My friend was telling me about a book that would help me tidy my house and keep it tidy. She said a friend was reading it and had a lot of bags of things to toss and donate.
Interesting.
Would I be interested?
I'd like to think my house is clean, and it is before people come over, and tends to stay more picked up in the winter when we're not packing and unpacking and dropping towels everywhere (I'm guilty of the towels)
The house kinda looks like a bear frat party came through, and only stopped partying when a tornado ripped through.
No matter how much I clean, the house looks like it was destroyed within three days.
Sure, I said. Let me borrow it.
I understand why people brag about their workouts and diets now.
People are talking about packing, or their houses and I'm the obnoxious person who suddenly knows EVERYTHING about tidying.
I've read 177 pages of "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" and I'm more than happy to tell you how to tidy. But that's weird. So I'll try to keep it under control.
Anyway, I've already donated three bags of clothes, and Marie was right, I can feel my stuff relax now they're no longer crammed into drawers with things that don't bring me joy.
Keep things that make you happy, get rid of everything else, and thank them for doing their job and at one time giving you joy.
Okay, it's a weird book.
I may be more granola than I thought.
It also uses Japanese efficiency. That's pretty cool. It took someone ten days to nearly complete the KonMarie Method, I'm on day three, and progress is happening. Not as quickly as Marie probably wants it to happen, but I'm making progress.
I think.
Anyway, the method makes you grab ALL of your clothes into one place and go through them. There is no room to room nonsense, there is no room for "Maybe I'll keep this" No. Because when I think "Maybe I'll keep this" I have a scary Japanese woman yelling at me, as you can see below. (My friend sent me this video when I told her I felt like I was being screamed at. Terrifying.)
Okay, maybe she's not terrifying, but I have this voice in my head saying: Get Rid of It!
So I am.
I've moved onto books and papers, and being a writer I have a thousand plus one pieces of paper. Gone. Books? I've only kept the ones I LOVE, so that's easy. But now it gets a little difficult. Marie says I shouldn't nag my family to tidy because they'll resent me. And I shouldn't ask my family's permission to get rid of stuff I know they haven't used in forever.
I'm asking permission.
Anyway, I'm going through the book, and she says to thank your shoes for protecting your feet and your bag for carrying your things, and your jacket for keeping you warm, and then you put everything into its home.
I'm not sure if I'll be able to do that, but I'm enjoying the feeling of less stuff. I feel like the house is slowly getting bigger.
Warning: This book also makes you want to do some serious deep cleaning. Like cleaning out HVAC vents and moving furniture to clean.
Oh, Marie, what have you done to me?
Ohhh, more things to get rid of!
