Have you heard about it? KonMari... what? Yes! The KonMari Method!
Recently I read the book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" written by author, Marie Kondo. It is a quick read that motivates in a calming way. I should start with why I picked up this book. When I started my adventure in staying home with 2 kids, I realized I was constantly overwhelmed with keeping our house clean. I needed to do something about it. It hit me that if I had less stuff in our home, it would be easier to maintain. That's when I found this book.
Recently I read the book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" written by author, Marie Kondo. It is a quick read that motivates in a calming way. I should start with why I picked up this book. When I started my adventure in staying home with 2 kids, I realized I was constantly overwhelmed with keeping our house clean. I needed to do something about it. It hit me that if I had less stuff in our home, it would be easier to maintain. That's when I found this book.
I started reading it, and quickly started changing our life. Over the past 6 years we have lived in our house, we have accumulated a lot of belongings. This book helps navigate the purging of those things to live a simpler happier lifestyle.
Some things I learned:
It's OK to get rid of things There are many scenarios in which you "might" use an item. This is not a "what if" game, if you use an item and it makes you happy, by all means, keep it, otherwise you should consider donating the item or tossing it. It also goes for things that have been gifted or given, if you don't use it or you don't like it, it also can go. Honor your belongings If you are not using an item and it is being stored, why have it? If you are going to have something, use it for it's intended use. Belongings are not owned to be put in a box in the closet. For example: I have a beautiful quilt made by my grandmother. She gave it to me 10 years ago and I always thought it was just too special to be used and I would use other blankets that I didn't like as much. Why settle and use something not as nice? I'm not honoring my grandmother's hard work and her beautiful quilt by storing it int he closet. It's now out, being used, and the other blankets were donated. This quilt makes me happy, I think of my grandmother, and it's a beautiful item to have on display. Be selective When selecting items to keep, it is important NOT to think "what can I get rid of" but go with the mentality of "what items do I love and cannot live without." That shift in my mindset was huge. I was not focused on the sadness of getting rid of items, instead the happiness and joy that the items I kept brought me. Keep a few items that speak to your heart and the rest can go! Over time, your home becomes more of a museum of items that are loved and cherished, so those items are on display. We have too many clothes I think we have been told that a large wardrobe and many clothes shows some sort of value. Celebrities have these garage sized closets and shoe collections that could fill the shelves of a grocery store. C'mon this is real life... NOBODY needs that many clothes. My closet and dresser were two places I felt were not organized because of the pure volume of clothes. Once you pull them all out, it's crazy to see how many there are. I was able to select things that were simple, versatile, and clothes I loved, and just donated the rest. (interesting thing, on tax forms, clothes carry lots of value if you itemize what you donated over the year) | Some quotes from Marie Kondo: |
I'm hoping to snap some pics soon of my progress... even my closet! This is an ongoing process and mentality that is going to constantly help maintain our home.
I can't speak highly enough about this book. Look, this blog post might not change your life, but reading the book will! Cheers!
I can't speak highly enough about this book. Look, this blog post might not change your life, but reading the book will! Cheers!