Have you heard the hype about Marie Kondo and the Konmari Method? If you say no, I’m assuming you don’t watch Netflix or you’ve boycotted social media altogether. The new show, “Tidying Up”, is trending on Google as people look to organize and clean their homes this January…which I’m sure the timing is no coincidence for the show’s debut. The interwebs are abuzz, and I’m curious to hear your view.
Photo Via Marie Kondo
Last weekend, I binge watched episode after episode. Marie Kondo helping folks “spark joy” and thanking old clothes before sending them off to the trash. The show itself is addictive and charming, yet I couldn’t help but wonder why. Was it my hope that the local thrift shops would be overflowing with discarded items from the Konmari Method? LOL possibly, yes. Was it motivating for my own personal decluttering? For sure! The main floor of my home is not rat-packed; however, my office is a complete and utter disaster that could benefit from some #konmari action.
To be expected, the Konmari Method has had some haters in recent days. Book lovers specifically are not sparking joy over her 30 books or less rule. In fact, one Twitter user tweeted, “Do NOT listen to Marie Kondo or Konmari in relation to books. Fill your apartment & world with them. I don’t give a shite if you throw out your knickers and Tupperware but the woman is very misguided about BOOKS.” Woah.
Funny enough, this was actually the ONE rule thing I did agree on one hundred percent. I mean, how many of you bought a copy of Crazy Rich Asians? Or for that matter, the trilogy? I did. Will I ever read them again? Probably not. Did I thoroughly enjoy them? Yes! Will I donate them? Done and done. They were recently handed off to the Little Free Library down the street from my home and are waiting to spark joy in someone else. Yo, book lovers…calm yourself. But let’s be honest, I didn’t, “wake them up” by tapping on the covers…unless chucking them on the passenger seat of my car is considered tapping.
It’s these tiny nuances that bugged me. Awakening a book’s energy, folding clothes and storing them vertically, introducing myself to my home, and mediating in the foyer? No thank you. And no, I will not be thanking any items before tossing them. But the concept of really enjoying something or as she says, “sparks joy”, I like them. She doesn’t say rid your house of all clutter and live in a minimalist world. Being a collector of vintage and avid flea marketer, I’d never succeed if that were the case…but the idea of keeping only items I truly love…ya, I’m down m’lady.
There is one thing I can’t get past…Kondo’s sweet demeanor. The way her eyes light up when she opens a junk drawer and she says, “This makes me so happy. I love mess.” The skipping from room to room. Her pure delight and giddiness over piles of junk. When I was little, my parents were friends with a couple…the husband was an undercover FBI agent. I remember one cocktail hour spying on the adult conversation from the top of the stairs. He explained serial killer tendencies. A closet color-coded by season and organized sock drawer was right up there. A little voice in my head says, “Hey Marie, you have bodies in your basement, don’t you.” SRSLY, how can someone be this nice? Is it possible?
As I binge-watched the show, I couldn’t help but listen to the homeowners complain explain how there wasn’t time to complete simple chores around the house. Kids couldn’t find their jeans so they “blew up” mom’s phone until she answered. A recent widow wanted to say goodbye to items from her dead husband. Hoarding not saying goodbye to unused items were either making us lazy, miserable or causing marital issues. That struck a chord in me. My sister’s clothes have been stashed in drawers and boxes for over 10 years. I’m a horrible, HORRIBLE laundry person. With the vintage shop opening soon, I’ve been stocking up on merchandise. Yep, I could definitely benefit from the Konmari Method.
Marie Kondo’s Rules For Decluttering Are Easy
- Commit yourself to tidying up.
- Imagine your ideal lifestyle.
- Finish discarding first.
- Tidy by category, not location.
- Follow the right order.
- Ask yourself if it sparks joy.
Challenge accepted. When we moved from the old house to the new house, stuff was just chucked into closets. Clothes that will never fit again were moved from old closet to new closet. I may not follow the Konmari Method precisely, but I’m motivated for a good spring cleaning. I’ll keep you updated on the progress.
So how about it…have you seen the show? Are you on the Marie Kondo bandwagon? Will you be sparking joy in your home? Maybe you already have. Inquiring minds want to know.
We moved from an 800 sq ft apartment to a 2500 square foot, 5 bedroom house (for 2 of us and 2 dogs). It’s excessive! Here is my justification I do work from home some so one bedroom is an office and we frequently have overnight guests, it is an absolutely fabulous entertaining house for introverts who need to have their own space sometimes. Back to KonMarie, it has oodles and oodles of storage space, which has threatened to make me lazy. Watching the Tidying up show made me examine my habits and get rid of stuff I had stashed in closets, which at the time felt easier than making the decision to get rid of it. I also didn’t get into the woowoo stuff of tapping on books or introducing myself to my house. However, I found her demeanor refreshing. I think she may over do it, but it feels like she is trying to set a nonjudgemental positive tone. My regret is that I binged the show, I wish I had spaced them out so that I could have extended the inspiration for more than one weekend.
I watched 4 episodes and then proceeded to fill up 3 bags of clothes for charity and 2 bags of just trash. I didn’t Thank each article but I did say thanks to each bag. If that counts! It’s like a building a house you can go all in and do it quick or work on it a little bit at a time to get it right. I have three more clothing spaces to go through, but my closet already feels lighter and more organized.
I started folding my clothes into quarters and storing them vertically when I read her book four years ago. It works! It has been so easy to maintain because you can see every single item versus digging through a pile. The thanking your clothes part is weird, but for me it made it easier to let go of items that had served me well but were no longer needed. The waking up of the books – eh, no.
I’m totally with you sister! I’m not going to tap books to awake them or thank items when I decide to get rid of them. But the biggest take away for me is surrounding yourself with things that do make you feel good. I also like how she mentions if items are something you want to take into your future. That makes since. Some things as we grow and evolve don’t fit who we are anymore. So it’s good to let those things go. I also find that clutter makes me nuts and clean makes me relax and more content. Those are definitely motivators for me! I’m even considering taking this approach to my private archive of artwork!! To be continued….
Thanking an item to help relieve some of the guilt of letting go of things or taping the books or even greeting the house did not bother me. These are all practices of gratitude. What drive me through the GD ceiling is seeing how much physical and emotional labour women continue to carry for their households. This beat me over the head for 80% of the shows I have watched so far.
I actually noticed that too. The first episode when the husband finally started helping fold laundry, I was like there ya go! We still have a long ways to go, don’t we.
She changed my entire world. I love her!
She’s changing my too. Totally in the process of my closet. Ooooph! It’s a beast of a project, but I’m loving it =)
I have a dear friend who is truly a hoarder. He started watching the show and tidying up his home! One thing I’ve noticed while watching is how stressed the families are at the beginning and how tidying calms not only the space but also the inhabitants. I would think it was an act however even the children seem calmer. Being slightly OCD, I know that my stress level goes up if I’m in a messy space.
I know The Boy starts getting itchy when I return from vintage shopping. If there’s clutter, he gets cranky. You’re right, mess = stress.
Love to read your posts!!
Thank you soooo much!!! You just made my day =)
I am thinking of going to the library to get the book…but when, when can I fit that in…my house overfloweth with stuff. I like…no, love the idea of being tidy and having less clutter but how…when…I came from work to find my dog having his way with the patio cushions. I don’t even know where to start. Ahhh, maybe, just maybe the book can convince me ? But in no way will I ever tap, thank or bounce from room to room. My underwear does not spark joy but it is needed…