Konmariing My Emails -- Nearing the End?

When I started de-cluttering my emails five years ago, I had over 10,000. Now I'm down to under 100. Some days, I even get under 50, but I just can't seem to get rid of the last few. There seem to be two types -- new emails that come in every day, and old emails that I can't bring myself to deal with out of sentimentality or some other emotional reason.

[Picture Source.]
I've thought about my email "problem" a lot, read many articles about it, and tried different ways of tackling it. At first I dealt with them in timed sessions, e.g. 25 minutes, 5 times a week. But I found that not only does that take a lot of time out of my week, the number of emails wasn't really going down, because some of them took a long time to read. And of course, new ones are always coming in. So I switched from a time-based method to a numbers-based one. For a long time, this consisted of 25 emails, 5 sessions a week.

This took so much time out of my day that it became very frustrating before long, mainly due to the "long read" emails. So I created a series of subfolders where I could store emails until I had time to work on them, including:

➸ Action -- emails that need me to do something, obviously (whether urgently or not)
➸ To Read -- emails with content I'd like to read, but there's no time pressure
➸ To Watch/Listen -- same as above but with links to video or audio content
➸ To Copy -- emails which have information I want to keep in some other format
➸ and others to store receipts, correspondence from my art collective, links I've sent myself about interesting shops, restaurants, and other places to visit, etc.

I'm still getting the emails out of my inbox, but with many of them, the action consists of filing them away for later. This made my daily sessions much shorter and more pleasant, and I felt like I was making a lot more progress. I didn't have to worry about the important emails (i.e. ones to be actioned soon) getting lost anymore.

I chose some of these categories for their functionality. Once I finish sorting the emails, I head to the Action folder first to see if there's anything I need to do that day. Then, depending on what my day is like (or my mood!) I can choose whether I want to read some short or long emails, watch a video, listen to a podcast episode, etc. I started actioning/reading three of these as part of each session to make sure they don't build up too much. (No more than three though, or the session would end up lasting all morning!)

The syphoned-off emails aren't technically finished with, I know, but I hoped it was a compromise that allowed me to process the emails without taking too much time out of my day ... though I'm aware if the emails in the subfolders build up too much, I'll need another solution.

Not actually my inbox!
[Picture Source.]
After diligently working on them for quite a few months years, I finally got down to about 100. But as I mentioned at the beginning, I had trouble reducing them past that. In an effort to minimise the time I was spending on them, I tried reducing the number of emails per session to 20, but I had to increase it again as the number of emails crept up. More recently I reduced the number of sessions per week from 5 to 4. This seems to work okay, thankfully. The number of emails isn't going up too much, but on the other hand, it isn't going down, either.

As I said at the start, I have in general two types of emails in my inbox -- new ones that come in every day, and old ones I've hesitated to deal with. As for the new ones, I've already unsubscribed to countless email lists. Many of the old emails are difficult to deal with emotionally: they're from people who I've lost touch with, requests I never fulfilled, etc. I've decided to deal with one each session, no matter how hard it might be. I'll talk about this more in another post, as this one is getting quite long already!

[Picture Source.]
What will I do next?
Once I've taken care of all the old emails, I'm going to refresh the whole system. I'm going to clear out all of the automatic sorting rules that are in place and re-do them. I'm going to carefully think about every email that comes in and decide if I really need to be getting any more from that sender or about that topic. And I'll set up new sorting rules that divert the emails straight into the subfolders so my inbox stays as clear as possible.

And perhaps I'll eventually achieve the mythical Inbox Zero. (Just kidding!)

101 Things in 1,001 Days #2 : One Year To Go

I've just realised that I only have 1 year left to go in my second 101 Things in 1,001 Days project! A year seems like a long time but hardly any time at all, simultaneously. I don't know about you, but when I'm in this situation, it's tempting to start thinking about all the things I won't have time for, so I thought I'd have a look at some things I can/will do in the next year.

#10 Create a Pleasing Garden
This plan is going very well, thanks to some planning, hard work and visits by various tradesmen. I have a general plan for the garden overall, and more detailed plans for some areas. As the weather is cooling down now, it's too late to plant any new plants, so I can focus on helping the ones I've already planted through the Winter, and installing some other stuff that you normally find in a nice garden. Husband and I have discussed the kind of outdoor furniture we want so we can actually spend time in the garden next Spring.

A 'before' shot!
#56 go overseas
This is (hopefully) happening! Husband, my Mum and I are going to Europe for a month at the end of this year, if everything goes according to plan. It's been 10 years since I last went overseas; here's a picture of that:

#69 Make Cheese
I'm completely obsessed with dairy products lately, for some reason, and I've already been experimenting with making yoghurt and some strained yoghurt variants (blog post coming soon!). Actual cheese is a lot more complicated, but I'm feeling an urge to give it a go.

#36 Do The Sketchbook Project
This is a new project. I swapped out an item I didn't want to do anymore and replaced it with this one. Sometimes that happens when new things crop up or I just lose motivation to do something I originally put on the list. The Sketchbook Project is an organisation in the U.S. that has a library of artist books. For a fee, you can purchase a book, fill it, and then send it back to them, where it will be held in the library forever. Many of them have been digitised and you can view them online. It's a rabbit hole that can amuse you for hours on end.

#38 Finish Duplicating my Blog
My poor blog has been through a lot in the 15+ years it's been around. A couple of years ago I started a project to transfer all of the posts from LiveJournal to Blogger. Halfway through that, the photo hosting site I was using decided to start charging an exhorbitant fee for their services. I wouldn't have minded if it was reasonable, but it wasn't. I downloaded all of my photos from that site (15 years' worth!) and re-uploaded them to Blogger. That took a really long time, too. I only have one thing left to do, and that's post a re-direct notice to my original blog so people know that it's not actually dead.


#39 finish Konmariing my emails
When I first started this project a few years ago, I had over 5,000 emails. I created a series of sub-folders for emails that need actioning, to read, links to online shops, courses, etc. Every day (or 5 times a week at least), I worked to reduce it and now there are around 100 emails. I can't seem to reduce it any more though, no matter how hard I try. I've unsubcribed to countless newsletters but I still receive 10-20 emails a day. I really want to try and find a solution so I can end this project, but I have a sinking feeling that it will be ongoing. Perhaps it's more realistic to find a way to minimalise the amount of time/work I spend on it.


#87 Sew 5 Garments
For some reason I've been intensely into sewing in just the last week or so, after a slump of many years. I made a face mask as my first, 'ease in' project, and I'm currently working on a skirt. This is the fabric I'm using. Again, a blog post is forthcoming!

#74-#78 Various Reading Goals
The obsession I had with reading for the last few months has abated a bit, but I still think I can tick off a few things. One of my goals was to read 5 books from LibraryThing's top 106 unread books list (based on the tags people use in their catalogues). I've read 2 already so I'm well on the way.
Another goal was to re-read the Harry Potter series; I don't feel like it right now but as the weather starts to cool into Autumn, it might return.
I decided a few years ago to re-read Dickens' A Christmas Carol every Christmas, just because it's a good reminder to be nice to people, and it only takes a couple of hours.

These are the books I had earmarked for my most
recent reading challenge -- I read less than half!

#62 Make 12 New Recipes from my Cookbooks
I have a tendency to go straight to the internet when I need a recipe or to check how to make something. Between us though, Husband and I have over 100 cookbooks, and we've moved them to a special bookcase near the kitchen, so it would be a shame not to use them! I've already made 2, so I have a bit of a way to go, but I love food and cooking so it seems reasonable. (Actually, I made lemon juice cheese from my cheese-making book a few weeks ago, so if that counts, it's 3.)


#101 write a New 101 List
There's almost no doubt that I'll be doing a third 101 Things in 1,001 Days, so this one goes without saying.

My Tips for KonMari De-Cluttering, Part 2

Here is Part 2 of my Tips for KonMari De-Cluttering series. See here for Part 1!


＊ do I want a better version of this?
I love books. In fact, I'd categorise myself as a book collector. When I was younger, I bought many of the classics in cheap editions just so I could tick them off the 'read' list. I kept most of them out of habit, thinking I would read them again one day. Over time, I began to realise that these books, the stories that were special to me, deserved better. Now, once I've finished reading a cheap edition, I donate it, and if I want to re-read it and keep it forever, then I buy a hardback edition. Perhaps even one with illustrations or gold lettering. As much as I love books and want to have ALL the books, in this age of digital replications and ease of access, sometimes it's about quality, not quantity.

＊ would I buy this?
I've found this question useful in many situations when I was agonising about whether to keep something or not. Ask yourself: if I was standing in a shop right now and I saw this item for sale, would I buy it? I found this especially useful for gifts that people have given me. It gave me a sense of clarity. Instead of thinking about the person who gave it to me and being distracted by guilt, it helps me to think about my own personal tastes and how I feel towards the item itself.

＊ I just don't like it!
Many of the things we own are there for practical reasons -- things we have to live with whether we like it or not. Cleaning products, tools, and financial papers fall under this category. If these things don't spark joy, but we can't discard them, then how can we move forward with the KonMari process? Marie Kondo addressed this question in a talk a couple of years ago. She said that if something doesn't spark joy initially, think about what it does for you or what it will lead to for you. For example, cleaning products make your house cleaner and more pleasant to live in. The student who asked this question during the talk hated her textbooks, but Marie reminded her to think about what her studies will lead to in the future.

＊ alternatives to keeping it
In some cases, you can discard things if there's an alternative way of accessing it. This is especially relevant to books, papers and information. I asked myself: "Can I access my archived electricity bills online?" "If I ever want to re-read this book, is it on Open Library?" "Do I just want the pictures from this magazine?" "Will I ever have time to read this newspaper or can I access the same articles on their website?"


＊ it's joyful but not useful!
I found that I had many items I loved, but I didn't have any use for them. I didn't want to part with them just because of that, so I tried to find ways to re-purpose, re-use or re-make them. I used a vase for growing sweet potatoes. I glued ephemera such as ticket stubs and brochures into my art diary. I used a leaky mug as a pencil cup. A biscuit tin I was given for Christmas now holds knitting supplies. I'm sure there are endless ways of re-purposing items.

＊ it's not actually minimalism
This is more clearing up a misconception than an actual tip. The KonMari method is not minimalist! I think many people have this idea because the 'after' photos of homes tend to have a lot less stuff in them than the 'before' photos. (Well, a lot less visible stuff, anyway!) But nowhere does the method say you should throw away X amount of items or keep X amount. Marie merely says that you should keep all of the items that spark joy -- no matter how many or how few. This differs from person to person, and she acknowledges that. So if you were worried that the method involves throwing away things you really want to keep, it doesn't! It's all about what makes you happy, not how many/few things you have.

I'll leave you with a couple of photos of my shed. We're slowly re-organising it to become the storage hub of our dreams. Perhaps I'll write a shed makeover post one day!

My Tips for KonMari De-Cluttering, Part 1

Now that the world has gone crazy again for Marie Kondo's KonMari tidying method, thanks to her recent Netflix TV series, I thought I'd share some insights from my own KonMari 'journey'. To be fair, I'm only about three-quarters of the way through my KonMari process, but I've done all the major categories and have discovered some things that have definitely helped me along the way. Perhaps they'll help you, too. I actually had so many tips that I've decided to split this post into two parts. You might also like to have a look at my other posts: 8 Reasons Why I like the KonMari Method and more tips in Re-Starting My KonMari Quest.


＊ allow plenty of time
Laying out everything you own and sorting it takes a lot of time. I consistently found that sorting and discarding took a lot longer than I thought it would. Sorting my beauty and bath products alone took me a whole afternoon! With the more emotionally-charged items, I find I have to stop and take a break during the discarding process to avoid feeling overwhelmed. I found that I really hated leaving a category undone at the end of a day. Not only is it messy, but there was a huge sense of something unfinished looming over my head.

Don't forget, you will also need to store the items that you've decided to keep. Finding the best way to store your items (finding a place in the house, obtaining boxes or baskets to keep them in) takes time as well. The next point should help with this!

＊ divide into smaller categories
The categories that Marie specifies are extremely broad. In fact, there are only five: clothes, books, papers, komono (miscellaneous) and sentimental items. Break them down into subcategories. And then break them down again if you need to! At first I divided my clothes into tops, pants, skirts, etc. Then I found that I had over 100 tops alone and nearly had a mental breakdown! So I divided the tops into long sleeve, short sleeve and tank tops. I find that I tend to wear them in different circumstances, e.g. long sleeve tops only in Winter, tank tops only under overshirts, etc. Thinking about each of these types of tops separately was a huge help in deciding which ones I liked the most. Remember, you don't have to work on or finish all of these sub-categories in one day.

* customise your categories
Depending on what you have, you may need to create your own categories, too. As an artist and crafter, I had a whole set of categories devoted to those supplies: paint, brushes, yarns, knitting needles, crochet hooks, etc. Some other categories I have that other people might not need are: bonsai pots, fridge magnets, washi tapes and tea tins.


＊ don't double-handle
When I first began tidying, I created a 'donation' pile and a 'keep' pile (and sometimes a 'bin' pile depending on the category). After I finished sorting, I would then put the items into bags. However, I found that touching the items again made me second-guess my decisions and hesitate. To avoid this, I started setting up bags for each pile before I began. I put any discarded items in the bag straight away. I didn't have to see or touch the items again before taking them to the donation bin, and it make the whole process faster and less emotionally taxing.

＊ do-overs!
Don't be afraid to go through a category more than once. In fact, you may find that you'll have to, as more of that item will keep cropping up. The very first thing that I KonMari'ed was my socks. As I kept going through the rest of my stuff though, I kept finding more socks! Husband and I had used clothes and socks as packing material when we moved house. So as I unpacked boxes, more and more socks kept turning up. I ended up KonMari'ing my socks three times, and re-doing their storage twice. It's worth the effort to make sure your home is exactly the way you want it.

My February

February was a month of contrasts for me. I got a job halfway through the month, so I left behind much of the time I had for doing arts and crafts. Weather-wise, it's been much hotter than normal for this time of year. Usually there are only a few days above 35oC (95oF) by the time we get to February, but this year there have been many. I'm looking forward to Autumn more than ever this year!


What I've been working on ...
Work has been continuing apace on my art project, a crocheted blanket. I put off measuring it for a long time because I was worried it wasn't as big as I'd like it to be at this stage. I finally did measure it though: it's 180cm wide and 130cm long. At the moment it's a bit of an odd shape. Ideally I'd like it to be at least 180-200cm long, but that depends on how much time and energy I have to work on it before the due date. I was in too much of a hurry to get proper photos of the whole blanket, sorry about that. It's hard to take photos of something so big without a ladder!

What I've been sorting ...
Like nearly everyone else (it seems!), I've been influenced by Marie Kondo's Netflix TV series and have renewed my KonMari de-cluttering journey. I decided to KonMari my fridge magnets. Husband and I have quite a large collection, most of which were stuffed into a bag when we moved house and never unpacked. We always buy at least one magnet when we travel and sometimes to art exhibitions, and a few friends have given some to us, too. It brought back some lovely memories. I'd forgotten I had so many pretty magnets.

What I've been blending ...
I made my first spiritual oil this month. I'm leaving it to blend for a month, so I won't know how it went for another few weeks. See this post on my other blog for more about it.

What I've been cooking ...
I made a stir fry earlier in the month and realised that it was perfect for Lunar New Year. Pork for the Year of the Pig, long noodles for longevity, plus the noodles are golden for prosperity. The photo wasn't pretty enough for Instagram, so I've put it here. Though now I come to think of it, I was the one who first started the #allfoodisinstaworthyfood hashtag, so perhaps that's a little hypocritical of me!

What my cat has been doing ...
For some reason Sharick has decided to make the towels shelf in the bathroom his new hidey hole. It's very cute, but all the towels will need to be re-washed at some point.

Selections from Instagram

Actually I never posted this flower to my Instagram, so enjoy the blog-exclusive, hehe

Re-Starting My KonMari Quest

I've decided to renew my commitment to KonMari'ing my house -- all of it. I wouldn't say I gave up, just that it was on "accidental hold" for a while. I got a job, then I had an exhibition, then I got another job, then winter hit, then ... well, life just gets in the way sometimes. I'd always meant to get back to it. For some reason, now feels like a good time. I'd been undecided on whether to get Marie Kondo's second book, Spark Joy, but I ordered it a few weeks ago and am about halfway through it. The follow-up book can be described as an expansion of the first, with illustrations of the folding techniques, common questions answered and re-inforcement of the most important points. There are a few stories of clients peppered throughout, which I enjoy reading about. As embarrassing as my underwear drawer is, there's always worse out there!

To mark this commitment to re-start my quest, I'm writing this post with some of the points I feel are most important to remember. Perhaps someone else will find them useful, too.

HAVING A LIST IS REALLY IMPORTANT
I am so glad that I made up a spreadsheet of all the categories of items in my house before I started. I started with a basic list that I found online and customised it to fit my belongings. If I thought any categories were too large, I broke them down into smaller ones. I went round my whole house with a clipboard, looking into every nook and cranny to make sure I didn't miss out on any. (Don't forget the garage, shed and garden!) The list is like a master plan. If I start to feel overwhelmed, I refer to it to see what to do next. And of course, after a break, it's invaluable to know where to pick up from again.

IT'S OK TO KONMARI TWICE
I can't tell you the number of times I look at an item that I know I've already KonMaried and think, "Why did I decide to keep that?!" These are usually things that I dealt with early on, before my sense for what sparks joy was well-developed. As Marie Kondo explains, the more you practice the process, the faster and more decisively you will be able to determine what items spark joy. This makes me think that I'll probably change my mind about many items in my home sooner or later. In fact, I don't just KonMari twice -- I'm always KonMariing. Every time I use an item, my brain almost unconsiously goes through a process of re-deciding whether I still want to keep it, whether it still sparks joy. And there's nothing wrong with that. Everyone changes -- I've changed a lot in the last year. It makes sense that the things that once brought you joy might no longer. That's when it's time to say goodbye.

ONE DAY EVERYTHING WILL HAVE A HOME
Often, when I stand in a room and look around, I feel overwhelmed. There are still boxes full of things stacked up in corners. (The amount of stuff has increased since my first KonMari effort, I have to admit!) When I open up cupboards, they still look full. My coffee table is still littered with stuff. I can't picture how it will all be in the end, how it could possibly ever be neat and tidy. I feel overwhelmed and I just want to give up. I have a feeling I'm not alone in this, though. At the start of Spark Joy, Marie Kondo re-iterates her instruction to find an inspirational photo. Look through magazines or the internet, and find one photo of an interior that encapsulates what you want your home (and let's face it, your life!) to look like at the end of the process. It seems like a small and trivial thing, but I'm starting to see how it's very important. I haven't yet retrieved that one photo which represents my ideal, but I can imagine how I would feel when I look at it -- my spirits will revive and my heart will lift. I'll again be able to imagine my house being a place where everything will have a home.

GO GENTLY
Much of the KonMari process has been quite hard for me, emotionally as well as physically. Not only that, but starting something again that you didn't finish the first time always comes with extra baggage attached. The very first section in Spark Joy is entitled "tidying is the act of confronting yourself." It's no wonder that people find the KonMari process and tidying in general to be filled with difficult emotions. It's essential to acknowledge the feelings and blocks that come up during the process. As Marie Kondo reminds us, it's a natural part of the process -- it shows us how attached to our belongings we are, and how important it is to have a home that sparks joy. So, take a break, take a bath, have a cup tea, celebrate every milestone, no matter how small it is. You will get there.

Check back for more posts on KonMari, clothes and crafts.
(Not necessarily all three, I just like alliteration!)

My June

This June has been very cold, and I didn't feel like leaving the house much. In the last week of June especially, I felt a bit down and didn't do anything much creative or productive. However, there were several events I went to: movies with friends, an exhibition with my Mum, and a concert.
For some reason, this month I lost all motivation to play the games that I'd been obsessed with recently (except for Neko Atsume) and spent much more time on Instagram, and on YouTube watching videos on history, linguistics, craft tutorials etc.

What I've been cooking ...
One of the many advantages of Winter is all the cooking and baking that can comfortably be done. I'm fairly confident now that I can make biscuits without a recipe, but it's savoury meals that I've been experimenting with more. I started using the casserole dish that Husband gave me a few years ago, and I love it! I've made goulash, chicken and meatballs so far.

What I've been drawing ...
Since my Hobonichi half-year planner / art-journal arrived, I've been patiently waiting until the start of July when I can start using it properly. In the meantime, I did some drawings and paintings on some of the extra pages to give myself some practice. I really do need practice -- I keep smudging the watercolour and wetter pens before they're dry...

What I've been sorting ...
As I mentioned in this post, I've been working hard on Kon-Mari'ing my house. Most of the major categories are done, and I'm mainly down to the bits and bobs, the miscellaneous items called komono in Japanese. Also left to do are the things I need to do in tandem with Husband, such as garden tools and food.

What I've been reading ...
I've been suddenly motivated to spend time reading again, which is nice. I read Sense and Sensibility, and a catalogue from an exhibition I went to: Jan Senbergs: Imagination & Observation. I also finished some previously started books: The Autobiography of Jesse Harding Pomeroy and the Diggers' Club Garden Guide. Next I am looking at some of the 'chick lit' that my mother-in-law gave me. It's not within my normal reading habits, but I'm in the mood to try something different.

Selections from Instagram ...

Yes, I went to the Kyary Pamyu Pamyu concert in Melbourne! At Festival Hall, more popularly known as 'Festering Sore'. Photos weren't allowed, so I didn't take any, which was quite naive as about 90% of the patrons were recording the concert anyway. I did get several copies of the promo poster though, which I'll use in my art journals. The concert was incredible!

This photo is from the 200 Years of Australian Fashion exhibition which I saw with my
Mum. She doesn't visit the city very often, so it was a big occasion and thankfully the exhibition was lived up to the hype. I could only get a couple of sneaky photos in the first room when no-one was around.

Foot shot outside my friend's house....

8 Reasons Why I like the KonMari Method

All photos today are of my own house and belongings.
Perhaps you might think I have a lot of stuff?
But it was much worse before, trust me!

The KonMari method of de-cluttering has taken the world by storm in the last year or so, but in case you haven't heard of it, I wrote about it here and here. I'm more than halfway through KonMari-ing my house now, and I'm very pleased with how well the method works for me. Here are 8 reasons why I think that is:

1. IT ACKNOWLEDGES THE EMOTIONS
Many de-cluttering books and shows take a 'hard love' stance on the subject. They envision a frenzy of throwing things out, with garbage bags full of unwanted clutter lined up on the footpath. To me, it seems quite cold and heartless. Anyone who has seen TV shows like Hoarders can clearly see what an emotional toll the process has on the homeowner. In these shows, having an emotional reaction is usually depicted as a weakness to be overcome. Even when a psychologist is brought in to help the subject, his or her struggles to deal with the process are swept aside when a group of hard-nosed de-cluttering experts turn up armed with rubber gloves and a huge skip. In contrast, the KonMari method is gentle. Marie Kondo says it's important to acknowledge (she uses the word 'relish') the emotions that come up during tidying; this actually makes the decision easier, not harder. The decision to keep or discard is made by asking yourself whether the item makes you happy. KonMari asks: does holding the item make your heart leap and put a smile on your face? If so, then keep it!

I arranged my shawls in a box from Ikea so I can see them
every time I open my wardrobe door. Happy.
2. IT DOESN'T USE THE 'C' WORD
I found it interesting that in the title of her book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, Kondo uses the word 'tidying' instead of 'de-cluttering'. This is the case throughout the book as well. Konmari never uses the word 'clutter' or 'rubbish' to refer to possessions, and she is careful to use terms such as 'discard' or 'retire' instead of 'throw away' or 'get rid of'. The book has been translated from Japanese, but I think this careful use of terms is very deliberate. As I learned from the Fluent Self method of self-care, the words we choose are very important. Words like 'de-cluttering' and 'getting rid of' tend to create an automatic resistance in people's minds. Gentler, more respectful and positive words make people more amenable to following the method.

Body wash and face mask samples are all grouped together in the bathroom.
3. IT'S NOT MINIMALIST
It seems that many people have misunderstood the KonMari method, thinking it promotes a lifestyle of minimalism. It doesn't. The method merely says to keep all of the items that make you happy. KonMari says not to feel bad if you want to keep something. This means the item sparks joy and you should keep it. Recently on NHK TV there was a special called Tidying in New York with KonMari (I believe it's on YouTube now). KonMari was helping a young woman with her apartment. The girl became visibly upset at the thought of having to throw a box of things away. I think they were drawings that she had created. KonMari then said to her, "but if you don't want to throw them away, you don't have to!" Her face cleared and she beamed. The drawings made her happy, so why get rid of them? The aim is not to have as little as possible, but to live in a space where everything in it makes you happy.

All of my books are unpacked now! And Husband's too!
4. THERE ARE NO NUMBERS
Many other decluttering methods focus on numbers: you should have no more than so many of each item. Articles on clothes are particularly big on this -- to build a 'capsule' wardrobe, you should have 2 shirts, 2 pants, 2 skirts, etc. The KonMari method doesn't put any limits or absolutes on anything. If you had 43 handbags and 38 of them spark joy, keep those 38. (Not that that's a specific example from my own life or anything, ahem.) If, for example, you don't keep any skirts at all because you don't like wearing skirts anymore, that's fine, too.

Makeup has been sorted, duplicate colours weeded out,
and arranged in trays and a basket from Daiso.
5. IT ACKNOWLEDGES THAT EVERYONE'S DIFFERENT
The 'does it spark joy?' method of deciding what to keep acknowledges that everyone is an individual. As Marie Kondo says, everyone has a different understanding on what the appropriate amount to keep is, so there's no point in specifying numbers. The important factor is whether or not you feel comfortable being in that room. Some people prefer a minimalist room, others love being surrounded by their treasured items. The KonMari method allows people to express their personality. If you have 50 kitten figurines and 48 of them spark joy, then it's perfectly fine to keep all 48. Keeping 48 kitten figurines might seem completely bonkers-crazy to one person, but totally normal to another. It's up to you to decide what's right for you.


6. IT WORKS FOR COLLECTORS
Speaking of kitten figurines ...
Many people who collect things for a hobby can't put their finger exactly on why they do it. There's no rhyme or reason behind it, only emotion. Other methods of decluttering often don't acknowledge this urge. Nobody needs 20 teapots, or 3,500 troll dolls. Sources that tell you to discard excess items or throw away things you haven't used in a year aren't helpful for someone who has a valuable and treasured collection of original boxed Star Wars figures. Asking yourself if this item really makes you happy is a much more appropriate way of going about discarding when it comes to collections.

Now my stud earrings are arranged in a lovely vintage dish instead of the
ugly fishing tackle box I packed them in to move house.
7. IT'S RESPECTFUL
For those who lean towards an animist view on life, the respect with which Marie Kondo treats her possessions will be familiar. Before she begins tidying a client's house, she greets the house and asks it to show her where it would like everything stored. She advises that when discarding an item, to thank it for its service. This allows you to discard it with a clear conscience instead of guilt. Finding a permanent spot in the house for the remaining items is also very important. She says: when an item has its own place, it's happier, and this vibe spreads to the whole room and its occupants.

I finally found all of my dangly earrings and the stand to display them on! So happy!
The stand is on an open bookshelf opposite my bed so I can see it all the time.
8. IT'S NOT FANCY
Marie Kondo doesn't give advice regarding particular types of storage systems. In fact, she advises against purchasing elaborate storage 'solutions' for the home. This, she says, only leads to acquiring more because excess items are out of sight and you may forget you have them. She herself uses old shoeboxes and other re-purposed things to store many of her belongings. What's important is that when you open a cupboard door, you can see everything you own, and it makes you happy. Your storage can be as elaborate or simple, expensive or cheap as you want it to be.

I have some more posts in the pipeline on the KonMari method, such as tips, how I deviated from the method (gasp!!), and how it has changed my life. Has it? I'm not sure yet. Stay tuned to find out!

My May

The weather really turned cold by the end of the month. We've broken out the extra blankets, and there are frost warnings already. There's been a lot more rain. I heard about the 30x30 Challenge, which is to spend 30 minutes outside every day for 30 days, starting on 1st May. I wanted to do it, but then it rained for 3 days straight, with barely a 30-minute letup, so I decided to wait until Winter is over before trying it. Of course, I want to spend as much time outside as I can, but at this time of year it would be quite difficult to do it every day.

What I've been sorting ...
My KonMari adventure has been continuing. I've almost finished my clothes, and most of my accessories. I've unpacked a lot of boxes in the last few months, but there are still quite a few things packed (or lost??!) which mean I can't gather everything in some categories together to KonMari them.

I'm also pleased to say that I've unpacked all my books now, which was No. 96 on my 101 Things in 1,001 Days list.

My hair decos. Not too many?
What I've been making ...
I finally finished this crocheted mushroom. I wanted to make one as part of the Mori Girl Challenge, and, I have to admit, this project did double-service. I had two Geocaching Travel Tags to send off. The Travel Tags can be attached to any small item you like, and the tracking code turns it into a trackable item. It's then placed into a geocache for other players to pick up and move to another cache. There's more information here for the interested.
One of the fun things about creating a trackable is to attach something to it that will be fun for other players. And that was the problem! I didn't know what to attach them to. Being me, something handmade was preferable, but I'd been procrastinating for months because I couldn't think of anything. Then an idea struck me: make amigurumi mushrooms!
I (quite cleverly if I do say so myself) embroidered the tracking code under the cap of the mushroom but unfortunately I can't show it to you. It's against the rules. Otherwise anyone could log the trackable when they aren't actually in possession of it.

At this stage, I've almost finished the second one. I used a different pattern so I might write a separate post with my thoughts comparing them.

I also started a new design for a knitted monster plushie. I've made crocheted ones before, but I wanted to see if I could design a knitted one. I ran out of steam though, when I couldn't decide how to do the arms.

What I've been dreaming of ...
Not so much dreaming, but meaning to get around to it. With the rainier weather, the garden is greener than ever. I've started to notice dandelions popping up all over. They're one of the few wild plants I can recognise and know to be useful. There's a wonderfully informative post on The Woman Who Married a Bear on the very topic, so it just remains for me to give it a try.

Selections from Instagram

Mulled wine and drinking games for the Eurovision Song Contest:

I planted a tree! Well, more of a small shrub, really.

I also decorated the fernery a bit more with this gnome from Daiso: