) husband may get in the way. This thread has reminded me to finish the darn book that I had put aside and forgotten.

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I had a hard time with the sparking joy question until I thought about it as if it brought me joy that this item was fulfilling its task. For example, my kitchen aid mixer brings me joy when I realize I would have to spend more time hand mixing if I didn't have it. Whereas, my food processor didn't bring me joy because I could chop veggies faster by hand than using it and having to clean all the components.

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I read the book. Mostly laughed. And I am a very committed uncluttered. I did get a few good ideas.

 

The folding thing sounds great. But my kids (at least the 7 + 5 yr olds) fold and put away their own clothing. And take out their clothing to get dressed. And I am NOT starting to do that for them just for perfect folding.

 

I don't know - I prefer as little clutter as possible. But she nearly deifies things and that doesn't sit quite right with me.

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I've heard a lot about this book. In fact, I think there have been other threads here about it. I really needed to place an Amazon order anyway, and this put me over the $35 for free shipping. ;) So it's on its way! Thanks for reminding me about it!

 

You really don't find joy in your kitchen things?

My yellow breakfast dishes and the red serving bowl make me smile, I love using my non-stick pans, and DD definitely finds her red spatula, the professional looking set of nesting glass bowls, and her culinary torch spark joy. Having good tools for a task is a great feeling. I totally get the "sparking joy" thing even for household things.

Yes, I totally get this. Not a jumping up and down estatic joy, but some things, even everyday tools, do give me joy. I replaced these cheap plastic mixing bowls that I'd had for ages with pyrex mixing bowls from the 1940's and 50's that I gradually collected at antique and second-hand shops. I don't know why I love them so much, but I adore them!

 

For many years, I put up with this annoying canister vacuum cleaner. I know a lot of people prefer canisters, but I hate them. I have to push one thing in front of me and drag another thing behind me? No thanks. Finally bought a nice, super light-weight upright vacuum, and I love it. That's joy. Even in the mundane.

 

I have this old hand-me-down set of steak knives that are in terrible shape. It would bring me great joy to replace them!

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I haven't read the book, though I've watched her on youtube. I've thought about reading it but I'm on a dwcluttering roll without it. The main question I ask myself is "is this item primarily a blessing or a burden to me/my family?"

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Yes for some, no for others. My fiesta mixing bowls bring me joy. But not my tongs. Still need tongs.

Idk. Ever had a pair of crappy tongs? Throwing those out and getting a decent pair brings me joy as in "gosh, these tongs work so well". That is part of what I got out of the book. I've slowly started replacing things I was just tolerating. Down with crappy tongs!

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Idk. Ever had a pair of crappy tongs? Throwing those out and getting a decent pair brings me joy as in "gosh, these tongs work so well". That is part of what I got out of the book. I've slowly started replacing things I was just tolerating. Down with crappy tongs!

We've been doing this for a while. Next on the list is spatulas. I also want a Blendtec and fiesta ware. I might build up a fiesta ware collection slowly. Ooh, maybe some nice bakeware. I haven't had caffeine yet so I'm exempt from spelling corrections, but I love to cook and some nice kitchen things definitely spark joy. We've also replaced our shoes with really good ones.

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I bought the book on my nook about two months ago but haven't finished reading it yet. Questioning whether things spark joy is silly for me as well. With clothing, I would probably substitute that question.

 

Do I like the way this looks on me? Does it make me feel good/confident when I wear it?

 

I already had clothing under control, and even hung clothes as she suggested before I read it. But paper is out of control and needs to be tamed. Also kids' toys. I'm not sure how I'm going to go about that with a four year old. My six year old might get it, but then my sentimental (about the kids' childhood) husband may get in the way. This thread has reminded me to finish the darn book that I had put aside and forgotten.

I am no fan of the book but did go through my clothes.  Instead of asking if something sparked joy I put the actual clothes on and asked myself:

 

"If I was at the store right now, would I buy this?"  And it had to be with how it looked today, not 10 lbs. ago.

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Maybe you have to be without the tongs for awhile to decide they spark joy? Mine let other family members cook. That is a happy thing. I,m generally allergic to kitchen equipment and dislike cooking, but the things that make my life easier, our pretty dishes, and the things I remember my grandmother using all spark joy. These are the tools of my job. I have gone to some effort to find the things that are useful for ME, fit ME, and truly work, rather than just pretend to work. I take satisfaction in feeding my family but I like to do it with as little effort as possible.

 

Imagine getting rid of all your kitchen equipment and then trying to feed your family. Picture the struggle. Then decide which things to keep. Maybe that would help?

 

Nan

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I've heard a lot about this book. In fact, I think there have been other threads here about it. I really needed to place an Amazon order anyway, and this put me over the $35 for free shipping. ;) So it's on its way! Thanks for reminding me about it!

 

 

Yes, I totally get this. Not a jumping up and down estatic joy, but some things, even everyday tools, do give me joy. I replaced these cheap plastic mixing bowls that I'd had for ages with pyrex mixing bowls from the 1940's and 50's that I gradually collected at antique and second-hand shops. I don't know why I love them so much, but I adore them!

 

For many years, I put up with this annoying canister vacuum cleaner. I know a lot of people prefer canisters, but I hate them. I have to push one thing in front of me and drag another thing behind me? No thanks. Finally bought a nice, super light-weight upright vacuum, and I love it. That's joy. Even in the mundane.

 

I have this old hand-me-down set of steak knives that are in terrible shape. It would bring me great joy to replace them!

 

I see it that way, too. I didn't enjoy paying for a Dyson, but given that I vacuum twice a day due to my dog's constant shedding and have killed many lesser vacuums within weeks, working with a tool that works so well and is so easy to take apart when my daughter Rapunzel's hair tangles up the brush does bring me joy.

 

Even mundane things can bring joy if they help you to accomplish unpleasant tasks in an easier, more productive manner.

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Ok, I am almost done with my clothes. Even the ones I kept out of guilt because I liked them in the store, brought them home, thought I could make them work, wore them a couple of times out of guilt and then... Today I admitted to myself they just didn't work, thanked them for teaching me a lesson that tryng to "make them work" never works and I need to keep the tags on and return them, even if it is a hassle. It does seem kind of weird talking to your clothes, but it does seem to alleviate some of that guilt about wasting $. Plus it reinforces to me that I have learned a lesson and will do better next time. I got three big bags going to Goodwill and lots of empty hangers in the closet that will be tossed as well. It is liberating.

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Ok, I am almost done with my clothes. Even the ones I kept out of guilt because I liked them in the store, brought them home, thought I could make them work, wore them a couple of times out of guilt and then... Today I admitted to myself they just didn't work, thanked them for teaching me a lesson that tryng to "make them work" never works and I need to keep the tags on and return them, even if it is a hassle. It does seem kind of weird talking to your clothes, but it does seem to alleviate some of that guilt about wasting $. Plus it reinforces to me that I have learned a lesson and will do better next time. I got three big bags going to Goodwill and lots of empty hangers in the closet that will be tossed as well. It is liberating.

:party:  :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:

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I have been thinking about this thread as I clear out my "homeschool supply shelves" to replace the colored paper with survival gear for the PNW earthquake that's going to bring down half the state.  :scared:  :scared: .

 

I read the book a few months ago. I already LOVE to declutter. It felt like there was a large cultural gap for me (I don't thank inanimate objects for their service regularly, or ever), but I do think about if items "spark joy" now. It did help me clear out guilt items from my house. Since I am down to my last homeschooler, i have tons of stuff that can be released to others.

 

Forgive the language, but a site I like to look at for inspiration is here: http://unfuckyourhabitat.tumblr.com What I notice in the before and after photos is the large amount of STUFF that remains after clean up. It usually still looks overly full to me. It inspires me to MOVE IT OUT.

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Ok, I am almost done with my clothes. Even the ones I kept out of guilt because I liked them in the store, brought them home, thought I could make them work, wore them a couple of times out of guilt and then... Today I admitted to myself they just didn't work, thanked them for teaching me a lesson that tryng to "make them work" never works and I need to keep the tags on and return them, even if it is a hassle. It does seem kind of weird talking to your clothes, but it does seem to alleviate some of that guilt about wasting $. Plus it reinforces to me that I have learned a lesson and will do better next time. I got three big bags going to Goodwill and lots of empty hangers in the closet that will be tossed as well. It is liberating.

 

Yeah, I found the... is animism the right word?... really silly while reading the book, but in reality the process really helped me.  I don't believe that my possessions are unhappy when I'm not using them or anything like that, but I do have strong emotional attachments to some items.  For instance, I had these little glass tea light holders that used to sit on the kitchen counter of our first house.  They weren't particularly nice or anything, and they were super impractical with a toddler, but I kept holding on to them because they represented that particular period in our lives together.  After reading the book, I did that silly little "thank your object" thing with the candle holders and finally let them go.  For whatever reason, expressing that gratitude was the final step for getting rid of a lot of impractical tchotchkes I was keeping for sentimental reasons.  

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The book is really great. I find her method really powerful. It turns out that I used a lot of these ideas without realizing it in order to severely downsize before our big move here. I had bookshelves stashed alll over my small house in VA so I didn't ever really get the scope of the amount of books we owned. It was also harder to see what we really had to prevent purchasing the same book a few times or getting yet another book on dinosaurs when we already had 26 (true story!) I took them all out of every spot and plopped them on the living room floor and went to town in one night until they were all sorted. Seeing all of one category in one place is so huge!!! It really helps you grasp the actuality of your situation. 

 

I think this book has also just forced me to be more conscious of our space, our things, whether we need to purchase something, and how to live in an intentional space. She was a bit on her high-horse and all that jazz but her method is sound, IMO.

 

Getting the kids on board hasn't been easy though. They don't care much for their clothes so that was easy. But their toys?! Forget it. We need a mom to translate this method into 'how to help your pint-sized stuffed animal hoarder'. 

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