Marie Kondo is an organization guru. She’s written four best sellers on organization, has her own Netflix series and her own method (The KonMari Method). I have been slowly minimizing for years, so when a friend suggested I watch her Netflix series, my interest was piqued.
I have to say I’m a huge fan myself of cleaning and organizing my life, family, and things. I come from a long line of hoarders so I feel that’s why I love these shows.
Tidying Up is Marie Kondo’s series on Netflix. It’s eight episodes and deals with all sorts of families. I instantly fell in love with the first episode because it was a family with young children. I personally have an eight and four-year-old. So this episode really spoke to me.
The basic concept of the series is you should have things that “spark joy.” Sometimes in this day and age, acquiring possessions has become an obsession. I know for me I loved having twenty different purses. Kondo’s KonMari method makes you go through items by categories. I like this because sometimes I don’t know where to start when I’m so overwhelmed by the clutter. Now I’m down to five purses. My new motto is less is more.
After watching the series, I was inspired to tackle my kids’ playroom and closet. My kids closet looked organized but it wasn’t. I also like how Marie talks about being a mom and involving her kids in the tidying up process. I worked with my children and here is a collage of some of the before and after.
I set up my daughter’s side by dress code (for school) and non dress code. Her drawers are set up that way too. I asked her what items “sparked joy” and she actually parted with some of her clothes and toys. My four-year-old son also participated. This process tested my patience but I highly recommend doing it with the kids. I had to remind myself I’m investing in their future by teaching them these basic life skills. Folding our clothes this way enables us to find things easier and creates a more efficient system than the one I had.
Another thing I loved about the series is she doesn’t force her clients to get rid of all their possessions. The clients make those decisions fully on their own. Also it showed how much of the burden mothers bear in cleaning, cooking, and caring for their families. In one episode, the father had never cooked a meal and their kids were constantly texting mom about where things were. In another episode the father, who worked sixty hours a week, was very upset at how messy the home was because his wife was a stay at home mom. I related to that because my husband has expressed similar sentiments to me. I feel that burden too. By getting my home organized I hope to give my family independence from me. Thankfully my husband and my kids are all for it. My husband has also learned to put things in their place and is very helpful with cleaning.
I think the series is worth the watch. I was good at purging but this show gave me better organization skills. I don’t follow all of her suggestions, but I do follow the ones that fit in our life. I still have a junk drawer. But overall, I’m so happy I watched it. Already my life is easier because it’s more organized.
Now I have to tackle my closet, jewelry, and bathroom!! Wish me luck.
What are some of your favorite organizational and cleaning tips? Please share below.
