The KonMari Method: Papers

The next phase in my using the KonMari method of decluttering is papers! You can read all about the introduction to this way of cleaning here.

Papers refer to...well, pretty much everything that is on paper (aside from books and magazines, which were done last time.) Many people keep way too many papers because they believe that they are too important to throw away. But, especially now, most of that information can easily be found online. All other information is just a phone call away.

The rest of the paper that is in a typical house is usually things like junk mail, bills waiting to be paid, coupons, flyers, invitations, etc. This is all stuff that we keep because we plan on doing something with them in the immediate future. However, life happens, and this stuff usually piles up. Although most of the papers that you will keep don't necessarily spark joy, they fall under necessary items to keep.

A few months ago, my husband bought a new safe for our home. We wanted to keep all of our important papers in there, so we spent a few days neatly organizing and filing. At the time, we did get rid of a ton of paper, mostly things like used up checkbooks, bank statements/credit card bills, and and outdated insurance information. But we were still left with quite a bit that we felt may be too important to get rid of, like medical records.

When it was time to sort papers, I really did not think it would be a big undertaking since we had so recently gone through the important stuff. I was really surprised at how many papers we had around the house.

I started with the stuff in safe, again. I kept things that had to do with identity (birth certificates and social security cards), major purchases (house deeds and car information), and bank information (like account numbers), but everything else was tossed. Would I really need an outline of a checkup I went to 3 years ago? No. Everything we needed fit nicely into a file and was locked away.

Our mail dumping ground.

The rest of the papers in the house were mail, junk mail or guides/warranties. We tried to go paperless on as many things as possible, so I was surprised at how many pieces of mail we get everyday. I divided the mail into categories as Kondo suggests: bills and invitations that need immediate attention, paperwork that needs to be saved temporarily (such as an agreement with the solar company that just installed our panels), and stuff that could be gotten rid of.

User manuals and warranties

The guides and warranties were stored in a plastic box in a cabinet. To be honest, we have only used the stuff in there a handful of times (like when I needed help figuring out how to wash diapers in our washer) and I'm sure that much more, if not all, could be gotten rid of. But my husband asked that I keep all the warranties and guides for our appliances as well as for anything that was his. So, I got rid of everything that was mine (like phone manuals and computer guidebooks) as well as things that we didn't even own! The previous owners of the house left a bag of user manuals for things in the house like the stove and dishwasher so we just threw it all in with all of our other stuff. I was surprised to find manuals for appliances like waffle makers that we didn't own or refrigerators that were long gone.

After everything was sorted and disposed of properly, it was awesome to see so much freed up space. Where there were piles of mail or menus or flyers, were now partially empty shelves and drawers.

Here's how to keep this part green and eco-friendly:

-Recycle, recycle, recycle. It's paper, so it can all go in the recycling bin. Just be sure to shred anything with personal information before doing so.

-Take a good look at the mail you are getting and check online or by phone to see how you can go paperless. Opt out of certain letters and flyers, when do you really ever use them? Sign up for paperless statements for banks and credit cards, you are more likely to pay on time this way anyway.

After this part of the process, I feel much much more relaxed about what I truly need. I know where everything super important is and even feel less stressed about financial issues since everything is so organized, if that makes sense. Although, I am starting to get anxious about the level of progress I am making. The house is still pretty cluttered and although I know I will get to everything, it feels a bit like an endless process at the moment. I am attributing this to the fact that the stuff I have gone through thus far were all hidden away for the most part so it's hard to notice the results just yet. I'm anxious to see the results after the next BIG category.

Up next: Komono/Miscellany Part 1

The KonMari Method: Books

I am continuing to use Marie Kondo's decluttering method on my home. You can read about the introduction here. Next up as I KonMari my house: Books!

I used to have a TON of books. Before I moved in with my husband, they took up a floor to ceiling bookcase, plus I had more stashed under my bed. It comes at no surprise because I love to read and get pretty attached to books that touch my heart in some way. When I moved in with my now husband, we were living in a tiny one bedroom apartment with almost no storage space. That sparked the first major decluttering of my books. So I already had gotten them down to a smaller number.

There are a few cookbooks in the kitchen that I use all the time, plus magazines from upstairs. Right now, most of our books are stored near the dining room because this just worked out with space and with keeping a common decor with the furniture in the room. The bookcase holds my husband's records and record player on the top and bottom shelf, with my books and scrapbooks in between. The rest are stored inside the chest.

Kondo goes pretty into depth in her book when describing how to go through books. She reminds the reader that books that may spark joy, are lifeless sitting unread on the shelves. She encourages us to only keep those that truly spark joy and that are actually used. Things like textbooks, dictionaries/reference books, and half read novels have served their purpose of providing an experience. After that, we do not need them anymore.

Going through them was tough at first because I had the mindset that I had to get rid of some. But then I remembered the main message of the book, to focus on keeping what sparked joy. After that, it became much easier. It was nice to know that nearly all of my books sparked joy. I had a nice collection of books I primarily used as art reference, those stayed. I also had about a dozen novels and classic books that I kept because I really do reread them often.

The books on the bookcase were all very, very old and passed down from my father to me. Although they were not really read, because they were a family heirloom, I decided to keep them. When I was little, I used these in my pretend play all the time because they were how a book should be. Solid, simple, and they had that great old book, musty smell.

I still got rid of a small pile of books. There were a few funny reads that I knew I wouldn't pick up again. Among them were classics that I only really kept because it felt wrong to get rid of something written by Shakespeare. There were also reference books that I knew could be replaced by Google. There were a few books that I loved dearly and wanted to read them to Dominik, The Lord of the Rings and Grimm's Fairy Tales. These I saved for a future gift for him.

I used this method to go through my son's books too. Although, I also used criteria of whether or not it contained a message I wanted him to be exposed to or if the book had too many grammar errors. There were just a few, as I know his books spark a tremendous amount of joy for him. I gently encouraged my husband to go through his books, as he has lots of reference books and textbooks that are never, ever touched. But he remains in his "these are perfectly good" frame of mind. 

How to keep it green and eco-friendly:

-Books that are in readable condition can be donated to a library. You get a tax write off and someone else gets to enjoy the book.

-Books that are damaged and unsuitable to be donated should be recycled, remember that they are just paper!

-They can also be sold on website like Ebay or Amazon, books like up to date textbooks still fetch close to their retail price, but it helps students to pay it forward with an affordable price

So although I did not declutter as much as I thought I would, I was happy that the books that were left after my last major de-stash were those that truly brought joy to me. It's nice not being overwhelmed with titles or having books that go unread. The ones that I have are reread often because they truly speak to my soul. Every time I wonder if I am keeping too much, I remind myself that it's not necessarily about the amount I have, but whether it truly sparks joy.

Up next: Papers

Review: KHR Wovens Baby Spring Flowers

Up until now, all of my experience with wrapping had been with machine wovens. Handwoven wraps just seemed so expensive, plus I had absolutely no idea where to start because the list of weavers seemed to be just so loooonnnggg. So when I stumbled upon a deal and a price for a handwoven that I could afford, I jumped on it. This has been the best impulse purchase so far.

KHR wovens is a handwoven business that also runs a machine woven company called Tiny Tiger. All of their wraps are made in the U.S., and both the handwovens as well as the machine wovens get a ton of praise from babywearers. I'm anxious to try their American Beauty wrap because it has been compared to very expensive handwovens for a fraction of the price.

Baby Spring Flowers came to be only slightly used, so it still needed slight breaking in. However, it already felt so soft and was very floppy as most handwovens are. It is 100% cotton and a pointed twill weave.

The colors are difficult to capture because there are so many, not to mention the green warp dulls out the colors a bit from far away. In person, the colors are incredibly vibrant, however. It definitely feels earthy and happy. I like that it seemed to match pretty much all of my clothing. 

This is a very thick wrap. It reminds me of Pavo Granite Etini, which was 370 g/m2, so this is definitely a beast. The cush on my shoulders was incredible. It's pretty hard to find a wrap that I can use for extended periods of time with my large toddler, but this wrap proved to be perfect for the job. It was never diggy and he stayed completely supported with no sag whatsoever. 

The weave on Baby Spring Flowers definitely made it a struggle to make passes and get a nice, snug fit. It is very, very grippy. This will improve with time as it is broken in, but I imagine it will always have some grip. Knots held really well and every knotless carry I tried stuck perfectly. The texture may cause a ton of grip, but it is a pleasant, soft texture, similar to a favorite sweater or knitted blanket. Although it was tough to wrap with, it was worth every second. This wrap is amazingly comfortable and cozy.

I would recommend this wrap for experienced wrapper with large children. The thickness may be too much for a small baby, and the grippiness of this wrap may be too much of a struggle for a newer wrapper. It is thick, cushy, blankety, soft, textured, grippy, and a serious toddler wrap. I am in awe every time I use it.

Check out KHR and Tiny Tiger here!

Polenta Lasagna with Lemon Cashew "Ricotta"

Growing up Italian, we always had some kind of delicious baked pasta dish for every holiday and special occasion. Thanksgiving? Lasagna. Christmas? Stuffed shells. Easter? Baked ziti. These were dishes that were also made on weekends every now and then, but they were still special.

When we decided to go vegan, my husband and I wondered how we could still eat these favorite dishes. Not only were they dear to my heart because I grew up with them, my husband discovered what a real feast was with these baked dishes. It was important to us to continue the tradition of a special meal made complete with a hearty Italian dish. The solution was cashew cheese.

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of cashews in some recipes because I don't particularly like the flavor. However, when put into a dish with a rich tomato sauce, only the creaminess and cheesy texture stands out. With a pop of lemon, it tastes fresh and rounds out the flavor profile.

This particular dish was created because I ran out of lasagna noodles but really wanted something similar. I had gotten a tube of polenta to make baked polenta fries (also delicious), so I substituted the noodles with it. The polenta added an extra richness and some pleasurable texture. It was a huge hit with the husband and toddler.

Below is the basic recipe for a quick meal. Homemade sauce would be even better, but I used jarred to cut down on dishes and time. Also, feel free to substitute or add vegetables to the layers.

Polenta Lasagna with Lemon Cashew "Ricotta"

Ingredients:
-1 tube polenta
-1 jar marinara sauce or homemade sauce
-2 Tbsp olive oil
-2 large zucchinis or other vegetables

For the cashew ricotta:
-1 cup cashews, soaked for several hours in 2 cups water
-juice of 1 lemon
-1 garlic clove
-2 tsp dijon mustard
-4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
-1 tsp salt
-1 tsp Italian seasoning
-3-4 Tbsp olive oil
-1/4 cup water

Directions:
1. Make sure the cashews have been soaking ahead of time. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Slice the polenta and vegetables into medallions about 1/2 inch thick. The polenta is pretty delicate and may crumble a bit, that's okay, just save the crumbles to fill in holes in the casserole.
2. Put all the ingredients for cashew cheese in a high powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Add water if it's too thick or dry.
3. Grease a small casserole dish with olive oil and layer as follows: 9 rounds Polenta, 1/3 of the cheese, even coating of sauce, enough zucchini to cover in one layer...etc. until everything is used up. Pour the rest of the sauce on top.
4. Bake uncovered for about 40 minutes, until nice and bubbly. Serve immediately with bread and light salad.

The KonMari Method: Clothing

After a quick read of The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, I decided to give it a try. Read about my review here.

First on the list to be tidied is clothing. This includes underwear, pajamas, pants, tops, blouses, sweaters, leggings, dresses, skirts, coats, and shoes. I always considered myself to be an organized and clean person, but it seemed like the clutter always came back. This is especially true of my closet. I often got rid of clothing items and didn't shop very often, but my closet always felt so stuffed. I hoped that the KonMari method would help to tame my wardrobe.

I'll admit that a larger motivation to getting my clothing under control was the hope that it would mean less laundry for me. Laundry is by far my least favorite chore and it's never long before the baskets are overflowing.

This is how I do laundry.

Because I have a toddler to look after, I did not put everything on the floor to be tidied at once. I also did my decluttering during naptime or independent playtime. Instead, I decluttered by subcategory, starting with undergarments and going from there.

The first thing I noticed, was how different it felt to be decluttering based on what I wanted to keep rather than what I wanted to get rid of. By only asking myself if it sparked joy, I was avoiding any of the other justifications for keeping something. But those thoughts still creeped in every now and then. I kept catching myself thinking, "I don't love this but I can use this as pajamas since it's still perfectly good." Kondo brings up this in her book, warning us to avoid demoting clothing into the "lounge wear" category. This is something I'm often guilty of, so instead of keeping those items, into the donation bag they went.

I also found myself better able to part with gifts from people that never fit right or didn't suite my style. They weren't being worn anyway, but the larger point was that they didn't spark joy.

Folding the KonMari way is what I think really transformed my closet. It's one thing to get rid of a bunch of stuff and then throw the rest into drawers but it's a totally different ball game to fold her way. Whatever is not hung up on hangers, should be folded using her method and then "filed" upright into dresser drawers or on shelves. My socks in particular look AH-MA-ZING and there is now a ton of room in my drawers. Everything is in sight and I can easily grab exactly what I want.

When everything was folded and put away, what surprised me was the feelings I now had towards my wardrobe and in getting dressed. It was pleasurable to put on clothing that I knew I really loved and that made me feel good. My wardrobe is now made up of clothing that is softer, fits nicer, and that better suits my personality.

Socks, bras, stockings and underwear

Bags, accessories, and swimwear

Robes, sweaters, cardigans, and blouses

Pajamas and "lounge wear"

T-shirts, tops, and tanks

Long sleeve tops and sweaters

Pants (The right side is my side, the left side is hubby's)

Even though my side of the closet is much more organized and just has less than my husband's, I feel like the entire closet is already different. My clothing is easier to find and manage, no more shoving a drawer shut! I even folded my husband's clothes the KonMari way. Without getting rid of anything, everything fits better and is just much nicer.

After going through my clothing, I got rid of two full garbage bags worth of stuff. This is after regular closet purging as well as delegating a few items elsewhere. And no, nothing became lounge wear. Items that weren't put into the donation bag were put in my fabric stash for planned projects, my son's dress up drawer, or were severely demoted to cleaning cloths. This is how I kept the process as green and eco-friendly as possible:

-All clothing in good condition will be donated. People in need are going to get good quality clothing and that also means less will end up at the dump.

-Clothing that can be used as dress up is saved for my son. Blouses, bandanas, hats, etc. that can be used in pretend play, were saved for that purpose. For example, a white button up blouse can be a business top or doctor's coat. I save money because I don't have to buy dress up clothing, plus children would rather play with real, grown-up items.

-Clothing is stained, has holes, or is just not donation worthy is saved as cleaning cloths. Instead of using paper towels, I use these items of clothing (cut up to be smaller if necessary).

-All of these pieces of clothing are fabric, Pinterest as a wealth of ideas on how to use them for sewing projects. This is particularly good for making people gifts (like fabric headbands, wallets, or bags) because you save money and reuse something instead of buying new.

Overall, I'm very happy with results, even if I didn't get rid of as much as I anticipated. I realized that my true style is very geeky and very casual. I ended up keeping mostly yoga and sweatpants because the thought of being able to move more freely with my toddler brought me joy. Plus, I absolutely love the feeling of getting into comfortable clothing when I get home. Most of the tops I kept have to do with a particular fandom, like Sailor Moon, and those make me very happy. So, I still have a lot of clothing than I think Miss Kondo would like, but I feel joy about my wardrobe. I plan on continuing the major decluttering and am anxious at how the rest of the house fares. Up next, books!

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up

Too much stuff...

Our consumption obsessed society has left us with a lot of stuff in nearly every aspect of our lives. It seems like America in particular is all about BIGGER, BETTER, and MORE, whether it be cars, clothes, phones, beauty products, accessories, home goods, and even food. We love to get the new phone, even if our old phone is really not that outdated or old at all. The food portions at one restaurant are so much bigger than that other restaurant, we feel like we are getting more for our money. What we bought to wear last season is no longer in style, and the newer clothes at the store seem so much cuter....

Even after organizing, it feels cluttered...

Let's face it, new things are nice and they give us a thrill to buy them. When I find myself feeling sad or overwhelmed, I often buy myself something to make me feel better. And sure, it helps, but the feeling never lasts long. In fact, I often end up feeling guilty for making an unneeded purchase and then overwhelmed by having more stuff in our small house.

Desks are often used as dumping grounds for more stuff.

It's the stuff and the clutter that contributes to feelings of stress. Especially as a mom of a toddler, I find myself overwhelmed trying to keep up with house work. The dishes and normal cleaning routines aside, tidying up clutter EVERY DAY is tough when a toddler is tugging at my pants. And even with all that cleaning, my house is far from magazine-worthy. I mean, it's clean: the bathrooms, floors, laundry, kitchen, etc. are all washed. But there's just too much stuff. I want to devote less time to cleaning and more time to my son.

Everything just feels messy all the time...

Consumerism has completely taken over today's society. Our stuff is not only packing our homes and causing us to feel stressed and overwhelmed, it's literally destroying the earth. Americans are averaging about 250 million tons of trash per year. Everything that you buy at the store required the usage of some combination of natural resources to make it's way to you. The point is that our needs for more are causing more land to be wasted for waste management or for use to satisfy our cravings and needs. The solution is simple: buy less and buy more mindfully.

When I came across the book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering by Marie Kondo, I was hoping that this highly recommended book would help start my path towards minimalism and give me tools to steer clear of the siren calls of consumerism.

This was a super easy and quick read. Kondo is a bit quirky, but she was very relatable and pretty adorable through her writing. The goal and purpose of the book is to help the reader get rid of all the clutter they have accumulated and to help create a peaceful environment. There were a couple of messages that stuck out and gave me an "ah-ha" moment.

Only keep what gives you joy
This is the main message of the book and the one that is obviously the most important. It was such a simple message and makes complete sense. I have so much stuff that I keep just because it's still "perfectly good" or "I might need it later". Why keep things that don't make me happy? It made me look at my stuff from a completely different point of view. Just knowing that certain things brought me joy, made me appreciate them more.

Declutter all at once, by category
Many people recommend decluttering a little at a time or by room, but Kondo brings up a great and almost obvious point: declutter a little at a time and you will be doing it forever. How true! By going about tidying just a little at a time, you really don't realize how much of something you have, especially if like items are scattered around the house. Plus it gives you plenty of time to add more stuff. By piling ALL of your clothes in one spot, it's helps to create perspective on your belongings.

Fold properly and vertically
Without getting rid of anything, this tip alone changed my closet. By folding things so that they all stood up, like files, everything is in view and totally organized. Yes, even folding your socks. In fact, folding my socks is probably my favorite tip of the book.

Organizing gives the illusion of a clean room
Kondo emphasizes that all the organizing bins and fancy contraptions will not take care of the main issue: too much stuff. You can file and sort to your hearts content, but your house will still have too many things.

However, there were a few aspects of the book that I felt could not work for everyone. The main one is that tidying should be done alone and all at once. I totally get the recommendation because I'm sure it's easier to do so alone. But with a toddler, it's just not feasible to get a babysitter for every part of decluttering. She says not to do this during a child's naptime either, but in order for tidying to happen at all, I need to work with the time that I have. She also assures the reader that other members of the household will most likely join in on the decluttering. My husband has the most stuff out of all of us and is the absolutely worst at letting go of possessions. His motto is practically, "I might need this". So I was hoping for more recommendations on how to go about cleaning with a messy family, but who knows, maybe she is right and maybe he will join in after I declutter.

The biggest thing that worried me, however, was the amount of trash the tidying would generate. Wasn't I trying to make my carbon footprint smaller? Wasn't I trying to reduce the amount of stuff I sent to the dump? But, Kondo assures the reader that it's about jumpstarting a lifestyle of minimalism, a lifestyle of reduction and buying less. The idea is that with a peaceful environment and clearer mind, the need to buy more will be abated. That we will see what we have, realize that we have everything we need, and be happy with our beloved possessions. It's worth a shot to try to combat the gnawing need to buy stuff.

I plan on tackling each subject and writing a post on it in the coming weeks: Clothing, books, papers, komono (miscellany), and personal mementos. I'm also going to include a few posts that are outside of the musings of this book, but related to a lifestyle of less. Posts will include making more mindful food choices as well as reduction of waste in general.

Up first.... is CLOTHING!

Happy tidying!

Check out the book here

Review: Doeck Tulipa Rosso

I had seen this wrap in one of the Facebook babywearing groups and it took me a while to track it down. It was red, my favorite color, and it had an almost retro feel to it. When I finally found out what it was, I was happily surprised that it was on sale.

Doeck is a Dutch woven wrap company started by Anneclaire Hortensius. She is a trained babywearing consultant and has a focus on simple designs and high quality materials.

When it arrived, in loomstate, it was surprisingly soft and floppy. I washed, dried, and steam ironed it and it was already satiny and smooth. The color is incredibly vibrant in person and the truest red that I have ever seen in a wrap. There are simple tulips evenly spaced around the wrap, facing in opposite directions. At first, I wasn't sure if I liked that not all of the tulips faced in one direction, but after some use I found it pleasing that every carry showed a similar design, no matter how many flips or passes I did. The middle marker is small and only on one side. It's rather hard to find and I find myself wishing that it was on both sides to make wrapping in the car easier.

This wrap is so soft, almost with a wet, satin like feel. It has a great drape to it, and is very easy to wrap. Passes are easily made and tightening is simple. The design gives a pretty minimal texture to the overall feel of the wrap, and I think this would be a great newborn wrap for that reason. The weave is also very neat and tight, this is a workhorse of a wrap and not pull-prone at all. The weave and feel reminds me of a tighter woven FireSpiral. Despite being smooth, this wrap is not very slippery, and knots hold well.

Tulipa is a medium weight wrap that feels thin in hand. It also seems to fold up really flat and small, which is odd because it does not wrap like a super thin wrap. On the shoulders, it feels nice and solid with no dig. There is really no stretch and my 30 pound toddler was supported for long wears with no sag.

I would recommend this wrap for beginners, experienced wrappers, newborns, and large children... practically everyone. It's, to me, a perfect all around wrap. It is: soft, beautiful, supportive, medium weight, folds thin, a workhorse, and easy to wrap with. Everyone needs one of these!

Check them out here!