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Browsing Tag: KonMari
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I never thought I would call myself a minimalist. I have always been the Queen of Too Much Stuff. Once, I packed 12 pairs of shoes for a week-long mission trip in high school. To be fair, each pair had an outfit or a purpose, but gosh my suitcase was heavy. I have seasonal decorations for each and every season and holiday during the year. I even have extra decorations for some of the bigger holidays.
But then something happened. I had a baby. When I found out I was pregnant, I was determined not to be one of those families that triples their belongings simply because there is a kid in the family. For one thing, we didn’t have any space. I was already taking up all of the storage space in our small townhouse with my own stuff. For another thing, frankly, I was sick of being surrounded by stuff.
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I have been making slow progress decluttering my whole life after reading “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by Marie Kondo. The KonMari method is unlike any other I’ve tried before. (To read a little more about my previous progress, read part 1 here and part 2 here.) It is also working so much better than the other methods I have used.
To sum up, you ask yourself if each item you own sparks joy. If it doesn’t, you get rid of it. This has been extremely helpful to me because I enjoy thinking that someone else may discover something I have donated and it could bring them joy. You are also supposed to finish discarding first. This is the step I am still on and that I still struggle with. I don’t have the time or energy to go through every single thing I own at once. But I am trying to take large chunks of my house (like one whole closet or an entire bookshelf) and going through it all at one time.
So, let me show you what I accomplished this weekend.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure page here.
A while ago, I posted about trying to tidy up my house. (Read about it here.) I have been re-reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo and attempting to apply it to my life. So I think it is time for an update.
Overall, I feel like it is going really well. But decluttering is a slow process. Kondo recommends doing it all at once, but I just can’t do that. Not only do I work full-time and have a daughter and a house to care for, I also spend a lot of time working on my blog. When the weekend comes, I feel like we can either have a fun weekend or a productive one. And most of the time, I will pick a fun one. But I was finally able to be productive and start in on the second chapter of the book: Finish Discarding First.
See that giant, stuffed full bag of clothing? I donated that. Plus 3 other boxes of stuff! (And P.S. to anyone who might not know, keep a list of things you donate and you can write them off on your taxes.)
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. That means if you buy through my link, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. For more information, see my disclosure page here.
I will come right out and admit it. I am a pack rat. I keep material things around because I’ve attached feelings and emotions to them. I have tried in the past to go through and simplify my belongings. I end up getting rid of a few things, but I also end up keeping loads of weird stuff like t-shirts that barely fit and a key chain I bought on a field trip in 5th grade. Tidying just doesn’t seem to be my natural strong suit.
Then, two things happened that made me get rid of box after box of my belongings: I had a baby and I read The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo. After that I had the reason to simplify and the push to make it happen. Now after a long winter, I am ready to continue the process. So I am re-reading the book to get more motivation.