My initial reaction to Marie Kondo was the same as my reaction to Rachel Ray: she’s TOO sweet to be true—I don’t trust it. But, the rave reviews (and desperate need to declutter) had me curious. So, I braced myself for the overly sweet and ridiculously cute hostess and did a deep dive into the Netflix series, Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Friends, Ms. Kondo has worked her voodoo magic on me, and I can’t believe the results! If you’re looking to declutter and spark joy (LOTS of JOY!), Kodo is your girl.

Check out the trailer below!

At first glance, Marie Kondo’s concept is almost too simple. There’s no way one little question can help you get rid of a lifetime’s accumulation of crap.

TRUTH: I could KICK myself for waiting so long to jump on the Sparking Joy bandwagon.

In case you haven’t heard of this book or Marie Kondo, her book Sparking Joy according to AMAZON, “Japanese decluttering guru Marie Kondo has revolutionized homes—and lives—across the world. Now, Kondo presents an illustrated guide to her acclaimed KonMari Method. The follow-up to the New York Times best selling The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, from the star of the hit Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie Kondo.

Turns out, one little question CAN decrease stress and release you from SO MUCH clutter (just ask the six trash bags of clothes that I eliminated from my closet!). Decluttering is a true release!

If you want to open your closet and LOVE how everything looks on you how everything makes you feel, then asking Marie Kondo’s one simple question should be on your Summer To-Do List.

Kondo-ing My Closet

I love a good spring cleaning. Out with the old, in with the new. But, somehow I still manage to have a closet that is overflowing with stuff I don’t need, don’t wear, and that makes me feel bad about myself (ahem: jeans from my 20’s).

Because my closet is just a normal sized folding door closet, I’ve also been dividing my wardrobe seasonally for years. So, the off-season clothes hangout in the attic. Which means the looming switch-out every fall and spring. I absolutely dread this hassle.

My dream goal was to figure out how to downsize all my clothes (EVERY SEASON) into my one bedroom closet. Obviously a TALL ORDER.

Enter:  Tidying Up.

The Pile

Here’s the Tidying Up breakdown. It’s shockingly simple.

Step 1: Take all items from your closet (E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G) and make a ginormous pile on your bed.

Step 2: Go through each and every item one at a time and ask Marie Kondo’s all important question, “DOES THIS ITEM SPARK JOY IN ME?”

That’s it. That’s the million-dollar question—does this thing bring me joy? I told you, it seems too simple to work. But, that’s where you and I are wrong.

We have so many reasons why we hold on to clothes: I’ll fit into these jeans again one day, I might need this for camping, it doesn’t fit just right but it was really expensive, etc. But, according to Marie Kondo, those reasons are doing nothing but bringing us STRESS.

The only reason why you should hold on to something is because it sparks joy inside you. If it doesn’t bring you joy, then it is just taking up space (and causing stress) in your life. You need to declutter and spark joy today!

TRUTH: She’s freaking SPOT ON! We all hold on to things for reasons that are focused on past or future. I had never thought of purging out my life’s accumulation of stuff by asking a question focused on the present joy it brings. Simple, and brilliant.

So, to recap: If the answer is YES, this brings me JOY, then it STAYS. If the answer is NO, then you must thank it for the good times and send it on its way.

And, that’s it! You’re left with only the items that bring you true joy, today. So simple. Declutter and spark joy—who knew?

The Organizing

Putting away your joy-filled items in an organized way is the icing on the cake in your Tidying Up journey.

In a nut shell, the hanging clothes should be given room to breathe and not crammed in so tight you don’t know what’s actually in your closet. And, items in drawers should be folded in such a way that you can see everything you have when you open the drawer. (This clever organization trick can be seen here).

Truth: This was the ONE part of the process that I thought I’d hate (and never really stick with), but I did it anyway. And, let me just tell you—it is a GAME CHANGER!

The Results

Six months post-closet Kondo-ing session, I must say that my closet (and most of my drawers) have remained decluttered. It’s nothing short of remarkable really.

I no longer dread opening up my closet or drawers to get dressed in the morning. I swear it’s because I know that when I do, I’ll be picking only from items that I Iove, wear, and feel good in. That, my friends is how you start the morning off right!

Added bonus: eliminating the stress of getting ready from my morning routine (especially during the hectic school year) has been a LIFE SAVER. Imagine for a minute how you’d feel getting dressed in the morning if you knew that every shirt, pants, shorts, skirts, blouses, sweaters—EVERYTHING—made you feel GOOD when you put it on.

If you’re looking for a new way to incorporate self-care into your daily routine, you may want to give the Kondo Method a-go. It really has decluttered and sparked joy at the same time!

But, in addition to less stress, I have also noticed another tiny miracle. Doing laundry has become easier! How?

Truthfully, I’m not sure…I have less of it I guess. Plus, I fold it neatly and put it back easier. Maybe I don’t mind doing laundry as much because everything has a nice place to stow. I don’t know for sure, but I do know that doing my own laundry is MUCH LESS EXHAUSTING.

I still haven’t attacked my kids’ closets with the Tidying Up process, but I will definitely update when that task is checked off my summer bucket list!

Want to remember this? Post Moms Spark Joy & Declutter with Nextflix’s Tidying Up to your favorite Pinterest Board!