- trash - easy, goes in the trash can--- I haven't been tracking the volume,
- pass on to a particular family member - only things of enough quality and value they would be purchased, this family member is essentially starting over with a kid younger than mine,
- sell/consign - to take to various outlets and/or save for the seasonal kids consignment sales I participate in, and
- donate - Goodwill here we come!
Because of the snow, things have been staying in our home longer than I'd like, but I have committed to what is going where. I managed to make one trip out to Goodwill and GameStop a couple of weeks ago. I weighed the bags and we got rid of 94 lbs of stuff!! That was just the donate and games pile! The nicer things I'm going to sell are piling up, too.
My goal for January was to make it through the kids' things. I know Marie Kondo tells readers to start with their clothes. I've made an attempt before and while it didn't last it gave me an idea for the general process and how to determine whether you are keeping what. Because we are moving one kid from the playroom to his room and working on a mini remodel to pre-teen decor, I started this journey with kids stuff this time.
I'm happy to report that as of yesterday, I met my kids stuff goal--haven't touched the outdoor toys (it's freezing here!) or sentimental things (doing these with my sentimental things), but otherwise, I believe I have touched and sorted through every child's thing in this house--minus LEGOs, those are waiting for new organization equipment.
Here was my KonMari Plan:
Kids' Stuff
- Toys (big kid & general)
- Stuffed animals
- Board games
- Building toys (LEGOs, etc.)
- Figures (dinos, Imaginext, animals, army men)
- Costumes
- Weapons/shields
- Sports balls/bats
- Cars & trucks
- Water toys/squirt guns
- Remaining miscellaneous toys
- Video games
- Consoles
- Toys (little kid)
- Dolls & accessories
- Play kitchen & accessories
- Miscellaneous baby toys
- Bath toys
- Bubbles*
- Chalk*
- Other outside toys* -- still need to do these, it's too cold!
- Kids' books
- Computer games (kids)
- Kids' movies
- Kids' drawing & craft supplies
- pencils
- markers
- crayons
- paper
- scissors
- erasers
- glue
- Bid kid's clothes
- Tops
- Bottoms
- Jackets
- Socks
- Underwear
- Seasonal
- Sleep
- Formal wear
- Outerwear
- Swim
- Belts
- Ties
- Hats
- Bags
- Little kid's clothes
- Tops
- Bottoms
- Dresses
- Jackets
- Socks
- Tights
- Underwear
- Seasonal
- Sleep
- Formal wear
- Outerwear
- Swim
- Hats
- Kids' health and beauty supplies
- Shampoo and soaps
- Hair accessories
- Brushes & combs
- Nail clippers/accessories
- Medicine
- Baby equipment (this was a catch-all, I'll explain below)
- Eating equipment
- Plates
- Bowls
- Cups
- Cutlery
- Bibs
- Kids' blankets
- Kids' sheets
- Kids' towels & washcloths
- Kids' pillows
- Kids' chairs
- Roundup of any remaining untouched kids' stuff in each room (where baby equipment got covered):
- Bid kids' room
- Little kids' room
- Playroom
- Kitchen
- Family room
- Master Bedroom (yes, things end up there too!)
- Dining room
- Office
- Basement
That took me three weeks, with breaks from work for the holidays. I had intended to start on my things afterward in February. I'm ahead of schedule, but while on a roll I think I'm going to charge through and keep going. Plus, I scheduled too much fr February now that I consider it realistically.
Below is the remainder of my list, as of now. They change as I work through it.
My Clothes
- Bottoms (I did the tops last month)
- Dresses
- Jackets
- Socks
- Tights
- Bras
- Underwear
- Seasonal
- Sleep
- Formal wear
- Outerwear
- Swim
- Activewear
- Jewelery
- Bags & purses
- Hats
- Belts
- Scarves
- General
- Cook books
- Reference books
- Instructional books
- Magazines
Papers
- Clippings
- Course materials
- Warranties
- Manuals
- Insurance papers
- Credit card statements
- Tax papers
- Court papers?
- Bills
- Birth certificates/Social Security documents
- Greeting cards (some may end up in sentimental)
- Business cards
Miscellaneous electronic/office type equipment but not supplies
- Phones/accessories
- Computers & accessories (NOT digital cleaning, but physical hardware)
- Computer software (on physical disks)
- Tablets/accessories
- Printer & accessories
- Cameras & accessories
- Music players, CDs
- TVs
- DVDs
- USB & memory cards (may require digital cleaning-to figure out later)
- Cords, chargers, power strips
- Headphones/earbuds
- Empty electronic boxes
Office and craft supplies (beginning of March goals)
- Pens, pencils, markers (from the craft area too--all of them minus specific kids' stuff--may include kids' stuff?)
- Filing supplies
- Labels and Label maker
- Pads of paper, bulk paper, post-its
- Mailing equipment: boxes? (don't know if I have these), envelopes, stamps
- Cards - notecards, postcards, other
- Paper punches
- Paper clips
- Binders
- Planners & calendars
- Scissors
- Staplers & staples
- Tape & dispensers (paper tape, not heavy-duty)
- Erasers
- White out
- Rubber bands
- Scrapbook paper (😱 )
- Scrapbooks (unused)
- Stickers
- Ribbons
- Stamps
- Ink pads
- Adhesives
- Cutters
- (I left three blank places in my written list, because I just know things will come up here...)
My health and beauty supplies
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Hair creams/products
- Hair clips
- Hair brushes
- Hair appliances
- Rollers
- Skin care
- Makeup
- Makeup brushes etc
- Trimmers
- Nail clippers, files
- Medicine
- Nail polish and accessories
- Perfume
- Soaps
- First Aid
- Bandages
- Massage things
- Shaving products
- Feminine products
- Other health and beauty
- Contacts & glasses
Money
- Money and spare change
- Checks and checkbooks
- Foreign currency
- Wallets
- Rewards cards
- Gift cards
- Coupons
Pets (Cat)
- Food and treats
- Bowls
- Collars/Leashes
- Toys
- Beds
- Litter
- Medication
Tools (mine, if they're around anywhere, gathering husbands if they're around and not where they belong--NOT clearing out the husband's tools, that's grounds for divorce)
- Hammers
- Screwdrivers
- Nails/Screws/Nuts/Bolts
- Wrenches
- Sand paper
- Tape measures
- Batteries
- Tape not covered in office
- Paint
- Paint supplies
- Wall repair supplies
- Lightbulbs
- Lighters & matches
- Yard and garden equipment
- Campling supplies
- Emergency Supplies
Cooking equipment (beginning of April's list)
- Pots & pans
- Colanders
- Mixing bowls
- Prep bowls
- Cooking knives
- Food processors
- Tongs, spatulas
- Blender
- Measuring cups/spoons
- Graters
- Icing equipment
- Peelers
- Pizza stones & equipment
- Cookie cutters
- Baking sheets & tins
- (again, left room for forgotten items)
Eating/serving equipment
- Plates
- Bowls
- Drinkware
- glasses
- mugs
- travel
- specialty (wine, liquor)
- Cutlery
- eating
- serving
- Platters
- Pitchers
Food and food storage
- Fruits and vegetables
- Meat and seafood
- Breads
- Baking powder, soda
- Grains
- rice
- quinoa
- oats
- pasta
- Flours
- Sugars
- Beverages
- Frozen foods
- Snacks
- Herbs & spices
- Baking chocolate, etc
- Eggs and dairy
- Condiments
- Canned goods
- Storage containers
Knitting/Crochet materials (beginning of May list)
Sewing equipment
Cleaning supplies
- Cleaning soaps
- Rags
- Scrubbers
- Floor care
- Miscellaneous cleaning tools
Linens
- Towels
- bath towels
- kitchen towels
- Washcloths
- Blankets
- Sheets
- Bed pillows
- Throw pillows
- Table cloths
- Placemats
- Napkins & holders
Decor
- Photo frames
- Candles & holders
- Nicknacks/Decor
Holiday decorations - Counting Christmas as done-did while putting away this year
Sentimental
- Awards and certificates
- Yearbooks
- Artwork
- Letters
- Journals
- Scrapbooks/Baby books
- Childhood toys? (most of mine are likely still at my parents' house-do I go clean them out and move them? I should, we'll see how things go.)
- Heirlooms
- Photos
- Gifts
- Antiques
- Collectibles
I'm posting this list here for both accountability (now that it's public, I'm held to my word), and for others in case they are interested in finding a list. There are tons out there though. I believe we have to work with what we find to make it work for us.
