my socks spark joy

has anyone else read this book? i think it might be a gamechanger for me. the author is a cleaning consultant from Japan who helps people tidy up their homes, with a three month waiting list for her services. i'm only halfway through, but the main themes of her book seem to be 1) declutter your things by throwing out belongings which don't "spark joy" when you touch them, and 2) if you do a proper purge, you'll never have to clean again. by having only items which bring you joy and which have a designated and proper place for them, voila you will never have to do a big "yikes guests are coming over" clean again!

it's an open secret that i'm not the tidiest person (i've tried many times over the years to sort my clothing into different drawers, always giving up and stuffing my clothes in various plastic bins and/or strewing into piles on the floor), and i had resigned myself to a cluttered life, shrugging sheepishly and unapologetically. i impulsively bought this book at target, started reading, and am now a wee bit obsessed. the other night i had a dream that i was decluttering and woke up a little anxious.

here is the game changer moment - she recommends putting all your items upright, especially your clothes, the ideal being to fold each piece of clothing into a simple, smooth rectangle. then, you stack your clothing on their edges, "side by side, so that when you pull open your drawer you can see the edge of every item inside." mind blown! i've always folded and stacked my clothing like how it is at department stores but then can't see what's on the bottom so i have to muss it all up to dig to the bottom pieces. mess ensues.

like this.

not this. 

will report back on progress soon!