So … let me start with a shocking statistic, just to get you in the holiday mood.
The United States has 3% of the world’s children but buys 40% of all toys sold worldwide.
Yeah, I know. It’s terrifying. At one point, I think 40% of the world’s toys were living under my daughter’s bed.
This month, if you’ve got kids, you’re likely going to have an influx of new gifts and toys, so it’s the perfect time to learn how to help kids wade through the toys and create space for what sparks joy.
When we de-clutter our lives, we are often faced with figuring out how to give our items a second life.
For high-quality, gently-used clothes, consignment can be a great way to let them spark joy for someone else, while also giving you a little cash back for those investment pieces that you still need.
How much cash back exactly?
The number one question that I get is “What should I do with clothes that don’t fit?”
As my fellow KonMari consultant and wise friend Christina Rosenbruch says, the beauty of KonMari is that it brings us into the present. It’s about celebrating who we are TODAY and surrounding ourselves with what brings us joy TODAY.
So, what to do? Change the script.
I often say, “Our clothes are talking to us.”
People often say to me, “your house must be perfect.”
It’s not.
My friends and family can attest to that.
Sure, it’s my own little Petri dish and I have a lot of fun figuring out how to make it as organized as possible. I get to experiment and tinker in the hopes of a more streamlined and peaceful existence.
But it does NOT look like the cover of a Martha Stewart magazine. Or a model home for the Container Store. Or a recent HGTV makeover.
I can't do the dishes without Ray. Ray LaMontagne, that is.
You see, when I look at that messy pile of what-just-happened in my kitchen, my first thought is "ugh". My second thought is "Ray".
I ask myself, is this a "2-song mess" or a "3-song mess"? Then I get to work. "OK Google - Play Ray LaMontagne".
Last weekend was a gorgeous camping weekend!
We've been camping in the pop-up for 2 years now, and this year I finally feel like I am getting good at simplifying things. This helps SO much, because when you bring too much stuff, it's WAY more work and WAY more schlepping.
I'm now doing what I call "camping with a K", aka Camping the KonMari way.
I heard a phrase the other day on my favorite podcast that felt like it was sent down from heaven: "Do something badly."
"What the heck does that mean?", you might say ...
It means that you should give yourself total permission to do "that thing" that you always want to do but that you never do because you're afraid you'll be bad at it. So, do it anyway. Badly.
When helping my clients to simplify their homes, we inevitably find a treasure trove of gifts that have been given to them that do NOT spark joy. You name it - candles, soaps, scarves, trinkets, souvenirs, the works. You can probably think of the ones in your home right now.
We feel an obligation to hold on to these items, even though we don't find them beautiful or useful, for fear of offending the giver. The thing is, they are weighing us down.
One of the questions my clients often ask is: "After I've cleared out so much clutter, how do I make sure that I don't just go out and buy a bunch of stuff again?" I love this question because it really gets to the heart of why this work is so important.
Starting in the 80s, with the arrival of cheap imported goods, Americans began consuming at an unprecedented level.
The New York Times just published an article about how "buying time" (aka outsourcing or delegating) can increase your happiness level. Whether it's ordering take-out on a stressful weeknight or paying someone to clean your house, outsourcing specific tasks in your life can significantly reduce burnout and increase happiness.
So why don't we do it more?
