Tidying up and KonMari

[alotofyarn]

Feeling overwhelmed by the stuff again today... especially when I think about the new things E is getting for her birthday and Christmas. I'm going to get a small shelf to help contain her toy a bit more, but I still have to figure out where to put her kitchen.

[alotofyarn]

Closet is almost half empty! Remaining stuff is hubby's, plus a drawer of my fabric that needs to be moved to my craft shelf. Hall closet is now full, and we need to seriously purge and organize, but at least there's room for C!





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[spotty_dog]

Feeling overwhelmed by the stuff again today... especially when I think about the new things E is getting for her birthday and Christmas. I'm going to get a small shelf to help contain her toy a bit more, but I still have to figure out where to put her kitchen.

Good luck!

[alison]

Would you be offended if you were to receive this book as a gift? I'm planning on getting my parents a new Dyson. They love the one we got for them a few years ago, but it doesn't have as many features as the new handhelds have. I was thinking of adding this book to the gift, because the author is Japanese, and they LOVE all things Japanese... They are hoarders and shuffle things from room to room, but never get rid of anything. When I was there last, they'd just bought a good two dozen shoebox size plastic bins to keep their shit in. Each bin has like 2 or 3 small things in it. It makes no sense to me.... So, what do you guys say about the book as a gift--offensive or not?

[spotty_dog]

Hm. Probably depends a LOT on your relationship with them. Are they prone to assuming passive-aggression in the things you do or say? Or do they ascribe good motives to most stuff?

In the Facebook group I'm in, several people have given the book to family members with psychological hoarding-type attachment to their stuff, and had an enthusiastic and grateful response. It can work!

[alison]

Thanks! I think I'll play it safe and not get the book for them. I know they're overburdened by the sheer amount of stuff they have, but never manage to make headway with sorting through and getting rid of junk.

[ladymoreta]

I wondered the same thing, [MENTION=1090]alison[/MENTION]. I think my mom would really enjoy going through her things and having "permission" to get rid of a bunch of it, but I am also afraid she'd feel embarrassed that I was telling her she needed to tidy her house. She actually keeps it very clean, but she also tends to keep everything, so it's very full.

[gcuthbe1]

Just a suggestion... My sister got it "for me" and yes I was offended. However, I wouldn't like to get a vacuum as a gift either, so to each their own! I would suggest buying it for yourself and talking to them about how much you enjoyed reading it, then offering to lend it them if they sound interested (just like lending someone any other book you own and enjoyed). However, you might find that they're not interested.

My grandpa likes to keep tons of stuff. Is it hoarding a good thing? No. But does it effect his life or health negatively? Not right now. So, we try to leave this 86 yo independent man alone on this point, cleaning when he lets us, and taking things he offers us.

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[alotofyarn]

Baby C's crib and dresser are in, so I need to start clearing more stuff out of the actual room and not just the closet. And maybe order a mattress, bedding, and curtains to go in there eventually too.

[spotty_dog]

I had stalled out for a while, but at least mostly kept up on what was already done. But I got a second wind recently, and the kids have now done their craft supplies and magic tricks and "Tell Me a Story" cards, while I have finally tackled my own toiletries and makeup. I think I might have to say thanks but no thanks to future Clinique Free Gifts from my mom. More than half my huge bathroom drawer was dedicated to the makeup bags and samples. I am not blameless on my own though, I also finally shed more than 3/4 of my little plastic baggies of mineral makeup.

My son asked, "Wouldn't it be more efficient to do this whole area instead of just one kind of thing?" I put my foot down. It's slow progress, but steady, and the stuff that's done STAYS done.

I love that I hardly have to worry about tidying for guests this week!

[alotofyarn]

Getting the living room organized, even if it is in preparation for more stuff! This was all just piled in front of the fireplace before. Going to try to tackle the rest of baby C's room over the next week and a half so we can go pick up his crib and dresser.

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[rufflesanddots]

Bought the book and am reading now. Hope to join y'all in this soon!

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[gcuthbe1]

I have an extra long weekend and I'm digging into kon mari-ing hardcore!

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[alotofyarn]

It doesn't look much different, but I consolidated several boxes and bags in baby C's room in preparation for switching out the queen bed for a full and moving in his crib and dresser. And we need to paint, but I think we decided to hire somebody to do that, since I'm exhausted already and don't feel like keeping E away while I try to do that. I still need to move my craft shelf out, but I'm going to wait a few weeks to do that, because I'm going to get doors and baskets for it from IKEA when we're in Houston in a couple of weeks so it looks a lot nicer. And I need to decide what to do with all of E's old baby clothes - if I just want to drop them off at Once Upon a Child, or what. I need to go through the boxes one more time and pull out some of the nicer pieces that I know I can sell for more money, but all of the Carter's, Gymboree, and Baby Gap type stuff will go together...somewhere. And, I'm exhausted! We also got rid of the Christmas tree that's too big for our house and has been sitting in the garage for the last year, so the garage is a bit neater too!

[spotty_dog]

It doesn't look much different, but I consolidated several boxes and bags in baby C's room in preparation for switching out the queen bed for a full and moving in his crib and dresser. And we need to paint, but I think we decided to hire somebody to do that, since I'm exhausted already and don't feel like keeping E away while I try to do that. I still need to move my craft shelf out, but I'm going to wait a few weeks to do that, because I'm going to get doors and baskets for it from IKEA when we're in Houston in a couple of weeks so it looks a lot nicer. And I need to decide what to do with all of E's old baby clothes - if I just want to drop them off at Once Upon a Child, or what. I need to go through the boxes one more time and pull out some of the nicer pieces that I know I can sell for more money, but all of the Carter's, Gymboree, and Baby Gap type stuff will go together...somewhere. And, I'm exhausted! We also got rid of the Christmas tree that's too big for our house and has been sitting in the garage for the last year, so the garage is a bit neater too!

Sounds like progress! I would suggest you should make life easier on you, and donate as much as you can in one fell swoop, regardless of how much you make back. Time is money, and space is money, and it's usually a better return on investment to free up your time and space than to invest your time and store your stuff interminably while trying to make a few more bucks on it!

I made a tentative date with my mom to go through her storage room during Winter break. And I declined some of the things my MIL needs to get rid of. But I sort of acted interested in the yarn my aunt wants to get rid of so we will see what comes of that...

Post here if you need KM cheerleading this weekend, [MENTION=5078]gcuthbe1[/MENTION]!