By now you’ve probably heard the housewives whispering all about the best selling book The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art Of Decluttering And Organizing by Marie Kondo. I mean this book has been featured in countless magazines, morning shows and mom blogs. It’s been everywhere. When my girlfriends couldn’t stop gushing about it over brunch, I knew I wanted into this sorority of organization and zen living. This cult of stylized minimalism and clutter free closets.

As a busy mom of two who was desperately seeking to shed the excess, I needed this. It’s the kind of thing we build Pinterest boards around but never pull the trigger and actually DO. It’s a complete lifestyle overhaul that overtly contradicts the “more is more” principle that I was taught my entire suburban American life. The KonMari method is whipping my product loving consumer ass into shape. And I’m loving every minute.

The Basic Principles of The KonMari Method are these:

1. You organize by category and not by room. Clothes, books, home decor, papers, toys are all categories you’d tackle one at a time.
2. You let go of the non-essentials and anything that no longer “sparks joy”.
3. You avoid any buyers remorse style guilt by thanking the item for it’s service/purpose and what it taught you. Then you LET IT GO.
4. You touch everything before you dismiss it, acknowledging its purpose and it’s energy. It may seem ritualistic and well… weird. But I assure you this formal “farewell” to your old things is highly effective in bagging it up for charity and moving on. I have never gotten rid of more junk in my entire life.

I’m not going to give all of the secrets in this book away. It’s completely worth buying a copy. However, I will let you know that in addition to learning how to shed your stuff, Marie Kondo teaches you organizational techniques for the items that you keep. And she offers insights and tips that aren’t particularly innovative. But they are presented to you with a new found perspective. And now that you’ve cleared some physical and mental space, you’re ready to hear it.

How has it worked for me?

The results have been, for lack of a better word, life-changing! My home has never been more “me.” I’m now surrounded only by beautiful things that I truly love and that provide me with immense joy. Sure there are exceptions for practical items like cooking tools and cleaning supplies. But downsizing the extras has made me more efficient and organized in all areas of my home. Even the not so pretty parts like the laundry room or under the kitchen sink. But there has been no bigger benefactor of The KonMari Method than my closet.

I expected this book to change the way I maintained my home. But I didn’t expect for it to play such a huge roll in the fine tuning of my wardrobe. I’m sure I’m not alone when I say that my closet was by far the area of my home that needed the most work. I’ve spent the majority of my late twenties figuring out what my style truly is and coming into my own as a wife and mother. A huge part of that self discovery journey was trying on new looks and uncovering my personal style one passing trend at a time.

During this evolution I accumulated many once worn items that really just aren’t “me.” Marie Kondo’s book allowed me to thank those items for their role in my self discovery. Then I let them be donated so that they might bring someone else joy. A karmic reward for my past fashion flops. I’m now growing my collection of timeless clothing staples. And continuing my pursuit of an effortlessly chic Parisian style wardrobe one piece at a time.

Have you read The Life-Changing Magic Of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art Of Decluttering And Organizing? What was your take away? More importantly, did your partner completely freak out when they saw 19 trash bags filled with donations in your living room? I need to know!