Australia’s first certified KonMari Consultant and Evaluator shares stories tied to her experience of KonMari around the world. Our guest, Gemma Quinn, is Australia’s first certified KonMari Consultant, but she also practices worldwide! She's also a KonMari Consultant Evaluator and works with future consultants during the certification process. Her KonMari approach is informed by over 15 years of experience in business operations and human resources management within the design and creative industries. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: -How Gemma's grandfather sparked a love of thoughtful organization. -Gemma's introduction to the KonMari Method and how it changed her life. -Find a book that spoke to Gemma from the Tim Ferris Book Club review here: The Obstacle Is the Way by Ryan Holiday -How Gemma helps her clients determine what sparks joy even if it involves a mundane household object -What a KonMari evaluator does and how she works with KonMari Consultants to ensure that the quality of the Konmari practice is consistent -Gemma’s international practice as a traveling consultant -How Gemma conveys the guiding light of the KonMari practice to clients regardless of where they live. (Spoiler alert: she doesn’t believe it really changes from place to place -Gemma shares home and lifestyle differences around the world including the confusion around baking ingredients and how many blankets should be on the bed -Read a blog about duvets in Germany! Two Duvets are Better than One! Sleeping the German Way Gemma's favorite tidying tip: "Grow your sensitivity to knowing what sparks joy for you. It will change your life. And... use boxes! Try to get to the point that every item in your house has a box." What Sparks Joy for Gemma: "People! The engagement of people in my life and work. They bring me so much joy." Gemma's parting words of wisdom: "Start by writing out your list of categories and subcategories and just get started with the KonMari Method. We are here to support you!" You can find Gemma at: Gemma Quinn or on instagram and Facebook at: @gemmaquinn.konmariconsultant Gems: “The act of joy checking and thinking about my ideal life allowed me to connect and engage with my belongings far more than I ever had.” "The risk was minimal because being able to help someone lead a life of joy was a risk worth taking." “We are there to help them manage that risk and to be a supporting hand guiding them to help them through this so that they know they are not alone.” "Knowing what will bring you joy does change from culture to culture." "Engaging with other peoples and other cultures personally brings me a huge amount of joy." "Some cultures have more difficulty expressing their feelings. So I try to help clients find ways to be truthful, but still will bring them joy." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Gemma Quinn.

Frank Molignao helps us to explore the alternative practice of homeopathy as we explore ways to infuse our KonMari homes with more health and wellness. Our guest, Frank Molignano, has worked extensively in the mental health field as a homeopath, biofeedback specialist and reiki master. He facilitates a deep connection to well-being, integrating unresolved trauma, and through his practice, supports individuals in moving from contraction to expansion, and from limitation to freedom. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: How Frank's father inspired him to look into alternative practices as a teen The difference between homeopathy and home remedy The Homeopathy credentialing process How Frank put Homeopathy to the test to heal himself after being diagnosed with Lyme Disease The history of Homeopathy How Homeopathy shifts your attention to holistic health management rather than symptoms-centered care Homeopathy related common myths and misconceptions (common KonMari myths are featured in Spark Joy Episode 25) Risks associated with Homeopathy The importance of consulting a professional alternative practitioner Where conventional treatment vs. Homeopathy may be more or less appropriate What well known remedies should be in your Homeopathy first aid kit in your home How to find a Homeopathy practitioner near you via: Council for Homeopathic Certification National Center for Homeopathy The North American Society of Homeopaths What makes you a good candidate for Homeopathic care What Sparks Joy for Frank: Minimize the amount of sugar in your diet and drink more water Frank's parting words of wisdom: Homeopathy! To connect with Frank, head over to The Healing Narrative, and find him on Facebook and Instagram. Exclusively for our Spark Joy listenters, check out Frank's Cold and Flu Homeopathic Remedy Chart. Frank is also offering a 25% discount off his initial two hour consultation. Be sure to contact Frank at thehealingnarrative@gmail.com and reference that you heard him on the “Spark Joy” podcast. Gems: "For as big as the branches are, so too the roots are deep. If your prune back one of the branches, it's not treating the whole." "This is about cultivating and reclaiming wellness." "It's not homeostasis. It's really a more dynamic state of health and wellness." "I think we all have a moment along our wellness or healing journey when we start to question our results." "Is there a better alternative?" "The homeopathic model really honors and respects the body and mind in a way that there is an inherent state of balance that we can all come back to." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Frank Molignano.

Marina Wakil hired Karin to help her execute an intense tidying event for her studio apartment in NYC to make room for her to pursue her passion for culinary studies and journalism. Our guest, Marina Wakil, is a college student at NYU and a recent culinary school graduate. She lives in NYC, by way of Venezuela and Miami, in a modern apartment on the Upper West Side. She’s 20 years old and she’s an aspiring food journalist or maybe a food policy writer. While on vacation last summer, she made a decision to reorganize her entire apartment with a KonMari Consultant to meet her changing goals and her upcoming academic plans. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: The moment Marina reached out to Karin and made the commitment to tidy her NY studio apartment with a KonMari Consultant within a period of three weeks prior to starting at NYU How Marina found a KonMari Consultant after her mom introduced her to KonMari style organizing How setting a specific, clear goal date helped Marina stay focused and purpose driven How walking into to the process with a high level vision of what she wanted helped Marina remain intentional when 1) completing homework assignments 2) donating/selling/consigning things quickly How Marina remained mindful, even though she was executing her tidying event at a rapid pace How she creating themes within her closet and her kitchen to align with the things she loves to do The most difficult category Marina had to tidy How the KonMari signature folding technique made a lasting impact on Marina Marina's favorite tidying tip: Everything you fold, fold it into rectangles!; Check in by asking yourself "Why?" to see if the chaos is attributable to your home or inherent to you. What sparks joy for Marina: Winters in New York Gems: "When my apartment is hectic, I'm hectic." "I really just wanted to come to a place where I was really happy with where I was living and that the environment allowed me to create the way I wanted to and be focused." "It's so beautiful to honor the things you have by giving them a space and giving them place in your home." "If it's there, it has a purpose." "I was taking advantage of the space I was at, as opposed letting it take over me." "This is an object, but it still kind of has it's own little life of it's own." "My clutter taught me how many things I'd been emotionally holding onto that I hadn't been ready to let go up until that point." "My clutter taught me more about myself because it was a reflection of where I was at that time." "Our spaces are so much a reflection of us and who we are as people at the time in which we are inhabiting them." "Find what makes you happy and believe in yourself!" You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Marina Wakil.

Komono, or miscellaneous items, is quite often the largest clutter category volume wise, so we help you break it down in a way that it manageable and most joyful to explore. Before you continue, if you’re just starting your tidying journey, or in need of a refresher on how categories work in the KonMari Method, listen to Spark Joy Episode 1: KonMari 101 and Episode 9: Tidying by Location is a Fatal Mistake We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: Joy Checks: Karin: The Serene Home was featured in Oprah.com! Kristyn: For the Love of Tidy is tidying up its virtual home! New website launch (with special surprises) coming very soon. Komono Subcategories: CDs, DVDs Skin care products Makeup and perfume Valuables (passports, credit cards, etc.) Electrical equipment and appliances Household equipment (writing materials, sewing kits, linens) Household supplies (medicine, detergent, tissues) Linens Kitchen items Emergency supplies Hobbies Gifts Seasonal items Home decor/furniture Spark Joy listener Lisa submits a question about Komono and craft spaces We help you answer the tough questions: What if I need this someday? Can I keep this as a backup? What if I need this in an emergency? The importance of grounding our miscellaneous item decisions in the vision of our ideal life and living environment We review how to handle the nuances Komono category with care (while keeping your sanity!). For example: Small items Mixed bins of items The "mess” Kid’s stuff Sentimental items (see Spark Joy Episode 55 for more on digitizing your sentimental items) Gems: "Miscellaneous items play a super important role in everyones life. They are sometimes the supporting character in everything that we do." "It might be time to put a hobby in the past, as it may not be something you see as part of your vision moving forward." "It's important to keep like items together to understand the extent of your active supplies and materials vs. materials you are just stockpiling." "Unlike clothing books and paper, Komono category is so broad and everyone will have different subcategories in their miscellaneous." "If everything is important, nothing is important." "What in your home is in such abundance that it's not really feeling important, even though it is a 'must keep' or 'must have'?" "Miscellaneous items often include things that lean more utility than joyful." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Laurel Bern, award winning New York Interior Designer and blogger, shares important and joyful considerations when decorating your home. After 21 years as the principal designer in her firm Laurel Bern Interiors, she has turned her focus to blogging as a full-time occupation. Her award winning blog, Laurel Home has drawn a large following due to her candid style of writing, useful information and warm community of readers. In addition to designing and blogging, Laurel has authored four helpful online interior design guides, for professionals and design enthusiasts alike. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: Learn how Laurel got started in the design business. Hear what Laurel sees as the major change in the design business over the last 20 years. Laurel shares how the usual approach to designing your home can be a real “minefield.” Find out more about Laurel’s Design Guides, including her indispensable shopping guide, “Laurel’s Rolodex”- Laurel Bern's Design Guides Hear about some of the most important considerations when decorating your home. Discover Laurel’s love of blogging and how her blogging audience has grown over the last six years: Laurel Bern Interiors Blog Hear Laurel’s suggestions for how to develop your own eye for a design style that you love and that works for your home. Find out about the importance of balance in designing your home. Laurel's favorite tidying tip: Hire a professional! :) What sparks joy for Laurel: “The art of classical ballet. I even take ballet lessons and absolutely love going to performances.” To connect with Laurel, reach her directly on her website, Laurel Bern Interiors, where you can subscribe to her blog and check out her design community.. and even send her a question! Laurel is on Pinterest at Laurel Bern on Pinterest Gems: “I get calls from people who have just bought a couch and can’t get it up the stairs.” “We don’t live in museums.” "Things like scale, shape, color, proportion… it’s like a puzzle. All these things work together.” “I had some professional organizers come to my house and it was the best thing I ever did. It’s a completely different skill!” “I’ve seen some beautiful design ruined by too much clutter.” "Picking a color shouldn't be the first thing you do. It might even be the last decision you should make." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Laurel Bern.

Kristi Meyer, KonMari Consultant, shares tips for the chronically disorganized on how to adapt the KonMari Method in a way that results in lasting change. Have you ever said to yourself: I’ll never be organized. I’ve been this way all my life. I always struggle to keep things tidy I’m such a hoarder! Why can’t I be and stay organized like everybody else? Our guest, Kristi Meyer of Simple Surroundings Consulting. Kristi is a certified KonMari Consultant and a Certified Professional Organizer based in Charleston, SC. She is also an Institute for Challenging Disorganization Specialist in Chronic Disorganization, Hoarding and ADHD and a longtime member of the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals. For the last ten years, Kristi has been helping her clients achieve dramatic change that forever transforms the way they feel and function in their homes. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: How Kristi's love for teaching organizing skills to her K-8 students branched into a professional organizing and KonMari practice The similarities and differences between Kristi's conventional organizing experiences and her KonMari practice and journey The "aftershocks" that led Kristi to revisit certain aspects of the KonMari Method More information about how to nail the vision of your ideal lifestyle and living environment - Spark Joy Episode 5 Hoarding experts featured on Spark Joy Episode 3 and Episode 19 Kristi's definition of chronic disorganization and hoarding disorder and the tell tale signs of each How Kristi keeps the basic rules of KonMari intact when working with the chronically disorganized with some adaptations How Judith Kolberg's book, Conquering Chronic Disorganization influenced Kristi's practice Kristi's Five Unconventional Rules for the Chronically Disorganized: Make it social Overpersonalize Make it emotional Adapt to your individual learning and organizational style Set up a maintenance plan Kristi's top resources for those who may be struggling with chronic disorganization or hoarding The Institute for Challenging Disorganization Dorothy The Organizer Buried in Treasures: Help for Compulsive Acquiring, Saving, and Hoarding by Tolin and Frost with accompanying workbooks Digging Out: Helping Your Loved One Manage Clutter, Hoarding, and Compulsive Acquiring by Michael Tompkins Children of Hoarders Therapists, professional organizers, or certified KonMari Consultants Kristi's favorite tidying tip: Simplicity. The less detail the better. What sparks joy for Kristi: The KonMari Consultant community and her daughter. To connect with Kristi, visit www.simplesurroundingsconsulting.com . While you’re there take, her free quiz "How Organized Are You, Really?" Gems: "...academic performance could really be correlated to how organized a student was." "I wanted to have a really huge impact on their physical space and also their mental space." "I started to realize other stuff around me that seemed to really change my outlook and my thoughts about what I wanted for the future." "If you find that [clutter] really undermines your quality of life, then that could be considered chronic." "Talk out loud. Whatever you're thinking in your head, vocalize it out loud." "Find your treasures. Find the things you absolutely love." "If you keep [maintenance] very simple simple, it's also going to lead to more relevance to your current self." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Kristi Meyer.

Co-hosts of House of FI podcast join us to explore a simpler path to wealth, shifting our awareness and mindfulness from the pursuit of more stuff to the pursuit of financial freedom. There’s one thing we know for sure. We put our time, energy, and our money towards the things that we value. But what happens when our values are incongruent with our consumption behaviors, placing us in danger of missing out on the freedom associated with living the life of our dreams? Here to help us explore the intersection between the KonMari Lifestyle and Financial Independence are co-hosts of the House of FI podcast - Wendy and Timika. House of FI helps families who dream of retiring early, but are unsure how to do so AND raise a family, figure out a plan. Their guests share their journey to financial independence, early retirement, and debt freedom. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: The true definition of Financial Independence (FI) or Financial Independence Retirement (FIRE) What led Wendy and Timika to start down the path to FI Common myths and misconceptions associated with FI Timika's marathon KonMari tidying experience with Kristyn and how it relates to her financial journey The "eels" that attach to us, as mentioned on John Roderick's podcast The end goal: How do you know when you've reached FI? How influencers such as Mr. Money Mustache or The Dough Roller have calculated fees associated with actively managed retire accounts How to the get over the getting started hurdle when it comes to FI The importance of using a tool like Personal Capital to track and manage your net worth How the FI community handles healthcare coverage The importance of taking and celebrating the small steps Podcast's that House of FI recommended to extend your FI community: Journey to Launch and ChooseFI Wendy's favorite FI tip: Tracking your fixed and discretionary expenses Timika's favorite FI tip: Wendy's meal planning tips; Refinance your mortgage to a lower rate when appropriate to free up money for debt pay off; Get a roommate, move from a single family home to a multi to generate rental income, or buy a car that's not brand new. Use travel credit cards to generate reward points. What sparks joy for Wendy: Launching House of FI! What sparks joy for Wendy: Launching House of FI!! To hear more from House of Fi, check out their podcast via houseoffi.com or connect with them on Facebook. After catching up on their latest episodes, leave a review of House of FI on iTunes for a chance to win a copy of Kids Money Habits by Amy Koit. Gems: "...essentially, setting yourself up so you're in a position to have choices." "People are also beginning to think more about how to optimize their lives so they can do more things that bring them joy on a regular basis." "The idea that you have to be extremely frugal to the point of deprivation is one myth." "When you add it all up, you see the huge mound of money that's exiting your bank account; just like I saw the huge mound of clothes that my three year old climbed on top of when we put it all in one place and went through it one by one." "What is it that you're doing this for? What are you going to retire to? What does financial independence look like?" "It's really being more intentional about our money...the balancing of each financial decision..really sticking to the goal." "Don't be an island. Make sure that you're connected with other people and a community." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: House of FI.

Books form the second signature KonMari Method category. We discuss sorting, organizing, and discarding books and all the challenges and joy along the way. If you are just starting out, or want a refresher on how categories work in the KonMari Method, listen to: Episode 1: KonMari 101 and: Episode 9: Tidying by Location is a Fatal Mistake These two episodes of the Spark Joy podcast will give you the background you need, in addition to reading Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up , to tackle the books category. Books are special and cherished items for many people, but there’s no denying the fact that physical books can take up a lot of room. Plus, in many cases, once the book is read, the actual book is placed on a shelf and is never used or read again. How can you approach books in such a way that honors the contents, respects the value and importance of books but also enables you to surround yourself with only the things that spark joy? We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: Joy Checks: Karin: I practiced KonMari gift giving for my 5th wedding anniversary! I got my husband a returnable gift, in case it doesn't bring him joy...and it's something that is designed to honor books, which totally bring him joy! Kristyn: I was invited to The Jam TV morning show in Chicago to talk about the KonMari paper category. Tips from For the Love of Tidy on How to Cut Down Paper Book Subcategories: -General Books -Practical Books -Visual Books -Religious Books -Sentimental Books How to sort books you have already read. How to sort books you haven't started or started, but haven't finished The challenges involved in letting go of books: -Our attachments to books -Our desire to honor the contents of books -Our attraction to the beauty of books as objects -Concerns about discarding them properly --Listen to Spark Joy Episode 21 on this issue: Book Review: The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning Options for disposing of books properly: -donations -selling -recycle Summer Brennan's blog post on the challenges of letting go of books: On the Heartbreaking Difficulty of Getting Rid of Books Gems: “Do I really need to take all these books down from their shelves?” “You should use subcategories to view each book in relationship to other similar books, but remember you are evaluating each book on its own merits.” “The goal is not to overwhelm you with the piling part of KonMari…” “Who are you keeping these books for?” “It’s important to honor your books with joy, keep them visible, especially those that are being kept to read 'someday.'” You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of Tidy

Single mom Beth Walker walks through her 60 hour KonMari tidying experience while discussing significant changes in her life and the benefits of working with a KonMari Consultant along the way. Today's guest, Beth Walker, is a single mother of three boys and a recent "empty nester." She currently works full time as a Technology Consultant, a career she began out of college, took a break from to raise her boys, and has since gone back to. Beth believes in hobbies and passions outside of her job, the most recent being a keyboard player and vocalist in local rock bands playing throughout the suburban area. In addition to music, she has a passion for all things domestic - knitting, crocheting, cooking and baking...and now tidying! In addition to being a Renaissance woman Beth is one of Kristyn's clients! They've tidied for over 60 hours and are almost to the finish line. We take a deep dive into Beth's journey as she shares the benefits of living clutter free. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: How Beth's life coach's suggestion to read The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up led her to seek out to find the support of a KonMari Consultant (Kristyn) Beth's vision of her ideal lifestyle and living environment that grounded her process How tidying has significantly impacted Beth's life in the following areas: Health Career Finances Relationships Community How Beth experienced significant shifts in her ability and confidence to maintain her tidy space How Beth found the accountability and customized support Kristyn provided to be mission critical to her success The temporary sacrifices Beth made to ensure tidying remained a priority and to keep her momentum going Spark Joy Ep 49 | Why Hire a KonMari Consultant Gems: "I've been a hopeless organizer and I could never find that one way to keep it up." "It's so easy to think about what you don't want." "I thought I was shooting for the moon to be honest but, I can tell you I absolutely live that life right now." "This isn't just organizing, it's coaching. It's sitting down...goals, values, how do you want to live your life, let's do it." "Overall, with KonMari, it's allowed me to focus on other goals in my life." "This is the way my house is and this is the way it's going to be and this is who I am now." "It definitely spreads from your physical world to your energetic and spiritual world in ways that you almost can't explain." "It's shown me so me parts of myself I didn't know were there. Or, I wanted to be there." "It was so much work, but so much fun." "...You don't realize you are changing as you're doing it. You don't have to change in order to do it." "I'm not doing [KonMari] because I'm supposed to or I want to. I do it because there is this part inside of me that doesn't want to do it any differently." "You think you're hiring someone to hold to you accountable to a process in a book. what you're really doing is hiring a coach that helps you change your life." What sparks joy for Beth: Having the time freedom to focus on goals and other aspects of their life beyond tidying. You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Beth Walker.

Our guest, Bonnie Shay, breaks down solutions for organizing, digitizing, and preserving your most sentimental items. Do you have boxes and boxes of printed photos/movies/slides/memorabilia that you haven't done anything with? Are you overwhelmed with a huge quantity of digital photos and videos you’ve collected on your computer, camera, tablets, and smartphones? Today we’re dedicating this episode of Spark Joy to one most high anticipated and feared signature KonMari Categories - Sentimental Items. Bonnie Shay joins us today to talk about managing our digital legacy. Bonnie is the founder and owner of Mariposa Photo Organizing established in 2007. She’s managed a photography business for over 20 years and is a Certified Member of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers. She currently curates family photo and video collections that are, shareable, enjoyable, manageable, safe and secure, both now and for generations to come. NOTE: We should remind our listeners that the Sentimental clutter category is the absolute last category to declutter. It should be handled with care and only after you warm up by addressing Clothing, Books, Paper, and Miscellaneous items in that order. If you still have some tidying work to do, we suggest heading back to Spark Joy Episode 1: KonMari 101. Also, if you’ve paused your KonMari progress after addressing miscellaneous items - then this is the episode for you. We want to hear from you! Tell us your burning tidying questions or share stories about how KonMari has impacted your life. Find us at www.sparkjoypodcast.com and click “Ask Spark Joy” to leave a question or comment for a chance to be featured on next week’s show. While you’re there, sign-up to join our Spark Joy podcast community and get notified when each episode airs. You can also join the Spark Joy podcast community on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter at the handle @sparkjoypodcast. In this episode, you’ll enjoy: How Bonnie believes she was genetically predisposed to making order out of disorder How Bonnie's 20+ experience in both general residential organizing and photography triggered her current business of curating family photo and video collections How Bonnie discovered the Associate for Personal Photo Organizers The tipping point for sentimental clutter in our home and why quality over quantity is important Reasons why we delay processing sentimental clutter How you should get started curating your collection and selecting things that spark joy How to "pile" your digital clutter and some unexpected places it could be hiding Marie Kondo approved Sentimental item tips How to grab your content from antiquated media formats The two ways you should organize digitized sentimental content How focusing on your intent helps you shape your digital legacy How to handle inherited collections or digital files that are "trapped" on antiquated machines/formats Why you should start locally to find a archival service via APPO Partners APPO Partners or Save Your Photos A backup related rule of thumb Bonnie's favorite tidying tip: Set a timer that gives you a sense of urgency and celebrate at the end What sparks joy for Bonnie: Her dog's morning happy dance :) Bonnie Shay can be found at www.mariposaphotoorganizing.com . She has a special offer just for Spark Joy listeners. Visit www.maraiposaphotoorganizing.com to sign up for Bonnie’s newsletter and receive the Top 12 ways to curate your photo collection. You can also connect with Bonnie on Facebook and Twitter Gems: "Let's look at the best of the best that tells your story and focus on that." "Any pile of stuff...represents a pile of decisions left unmade." "We don't necessarily want the item, but you want to remember the sentimentality of it." You can find Karin Socci at The Serene Home You can find Kristyn Ivey at For the Love of TidySpecial Guest: Bonnie Shay.