This is a continuation of me using the KonMari method to get my house under control and tidy! Read about the introduction and the book here.
I saved the “other” subcategory of the Komono/miscellany category for it’s own post because it deals with a lot. So far, I have tidied my clothing, books, papers, bathrooms, kitchen, desk/office area, the hall closet, and even my purse. Aside from special items like pictures, this is pretty much everything is left over.
Figurines/Tchotchkes:
When I was a kid, these types of items overtook my room. I had princess figurines, little ceramic animals, and various little items that I used for decoration. They pretty much stayed in my room until I moved out, when some went into a box that stayed at my mom’s and the rest came with me. When I moved into my own place, I realized that many of these little items weren’t really even me anymore. They were cute, like the little animals, and brought sweet memories, but like Miss Kondo has described: they served their purpose and it was time to move them on. This last time that my husband and I moved, I reduced the number even more, only keep what matched my home decor or what was truly special.
Not very many things left this time, either. I had been holding on to a few things like this Captain Sparrow bobble head simply because it was a gift from my husband a very long time ago. But I never really liked the Pirates of the Caribbean movies so the bobble head never truly sparked joy and we did not know each other very well when he gave it to me. Other items that left were also gifts that I only kept because I felt guilty getting rid of them. But to be honest, it felt nice to let them go.
Things that stayed sparked real joy: a copy of my favorite sculpture, the sand from our marriage ceremony, dolphins that I used to play with as a child, unicorns that felt magical, and a little art figure model that my husband and I enjoy posing.
Blankets, Linens, and Towels:
This is a category that I missed. It probably belongs under household items like sewing equipment and office supplies, but it’s large enough that it could be it’s own subcategory.
There’s really no reason to keep a ton of bed linens. Most goes unused, especially if it’s for the guest room. I like to keep two of everything. One for current use, or what’s on the bed now, and one for when the first needs washing. I rotate them like this because I used to be notorious for forgetting to put the sheets in the dryer. Not fun to wait for sheets to dry at 11 o’clock at night. So I applied the same principle to the guest room and Dominik’s bed. Two sets of sheets and two quilts; one for now and one for next rotation. We had an extra comforter that was a hand me down and didn’t even fit our bed that was donated.
We don’t have many towels. We have a few beach towels and enough for the week for each bathroom. There was only one or two towels that were demoted to cleaning rags because they were worn out and ripped. Towels are a pretty useful item, in my opinion, and I never feel like we have too many. I think that as long as they fit wherever you would like them and there’s always one for getting out of the bath, you are all set.
Babies and Toddler Items:
Children that are older than toddlers should go through their own things, but I think it’s up to the parents of very young toddlers and babies to make judgement calls on what to keep and what to discard. Older children of course require the help of parents and parents have veto power, but it really should be left up to them for the most part.
Dominik, who is about 20 months, does not have many things to begin with because we have tried hard to keep the number of toys to a minimum. Children are usually much happier with simple, open-ended toys in small numbers or with just playing outside in nature. Dominik has a box full of pinecones, shells, sticks, and other nature items that gets a ton of play.
My husband and I are usually pretty quick to return toys and items that do not fit our requirements: toys must be open ended and non electronic, books must be free of grammar and spelling errors, and no film or television characters. We don’t wish to hurt anyone’s feelings by returning or donating their gifts, but it’s important to us to provide Dominik with what we feel is best.
I went through the baby items that we are saving for the next baby, Dominik’s toys, and his clothing. There were a few baby items that were discarded. One thing was a toy from my husband’s childhood that I always felt was probably unsafe as it was flaking paint. There were some other random items stashed away that didn’t have much use and brought me no joy.
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| Dominik’s clothing and diaper storage (it’s diaper laundry day) |
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| Old clothes that are being saved |
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| I used the KonMari method to fold his old clothing |
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| Much better! |
There were a few electronic toys that we kept for the car, but Dominik never liked them much anyway, so out they went with some other plastic and not well made toys. We kept three electronic toys because they bring him so much joy. One of these things is a little activity center that he dances to when he pushes the music buttons. His clothing, including clothing that I am saving for the next baby, was all reorganized after I discarded things that had decor we didn’t like (for example, a social media centered onesie) or was stained or too worn.
Oh and also, all those big hangers that came with baby clothes, get rid of them.
Hobby Items:
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| Art supplies |
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| Paints and other art supplies |
Most people have a hobby or two that requires a certain amount of stuff. My husband like computers, cars, and playing the guitar, so he has stuff that allows him to explore those hobbies. My main hobby is art. There are kid safe art items that I have in on a shelf in the kitchen for Dominik. I have a variety of personal art items like paints and pastels. They are stored either under the bed in my tackle box or in a dresser that also holds my sewing things.
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| After |
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| After |
I mainly just reorganized and got rid of trash or things that were broken. But there were some things that were no longer of use to me. Dried out markers, an extra set of colored pencils, mint boxes I had saved for charcoal storage. There was also quite a bit of dried out paint and empty bottles. I also gathered random sketchbooks and other art supplies from around the house and put them in one spot.
My actual artwork is being reserved for the last category as they mean as much to me as photographs and memorabilia.
How to keep it green/ecofriendly:
-Most figurines and whatnot can either be donated or sold to a consignment shop. Who knows, that collection of creepy dolls could be a treasure for someone else.
-When you go on trips and are tempted to buy little snowglobes or figurines to remember the trip, remind yourself that you already have the memories and the pictures. Save your money for a cool experience on your vacation, like fancy dinners and guided tours.
-Linens and towels can be donated to shelters for both humans and animals. Homeless shelters always need items like this, and animal shelters as well as vets use towels to keep our fur babies warm and comfortable.
-Toys that are in good condition and that are safe can be donated. Anything unsafe is better in the trash. Just remember to properly dispose of those batteries.
-Depending on your hobby, most hobby items can be donated. If your hobby involves paints and chemicals, check to make sure that you dispose of them properly as certain things are considered hazardous waste.
Up next, Momentos!
