Does your home spark joy?
EXPERTS SHARE HELPFUL ADVICE ON ORGANIZING, DECLUTTERING
In 2011, Japanese author and organizing consultant Marie Kondo published “The LifeChanging Magic of Tidying Up.” Its seemingly humble subject of organizing the home impacted lives around the world, and millions of copies later, the Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo” aired in January of this year. Now, the KonMari Method is an international brand with consultants trained and certified in its philosophy of identifying what truly sparks joy in your home, and what may be discarded with gratitude.
There is only one certified KonMari consultant in the Canadian prairies. Taiwan-born Helen Youn resides in Calgary, where she is passionate about her career as a professional organizer. On Saturday, June 1, at the Lethbridge Public Library, Youn will be presenting “Tidying Up with the KonMari Method: Declutter, Organize, and Spark Joy!” In this introduction to the KonMari Method, Youn will discuss how to implement it and transform your homes into a clutter-free and joyful space. There are two opportunities to attend: 11 a.m. at the Main Branch, and 2 p.m. at The Crossings Branch.
As Lethbridge residents “thank” the items in their home that no longer spark joy, they may be wondering if any of those items are eligible to be recycled via our new blue recycling bins. Also on June 1 from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. staff from City of Lethbridge Waste & Recycling will be available for questions about the new curbside recycling program at a booth in atrium at The Crossings Branch.
For even more inspiration and guidance about decluttering check out these titles:
“The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning” by Margareta Magnusson — Infused with humour, this book gets you thinking about putting your life in order before it becomes urgent!
“Goodbye, Things” by Fumio Sasaki — The author shares his own minimalist journey, learning how to free yourself from being attached to things
“Lagom” by Linnea Dunne — Lagom is about changing your mindset, praising the idea that anything more than “just enough” is a waste of time. Children can also get into the spirit of tidying! “Gray Rabbit’s Favorite Things” by Alan Baker — A rabbit in search of his favourite book organizes his room along the way.
“Tidy” by Emily Gravett — This book tells the story of a badger who anxiously tidies his forest home a little too much.
“Little Oink” by Amy Rosenthal — Meet a pig who loves tidying but is ordered by his parents to be messy, and in doing so, learns to be true to himself.