I don’t know about you guys, but Marie Kondo’s life seems to be a lot different than mine, and I would guess most of you feel the same.  I may be completely wrong and misunderstanding her, but I am getting the message that if her method is not followed completely, then we will not succeed.  I personally think that what works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another.   I am sorry, but I don’t have that close personal relationship with my clothes that she talks about, especially my socks.  I don’t have the need that drives me to fold them a certain way so they can “rest” while they are in my drawer on holiday.  I said this before and I will say it again.  I am taking all this with a grain of salt and applying this method to many areas of my life, but not all.  She has a lot of great points, but not all are for me.

I am stuck, stuck in my closet.  It is nearly done with the exception of my husband’s side.  I am not one to throw away other people’s belongings with the exception of  things that are obviously trash like gum wrappers, old receipts, etc.  Soon, I will be moving into my bedroom and start some decluttering there.  The main reason why I was stuck in my closet is because life has been happening.  With four kids, even though two are adults, a husband, three dogs, a cat, and lots going on every day, it’s been hard to find time to declutter.  I am taking it slowly, but I am not giving up.

Where I have seen the biggest difference is in Kylee’s room.  My friend came over and helped me declutter her room.  By the way, it’s easier with a friend!  I was surprised by how much Kylee voluntarily wanted to get rid of.  Since then, her room has remained a lot more clean and tidy.  Why?  Because there’s not as much stuff to scatter everywhere thus making it easier to tidy up!!!  She recognizes it too, and that’s the best part.  She sees the value in having less, and only keeping those things that she truly loves and enjoys playing with.

Something else I’ve learned is that minimalism doesn’t just look different to everyone, but it’s also not for everyone.  Some people are not overwhelmed by having tons of decorations and stuff all over their house.  For me, it’s overstimulating and overwhelming.  I can’t do it.  Now, that does not mean that I don’t appreciate that person’s taste in style and decor, but what it means is that I cannot live in such place.  We are all different, and that is okay!

By the way, one of my favorite sub titles in chapter one was “Storage experts are hoarders.”  I sincerely think this is true.  So much time and money can be wasted on storage systems only to organize things that we have not used in over a year nor will we ever use!

I am curious… what did you all learn from chapter one?  What did you apply, and is it working for you?

This week we will read Chapter 2 and share what we have learned and what has been working for us as we apply these methods.  Until then, keep reading, keep decluttering, and keep living life to the fullest!

Many of you who know me know that several events have happened in the last year which have caused me to look at things from a fresh perspective. There was Hurricane Harvey, my in-laws downsizing and selling their dream home, a personal cancer scare, extended family dealing with cancer, another kid going off to college, and on and on. This is one of the reasons why I have not updated this blog. Summer is here. To many of us, summer means time off from school and daily schedules, time to do fun stuff and catch up on the stuff we feel we are way behind on. As a home school mom, the three Rs still continue in our home through the summer (Reading, wRiting, and aRithmetic). Yeah, my kids don’t like it, but oh well, too bad!
So what’s this new journey? I am embarking on a journey to implement the KonMari Method in my life.
As a home school mom, I am at home, but I am working from home; therefore, sometimes my home gets, not a little, but way out of control. In the past, I would just tidy up here and there when necessary, but what really changed my perspective were three major events:
First, there was Harvey. People lost so much in a matter of hours, if not minutes. So many things were gone in the blink of an eye. Today, almost 10 months later, people are still rebuilding their homes and some are living in hotels.
Second, there was my in-laws moving to downsize. There were so many things they had to get rid of because they would simply not fit in their new home.
And third, my cancer scare. This made me stop and think about how I wanted to spend the rest of my life. My kids are always telling me they want me to finish scrapbooking all our pictures, but I never have time to do that because I am always busy.
So, after diligently praying and seeking wisdom from others I respect and look up to, I feel the Lord is telling me to simplify my life-my schedule and my stuff. This means I will find a balance and will have to decline the opportunity to do anything that adds to my schedule, thus making my anxiety worse. This also means that I will need to declutter my home. Notice I didn’t say organize my home. This is the first thing that spoke to me from the book by Marie Kondo. The truth is, we can spend tons of money buying the prettiest, cutest, most trendy organizational units, and we can spend hours organizing our stuff, most which we don’t need, only to come to the realization that eventually we run of room and we are off on our way to purchase another storage unit to make it all fit.
Well, there you have it. Want to join me? If so, get the The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondo.  If you are an Amazon Prime member you can get it within two days.  Get the book, read the first chapter and we’ll discuss at the end of the week.