konmari method

Tackling Music

(above: one of my favorite records)

My phone cannot hold my entire computer’s iTunes library. I make sure my current favorites get loaded, but my phone loads the rest arbitrarily. So, the other day when music was shuffling while driving, I was rather annoyed when Dora the Explorer came on.., again. It’s not that I don’t like Dora the Explorer, clearly I purchased her awesome tunes. Rather, it’s that I’m really over Dora the Explorer since my boys are now 9 and 12. When we belted out Baby Einstein, Dora, and other fabulous children’s music, it was fun. Years ago. But now, I’m done.

It’s fantastic that music is so compact. That it’s just files that store on our computer or even more awesomely, files that get streamed! But, it’s sometimes so out of sight, out of mind, that it’s easy to skip updating. I haven’t been rocking Dora for quite a few years, but every time the song came on, I’d just skip it, instead of deal with it. But, now I’m proud to say Dora is gone! And Baby Einstein! And Crayola Kids!

These past few weeks, I broke down the iTunes list by artist and spent a little time each day processing through a letter. A’s. B’s. C’s. and so on. I deleted those that no longer spark joy for me – in fact they actually irritated me. (If the song was someone else in the family’s then it stayed – as is always the policy – we can never declutter for others.) So, now I can jump for joy because when I hit shuffle, I will enjoy music I love today.

So today, my digital advice to you is don’t skip it. Deal with it:)

(If you live in fear that you may one day long to re-own that song, click here to see if the library owns it. And I may rest assured I can listen to Dora again via CD if my heart ever desires- even some newer ones).

My Closet is Decluttered. Now What?


When I worked at the library, I had the fabulous opportunity to check in books, routinely. Streams of books ran through my hands, many I never would have searched for. The Curated Closet by Anuschka Rees was one of my favorite accidental finds.

After I Konmaried my closet, I diagnosed my troublesome purchasing habits and curbed those to ban clutter from returning. When I found The Curated Closet, it helped me plan for what to buy to shape my wardrobe for my ideal life. This book set me up to develop the style that is uniquely mine, through prompts for creating lists, goals, color families preferences, and so much more. It fast tracked me to the places I wanted to work on, with a diagram in the front of the book. It dovetails so perfectly with the Konmari Method. I refer to it often to define my clothing needs before I shop.

So when you are ready to start purchasing items with intentionality take a good look at this book. It’s available at the library here in Wisconsin!

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Holiday Gifts That Won’t Be Clutter.

(ABOVE: Some of our reusable holiday gift bags.)

When I followed the Konmari Method and decluttered my home, a tough category for me was gifts. I persevered, have no regrets, and embraced what I learned. Since then, I think deeply about what I am giving to others, because I’d hate for them to feel guilty if they got rid of something I gave!

Here are some ideas I have for holiday gift giving:

For family:

  1. Ask what they want. Contrary to what advertising might make you think, it’s not rude to ask someone what they’d like. It’s smart. Surprise gift successes are rare, instead if you buy something someone wants, it’s likely it sparks joy for them. Likely it will end up used and kept. I know, crazy!
  2. Be there. Us mothers want to see you and know you are happy and well. The fact that you had to dress up and drive over is enough for us. Talk, sit and drink tea, watch a movie, go for a walk, it’s just about being together. If you promise you’ll consistently come again in a card, it’s a mother’s dream. Then DO it.
  3. Experiences. When I was moving to Nashville, TN years ago, my family lived in an RV until we could find the right house. My sister gave us an annual pass to the local zoo. That was one of the best gifts we have ever received. I was a mom of two very young boys living in an RV! We had very limited space. The zoo, however, was vast and we went early and often. Ask if someone would like a membership to a zoo or museum. Often these gifts are appreciated the whole year.

For acquaintances:

  1. Try consumables. Stuff adds up, and when we receive items we really don’t want, well, it can easily become clutter. This is why I found gifting consumables works great when I can’t ask what people want! When I was a florist, we had beautiful holiday arrangements that brought nature and cheer into every home we could! Flowers are a thoughtful, uplifting option. Or, healthy snacks are great as gifts and give many busy mothers a place to send hungry family members. What mom wouldn’t appreciate not having to prepare a snack?
  2. Utilize cash. Again, not thoughtless! You are saving this person the burden of stashing away something they may not want. Cash works everywhere for everyone every time.

Remember, we give gifts to show we are thinking of someone. We may not get it right all the time, but we try because we want to show our thankfulness for that person in our life. When you offer your gift and it’s received, the care is shown and appreciated. If it sparks joy is ultimately for the recipient to decide.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

Holiday Decorating.

I am excited about decorating my small home and chicken coop for my family and friends this year because last year I was a bit rushed just moving in. Happily, we cut our living space by 1,000 square feet which now forces me to be mindful of display space. Here are a few things I try when it comes to decorating.

I remember to shop what I already own before shopping any store.

  • Chances are I have something already that would work. I make sure I look through my decorations before purchasing anything new.

I try to use books and magazines as inspiration only.

  • I find items I currently have that are similar in shape or color to what my inspiration is, wisely reminding myself it doesn’t have to be that EXACT thing in the photo. Sometimes I even find something I own works better.

When I open my holiday boxes I revisit if the items spark joy.

  • I have to touch each item as I bring them out, so it’s easy to reassess each item.

If shopping, I search for the item I need instead of browsing.

  • Lists help me focus and plan and save me unnecessary purchases.

Holiday cheer is better than holiday clutter, so I try to be vigilant. How about you? What are some ways you avoid adding clutter but instead add holiday spirit?

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How Can I Make Someone Else Be Organized?

I’ve been asked, “I am organized, but how do I make someone else be organized?” While you cannot force people to organize, there are some things you can do to inspire others to be organized. This may seem frustrating, but this may be a lesson to yourself. Perhaps you are more annoyed with their lack of organization than they are? Still, for those of us sharing living spaces, there are fortunately some things you can do to help others think more about what they own and how they’d like to treat it.

1. Worry about yourself first.

Before you start blaming those around you remember to sort things out for yourself. It is ideal to go through the Konmari Method on your own, focusing only on your items. You may realize that some things you were blaming on others, were actually your own doing. For example, I was annoyed with my boys not putting books back on the shelves and would remind them often to put them away. Then we tidied their books all together and they deleted an ample amount. Looking at the pile that no longer sparked joy for them, I realized I had books up there they no longer used, creating a more cramped space and less desire to maintain their space. I was part of the problem because I kept saving books that they weren’t reading! These realizations are helpful, creating dialogue to work together to solve problems instead of blame.

2. Inspire.

When you tidy your things the Konmari way, you streamline your prep times, enjoy more time with your hobbies, don’t fall prey to marketing tricks that drag in more clutter, and those immediately around you notice. My family was very eager to have their clothes drawers look as tidy as mine and absolutely asked for help tending theirs.

3. Don’t Judge.

We are all unique people, at unique stages in our lives, with differing fears and goals. When you tidy your own items it is easier to understand what brings joy and what does not. When you are surrounded by family members with outdated, muddy work boots, and lego pieces galore, it’s a bit challenging to see the joy in those. In fact, is very easy to focus on the smell and mess or the pain when tripping over bricks. Instead, try to take a deep breath and don’t judge. Perhaps if I drove tractors and dump trucks, muddy work boots would be very joyful, a reminder of a good day’s work? Perhaps if I was an elementary school boy, I would see legos as the easiest way to bring magical ideas to fruition? Equally, I’m sure my family is bewildered by several of my purchases, especially because I’m the only girl in the family.

4. Don’t get rid of their things unknowingly.

Even if you are upset with the “stuff” of others, please avoid the temptation to get rid of it secretly. In fact, this will back fire on you. Most people who don’t like organizing actually have the fear you will get rid of their items. If you actually DO get rid of their items without permission, it’s possible they will ask if you’ve seen that item. How do you answer this? If you are honest, you tell them that you are secretly choosing items of theirs you think they no longer need and getting rid of them. If you lie, you are lying. If you are the person who’s items are being secretly deleted, how would that make you feel? What if someone you lived with got rid of something that sparks joy for you, but they judged and didn’t think it was joyful? I met a woman who was married 10 years and her husband still brings up that she got rid of a pair of his boots!

5. Offer to help honestly.

When you offer to help, do it honestly. Do it because you truly want to help that person succeed in tidying their items. Do it because you want your children to be able to create lego cities for hours of screen free play time. Do it because you want your husband to be able to find the tool he needs in the middle of an oil change. You can absolutely mention that a space is driving you crazy (they probably already know) and you’d like to help. But make sure you are equally honest with your confession. Tell them, by working together, you think the space could be tidier bringing you peace of mind (a benefit to them as well – less nagging!) and an easier way for them to find their things, maintain their space, or whatever their goals may be.

A lot of “making” others organize has more to do with you than you may realize. Your desire to tidy up others’ items may be more due to your visual needs than theirs. Instead of focusing on what they are doing wrong (to you), it’s best to focus on what can change, helping to set goals, and offer honest help when you can.