Tag: Minimalism

The last category in the discarding process is mementos. It was difficult to determine what was included in this category as it is basically everything else. I had the following major categories:

1. Cards
2. Snow globes
3. Stuffed animals
4. Pictures
5. Random stuff

It was pretty easy for me to part with the cards. I enjoyed receiving the cards, but the book resonated with me about not holding onto gifts out of guilt. The rest of the sub categories were difficult to get through. Clayton seemed especially resistant to this part of the process and assured me everything sparked joy.

As you can see from the after picture we parted with very little. I admit that I did not get rid of any pictures. It was a lot of effort to put my photo albums together, and I do take the time to look at them regularly and enjoy them.

We have done a great job of getting through the discarding process, and I want to make sure that everything we have determined sparks joy is on display in our home. My new policy is to not have anything packed away where we cannot enjoy it.

Have you successfully sorted through and discarded mementos? Please share any tips in the comments.

It seemed like we were making great progress, but then we got to the miscellaneous category…

1. Music
2. Movies
3. Games
4. Bathroom
5. Kitchen
6. Laundry
7. Bedding

This category was messy and took much longer to sort through than the previous ones. Each new pile was more daunting than the last. Because our move date is creeping up on us we’ve had to discard and pack after work, which is not ideal. Also Clayton hasn’t fully bought into the process so I feel like I spend a lot of time explaining to him why I want to sort through things in a certain way.

It took 4 days, but we finally got through everything! I’ve included a picture of our donate pile below. We also sold a lot of movies and games and threw out a ton of junk.

Up next mementos. One last category and we’ll be done. I just have to keep reminding myself that everything will be infinitely better next week!

Phase 1 of the KonMari method is to sort through and discard all the clothes in your house that do not spark joy. I thought it would be best for Clayton and I to pull out all of our clothes at the same time, so we spent an entire day working on this project.

Step 1.  Search every closet, drawer, and laundry area for clothes.

We had clothes in every room of the house, and I didn’t even realize it. Here are some pictures I took before we got started.

Step 2.  Place every item of clothing on the floor in one area.

This is the part of the process where I regretted ever picking up the book! Our living room was a disaster, and we could barely walk through the mess. It was too late to turn back so onwards and upwards!

Step 3.  Sort items in the following categories:

• Tops
• Bottoms
• Hanging clothes (coats, jackets, suits, etc)
• Pajamas
• Socks
• Underwear
• Bags
• Accessories
• Clothes for specific events (uniforms, swimsuits, etc)
• Shoes

Step 4.  Begin deciding – touch every item and ask, “does this spark joy?”

We started with off-season tops and worked our way down the list. This order really does help to build momentum. By the time I got to the shoes, which I thought were going to be the hardest to part with, I was so frustrated with myself for having all this junk that I was able to blow through the pile very quickly.

We sorted our clothes into 4 piles:

1. Keep
2. Donate
3. Sell
4. Trash

All of our clothes now fit in the master bedroom storage space. This is not the final storing solution, so those pictures will be coming in a later post.

This process is physically and mentally exhausting. I wanted to quit once we started step 2 and take a nap half way through step 4. It was a great relief to finally finish, and Clayton and I aren’t dreading the next phase of discarding books!

Have you ever tried sorting through every article of clothing you own? Please share your experience in the comments!