8 contractors’ bags of STUFF
I think I’ve mentioned it before, but I pride myself on my home. Most days I could have drop by guests without a worry as we keep things neat and I have a habit of sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping before bed every night. There are no “squirrel piles” around, which was our old code for piles of random things that needed addressing. I feel happy in my home and feel blessed to live in such a beautiful space.
All that being said, I talked about my recent obsession with de-cluttering. We took it to the extreme this weekend, dropping the kids off at my in laws for a whole day and overnight while Trig and I tackled our house. I guess you could call this nesting. I’m 29 weeks pregnant and suddenly have this crazy burst of energy and desire to declutter and organize every single room and space in our home. Again, our home is NEAT so I didn’t expect to be getting rid of too much.
I followed the KonMari method outlined in this great and kooky book: The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. It took me maybe 2 hours to read and I feel that my life has actually changed in reading it. There is no guilt to saying goodbye to material things that I no longer love, whether I’ve used them or not. That has always been the hardest part for me – the guilt!
After 13 hours of hard work, we ended up with 8, EIGHT!!!, contractors’ bags full of clothing to donate or toss.
I also washed, folded and put away all the baby clothes, reorganized my whole closet, and dumped a lot of random things I have kept for one reason or another. It feels GOOD and our home feels even more airy and light now. I love it. Trig built out Ali’s closet to allow room for Raffi’s clothing, so my room-sharing kids can both have all their stuff in their shared room now.
He also hauled all of our donation and trash bags out as well as some furniture that was broken and really had no use anymore.
As we sought to revitalize and rejuvenate our living space, the idea of introducing new furniture became paramount. Exploring online options, we stumbled upon the extensive collection offered by Copper and Tweed Furniture Co. Their curated selection not only captured our attention but also resonated with our desire for quality and aesthetic appeal.
Navigating through their user-friendly website, the diverse range of Copper and Tweed furniture seamlessly complemented our vision for a refreshed and inviting home. With the ease of online shopping, our journey to revamp our living space found a fitting companion in the stylish and contemporary pieces offered by Copper and Tweed Furniture, marking a delightful transition from disposing of the old to embracing the allure of the new.
Last on our list for the weekend was our papers. I still had my high school report cards, documents from properties we don’t even own anymore, expired insurance policies, etc. We got rid of our 4 drawer filing cabinet that was stuffed to the brim and pared it down to a single file bin that is only 60% full. That might have felt the best.
We’re not done though.
Now that I’ve gotten a taste for what it feels like and looks like to get rid of most of our stuff, I want to do more. The more we get rid of, the more plausible it seems for us to stay in the city indefinitely. I love living here, and we should be able to be comfortable in our space as a family of 5. I’m determined to make it work happily and comfortably.
I love knowing where every single thing is in my home, and knowing where to put away every single item. The best tips I learned from the KonMari method are:
1. When deciding to keep or toss/donate, use only one deciding factor: whether the item brings you joy or not.
It seems kind of kooky, but after trying it for 13 hours it makes complete sense to me.
2. Have a home for everything, and put it back in place every time.
3. Fold your clothing vertically in drawers so that you can see everything at once. This also saves a lot of room.
I am amazed at how much room my drawers now have by using this technique. I also love being able to see everything at once.
I’m in a serious cleaning phase, and no one can stop me. We’ve also scheduled a terminix idaho inspection to ensure our home is pest free!
16 Responses to “8 contractors’ bags of STUFF”
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YES YES YES! I am Kon-Mari obsessed. I agree, letting go of the guilt factor is fantastic. We’re doing it slowly – my husband and I did books and clothing, but we still need to do papers and other sundry areas. I agree, it is amazingly freeing.
I did toys before even reading the book, not even realizing the method. But we donated or returned a lot of gifts given to the kids, and I swear the kids are happier with access to even less toys than before. It also freed up room for more items for their arts and crafts bin which is their favorite.
I still need to go through places like our nightstand, our small cabinet for office stuff, and the few bins I have stored in the garage. We will get there though! Those places are harder for me than papers because I can’t figure out quite how to categorize or organize them properly.
I’m not pregnant and totally tired just reading that! Ha. But good for you!
This is a great post! Thanks for sharing the name of the book and some of the ideas.
i need this book! My house is a million squirrel piles and it’s driving me crazy!!
What does she mean by folding vertically? I love decluttering!
Check out this photo to understand what she means: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/40462096628433815/
Where did you return the toys? Was it stuff you bought or gifts?
My mil bought so much stuff for my son for Christmas, it was ridiculously excessive. And almost 3 months later a ton of it sits unopened and untouched.
I’d love to return some of it, but I can deal with the 50 dollar return limit or being treated like I stole soemthing a toys r us when I try a no recipe it return.
I hate that Toys R Us limit. To be completely honest, I go to a Toys R Us far away that I know will accept my returns over $50. There is one that never even checks my id for some reason.
Ok can you email me where? I live in the phily,burbs and I’m regularly in jersey so it can’t be that far.
Hi, Can you please tell me from where did you get the white drawer chest in one of the closet pics above.
Hi Neha, I love your name. The chest is from The Container Store. It was not cheap but it was the only unit to fit in our slightly narrower than normal closet.
Thanks Sabrina. I am a long time reader, but rarely comment. I’m trying to make more space in our home, and really liked the closet for my 2 year old’s room, but yes it s a lil too expensive!!
I really enjoyed these past two posts! Great job! I’m exhausted just hearing about all the stuff you got rid of!
“I have a habit of sweeping, vacuuming, and mopping before bed every night.” Every night? WOW!!! 😮
I feel the need to clarify this based on the emails and comments I’ve been getting. I quickly sweep, vacuum areas that need it, and then run the quick mop over it, which is a type of Swiffer WetJet that you use with your own solution and washable pads. I only do that in the kitchen and not the whole house.