/ the life-changing magic of tidying up book /
Have you watched Marie Kondo’s new Netflix series about Tidying Up? It’s blowing up on social media and inspiring a craze of purging and organizing in loom of the New Year. I’ve jumped on the bandwagon myself, and have found my donation pile growing and growing as I move from space to space.
The organization bug has lived inside me since I was a child. Organizing my mom’s pantry or other kids’ playrooms was something I did for fun. And while I may not do it for “fun” per say anymore, I do find joy in the accomplishment of a simplified space. Upon completion, you’ll find me gazing at it happily or casually walking by over and over again, loving what I’m seeing. My husband catches me and makes fun of me for it, lol! 🙂
There’s just something about tidying up that makes me giddy! I can’t be the only one… Tell me if this resonates with you too? And if not, no worries, these tips are for you too!
BEFORE
AFTER
/ my favorite organization bins / / see more of our kitchen here /
1 | It will bring you joy!
One of Marie Kondo’s main messages throughout her book, is to ask the same question about each item. Does it spark joy? You should be deciding what to keep, not what to get rid of. I sometimes find myself keeping clothing because it still fits, or I could use it for camping (how often do I go camping?!), or maybe I’ll demote it to loungewear if I don’t want to be seen out in it anymore.
Why do we wear or keep things that have already fulfilled their purpose? If it no longer brings me joy, it’s gone. I often find myself wearing the same few outfits during a season anyway, so why keep all the extra stuff? It’s really just a burden and makes me feel overwhelmed with choices when I walk into my closet to decide what to wear. I recently got rid of all the extra coats, bridesmaid dresses, scarves, swimsuits, and “Halloween costume” clothing that I had been hanging onto in my basement “just in case” and it feels SO good. I haven’t used any of it in years. And I don’t miss it.
BEFORE
AFTER
2| Relieve stress and anxiety.
As soon as I clear out a space and simplify it, I feel at peace. Having an overabundance of things, causes unnecessary stress and anxiety. Think about it, when you open a drawer and it’s crammed with who knows what and you have no idea where anything is, it’s stressful. It also takes up valuable time looking for the one thing you might need while you filter through the rest.
One tip I have is to immediately deal with your mail. Mail is something that builds up for a lot of people. Discard the junk in the recycle bin and open everything else up. Keep only what you need to deal with or store in a convenient spot for your records. Keep in mind, there’s very little you should have to keep. I loved Marie Kondo’s example of a pay stub. Look at your pay stub, and discard it. Once you viewed the information, that mail has served it’s purpose and it’s no longer of value to you.
BEFORE
AFTER
/ see more of our entryway here /
3 | Elevate your home to a place you and your family truly want to be.
When your home is organized and clean it becomes the place to be. Make your home a cozy and comfortable retreat. Getting rid of clutter will allow you to finally relax instead of feeling burdened by things that remind you of all the things you need to do. Confession! While our main living area is well on it’s way to being clean and organized, my basement is a whole other story. It’s our goal to “Marie Kondo” it this winter so that we can utilize the space without always feeling like it’s a mess.
It takes time and effort to make your house a home, but I’m telling you it’s worth the effort. It just makes sense to surround yourself with the things that bring you joy and the people whom you love.
/ see more of our living room here /
I’d love to see if you’ve been inspired to organize your own home! Tag me or comment if you do! I love seeing organization projects! And if you haven’t already, go purchase Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and get inspired.
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