Does your house "Spark Joy?"

I was recently introduced to Marie Kondo and her magic "tidying up" method through some organization articles.  After watching a couple videos, I ordered her book "The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up" and now I am hooked.

One of the statements that intrigued me, was that after following her "marathon" method, her clients never go back to untidy lifestyles.  Keep in mind, Marie Kondo mainly works with clients in Japan, where living spaces are small and keeping neat and tidy is a valued part of the culture.  So can her method work in America, land of the consumer?

There are several principles that the Kon-Mari method of decluttering is based on.

1.  You must do all the sorting at once (as nearly as possible).  Her marathon method recommends taking all of your items (by category) out at once, partly so you can see how much you have and recognize duplicates.

2.  You should follow the order of sorting she suggests (Clothes, Books, Paper, Misc., then Mementos).

3.  Rather than focusing on what you will discard, you should touch every item and decide if you want to keep it.  The criteria is whether it "sparks joy" when you hold it.

Being analytical, the "sparking joy" criteria seemed a little too variable for a disciplined criteria, but I was curious to try it.

After starting the book, I tried out the technique with my clothes.  I have been paring my closet down for a couple years now and actually have less clothes than my husband.  When I considered the "Does this spark joy?" question as I picked up shirts and pants, I started to understand the benefit.  It forces you to choose only the things that you are proud of and feel good wearing.  Why would you keep clothes that do not look good on you, just because it was a gift or you enjoyed it once?  Marie Kondo suggests you thank the discarded items for their service.  Even if it was something you never wore, it helped you know what did not look good on you.  Honestly, I was starting to feel more self confident because I truly liked the clothes that remained and had some ideas of what I needed the next time I went shopping.

There are a couple ways I would translate "spark joy" when you are considering whether to keep clothes.  

Do you like wearing it?

Do you feel good wearing it?

Does it look good on you?

I found some clothes that had got tucked away that I started wearing again.  I also found clothes that I do not feel good wearing, but got on sale.  They did not get returned to the closet, but went into the donation pile.  Now when I go in the closet, I feel good about every outfit.

I was afraid I would not have any clothes left after this round, but I have enough and it did highlight some deficiencies in my closet.  Now that I know what I need (ex. black pants), I can find some higher quality pants that I love.

Overall, I am still a little skeptical about how long before I start to notice clutter in my closets again, but I have a newly inspired respect for quality over quick and cheap.  I will continue to use the Kon-Mari method in the rest of my house and see how it goes.

For more info, Marie Kondo has a website:  http://tidyingup.com

Mass Balance of Household Waste

If you are like me, it seems like the house is filling up with junk as fast as I can take boxes to Goodwill.  I mean well and try to de-clutter a little every week, but it feels like I am constantly throwing away or donating.  So how can I get on the diminishing side of this mass balance equation?

If we want to reduce our waste output, we need to either reduce our inputs (buy less) and/or increase how much we use something before it gets thrown out as waste. 

 

1.  Inputs - Reduce what you bring in your house.

When buying something, think about how long you will use it.  Buy only what you need or think you will use.  I admit, I enjoy going through the dollar section to find a little knick knack or toy for the kids.  Sometimes it is my bribe to keep them occupied while shopping.  But more often than not those little trinkets end up in my donation pile (or broken and thrown away within hours).

Just say no to Free Stuff.  This includes the freebies at parties or random Schwag that you are not going to use.  Often I will put this directly into a donation pile, but it is even better if I do not bring it in the house at all.  I mean how many reusable bags can I really use?  I already have them spread all over my house, cars and garage.

Shop with intent. Create a clothing list (like a grocery list). Think about what you really need for your wardrobe before you shop.  (Honestly, I never have time to clothes shop for myself anymore, so it only happens when I am really desperate and run out of socks.)

 

2.  Internal Processes - Re-use

Internal processes define what we do in our household and in our daily routine.  

One option is to use less, so that a container of something lasts longer (I.e. Soap, water, paper).  I have gone to using fabric napkins, which does create more laundry, but cuts down on paper waste.

Buy quality - I have to admit, I am guilty of buying the cheapest item, which tends to get broken or thrown out quickly.  What I am trying to do is buy with intention and choose something that may be more expensive, but more sturdy and higher value in the long run.  This is especially true of children's toys, shoes and furniture.  When I was young, I never knew how long I would stay in one place, so most of my possessions were "disposable."  Now that I have a family, we should be more stable and able to build a home with intention.

Make your momentos useful - All of the "stuff" we have in our home should "bring us joy."  Either we use it or we enjoy having it around (i.e. photos on the wall and decorations).  If it is something that is meaningful to you (momentos, etc) then consider a way to display it and share it with others.  I usually pick one or two of the kids' drawings to display for a week.  Then I either take a picture or store my favorite ones.  I plan to review the saved artwork with them annually and pare it down as we go.  We also send artwork to the grandparents every once in awhile, as cards.

Use milk/yogurt containers and cartons/tubes for crafts or storage;  Pinterest can give you lots of ideas. 

Use the library.  What a great way to get fresh books every week without overflowing the book case. Think about swapping toys & puzzles with friends to have something new to play. 

3.  Outputs - reduce Trash and other waste.

Reduce what you throw away.  Monitor your trash for a week (how much, what is in it).

Compost - some communities may have a compost pickup for grass and leaves, as well as food waste and soiled paper/cardboard (like pizza boxes, tissues, etc).

Use fabric napkins and use washcloths and towels for spills, instead of paper.

 

As a consumer, it is up to us to make smart choices and vote for change through what we buy.  I will be the first to admit that I will sometimes choose the option with a hard plastic package because it is cheaper or convenient.  Sometimes there is not a comparable alternate.  The first step is to think before you buy.

Think about your packaging choices.  Monitor how much you are trashing.  Buy staples from the bulk bins. 

 

It is not easy or all that convenient, but we need to get out of the rut of a "Throw Away Culture."  It will not only help sustain our environment, but reducing clutter in our lives should help us focus on the important things.  

I suggest we make better choices about the inputs, processes and outputs of our homes (and lives).

 

 

TerraCycle - New Green Option

In my pursuit of all things new this month, I have discovered a new disposition for disposable items that are not typically accepted as part of municipal recycling facilities. It is a recycling company called TerraCycle. 

According to the website, "TerraCycle partners with Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) manufacturers to administer free programs which pay consumers to help collect non-recyclable packaging, which is then upcycled or recycled into eco-friendly products."

You can sign up for a "Brigade" and send relevant empty containers to them, postage paid.  They take the waste and either up cycle it (use potato chip bags to make a purse) or recycle it.  Each brigade is sponsored by a consumer products company, which pays the postage (and may help with the recycling).  If you send enough material for recycling, you can earn points and money for your local non-profit.  This seems like a great opportunity for a local school or club. 

I signed up for every Brigade possible, but many of them had waiting lists.  I focused on the brigades for diaper packaging (sponsored by Huggies), toothbrush & toothpaste (sponsored by Colgate), and beauty care packaging (sponsored by Garnier).  They also have brigades for potato chip bags and juice pouches, but we do not really consume much of those in my family. 

I promoted and collected packaging at my church and local moms clubs. Most of the brigades have minimum ship amounts (by weight) to earn points.  I can not accumulate anywhere close to the minimum on my own.   Although I do not need the points, I want to make the shipment worth it from an environmental perspective as well. 

After 3 months, I felt like I had enough to ship, so I printed out the free shipping label, packaged it up and dropped it at a local FedEx store.  Super easy. After several weeks, you can see the actual weight that was received and if you earned any 

Points. Even after 3 months and collecting through my network, I did not meet the minimum for the diaper packaging or beauty care brigade. Maybe I can expand where I collect next time. 

I hope they are making good use of the materials I sent.  Like your municipal recycling program, it is difficult to tell how much actually gets recycled, but I would like to make every effort I can to keep waste out of the landfill.  

Check it out at www.terracycle.com