Hi friends!! How was your first Monday of the year? Ready to take on this year head-on?? I am!
Back in the fall I mentioned this little book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and the efforts I was making to declutter my house. I had reached a breaking point with the clutter at home. Truth be told, my house is very cluttered most of the time. Usually I chalk it up to having two small children, but deep down I know it could be better. So, in an effort to keep from feeling like the stuff is going to reach up and choke me all day, every day, I bought this little book.
I shared my first thoughts in this post, and I got some not-so-positive feedback. It's totally OK to disagree with me. I'm fine with that, but I think the principles of the book are great, even if the author is somewhat extreme.
No, I'm not going to empty the contents of my purse and put everything away every time I walk in the door. Ain't nobody got time for that. I'm too busy making sure the baby doesn't choke on her chicken fingers, climbing on top of the kitchen table, or eating dangerous objects her big sister left on the floor. This is a busy season of motherhood, but even so, I believe I can do better.
I started with my clothes in the master closet, then stopped the process to paint my kitchen cabinets and enjoy (aka: run around like a chicken with its head cut off) the holidays.
But now it's time to hop back on the train! I'm joining some other blog friends, and we'll share our monthly decluttering wins on the first Tuesday of every month. I'd love for you to join me! Just grab the book and start going.
I highly recommend buying the book and reading all the ins and outs of why she suggests decluttering in a certain order. It makes more sense coming from her.
Since I'd already done my tops and bottoms in the closet, I tackled my shoes over the weekend. I also went through my purses, which wasn't hard, because I've used the same purse for 10 years. So I just got rid of the others hanging in my closet, since they were collecting dust.
The Before Pictures:
I'd already pared down my clothes with this method, but things were in disarray and my shoes were overflowing.
I needed to tidy up my clothes after traveling for the holidays, and I needed to put my suitcase away. I have a bad habit of leaving it on the floor between trips. Also note the two tubs on the top shelf in the picture below.
I used to have three tubs of clothes under my bed, but when I sorted my clothes in the fall, I managed to fit everything into the three bottom drawers of this chest and three drawers in a dresser in my bedroom.
The two remaining tubs here in the closet hold swimsuits and cover-ups for summer, plus maternity clothes. I LOVE that I don't have to swap out my clothes every season or dig under my dusty bed for a piece of clothing I need.
I also needed to get back to folding clothes the KonMari way. The book explains it, and I LOVE it! You'll see the difference in the after photos below.
How I declutter using the KonMari method:
All of my shoes in a pile …
- Pile everything in one place. So I gathered all of my shoes. I made sure to check every room so no shoes were left out of this process. That included the Hunter rain boots I got for Christmas that were still in the living room.
These shoes did not make the cut. The broken ones went in the trash, and the others were donated.
- Begin picking up pairs of shoes/item and as you hold it in your hand, ask yourself, “does this spark joy?” If the answer is yes, then keep it. But if the answer is no, then get rid of them by either trashing them or donating them. If anything is still in working condition, I donate.
- Clarifying the "spark joy" question. I don't think it just means, "does this make me feel happy?" I think a pair of shoes can spark joy if they provide a useful service. I have an old pair of brown Merrell slip-ons. I doubt they were ever truly popular, but I thought they were, and I probably wore them with overalls 20 years ago. But they're useful to me because I wear them all the time when I'm working out in the garage. They slip on easily, are sturdy and keep my feet safe from the tools while I work. So in my book, that sparks joy in a more practical sense.
- I also think the "holding the item in your hand" part is THE most important step in this process. If I merely look at a shelf full of shoes, unless something is glaringly wrong with them, I won't toss them. I obviously liked them at one point. They've served me in some way in the past, and I have room for them. But when I handle each piece and ask myself "does this spark joy," I have to stop and think about that ONE item. And it works. This was a turning point for me in the decluttering process. (I have yet to convince my husband that touching each item is a crucial part of the process, but I'm working on him.)
These are the shoes I kept. And honestly, several of them need to be replaced. I made a list of new shoes I need to buy. Those tennis shoes are from high school! And the boots are all falling apart, as are some of the flip-flops. I honestly don't shop for clothes or shoes very often. I'd rather buy pretty things for the house.
- Put the items you choose to keep back in their designated spot. I have these stackable cubbies for storing my shoes. I'm sure there's a prettier, more KonMari-approved way to store shoes, but I'm not going to spend money on that right now. Maybe that will be next year's resolution.
Once I commit to working on an area, it's hard for me to stop. The joy (truly) that comes from getting rid of things you don't need or use is so addicting. But of course I have to stop and go feed a kid at some point, so I don't get to accomplish as much as I'd like.
I arranged my tops by type: plaid button-downs, blouses and cardigans/jackets.
I also love this method because it doesn't feel never-ending. In previous years, when I tried to do one room at a time, it felt so ongoing. It was like there would never be an end in sight. But when I do one category at a time, I walk away with a sense of closure and accomplishment. I know I've sorted through all of my shoes and that they're done. What's left is what I love and wear. Everything else is either in the trash or heading to a new home.
Next Month's Topic:
On the first Tuesday of every month, I'll share my decluttering projects from the past month. Next month I'll cover how I decluttered my books and papers.
Books will be a breeze, because I've pared our books down a ton over the past three or four years and have very few left. It may take a while to gather them from the four corners of our home, but going through them will be easy.
Now papers? They might kill me. I'm guessing paper clutter is a problem for most of us. The steady, incoming stream seems never-ending, and the piles seem to breed new baby piles. I'm embarrassed to admit that in an attempt to "clean" my home, I've stacked papers and shoved them in a box, never to be opened again. I have several boxes of paperwork sitting on the floor of my office. I've GOT to do something about the paper clutter.
Homework:
Do you feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of STUFF in your home? Then join me on this journey! It's more fun with accountability and friends.
Go buy the book. Then get your closet in order. If you want a head start on your books and papers, you get extra credit. Marie says it takes about six months to tackle your whole home, so it won't be done in a few short weeks. We're in this for the long haul, but in the end I know I'll be grateful I decluttered my whole house!
More Posts You Will Love:
- How to KonMari Your Inbox
- Decluttering Books and Paperwork: The KonMari Method
- Organizing a Linen Closet, Step by Step
