Why would someone decide to do a tidying festival with the KonMari Method®? Well, as compared to “regular” organizing, it is a much more in-depth decluttering method that produces long-lasting results, as it is geared towards helping you live your ideal life instead of simply creating order in your home. You know how you might declutter and organize a little corner of your home, only to have to do it all over again several months later? There’s none of that with a tidying festival, because we go deeper and help change your mindset to prevent the influx of clutter in the first place!

Think of a tidying festival as an investment in yourself. To give you a ballpark idea, we might work together 3 hours at a time over the course of 10 weeks or so. The result is an in-depth change of your whole home so that it truly reflects you and serves you in leading the life you want. Committing to a tidying festival isn’t like buying a cup of coffee on a whim – you should approach it more like a renovation, in that you save up for it because you are ready for change. I’ve had clients tell me after a tidying festival that they feel like their house can breathe again, that every day is easier and more peaceful, and that they feel much better about life in general!

As one of only a handful of people in the world to be both a member of NAPO and a Certified KonMari® Consultant, I am uniquely qualified to help you figure out what sparks joy and what will serve you in leading your ideal life. If you are feeling overwhelmed by your clutter and don’t even know where to start, get in touch! I can guide you through a whole tidying festival or help you with a specific category if you are feeling stuck.

Things I will be doing:

• Helping you declutter and organize so that you can spend more time living the life you want

• Supporting you through your transition in a non-judgmental way

• Finding personalized solutions for storage

• Taking away your donations

• Helping you love your home again

Things I will NOT be doing:

• Forcing you to get rid of your stuff

• Expecting you to do a lot of homework between sessions

• Telling anyone about the details of our work together

You’ve heard of Marie Kondo thanks to her books and her TV show, but maybe you want a summary of the KonMari Method® to refresh your memory. Here are the six rules, along with a quick explanation. Email me if you want more details!

Rule #1: Commit yourself to tidying up. The KonMari Method® is “a chance to reset your entire life” – and as you might expect, it takes a certain resolve to accomplish. This is much more than a quick project to organize a room; it really does affect all areas of your life. The results are worth it, though!⁠

Rule #2: Imagine your ideal lifestyle. “Think about what kind of house you want to live in and how you want to live in it.” Now, no one is asking you to move! But give some thought to what you want out of life. Do you picture yourself reading in a beam of sunlight, with a steaming cup of tea? Then you need a comfortable reading nook near a window, books, tea, a nice mug or cup, and time to read – keep that in mind as you work your way toward it.⁠

Rule #3: Finish discarding first. Reflect on what this process is teaching you. Why did you acquire each object? How well has it served you? “Cherish the items that bring you joy, and let go of the others with gratitude.” On a more practical level, only once you know which objects you are keeping can you then decide on proper storage solutions.⁠

Rule #4: Tidy by category, not by location. Tidying here and there, a shelf or drawer at a time, “will doom you to a life of clutter.” Tidying by category allows you to grasp the overall volume of things you own, letting you make better decisions about what to keep. It also prevents you from repeating the same work in several locations.⁠

Rule #5: Follow the right order. “Tidying your belongings in this order – clothes, books, papers, komono [miscellaneous items], and sentimental items – has proven to be the most efficient and effective.” That’s because you’re working from easiest to hardest, honing your ability to make decisions along the way. Plus, it’s very motivating to be greeted by a tidy closet each morning, once you’ve completed that task, and it will help keep you on track!⁠

Rule #6: Ask yourself if it sparks joy. The KonMari Method® is unique in that the criteria are personal, not dogmatic or one-size-fits-all. Pay attention to how your body responds to each object when you touch it. It might be a bit different for everyone, but for Marie Kondo, it feels like “a little thrill, as if the cells in your body are slowly rising.” For me, it’s often a sharp intake of breath and a smile.