Sparking Joy in Your Home – KonMari Challenge

Does it Spark Joy? It seems like a popular question…

A few months ago, I started reading about the Marie Kondo method but it seemed very overwhelming at the time. Now she is everywhere I turn, Netflix, Instagram, the Today show. It seems like a sign I should get it together and start decluttering. With a move in my near future possible, what better time to start??? Armed with the book and a warning to my family to hold on to anything that brings them joy, I started KonMaring my house. Hopefully you too will be inspired and join me in this challenge…I am planning 6-8 weeks to get the whole house decluttered….I feel cleaner already 😉

Up First….Clothes

The clothes were first up and it took almost the whole weekend. It is pretty eye-opening to see it all laid out in front of you.I knew I had a lot but was still shocked. Four bags of clothes, two bags of shoes for donation and one bag of trash later I started to fold and put away. My closet feels lighter and I got rid of all the under-bed storage we had and a mysterious bin filled with clothes in the back of the closet. All my clothes fit into my closet now and I discovered so many things I loved that were shoved and squished in my drawers.

Marie Kondo’s folding methods are by far the best part of the whole process. I cannot believe I have never tried it before. It is so awesome to see all my clothes without having to dig under piles. Hopefully I can keep this habit forever.

My husband was also highly encouraged to participate (it is his closet, too). He ended up with one large bag for donation and one bag of trash. Now to tackle the kids closets and teach them the art of folding….this should be a fun weekend!

Next up Books…check-in in a few weeks for my update!!

Here is the breakdown of the KonMari Method:

Marie Kondo’s method outlined in her book, “the life-changing magic of tidying up,” is pretty simple. Start by discarding, then on to organizing all in one big swoop. In the end, you will be surrounded by only things you love and your home will Spark Joy. She claims this will only have to be done once and that through the process you will be empowered to keep your space in order. Sounds super amazing!!

Marie Kondo breaks it down into 5 categories (then each category is broken down further). It is very important to do the categories in order and not room by room. You must hold each item and ask yourself the question, Does this Spark Joy? If Yes, keep. If No, say Thank You to the item and get rid of it. The idea is that by the time you get to the last category you really have an understanding of what sparks joy in you. Only organize and put things away once everything in that category is discarded. One other note, it is not a good idea to KonMari other people’s things, maybe let them get involved in the process too, this includes children.

Categories:

1. Clothing (tops, bottoms, coats, accessories, shoes) Pile every clothing item in one place like a bed and start by handling each item. Once you are all done, fold all the necessary clothes so they can be standing on their own. I looked up some tutorials on YouTube to find out the proper way to fold. Arrange hung clothes so they rise to the right in your closet.
2. Books (pleasure reading, reference, visual, magazines)Again, pile all the books from everywhere in the house in one room. It is important to take the books off the shelves and to touch each one.
3. Papers (currently in use, needed for a limited period of time, must be kept forever) Note: this does not include sentimental papers. Make sure when storing papers to keep them in one spot only.
4. Komono (CDs & DVDs, Skin Care & Makeup, Accessories, Valuables, Electronics, Household Equipment, Household Supplies, Kitchen Goods & Food)
5. Sentimental Items (Photos, Keepsakes)

KonMari seems like a very daunting task and I will say I was truly exhausted after touching each and every item of clothing, but I know in the end I will be surrounded by things that make me happy. While, I will never be a minimalist it will be nice to free of some things we have moved around with for many years. KonMari method gave me the push to let things go and the feeling that it was OK to get rid of things that didn’t spark joy, maybe they will spark joy for someone else.

Hope you all are Sparking Joy in your own homes…we would love to see your before and after photos.

Here are the final results of my KonMari Challenge…read all about it!!!