MY ART OF TIDYING UP

There’s an art to tidying up your home according to Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up. According to Marie, once you tidy it should be easy to keep it tidy. I’m hoping that’s true.

This is the book that has mesmerized me, keeping me reading in my spare time – what there is of it. If anyone needs help with storage and tidying in this tiny house it would be me. After reading the first few chapters of Marie’s book, I started out by tidying H’s t-shirts and shorts drawers, even though the rule of thumb is not to tidy anyone’s crap belongings except your own. My thoughts on that subject were – He will never do it himself!

Three drawers over-flowing with t-shirts and shorts would be an easy fix. How hard could it be? Three hours later I was still tidying. That averages out to about an hour plus a drawer from what I figure. Now there is a certain way to fold your t-shirts and stack them in the drawer to save space and time when choosing one to wear. After discarding umpteen dozen white t’s with fraying collars and unknown stains, I began the art of folding. It took a couple of tries – ok, ten or twenty tries – and I think I have now mastered it. They fit perfectly in the drawer side-by-side! What do you think? The point is to keep it looking this way.

I sent my girls a picture. They said I had way too much time on my hands – which of course we all know that’s not true.  One of them commented – “Now take one out and try to put it back in!” Tsk…tsk…tsk… Such non-believers. Why do I even bother? They will be jealous on their next visit when they see my neat and tidy house. The t’s really slip in and out quite easily – as long as you know the system. I’ll have to teach that little trick to H. Hope he will be a willing subject.

Next on my tidying list was H’s shorts drawer. Who needs twenty-one pairs of shorts? And two with the tags still on. In his defense, he does wear them, especially in the summers during summer band camp. Oh wait…that will be going away soon won’t it? I promise – if he asks, and he very well may – I did not discard any of his shorts. All twenty-one pairs that were crammed and misfolded and balled up are now nice and neatly folded, taking up residence in the middle and bottom drawers. From the looks of this picture he doesn’t have much of a color choice. Fortunately there are more hues in the next drawer up.

 

I was soon mentally exhausted after tidying H’s drawers up for the better part of my day so I waited until the next day to do mine. You see, I practiced on his and mine look much better. I even discarded tons of stuff I keep saying I’m going to wear and never do. I have no one to answer to but myself.

Now you don’t need to know or see pics of all the unmentionables and how they are folded and stored properly to save space, but believe me, my drawers, and H’s  – no pun intended – have thanked me for their more spacious quarters.

Marie Kondo would be shocked at the sight of my fabric and sewing supplies stash. It’s next on my tidying list. She stated that no home was short of storage room. Hmmm…she hasn’t see how small this house actually is. I may prove her wrong on that one.

I keep waiting for that chapter on too much furniture in a tiny house and how to discard or fold it away. Sigh…

~Elle