Earlier this week, I shared some of the work I had done with regard to “tidying,” inspired by the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, by Marie Kondo. Today, I’d like to show you some of my progress. I spent the morning learning how to fold the KonMari way by watching several YouTube videos and practicing with both my children’s and my clothes. My girls were especially interested, joining me in the folding lessons. It was so cute to see them trying out her method on their socks and shirts and shorts. My six-year old did especially well:)
As of lunchtime, I have completed both Skyler’s and my wardrobes (with the exception of items in the laundry). Kondo mentions in her book that the process of tidying is exhausting, and after my work this morning, I have to admit she is right. I am ready for a nap! There is no heavy lifting or strenuous exercise involved with her method, but it does involve discernment, concentration and repetitive, methodical movements, which can be mentally fatiguing. Anyway, on with the show.
In this first set of pictures, you will see my three drawers (that’s all I have). I should have taken “before” pictures, but once I got going, there was no stopping for show and tell. Previously, my top drawer was the bedroom junk drawer, with all of my jewelry strewn about, along with the odds and ends that end up in a room at the end of a day, little mementos from my children, receipts, etc. Now, it is my underwear, bra (I thought it best to be discreet on that matter and covered them), and sock drawer. Yes, all three in the same, standard size drawer! Amazing!
Before today, I kept my socks in the bottom drawer, all balled up or, worse yet, floating around unmatched, which took up an inordinate amount of space. Kondo says that our socks and stockings need time to rest from all the wear they get on our feet. By tying them up or stretching them out into balls, the fabric never gets a chance to relax from use, and the elastic wears out at the top, causing them to droop down.
In the next drawer, I now store all of my short and long-sleeved shirts, along with my pajamas. I used to hang up all of my shirts, and I stuffed my pajamas on a side-shelf in my closet. My underwear and bras previously occupied this drawer space.
The final drawer is my pants and shorts drawer, with room to spare. I used to stack all of my pants and shorts on the top shelf of my closet, where they would quickly turn into a mixed-up heap as I took a pair out of the stack. Now, I can see exactly what I want to wear, and pull it out without disrupting the other items. The beauty of the KonMari folding method is that, when done correctly, the clothes stand independently of each other. Miraculous and so much fun to do!
Our next stop is the closet. As you can see, there is not much hanging here anymore. I realized that my clothes only take up a quarter of the hanging space now (a third with my fall/winter coats). To the left, there are three shelves, which are practically empty. It is a difficult space to manage with little light or access. I have five winter sweaters tucked away above the shelves, my nylons and lingerie are stored in a shoebox and bin on the first shelf, the second shelf is empty, and some household decor items wait assignment on the bottom shelf.
Above my hanging clothes, I have two bins: one holds my gym clothes, and the other holds my scarves. That’s it, the extent of my wardrobe, with room to spare. Now, I’ll show you my four-year old’s drawers.
To begin, she has these tiny drawers that are vertically built into the bunk bed she shares with her sister. They happen to be perfect for the size she is in now. By the time she outgrows this space, she will inherit my dresser.
At the top (and out of sight range for her) are her pj’s. I figure, either I can pick them out for her, or she can stand on her bed and look in for what she wants to wear. Next is her underwear/sock drawer, which I chose not to include, for privacy’s sake. I didn’t put too much effort into this one or bother with proper folding (apart from the socks); it just didn’t seem necessary.
Here is her shirt drawer. With them all standing up in here, it seems like way more than she needs.
And, the shorts drawer. Some of her skorts were a little too bulky to adapt to the KonMari folding method, but it’s all good, right?
Her pants and sweaters fit in the bottom drawer.
After reassigning homes for our clothes, I had a pile of accessories and junk lying on my bed that previously lived in the top drawer of my dresser. I did a quick sort of my jewelry, with the intention of being more mindful of what I wear and love in the coming weeks. I got rid of all the junk I had accumulated, put away 100 hair bands and barrettes (so that’s where they all were!), removed the piles of books that remain untouched on my dresser, and . . .Voila!
Here is the top of my dresser. Granted, it’s not visually stunning, but it is organized, accessible, and practical.
All of my earrings are matched up, the necklaces are organized, and my bracelets (how did I get so many?) are in the glass dish. The wire basket holds things that are special but have no particular purpose, other than their sentimental value. At this point, I was getting pretty tired out, so I called it quits for the day.
I love the changes I made, and I can’t believe how much more room her method provides. The only hurdle I foresee is training all of the children on her folding method, so that I don’t have to refold all the clothes on laundry days:) I have two converts already with my girls, but I think the boys may be a harder sell.
What do you think? Are you ready to declutter and KonMari your closets? Let me know how it goes. Be sure to read Kondo’s book for further instructions. Also, I will be sharing links to helpful videos by both Kondo and Lavendaire, who does a very nice job demonstrating the folding process, on my Facebook page.
(Featured Photo Credit: http://trendingtami.com/2015/04/konmariepurgeintro/)
E. Hale says
Lookin’ great Aimee! Way to go! You’re inspiring me to get at it again. Thanks! And, for the jewelry a great idea that’s been working for me is a clear plastic box with dividers (a hobby lobby purchase I believe). It holds earrings really nicely and then I store that in a drawer as well.
Aimee Mae Wiley says
Yes, I need a box like that! This is all I have right now, but I’ll be on the lookout for something more compartmentalized. Thanks for the encouragement!