The term purge or declutter is not new to me but somehow they did not registered as it did when I read Marie Kondo's book The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.
The concept is not new either because her style is boiled down to one thing, does it "spark joy" when it comes to the things you own. Basically all the minimalist I have read about says the same thing in terms of letting go of EVERYTHING that has no value or of use to you.
Marie Kondo says that if it doesn't "spark joy" then it has to go. The only interesting and useful fact that made her different is that she gave you steps on how to declutter your home, starts with clothing, books, ...and last memorabilia.
You don't declutter by room but rather by category and in such sequence because clothes and books are easier to get rid of than sentimental items (if you start with that first you're in trouble because you'd sit there for hours on end, looking through pictures...etc. and reminiscing on the time you've had ... you will get nothing done!).
Let me tell you, Marie Kondo suggest that we make this clean up day like a holiday and we don't have to do it all the time, but as an "average" Asian American couple in a 1500 square foot apartment in Chicago, it's a hell-a-lot of work to even finish in a week!
All I have to say is that when you want declutter, do it at your own pace. Don't feel bad when you can't finished as planned, great if you do though. I have been doing it slowly for the past months and it feels great (and I'm not done ...but who's judging?).
I use to do all kind of crafts, sewing, collecting random stuffs and things accumulate. Plus I have an extra bedroom that used as a storage and walk-in closet all in one. Apparently we sometimes don't even go in there because we can't find anything! NOW WE CAN!!!!
I think the most important part in doing anything is to really understand ourselves and be realistic.
I hate to admit but I no longer have the passion nor the time to do crafts and scrapbooking (I just make photobook! no messy room to clean up after!) so I finally packed all of that stuff and asked my Facebook friends if anyone wanted them (so happy that it's going to someone who will actually use them ... people like us knows crafting supplies are not cheap and of course you want to buy everything! it's a relief to know it's not going to be wasted!)
Now I will have to admit that I do not have the time to do any sewing either but I will still keep my sewing machine because it doesn't takes up a lot of space plus I need it to hem or alter my clothes or sew curtains etc. I will be getting rid of all of the fabrics I have stored (I have so much because I originally was going to sew curtains for the whole apt. only then I found other fabrics I like so I bought them too! Then more fabrics for upholstering my sofa. etc. .... NOT doing any of that stuff now... they have to go.)
I feel bad that people are bring more stuffs into their home when I am trying to get them to understand that they should be getting rid of stuff not adding on! But then again, they may value it more than I would ever will, plus it's their choice what they want to do with their home!
Here I will post a few pics of my before and after. Please don't judge me! =)
Still have lots of room to grow!!!! =)
That very night, half way through the book I had 5 bags of clothes bagged up!
Take everything out
Cleared the office book shelves (filled what all kind of stuff and half of them are not even useful!)
Now everything I love and use is in its place!
I think we should all do this, roll up our socks and organize them. Only then you'll know how many you have (we have distinctively 4 seasons so we have different types of socks hence we need more than 14 pairs - my ideal number because you have to do laundry at least once every two weeks right!?) and that you do not have to buy more. Same with with your undergarments, we do no need a whole drawer full (get rid of old and stained ones and the ones with those running threads ... make the effort to throw it in the garbage bin!)
*Fun facts: this picture was stared in an Marie Kondo article online
FOLD YOUR CLOTHES!!!! fold it so that it can stands up by itself! I usually fold my jeans in 3 and put them in the drawer but usually only 8 can find in one of my drawer, now I can fit 17!!!!! so I practically can have all my jeans, pants, leggings all in one drawer. SO MUCH SPACE LEFT!!!
DON'T JUDGE ME. I don't know what is is but I never thought about this back door entrance which serves as a mudroom, pets area. It's messy and ugly with different types of shoes shelves. GET RID OF THEM! Get matching ones so it looks neat and anything with closed door is a plus. MUCH MORE EASIER on the eyes! So here I go... IKEA!!!! BISSA shoes case!!!! LOVE THEM and at $39.99 PERFECT!!!!
I use the top to put our hats and dog treats! My husband's construction clothes and knick knacks now go into the last columns. NO MORE CLUTTER!!!!! WOOHOO!
THE CLOSET!
No more walk in closet and open space where you can see clothes everywhere. Lucky for me three of these closet FITS PERFECTLY wall to wall so it looks like it's customer made in my other bedroom. Our bedroom does not have a closet specifically requested by MOI when we rebuild our building because I do not want clothes be all over my bed and in site in my bedroom. So I have a whole room next door as a walk in closet and that's just too much. Having these put in (IKEA! this whole side of the wall cost less than $500) I had to scale down my clothes and happy to do so. Just so you know it's now both mine and his clothes- all fits in here. I HATE mismatched hangers so no problems there but I did buy new ones at Cosco that are nonslip which I totally LOVED! 2 boxes with 37 hangers each. I am now scaling to just that much clothes or less to be hung for me.
I LOVE THEM!!!!
AND THE MAKEUP
My daily essentials are here. I got rid of so much crap. I use to have tons of eye shadows and etc. from MAC which I love but my make up routine have been simplified to this, face wash, toner, moisturizer, sheer liquid foundation, blush, bronzer, eyeliner, and lipstick. So everything else must go.
A lot of people asked me why I would get rid of things I had spend so much money on before because it just doesn't make sense to them, well money is already spent whether I am getting rid of them now or not, it's still gone, but I can make a choice that I am NOT letting those things clutter up my house and that's what really matters now.
One of my favorite spot in the house... my couch. I had never loved a couch so much as this one... my husband think I could even get rid of the pillows but I LIKE THE BLINGS!!!!!
Being minimalist doesn't mean you have to get rid of everything, it's about having the things that you love and rid yourself the ones you don't!
