There were certain things that had to happen to get things in their right spots. And some things that had to happen before I could purge what we had left from after our move.
For example, getting my office built ins finished up allowed me to finally clean out the storage area in our basement:
I've kept things in there for two years now knowing I'd want to use them on these shelves. I had all of my craft stuff down there too, and all of that is now organized nicely inside those cabinets.
I kept (and packed and moved! 😖) a TON of books for these shelves, but when it came to filling them, I wanted to go much simpler than I have in the past. So most of those could go!
After I filled these shelves I was able to really purge what I had left. I had a HUGE garage sale for friends and sold almost every bit of it. It felt so good!!
Same goes for our garage -- we've had stuff in there for two years, waiting for a spot to put it outside. Now that we have the patio, I was really able to clear it out:
We had our grill, the potting bench and our large umbrella in the garage and I spent a couple days cleaning it up and organizing after we moved it all out. You can see why I'm feeling really settled now! It feels so great to have everything where it's supposed to be!
Overall, since I completed a huge purge years ago using the Konmari method, I've been able to keep up with the clutter in the house. It's just easy for me now after reading that book. I pass things along on a regular basis instead of waiting to do it once a year.
One spot that I wasn't keeping up with was my closet. When we moved in, it was one of those areas where I literally just threw stuff in and made it work. I've had plans to rework it a bit, but I wanted to do a big purge in here before doing that.
I shared some of the closet soon after we moved in. It functions OK, but I know it will be amazing someday! It has not been amazing lately though...
What a mess!! I was tired of trying to dig through clothes to find what I wanted. That shelf was ALWAYS a mess. As I mentioned, I have a plan for most of the clothes on this shelf, but before I focus on that, I wanted to purge big time.
This side doesn't usually look quite this bad 😂 -- I had tossed a few things on the floor (this was mid-way through the purging process), but this gives you an idea. It was still a mess!:
One of the tips I like most about the Konmari method is putting all like items together in ONE spot when you go through them. So you may have, say, glue sticks in a few spots in the house...but when you gather them all up (yes, it is a pain, but yes, it works), you truly see how MUCH you have of an item.
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I put all of the hanging clothes on the bed. Seriously, if you use this method it is eye-opening -- it always feels a little overwhelming and that's the point. If you're overwhelmed, it's because you probably have too much stuff. ;)
I got rid of four trash bags of clothes, then another bag of random stuff like purses, jewelry, etc.
It felt sooooo good!! Gosh I just love it.
There is one major practice I don't follow when it comes to the Konmari method -- I don't fold as much as she suggests. I prefer to hang most clothes because it's just easier. And I certainly have the space!:
I actually ended up hanging more than I used to -- some tanks, even t-shirts. I had the hangers from all of the clothes I purged so why not!
For me it's just much cleaner and a better use of space. I may start folding more when I add more shelving and drawers in here:
I don't do any color coding just yet either -- maybe when I finish up the bigger organization project someday I will. ;)
For now I'm just thrilled I can see what I have and it's not all over the place. I can easily find what I'm looking for. My shoe bins are a favorite:
(You can find the larger size here for boots or men's shoes.) Someday I may put them on shelves, but I do love that they're protected in there. Some I only wear a few times a year and they get dusty sitting out.
My other favorite item is new -- I absolutely LOVE these jewelry organizers!:
I used to have everything inside the drawer and it was OK, but I had so much crammed into the bins, I couldn't see what I had. These are great because each bin only holds one or two sets of earrings or bracelets.
Plus it's pretty too! :) I got the ring holder for rings but mostly for smaller earrings. They stay in there nicely and look great. (I have the ring holder, the 24 grid for earrings and the 12 grid for larger earrings and bracelets.) I purged my jewelry and only kept what I loved.
Now everything is organized and now that I know exactly what I'm keeping, I can plan the little makeover with that in mind. I want to get those clothes off the wire shelving and address this corner a little more:
Getting rid of stuff is the BEST feeling, in my opinion. I feel like I can breathe in a space and I feel more in control of my surroundings. If you'd like to try the Konmari method I used, be sure to check out this post!
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