Feb 23, 2018

Books

I went through my books this week. I really tried to listen to my feelings again as I decided whether to keep or discard a book. It was surprising again how clearly the items 'talked' to me!

I started by piling all of my books and magazines on one table. Most of my books were in one bookshelf but some of them were around the house - the devotional books, music books and cook books as well as the some books I am currently reading.

I had some books that have troubled me since I decided to keep them during my first round of KonMari. Whether I held on to them because they are classics and I have got them in a special time in my life or because I enjoyed them a lot at the time I acquired them.

Now I let go most of these books that primarily have other values of importance than joy. Like a couple of books I have got as a gift from dear friends but don't plan on reading anymore. Or my biology book from high school. I liked the biology classes and the book is thick and heavy with great illustrations.

Nevertheless, I still retained some books that don't spark joy but have other value, like my master's thesis. I went through a lot of trouble to complete that and most likely it is the only extensive scientific research I will ever do. I also kept a couple of comic books I have got from my husband in a special occasion.

Furthermore, I decided to keep a book that explains the liturgical structure of divine service - I haven't seen such an explanation anywhere else and it is written by the pastor of my first congregation I attended to. 'Gospel Transformation' is a book that I studied with a women's group while we lived in Munich and it changed my relationship with God's word and Jesus. I'm not likely to read it ever again but I want to keep since I want to remember that time in Munich. Also 'Jalo soturi' is a book about Christian faith and I studied that with a group of ladies in Finland. There are not many such study guides in Finnish and I once knew the person who wrote the book.

I can now also clearly tell which of the books belong to my 'hall of fame' that Marie Kondo discusses in her book. The ones that really make me feel sparks of joy are 'Kodin pehmeät sävyt' (beautiful pictures of beautiful houses), 'Stitch 'n bitch' (combines social interaction with knitting), 'Annan Nuoruusvuodet' (ooh those precious memories from my childhood and such a beautiful piece of writing) and my Bibles.

Marie says I should only keep the hall of fame. But I'm not ready to part with some of the other books that are not so fully sparking joy. I guess I should have some of my books in the 'sentimental' category but I like to keep them with other books.

An interesting detail is that I decided to discard my Finnish book of KonMari and buy the English 'The life-changing magic of tidying up'. I read the book in English in the first place and the Finnish version appears rough and weird to me. I do not enjoy reading it. I decided to order the English version on Amazon and I like it way better. I have to say, one reason is aesthetic: the English version being turquoise and white matches better with my English 'Spark joy' and 'The life-changing manga of tidying up'. The Finnish 'Konmari' is loud pink.

So in the end my selection looks like this:


I still have to look up where to donate some of my Finnish books. The English ones I try to bring to Half priced books. I hope they accept them. I'm not so familiar with the local donation sites yet as I donated most of our unwanted items already in Finland. But if I am to become a Konmari consultant, I should get to know that kind of places around here too.

I now put all of my books in one empty shelf in my wardrobe. I wonder if I really can fit all of my important things in our bedroom closets and drawers!

***

The next category is papers. My, or our, papers are well organized. But I have to admit that since I organized them the last time about one and a half years ago, I haven't looked at them almost at all. So I think the moment has come that I do even more serious discarding. I'll be back next week with a report on that!


Feb 19, 2018

Clothes

I started my Konmari Method, round 3 by reading what Marie Kondo says about tidying clothes. I didn't yet read about organizing them joyfully in my closets and drawers as she says that discarding is the number one priority first. Of course I organized everything the Konmari way but didn't care if the organization doesn't spark joy right now. I will organize everything in the end when I'm left with all my things that spark joy, and nothing else.

I'll show you my pictures about the "before" state of my clothes storage.


My wire drawer in the walk-in closet
The walk-in closet that I share with my husband

The wardrobe I share with my husband.

Clothes rack where I have my worn clothes
that are still good to go without washing.
My hubby has his on the chair.

The situation I started with is not all that bad. As a matter of fact, I thought I was pretty well organized as is. Anyways, I knew I had a few things I don't want to have anymore. So I went through everything in the KonMari order: first the ones that are closest to my heart - the tops, then the bottoms and outdoor clothes the last. Then I continued to shoes, accessories and bags.

The discarding process was pretty quickly done because I had all the clothes stored already in categories. Nevertheless, I learned a lot about myself as I really paid attention on my feelings when I sorted through the clothes.

I didn't save any clothes that didn't spark joy even if I just bought them in Finland in the summer. I also discarded clothes that do not spark joy that I had got from a dear person. Furthermore, I discarded clothes that do not fit me right now - I'm quite happy with my body at the moment and I don't want to have any clothes that tell me I should lose weight or get thinner. 

I noticed I have a hard time letting go clothes that are made of good material, like wool or silk. But now I let go of such quality garments that were too worn out to be used anymore. I also made my categories more plain: I let go of odd pieces of underwear that I never use, like old slips I have inherited from some old relative. I discarded leggings that didn't look good on me - and was left with none.

I decided to discard my comfy fleece robe and start using my beautiful silk or silky type of robes. Silk is surprisingly warm although it is thin. I feel beautiful wearing those but in my fleece robe I felt like someone who has a flu and has forgotten to take care of herself. I don't know why - it is white with pink roses so basically the pattern is one I like. I guess it is the fluffy, thick material all around my body that creates the feeling.

While sorting through clothes I realized I really shouldn't by anything in a hurry or if I don't know exactly what I need and want. I had to throw away shoes that look nice but kill my feet if I put them on. I threw away a shirt that was of nice material and design but badly cut.

In the end I had only clothes that I really wear and that spark joy for me. None that are too worn out, too small or large or just there because of sentimental reasons. In the process I reduced the needed storage space - I let go of the wire drawer in the walk-in closet and the open clothes rack in my bedroom. My drawers and wardrobe are way less full. I also decided not to use the baskets in the wardrobe anymore because the clothes fit nicely in only one row on the shelf. Except the tights that I still put in a basket. Maybe I should store them in the drawer in my bedroom, come to think of it!


My wardrobe after discarding.

My side of the walk-in closet after discarding.


I put my worn clothes that are still good to go on the rack in the walk-in closet. On the top shelf I have my bags, stored in bags, as well as my off-season shoes in the colorfully striped tote bag. My hats are all in one pile. In the blue box are my and my husband's matriculation caps.


Our bedroom looks so much roomier now that I let go of the open rack. It is a wonder how much effect removing one tall piece of furniture has!


I managed to pack my underwear and accesories into only three drawers in my bedroom:

All of my bra, underwear and thin socks.
(I have my foot cream here too so I remember to use it regurlarly.)
In the box are bra straps.

My scarves, woolly socks and off-season gloves.

In the middle my purses.
On the right and left are some of my craft and bullet journal supplies. 

To reflect on my vision, I picked the clothes that I think look nice on me and that I love. I managed to make more empty floor space and empty drawers. I also feel that I'm getting closer to my click point - the state in which I have just the right amount of belongings in my house to feel comfortable.


The next phase is the books. Book storage is a problem for me because we don't seem to have enough space for books and I tend to buy new books all the time, especially for kids. At this point I'm only going to deal with my own books and do a careful joycheck as I did with my clothes. And I should decide to use the library with the kids and myself regularly.

Feb 13, 2018

My dream home

Hi again,

I checked what Marie Kondo tells us to think about when creating a dream vision of our house to motivate us to tidy. She says we should find a picture or two on a home interior magazine that really inspires us and says it all. I have such pictures in the end of my older blog post that are still quite adequate. So I didn't care to search for new ones.

Although just a couple of weeks ago I saw pictures of Marie Kondo's Tokyo home. It is very inspiring to look at those pictures. I love the white and decorative details. But for me, I need more color in my house.

What I didn't do the last time around was to ask myself why. Marie Kondo advices going to the core of every part of your dream by asking why, three times with every idea. So let's do that with my vision.


***


I love plenty of free floor space. I also love when fresh air and light can freely float in to the house. I love white surfaces with playful details in color. I find joy in empty drawers as well as cute boxes with precious things in them.

WHY? I feel that in a house of fresh air, light and empty surfaces my thought is also free. And I'm free to do what ever I want. Mindful and beautiful details help me concentrate on the essential. Seeing things with colors makes me smile and cheers me up. WHY? I want to be in a good mood and not distracted to be able to do right choices with my life and my time. WHY? I think it is important to live life as it was intended. I basically want to have room in my head and space to communicate with my people and my heavenly Father.

In my house I want to read, play games and music as well as discuss with my family. I want the kids to have plenty of space for moving and playing at home. I wish the toys to be beautiful, inspiring and durable so that I can enjoy seeing my kids play with them.

WHY? I want my kids to feel included and loved at home. I want to encourage them as well as myself to good activities. I want us to see what is important in life. WHY? Because I believe that is the route to good self-esteem and good relationships with others. WHY? So that we can thrive in life, in our relationships.

I want to cook in my tidy kitchen where I have only the necessary items and clean surfaces. I cook healthy food and stay on top of my food reserves at all times. I want to provide healthy and delicious food for my family.

WHY? The nutrition is important to our bodily well-being. Food is something we should enjoy with thanks. Respecting the dinner time is important in keeping the family in communication with each other. WHY? I want our family to have good communication. Providing good food to share together helps with that. I want everybody to stay healthy. WHY? Again, I think that is what we need as human beings.

I also want us to spend time outside. So leaving the house with all the necessary belongings should be easy and delightful. I want us to spend time also outside on our own yard, enjoying our own home outside.

WHY? It is good for our health to get fresh air and exercise. It is also a great thing to do together that people of all ages and circumstances can enjoy. God's creation is right at our own backyard and all around for us to admire. WHY? To encourage the feeling of belonging together with each other and the creation and God. WHY? Well well, that is already enough reasoning, don't you think?!

Getting ready for the day and having a good night sleep happen both in the bedroom I share with my husband. That is also the room that is the closest of being my own space. There I want to have only my dearest belongings that help me rest and recreate. Fresh air and light is especially important in this space.

I also want to be creative in my house. I love knitting and crocheting. I would like to take up sewing and reading again as my hobbies. I also love bullet journaling. Would it be possible for me to establish a place in the house for all of these interests of mine?

WHY? It want to feel confident about myself and that results from taking care of myself. I need to remember what is important to me and do what I appreciate. WHY? I believe God has given each one of us special gifts and talents and wants us to live using them according to His will. To be able to do that I need to take care of my body and mind. WHY? I think this is already as deep a reason as it gets...

***

One thing I want to add in my dream vision is that I want my house to be filled with people. I have a nice house with plenty of room to invite friends into. To do that I need a functional kitchen and an easy-to-clean house. WHY? I love people and enjoy getting to know them. I also love getting people to know each other and creating social networks. WHY? I believe spending time with each other and serving each other is what God created us for. WHY? ...And we are there again. No more reasons required.

***

This exercise really showed me that it is possible to get to the core of your values and beliefs by considering how you want to live in your own house. I don't know if I went too deep but that is just how my mind works. This definitely was helpful because now I can tell myself in the process why it is really essential to go through the whole KonMari Method. In the end I will have a house that encourages prayer, creative work, play, music, healthy habits for body and spending time with each other. Oh wow, that sounds almost like Heaven!

Now I realized I haven't thought too much about just me, how I want to be and feel in my house. Let's see. In the Bible it describes the virtues of a grown Christian and that is what I desire to be. But those are inside and not visible. When it comes to visible things, I put value in beauty because I think God has given them for us to enjoy. That is why I like to have beautiful clothes and accessories and take care of my appearance. Taking care of my body with exercise and healthy food is part of that. I hate all kinds of extra nick nack so I never have plenty of jewellery on - neither does my house.

I guess that is it for today. I'm amazed about what kind of look into myself this exercise was! And I hope I was being true to myself although knowing this text will be there for everybody to read might make me want to present myself better than I actually am. But hey, this exercise was about dreams!

Feb 8, 2018

KonMari Project, Round 3, in English

Hi everybody,

I've been gone from my blog for a long time. That is mainly because I have not had an idea on what to write. My life has been fairly organized after discovering first KonMari and then Bullet Journal. So I have not had the need to clarify my thoughts or my nooks and grannies by blogging about them.

Now I have decided to reach for the KonMari Consultant certificate and that is why I am back. The first steps in the process are reading the books of course but also completing the KonMari Method in my own home and provide pictures about it. I decided to use my blog as a template to report those pictures and also to keep a journal on my progress.

Of course I have that kind of pictures already here in my blog. However, they are not from this house. I want to make sure my current state of earthly possessions is presentable and sparks joy for me.

I chose English and only English to be my language from now on because, if I become a consultant, my first clients will be speaking English. And it is not inspiring to write the same text both in Finnish and English as I tried to do earlier.

I do not know when I will be attending the KonMari seminar which is the first big step of becoming a consultant. But I know for sure it is not this spring or summer. So I will have plenty of time to do the round 3 before that. I also assume that it is not going to take as much time as the previous rounds since I know what I am doing and there is way less things to work through.

The first thing to do when starting the KonMari project is to visualize the desired outcome. What I want to do in my house when it is tidy? How do I want to live my life after finishing the tidying process? How does my house look like then? And so on. So today I am going to find answers to these questions.

***

I love plenty of free floor space. I also love when fresh air and light can freely float in to the house. I love white surfaces with playful details in color. I find joy in empty drawers as well as cute boxes with precious things in them.

In my house I want to read, play games and music as well as discuss with my family. I want the kids to have plenty of space for moving and playing at home. I wish the toys to be beautiful, inspiring and durable so that I can enjoy seeing my kids play with them.

I want to cook in my tidy kitchen where I have only the necessary items and clean surfaces. I cook healthy food and stay on top of my food reserves at all times. I want to provide healthy and delicious food for my family.

I also want us to spend time outside. So leaving the house with all the necessary belongings should be easy and delightful. I want us to spend time also outside on our own yard, enjoying our own home outside.

Getting ready for the day and having a good night sleep happen both in the bedroom I share with my husband. That is also the room that is the closest of being my own space. There I want to have only my dearest belongings that help me rest and recreate. Fresh air and light is especially important in this space.

I also want to be creative in my house. I love knitting and crocheting. I would like to take up sewing and reading again as my hobbies. I also love bullet journaling. Would it be possible for me to establish a place in the house for all of these interests of mine?

***

That is all for today. I maybe come back later on to add or finetune the vision. I have to say that most of these things are already on their way as I am already relating to my belongings the way KonMari has inspired.