"But how do you throw away memories?"

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"But how do you throw away memories?" somebody asked me once. We'd been talking about sorting and tidying photos.

Don’t start your tidying journey with photos

First of all, don’t start your tidying journey with photos! Photos often have great emotional significance. Tackle them before you're prepared, and you will almost certainly get stuck. Instead, build your decision-making skills and your sensitivity to joy by completing the other KonMari categories first. That way, when you do begin tidying your photos, you'll be ready.

Before making decisions, sort your photos (chronologically or by event). Tidying family photos? Consider working on it together. Remember you're choosing what to keep, not what to discard. Think Quality over Quantity. Which are the joyful photos that belong in your Hall of Fame?

Think Quality over Quantity

Discard blurry or unflattering photos. Let go of photos that bring negative feelings. Remember you are not required to keep them because “it happened and you can’t erase history”, because “so-and-so would want me to keep them”, or to “maintain complete documentation”. Duplicates can also be discarded (or given to someone else who might treasure them).

Reconsider whether you need a photo to remind you of every single thing that’s ever happened to you in life. Yes, that ice cream cone was yummy. Does the image of it really need to be stored for posterity? Sometimes the best part of a photo is the moment of joy when taking it. For vacation photos, consider keeping a small number of representative images per day.

Don’t tidy your photos if you are feeling tired or not in a good frame of mind. Put them aside and come back later when you’ve had enough sleep and are in a good mental space.

Photos aren't really memories—the memories live within us

Lastly, try to reframe (no pun intended!) the idea that you are throwing away memories. Photos aren't really memories—the memories live within us. So think of it as the process of selecting the very best images that will help you remember and enjoy the memories and experiences that are and will always be part of you.

When you're done, store your treasured photos in an album you really love, where it'll be easy to take them out and enjoy them any time. Or frame them and display them—with the joy and respect they deserve. 🌱

What to do when "spark joy" isn't helping you decide

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When we declutter and organize with the KonMari Method, we use the test of "Does it spark joy?" to decide which of our belongings to keep. But what if that question leaves you scratching your head? Or doesn't inspire you? Or you just can't relate?

Consider a broader definition of "joy"

Joy doesn't always have to mean an intense feeling. Our most prized possessions might make us want to jump up and down for sheer delight. But sometimes joy can be much more subtle and low-key.

One example is the plain white soap dish in my kitchen. It's shaped with a small spout, allowing any water in the dish to drain directly into the sink. Does this make me want to sing my heart out? Not really, but it does save me from having to periodically clean out a wet, messy soap dish. It's just one small thing that contributes to my life in a positive way.

Don't get too hung up on the exact question

Maybe the question "Does this spark joy?" simply does not resonate with you. It can help to remember that this phrasing is just an approximation. In Marie Kondo's books, "spark joy" is a translation of the Japanese word tokimeku ("to flutter" or "to beat fast", like an excited heartbeat). In other words, when you touch the item, you feel something. You could try alternative questions along these lines, such as:

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• "Is it beautiful?"

• "Do I feel something when I touch this item?"

• "Am I excited to use or wear this item?"

• "Does this item make me happy?"

Or perhaps fluttery feelings aren't your thing, and you're focused more on practicality. Try asking:

• "Does it have a purpose?"

• "Do I use it often?"

• "Does this item help me do the things I want to do?"

• "Does this item make my life easier?"

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

"I just don't know what I feel!"

If you feel undecided, ambivalent, or "blank" about an item, Marie Kondo suggests that you try praising it. Tell the item how much it improves your life. What features do you appreciate about it? Can you find something nice to say about the object's functionality, durability, design, color, size, or safety features?

If you can, then keep it with confidence. And if you really can't think of a single good thing to say, then feel free to let that item go (with gratitude).

Trust your instincts

Very often, it's when we start second-guessing ourselves and spending a lot of time ruminating that we come up against the wall of indecision. Try asking yourself, "What's my first impulse about this item?" and use that as your decision-making test.

In the end, "spark joy" is just shorthand for learning to listen to yourself and to trust your instinctive feelings about what belongs in your life and what doesn't. Find a way that works for you, and you can’t go wrong. 🌱

Tidy up your books with the KonMari Method

In the KonMari Method, the first step in tidying books is to take them off the shelves. This might seem like unnecessary work, but there's a good reason for it. Over time, books on a shelf can become dormant. Your eyes will tend to glance over them, seeing them as a wall of spines. Removing the books from their customary place allows you to see them with fresh eyes.

In my client's case, in addition to books stored on shelves, he had books in plastic bins up in the attic. These were brought downstairs and added to the book pile.

After de-shelving, the next step is to sort your books into subcategories. In my client's case, the subcategories included:

• novels

• writing

• games

• history

• religion

• educational and reference

• self-improvement

• travel

• law

• business

• film

Next, it's time for joy checking! (If you come across sentimental books, set them aside.)

Touch or hold each book, treating each one as an individual as you make your decision. Then ask yourself:

✨Does this book spark joy? Is it useful? Is it beautiful?✨

You'll often know right away when something is a keeper. You can feel it. The longer you stand there ruminating, the more likely it will be that the item can be let go.

Here are some additional questions that may help if you're having trouble deciding:

✨Return to your vision. How does this book fit in with the reason(s) I have for tidying up my home
✨Does this book reflect my current interests and/or values?
✨Have I read this? If not, do I want to read it? Would I be excited to start reading it today?
✨Or does this book feel like an obligation? Like a "should"?
✨If I let it go and then changed my mind, could I easily get another copy?

By the end of our session, my client had pared down his book collection considerably. His shelves are filled with only joy-sparking titles now. As for the rest, they were donated, with gratitude for the knowledge and usefulness they had brought him. For a book-lover, this can be such an important part of the tidying process: knowing that while not all of your beloved books may be keepers, you're giving them safe passage to a new home.

Want a tidy and joyful home library? As a KonMari consultant, I'm here to help. Contact me to learn more. 🌱

Removing the books from their customary place allows you to see them with fresh eyes.

You'll often know right away when something is a keeper. You can feel it.

Tidy tip: How to deal with "clirty" clothing

Tidy tip: "Clirty" clothing refers to clothes that are neither dirty nor clean--for example, the jeans you've worn once or twice, or the Zoom shirt you wore for a few hours this morning. Clirty clothes are a common source of clutter. They belong neither in the laundry hamper, nor in the closet or dresser with fresh clothing, so they tend to pile up in strange places.

The solution is to give these items their own home, such as a basket, a special drawer, or a hook. Voila, no more "transitional" clothing piles!

Do you have a designated spot for "clirty" clothing? 🌱

Should you tidy first or clean first?

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Happy New Year, everyone! Many cultures have New Year's cleaning rituals where the house is cleaned top to bottom. Ideally, this serves as a "reset button", clearing away the past year's dirt (both physical and spiritual) and allowing us a fresh start for the coming year. However, if there is clutter in our path, we may never reach the goal of making our homes truly shine.

Think about the extra work involved in wiping down a surface where many objects "live". We have to move each item out of the way, wipe away the dust, then return the item to its original spot. Perhaps we'll discard a few items deemed unnecessary as we randomly come across them, but the end result—though it might be cleaner—hardly looks much different than it did in the beginning.

Photo by Crema Joe on Unsplash

This is why it's ideal to tidy up first, then clean afterwards.

"Tidying" and "cleaning" are often used interchangeably, but as Marie Kondo explains in her book Spark Joy, the meanings are really quite different. When we tidy, we move items and put them away, whereas when we clean, we are removing dirt.

Dirt and dust tend to naturally accumulate, without us doing anything at all. It's a law of the universe. But often you will hear people talk about items "piling up", or "finding their way in". The truth is that objects don't grow legs and walk into our homes. We bring them in. The responsibility for clutter lies with us.

This means that while cleaning is about confronting nature, tidying is about confronting ourselves.

Cleaning (unfortunately!) is a process we'll have to do over and over again. But tidying is different. Once you've gone through the process of deciding which of your possessions spark joy, and then deciding where to store your joyful things, you'll never have to do it again. Your relationship with your home and the belongings in it, as well as the way you shop and acquire things going forward, will be permanently transformed.

Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

Which brings us back to cleaning. People who have completed their tidying journeys often remark that cleaning hardly takes them any time at all now. Some folks even enjoy cleaning, now that it's been made simple because they don't have to do all the extra work of navigating around stuff and clutter.

Whether or not you'll become a person who actually enjoys dusting and mopping, one thing is clear--if you want a clean house for the New Year and beyond, it makes sense to tidy up first.

🌱Ready to embark on your tidying journey? I'd be honored to be your guide. Contact me to get the conversation started.🌱

Clutter free gift ideas from KonMari organizing professionals

Buying the right gift for someone can be stressful and 2020’s COVID crisis makes it even more challenging. Whether you don’t want to wait in long lines, go to the stores, or have a minimalist mindset, you have to come to the right place for inspiration. Christmas is right around the corner and here are some favorite, meaningful, clutter-free gift ideas from KonMari organizing professionals. 🌱

Photo credit: Pixabay

Kammy Lee from Organized by Kammy:

Here's a clutter-free holiday gift idea for the loved ones on your list who haven't yet discovered the joy of listening to podcasts. Choose just the right podcast, one you know they'll enjoy, and provide them with simple instructions to start listening. It's a great gift for people who are hard to buy for, or simply don't want more things, and it's budget-friendly too.

To make giving a podcast even easier, visit this link: giftofpodcast.com (thanks Gretchen Rubin!) The site lets you download a PDF gift certificate (which you'll personalize with the name of the podcast your recipient will love and why), along with easy instructions for how to listen on iPhone or iPad, Android phone, or smart speaker.

Sandy Park from Tidy with Spark:

There is no better season than Christmas to share your love for deliciousness. Baking for friends and family during the holidays is my number one hands down best clutter free idea. It’s my go-to present and it’s really for me just as much as it is for the receivers. You see, I love to create delicious treats and it is a creative extension that is low cost, fun and won’t clutter up anyone’s home because my treats never last. Whether it’s cut out sugar cookies or easy peasy drop cookies, delight those on your Christmas list with this clutter free gift idea. Over the years I found that rarely people will remember my store bought gifts, but they always remember personalized homemade cookies. This mindful gift won’t break the bank and won’t clutter up the homes of those you love. It’s really a win-win gift idea. Try it today and thank me later.

This mindful gift won’t break the bank and won’t clutter up the homes of those you love.

Photo credit: Jill Wellington from Pexels

Aparna Sundar from Global Mindful Journey:

Ever since my family and I began our minimalist journey, we have become mindful of not only what we give to others but also of our requests for gifts. We focus more on experience-based gifts and/or those that serve the needs of the less fortunate in our communities. The idea is to cherish the memories from these experiences. When we do decide on ‘product-based’ gifts, we look at supporting local businesses, a ‘need’ that requires to be fulfilled, the versatility of the item and/or if they are sustainably produced. That being said, even if a gift we receive doesn’t necessarily “spark joy” to us, showing gratitude to the people who love and think of us when they gift us something is important. Our children will also learn from us to give relationships far more significance than to worry about what enters our homes.

Victoria Nicholsen from My Wardrobe Zen:

Photo credit: Daria Sannikova from Pexels

I love art and like to gift annual membership to art galleries so friends and family can enjoy beautiful pieces without cluttering up their homes.  It’s also fun to pair a museum or gallery to the recipient, for example, science museum membership for a nephew, film museum membership for the movie buff in your life. It’s a gift that keeps giving and supports these amazing institutions.  

Selina Mills from Restful Space writes:

My all-time favorite clutter-free gift are home-made vouchers and let me tell you why:

1. They can be handmade, simply or in artistic detail, by any member of the family.

2. They can be made out of recycled bits of colored paper or whatever’s lying around so are truly zero monetary cost.

3. They are a great creative project in themselves for children.

4. They are a lovely exercise in connecting with what family members genuinely treasure as individuals.

5. They make a super (small!) keepsake – I still have a “Kitchen Tidying Voucher”, a “Dog Care Voucher” and even a “Love Voucher” from my children. I use one under my home office cuppa.

6. They can incorporate a heartfelt message easily and who doesn’t love one of those.

7. They can be for ANYTHING!

Related: On Clutter-Free Holiday Gifting

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This blog post was originally posted by Tidy Closet owner and founder Janine Morales, a professional home organizer and certified KonMari Consultant based in San Diego.

Gratitude makes it easier to let go

"Have gratitude for the things you're discarding. By giving gratitude, you're giving closure to the relationship with that object, and by doing so, it becomes a lot easier to let go." - Marie Kondo

In the world of decluttering and organizing, you will often hear: "Let's get rid of this crap!" or "This is junk. Trash it!"

It's helpful to avoid this kind of negative language. The KonMari Method is all about joy, respect, and gratitude. When you let go of one of your possessions, thank it--for the usefulness it has provided, for a lesson it has taught you, or perhaps for the value it will bring to somebody else.

Our stuff is never just stuff; it has feelings and emotions attached. When we let go of an item, we are often letting go of a part of ourselves, such as:

✴️ a former identity or role
✴️ a phase of life we are no longer in
✴️ goals that no longer fit us
✴️ an old job or position
✴️ an obligation we seek release from
✴️ a relationship that no longer serves us
✴️ a gift that doesn't suit us

By showing respect to our discarded belongings, we are also respecting ourselves.

Ready to embark on your tidying journey? I'm here to help. Contact me to get the conversation started. 🌱

Feel Great in your Fall Sweaters!

🌱 Today’s post is by guest blogger Laura Sinclair, a professional home organizer and certified KonMari™ Consultant.

(Photo credit: Laura Sinclair)

Fall is upon us, and with it comes cozy fall sweaters!

You may also be thinking about fall cleaning and getting your home ready for the holidays... Feeling overwhelmed? You are not alone.  

Getting physically organized helps with our mental well-being. Spending some time organizing can decrease your stress and overwhelm this season. However, the act of organizing can be very overwhelming, too. So where to start? And how to proceed?  Marie Kondo is a Japanese organizer who created The KonMari Method™ in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. She recommends that you always begin with your clothes.

Why not start with one small category—your fall sweaters. You know you're excited to see these old friends! ;)

(Photo credit: Laura Sinclair)

Step 1: Make a pile

Remove all of your sweaters from the closets, drawers, etc. Check every room of the house and any boxes where you may store seasonal items. It is important to find ALL of your sweaters before you begin.

Step 2: Top Three

Pick out your favorite three sweaters from the pile. Hold them. Notice the joy and positive feelings you get when you hold them. As Marie Kondo would say, do they "spark joy"? Those are the feelings that you want to replicate.



Step 3: One-by-One

Now, go through the pile and pick up one sweater at a time. Notice how it makes you feel. Do you feel joy? Do you love it? Do you want to put it on and wear it all day? If so, keep it with confidence! Do this with each item.

Step 4: Reflect

Are you unsure about your feelings? Ask yourself WHY you are having a hard time deciding whether or not to keep a sweater. What is getting in the way? Was it a gift? Was it expensive? Did it used to be your favorite? Take the time to reflect on the "why". You can journal or talk it out with a friend, too.

(Photo credit: Laura Sinclair)

Step 5: Fold & Store

Have you tried folding and storing your sweaters vertically? It makes it easier to see them all at once, and it reduces wrinkles!

Click here for a great thirty-second youtube video that demonstrates how to fold using the KonMari Method. The video was created by KonMari Consultant Ann Dooley of Simple Joy with Ann.


Step 6: Gratitude

Donate those sweaters that no longer support you today. Be grateful for the support they have you in the past.

Great job!  You have just finished your first tidying session! Now, pick a sweater and enjoy the rest of this fall day. :)

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This blog post was originally posted on the Flourish Organizing website.

Laura Sinclair is a professional home organizer and certified KonMari Consultant. As the owner of Flourish Organizing, she combines her love of teaching and organizing to help people to declutter, reorganize, and solve their daily frustrations. Find out more at https://flourishorganizing.com/about.html

Mindful shopping: another "side effect" of tidying up!

Since I completed my KonMari journey, I've become a more careful and mindful shopper. I almost never make impulse purchases. In fact, my problem is usually that I wait too long while considering whether to buy it or not--and then they're sold out of my size!

Some questions I have found helpful to ask myself before buying clothing:

• Does this item fit my lifestyle? Will I wear this, or do I just like the idea of wearing it?

• Do I already own a similar item? Is there a compelling reason why I should buy an additional one?

• Can I get a better quality item, or a more reasonably priced item, somewhere else?

• Which other items in my wardrobe will "go" with this item to make an outfit?

• Is this an item that I would want to make myself? Or is it worth it to me to purchase one that someone else has made?

• How do I feel about supporting this particular company or seller? Are they an ethical business? A small business? Local? Woman and/or minority owned?

I've recently acquired two vintage sweaters to add to my joy-sparking wardrobe. I love buying vintage things when I can. They're often better-made and cost less than the equivalent item costs new today. And I find that I often prefer the styles (being that I am a retro fashion weirdo). The only drawback is that I'm 5'10" with athletic shoulders and long arms; sometimes I have to look long and hard to find vintage items that will fit me. But that's part of the "thrill of the hunt" that comes with vintage and thrift shopping. Another benefit is feeling good about being more sustainable, by giving new life to a pre-owned item that's still in great shape.

What kind of a shopper are you? Have you changed your shopping habits from what they used to be? Why or why not? 🌱