Kondoing My Books

Prep

I was surprised how quickly I could gather my books in the staging area. It only took 33 minutes. Then I was surprised how few I had. 

However, it is no surprise that it is dirty and dusty work. Going to take a break now for a shower and lunch.

Books – Before. Not too many after all!

Tips

• I considered consolidating all my books in one area of the night before. I decided not to. Just seemed like a lot to do before bed. Did not want to wake up sore and have that interfere with my sparks of joy. however, if you have a lot of books you may want to start consolidating them a few days before.
• Make sure you have some water handy.
• Do this before you take your shower. It is dusty and dirty business. You might even want to take a decongestant or any histamine. LOL
• I rearranged them on the blanket so that I could address novels before craft books. I anticipate no problems getting rid of novels but I may angst over my craft books.
• Hindsight. Would’ve been a good idea to have prepared lunch and dinner yesterday. I am OK for dinner, it’s going to come out of the freezer, but I’m going to have to stop and make a smoothie for lunch.
• Hindsight. Didn’t have enough boxes for my books that did not spark joy.

I don’t recall Marie Kondo’s book providing suggestions for what to do with the books you discard. I put all of mine in my spare bedroom in boxes and I’m going to sell them online. Already set up an account to do that. I wonder if this will negate the positive energy created by removing things from your home. I said goodbye to many, many great books.

It only took three hours to go through my books. I went out of very leisurely pace. I also texted and messaged friends and set aside books for them. So I still have books around the house. 

After

No way did I anticipate what the results would be. I am totally amazed at the number of books I was left with. Much fewer than anticipated! It feels wonderful! Now I wonder what I’m going to do with the extra bookcase I have.

I think the book said to keep your books in the closet. I like to see my books so I broke this rule and returned the remaining books  to the bookcase. I almost split them into two different places but going to first try it the way she suggested – I’m keeping them all in one place, even the cookbooks. The two exceptions were my bird book and the book I am currently reading next to my bed. The bird book is next to the window where I feed the birds for quick reference.

Here is my big little reveal!

After! – no one is more surprised than I am!

Day 1 – Clothing

11:00 am

On my 2nd cup of coffee and have taken all of my before pictures. Getting a later start than I wanted. Woke up kind of achy so I’m
moving slower 
going to have to make some changes for comfort. I changed my location to be in front of the window. This way there will be more light for photos and the birds and squirrels will make me smile. Going to pile some pillows on the floor for comfort.

11:25 am

I’ve only been at this 25 minutes and all I have to show for my time is a pile of tops and a pile of pants. Realizing a few things; like all of the other experiences I have read,

• I have way more clothes than I thought I did, I may not have enough floor space.
• It’s a good idea to have a step ladder or stool to get some of the clothes out of the top of the closet. 
• And lastly, have a box of Kleenex nearby because you’re going to stir up a lot of dust!

  

Noon

I have pulled everything out of closets, storage, and dressers. I have double and triple checked. This is all the clothing I own piled in the order that I will address it according to her book. There are still items in the dirty clothes but that is her exception to the rule. I don’t want to put dirty clothes in with my clean clothes. I think I can edit my dirty clothes before I put them in the washing machine.
I think this is a good time to break for lunch. Then I will get started on tidying my clothing!

After accessories, bags, and shoes added.

12:45 pm

I am sitting down with my smoothie to tackle my tops. You’ll see in the bottom left-hand corner a pile of pillows for me to sit on. I did not leave enough room and it’s going to be a bit crowded for a while.

I had a little internal debate about whether to listen to an audiobook or music before I started. I decided not to listen to anything. As I mentioned yesterday, my main concern is that I will not be able to feel a spark of joy so I don’t want anything to interfere with that. Music might give me a false reading of joy!

1:30 pm

I just finished my tops. Not sure how I feel about the results. My concern is that I kept more clothes than I thought I would. Sometimes I felt like I was going way too fast and not thinking about what I was doing. I decided just to take the leap of faith and keep going. It seemed like gut instinct because I wasn’t trying to think about it too much.

I did start out slow and it did get easier and faster. When I started to have doubts about how I was doing I grabbed something off the pile that I know I loved. I would say out loud why I loved it. Then I could address the rest of the pile with more confidence. Every once in a while I had to remind myself to talk to the clothes I was discarding and thank them for being in my life. One top in particular I had taken a sewing course and created myself. It is too worn to keep but it has been well loved and served a valuable purpose. Because of how well it turned out it had given me more sewing confidence and helped me conquer my fear of sewing. As a result began sewing more often. I look forward to its energy remaining in my life.

I’m not sure if I felt joy exactly. Yes there were clothes that I loved because they were bright and cheerful. There were those  I liked for the texture or the color or their comfort. But, I also had no trouble parting with other clothes that had previously been my favorites. I somehow recognized that they had played their part in my life and it was time to let them go. This surprised me.

I have one large garbage bag full of tops and a kitchen size that will be donated. I did create a fourth pile of tops that I’m not going to wear anymore but I’m going to cut them up for crafts. There is only about six of those.

Like other people I have watched on YouTube, I created a Maybe pile. When I was done I readdressed the Maybe pile. I kept two shirts out of the Maybe pile and the other ones were thrown away so I was very happy with how I did with the Maybe pile.

Now that I’m done with the tops, the rest of the pile seems much smaller. I’m hoping it will go faster now.

Later…

 

the results!

 The rest of the tidying went quickly. I ended up with four garbage bags full of clothes to discard and three bags to donate. I learned quickly that it’s not a good idea to fill the garbage bags as full as you can. I split the four bags into six so I could carry them out of the house. My garbage service has a five bag limit so this week I will get rid of half of them and then next week I will get rid of the second half. I put the donation bags in the back room and I will inventory them and donate them. A friend suggested I donate them to the local woman’s shelter and I thought that was sounded like a great idea. 

It was a beautiful sunny day still when I finish sorting and I rewarded myself and my dog with a nice brisk walk. I am in Michigan and we don’t get many cold, sunny days

The clothes I am keeping are spending the night on the bed in the guestroom. Tomorrow I will be folding clothes. I look forward to finding their sweet spots and finding out how much extra space I have now that I have kept only the clothes that I love.

Next: Finding that sweet spot

Day 0: Prepping for KonMari

I’ve read the book, I’ve caught the excitement. I love the possibility of changing my life in a positive way. A way that will “spark joy”.

Okay, I haven’t quite finished it, but I will before the end of the night.

But seriously, you need to read the book in order to prepare. Mentally and practically. Mentally, I already started looking at my clothes differently. I had to stop myself several times from grabbing something in order to discard it. This is wrong! You are supposed to decide what to keep. There is a subtle difference.

Practically, I bought 2 colors of large garbage bags. One for donations and one for garbage clothing that does not spark joy when I touch it. I also prepared lunch in advance. This will save me time and help me maintain momentum.

I put baking soda down on one of my large rugs. I am going to vacuum it up and leave it fresh so I can pile all my clothes on it. It probably wasn’t necessary but it’s one of the dogs favorite places and didn’t want my donated clothing to smell like a dog. 🙂

I compiled a list of all the places I thought I had tucked clothing away in storage. One of her rules is – if you don’t have it on the pile in the first place you have to discard it when you find it later.

While drinking my yummy organic coffee (with French vanilla creamer) tomorrow I will be taking my before pictures. I decided to journal this experience in this blog and photos will help me visually. I wanted to journal my thoughts because I find it an excellent tool for understanding myself – past, present, and future.

Tonight I have one concern. I am worried that when I pick up my clothing it will not spark joy. None of it. How will I know joy when I feel it in my clothes? I think I will struggle with this tomorrow.

I’m really looking forward to the whole process of tidying my entire house, but tomorrow I start with the first category: clothing.

Next: Day 1

A Little Background

A few months ago I decided to make changes in my life. I’ve been unemployed for year after attending school full-time for 2 1/2 years. Money is tight. I also want to be healthier.

I decided that even though it was going to cost a little more money I need to start a good vitamin and supplement regimen and start eating better. I started eating more organic foods. Every day for lunch I make a smoothie that includes organic Kale, Swiss chard, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp protein powder, and kefir. I also add non-organic whey protein powders strawberries and bananas.

The results of just these few things have given me more energy and mental clarity. I’m surprised by my positive state of mind despite my unsuccessful job search. I have a great outlook. I am also surprised to tell you that it really hasn’t cost me a lot more money to eat better. I find that I am actually saving money because I’m not going to the major grocery stores as often. I shop at a local organic market that does its best to keep its costs low in order to offer lower prices to their customers. For one example, I recently started buying organic coffee. You may think when you look at the cost of a pound of it that it is expensive. But I find I’m using half as much coffee to make a pot in the morning. So this breaks even in costs. I’m also using less creamer. Sorry, I can’t give up my powdered creamer. I know it’s poisonous but that’s just the way I like it and that’s not going to change!

Not working and having all this extra energy has resulted in me looking around the house and not being happy with the way it looks. I feel crowded. I am accumulating stuff. For a couple months I have been doing a little cleaning and organizing without seeing any improvement. I’m growing frustrated and unhappy with my home. I also thought it might make some positive changes in my life. If I declutter my house, perhaps I would decluttering my mind?

Enter Marie Kondo’s “the life-changing Magic of tidying up” into my life.

It was a wonderful read. She is a wonderful spirit. When someone can get you to discard two thirds of your belongings and feel good about it they are doing something right!

I became excited about the possibilities! This could positively impact my current mindset. I had to keep reminding myself to finish the book before I got started. I wanted to do it right in order to experience the magic.

It is been several years since I blogged on a regular basis and I feel a little rusty and out of practice. I intend to explore my mindset and purpose a little more in future posts but I wanted to get the basics down before I started tomorrow. Yes, I am going to start Kondo-ing  my house tomorrow.

Next: Day 0, Prep

KonMari – Simplify and Tidy

I recently purchased Marie Kondo’s book “the life changing magic of tidying up” and quickly became a believer. Before I finished the book, I purchased her companion guide, “Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up”.

I think I have been subconsciously heading in the “tidying” direction for awhile. I have been becoming increasingly unhappy with my living space. I feel like I am outgrowing it. It is only 1000 sf, but it is a 3 bedroom home. Yes, my closets are small. The previous owner expanded the furnace area to bump into 2 bedroom closets – making them half the size. They are about 2 feet wide! No good for clothes, but nice storage.

For the past 6 months, I have been slowly purging areas of my property. Last fall, it was the shed. I had been storing 16 large windows for 10 years in case I had some future project. I wanted to build a glass house for plants. I finally realized this is above my personal abilities.

There have been other small efforts – the guest bedroom, my studio, and the carport, but I have lacked direction and did not feel the effects of these efforts. This book provides me with a plan and direction.

After lunch tomorrow, I am heading to Walmart to purchase two colors of garbage bags. One for garbage and the other for donation. Saturday, I will begin category one – clothing.

I am very excited to clean my house out and free my mind of clutter. I am hoping it helps me find direction in life and in my job search. One of the recommendations is to visualize your destination using concrete terms – before you begin. I like this. I want to think about this during the process.

I’m after the magic that will happen as a part of this process. The mindfulness, the decision making exercise, and the hope that it will allow me to trigger positive changes in my life.

If you would like to learn more about Marie Kondo, please visit this article published this month (January 3, 2016) in the Washington Post’s Book section by Anna Fifield entitled: Decluttering guru Marie Kondo is back with more life-changing magic.
After you read it, you may want to return and click on the links below to purchase a copy for yourself.

Amazon Links

the life changing magic of tidying up

Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up

Mindfulness Link

Buzzfeed article
 

Treat yourself well

I am known for telling my Mom friends to be sure to take time to take care of themselves. Not that it is something only Moms should do!

I bring this up, in part, because of an article I read this morning. Paraphrasing horribly: I read that women have to try harder than men, that they may work all day AND then take care of the home/children. And there are many women that don’t feel fulfilled unless they have both. It goes on to discuss women like me, that never heard their biological clock ticking and never questioned why. There are women that shouldn’t be allowed around children. The article is actually very interesting and I provided a link at the bottom so you can enjoy sans paraphrasing.

I like to think I fall in between. I have no regrets. I think it is a good thing. I took forever to find myself as it was! I can not imagine I would have ever grown up, done any self reflection, or found contentment and self awareness if I’d had a houseful of people, animals and messes to distract me.

But, I’m getting off the original point I wanted to make – although life is good, life is hard. I sincerely believe every woman should make time to do something special for herself. I might even expand this advice to men!

This is what I do, every other week, to treat myself. I get in the car and make the short trip to the next town for a little self love and pampering – on a very tight budget. Yes it can be done. Yes it is okay. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! It is not selfish. It is not inconsiderate and it is not spoiling yourself. It is a necessity. Taking a break to get a little pampering is like a mini vacation from your day and your reality.

Since I have been unemployed I found that it is an excellent way to make me feel better about myself. Searching for a job and trying to make ends meet on a day-to-day basis is demoralizing and depressing. It is imperative that you do something to help you feel better about yourself. The little pick me up I get from this single hour I do for myself has made a big difference in my attitude and outlook.

Are you curious? Interested? Good! I will post the link to the article below.

Oh, you meant you wanted to know what I’m doing for myself!

What are you imagining?

Let’s consider this. What could you do for yourself every other week that might make you feel rejuvenated, rested, beautiful, refreshed, happy, content, and/or better about yourself? Give yourself a budget of $20. Are you already doing something just for yourself- alone. No kids, hubby, or pets.

There isn’t really a wrong answer! Go out to lunch or dinner alone. Take a magazine- people watch, interact with your server, or not.

How about a matinee? Get bucket of popcorn the way you like it – cause you don’t have to share.

My personal indulgence is a spa facial. I. Know what you’re thinking. No way I can do a facial for $20, let alone a spa facial! Yes, you can. How about a manicure? Pick a procedure. Hit the yellow pages (remember those?) and look under beauty schools. I live in rural area and I have three to choose from. Prices are lower because they have students doing the work. They have a required number of hours they need, for every skill they need to practice. As a former technology trainer/instructor I love that I can help students out this way. A double feel-good situation!

Article: Missing the Mommy Gene – theelephantjournal.com 

Personal growth happens

Personal growth happens. I want to be aware and control the process a little.

You learn about yourself with everything you do. Interactions with others, problem solving, craft projects, positive and negative past experiences. The trick is you need to be aware. You need to reflect on your experiences. What did you learn about yourself during this endeavor?  Join me in crafting my own journey of self awareness though my life experiences.

Self awareness through creations.