Maxwell 27: Increasing the Clan

[JermajestyDuggar]

They have 6 fully grown adults living in one house. Until Dec 2017, they had 7. Plus some of the adults have “jobs” where they work from home. I’m not saying they are particularly good at those jobs, lol. However they have “stuff” for their jobs in the home instead of in an office somewhere. Plus they keep lots of toys for the grandkids at their home. So they are going to have a lot of crap in that house. 

[lauraloralara]

The amount of clutter in that post makes me feel dizzy. I just can’t live with that much stuff. 

[freejugar]

That was so devoid of content, jesus. Marie kondo is shook

[MamaJunebug]

“There’s not even a certain amount of time slotted for the projects, because it depends on the Saturday.”

 

WHAAAT? Black is white and up is down!! 

Pharisteve and Mary so giddy at the start of a dump run that they’re semi-front-hugging?  (Oh please tell me there’s s Habitat For Humanity in or near L-worth and they’re not just adding those boards to a landfill) 

(Although they probably avert their eyes from a Habitat facility because it’s too worldly.)

if I had a few thou$and to spare and more energy, I would get qualified as a Konmari consultant. As is, Pharisteve would plug his ears & turn his back while chanting a psalm rather than hear about a method devised by a follower of the Shinto religion. 

Whuch prompts an intriguing Q: 

Would a Maxwell recognize “joy” when they held a garment, or would they immediately shut down emotionally at the thought of actually having a strong feeling over anything other than a Bible verse?

((This usually is where I get discouraged and depressed but today, y’know whut, I’m so toughened  by not having given in to cabin fever over the past half-week that I’m just going to load up the car with my latest non-joy-sparkers and slide on over to the Goodwill.  And I didn’t even have it scheduled til now!))

[Lisafer]

38 minutes ago, freejugar said:

That was so devoid of content, jesus. Marie kondo is shook

Marie Kondo, politely trying to help the Maxwells: "Does this item spark joy?"

Maxwells, horrified by the word joy: "Do you know where you're going when you die, Marie?!"

[IReallyAmHopewell]

3 minutes ago, Lisafer said:

Marie Kondo, politely trying to help the Maxwells: "Does this item spark joy?"

Maxwells, horrified by the word joy: "Do you know where you're going when you die, Marie?!"

Brilliant!

"The One In Which They Are Boring" could be the episode title yet again....surprise!

[Aithuia]

I've been lurking on the Maxhell and Bontrager/Bowers threads for about a year and a half now, and what finally made me create an account was when I checked the blog last night and saw that they currently have 666 subscribers. I can only imagine what that's doing to Steve's blood pressure.

[singsingsing]

Have you guys watched that show? I have Marie Kondo's book but I never cracked it open. I'm wondering what the show is like. I know it's a huge thing right now. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole 'spark joy' thing, though. Like my ironing board doesn't spark joy in me, but I still need it. 

[catlady]

welcome, @Aithuia!  i wonder if those 666 subscribers have caught Stevie's attention yet.  will he make one of the "girls" set up a fake account to bring it to 667?   ?

My local paper ran an article on Marie Kondo yesterday.  overall, it was interesting, but before i was done, i was tired of the phrase "spark joy;" it was seriously overused in such  a relatively short story.  so i got to thinking about my stuff.  i hate clutter, but i still have a lot of things.  many of them make me happy, but i don't define "happy" the same way that i define "joy."  for me, joy is more intense than happy (solely my interpretation), and most of my things make me happy in a milder sense. so i wonder what Marie would make me get rid of.

 

[daisyjane1234]

I have watched one of Marie Kondo's Netflix episodes as a response to all the hype.

She certainly inspires one to drop everything and tidy.  I do agree with her suggestion that many of us in North America have too much stuff and would enjoy our things more if we were more selective about what we keep and own.  That party of her philosophy I appreciate.  However I know that her approach to clean en masse would overwhelm me.

She argues that one should tidy en masse by category, rather than bit by bit.  I tend to agree with the Maxwells in this regard.  Tidying my whole house by category would do me in.  I tend to organize or de-clutter one specific area at a time (closet, desk, front hall, etc).  That works for me because it allows me to get a handle on a part of my life that is irking me while not drowning in the task.  I also could not find the time to do my entire house in one fell swoop.

I also could not live with her need to limit books.  I love to read, and teach at a university.  Books are essential to my career.  Heck, they're part of my decorating scheme.

 

[anjulibai]

They updated the About section a bit. Reversal Anna and Mary no longer have hearts for the born and unborn.

Oddly, despite the update, they still haven't made a link to Elizabeth's birth, or Calia's or Kyle's. 

[SPHASH]

2 hours ago, Aithuia said:

I've been lurking on the Maxhell and Bontrager/Bowers threads for about a year and a half now, and what finally made me create an account was when I checked the blog last night and saw that they currently have 666 subscribers. I can only imagine what that's doing to Steve's blood pressure.

It would be even funnier if the subscriber count was 69.  Ok off to the prayer closet now.  Seriously (no pun intended) does Goofy Anna have a bike fixing business?

[freejugar]

12 minutes ago, SPHASH said:

It would be even funnier if the subscriber count was 69.  Ok off to the prayer closet now.  Seriously (no pun intended) does Goofy Anna have a bike fixing business?

According to Teri

Quote

 Thank you for the idea on the blog post on the fixer-upper bikes. I just wrote it up, and now we will wait a bit until it is nice enough outside to take some photos to go with it.

We are never getting that post

[Odd1Out]

5 hours ago, Lisafer said:

That post had no substance. It could have been summed up as "Sometimes we reorganize on Saturdays." No how-to, no information, nothing. 

 

But how else would their die-hard followers know that it’s time for them to do this in their own houses?

i haven’t read their comments yet, but there surely is or will be a comment ‘Such a great idea!! My family and I need to try this. Thanks Maxwells!!!!!’

[johnhugh]

51 minutes ago, Odd1Out said:

But how else would their die-hard followers know that it’s time for them to do this in their own houses?

i haven’t read their comments yet, but there surely is or will be a comment ‘Such a great idea!! My family and I need to try this. Thanks Maxwells!!!!!’

The comments are even more controlled since Terry started relying to them. I made an innocent comment in their NutriMill (not an affiliate link) post about how useful Grinder is, but she didn’t approve it.

It might be a boring post, but it does give an insight into how bizarre their lives are.

A bit odd about reversal Anna collecting children’s bikes! Are these for the the eleventy children she will never have?

chelsy has her hand on John’s tummy, is he pregnant or is it a piss take on Cathy doing that on the manboy’s birthdays?  Jess is looking quite ripped in the background.

I’m off for a dump run.....

 

 

 

[singsingsing]

1 hour ago, anjulibai said:

They updated the About section a bit. Reversal Anna and Mary no longer have hearts for the born and unborn.

I'm scandalized!

[Maggie Mae]

32 minutes ago, johnhugh said:

A bit odd about reversal Anna collecting children’s bikes! Are these for the the eleventy children she will never have?

I don't know why I assumed she was fixing them up for kids in the neighborhood. I knew a guy who used to do something similar. Some people like bikes, kids, and tinkering, and kids bikes from Walmart are so shoddy but cheap so people just toss them, even though they can be fixed up pretty easily. 

 

32 minutes ago, johnhugh said:

chelsy has her hand on John’s tummy, is he pregnant or 

I found that photo to be so odd. Why stand like that if you have to lean over some crap on the floor? Why did they take everything off the shelves and put it on the floor? 

1 hour ago, daisyjane1234 said:

She certainly inspires one to drop everything and tidy.  I do agree with her suggestion that many of us in North America have too much stuff and would enjoy our things more if we were more selective about what we keep and own.  That party of her philosophy I appreciate.  However I know that her approach to clean en masse would overwhelm me.

I read (part of) her book, and I agree with her on the fact that many of us have too much, and the "do set time to do it all at once" but I just ... can't. Part of it is that once I tidy an area, someone else who lives with me comes along and shoves his crap over my stuff. There is NO space for just my stuff, and while it's okay for him to throw away things I don't use (apparently), it doesn't work that way in reverse. Does she ever go into how to get the rest of your family on board? 

[ViolaSebastian]

3 hours ago, singsingsing said:

Have you guys watched that show? I have Marie Kondo's book but I never cracked it open. I'm wondering what the show is like. I know it's a huge thing right now. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole 'spark joy' thing, though. Like my ironing board doesn't spark joy in me, but I still need it. 

I hesitate to call a grown woman "adorable," but Marie Kondo has the most adorable personality and its wonderful to watch her work with families, even with a language barrier. I've enjoyed it for the most part, although for me there's a sort of infuriating undercurrent in most episodes, because it's the woman in the home's job to do the "stuff management"--but that's hardly Kondo's fault. 

[church_of_dog]

3 hours ago, singsingsing said:

Have you guys watched that show? I have Marie Kondo's book but I never cracked it open. I'm wondering what the show is like. I know it's a huge thing right now. I'm not sure how I feel about the whole 'spark joy' thing, though. Like my ironing board doesn't spark joy in me, but I still need it. 

I read the book a few years ago; have not seen the show.  I'm an aspiring minimalist who is most of the way there, so I'm always happy to see a good minimalism/decluttering movement. 

But, like you, I question the universal applicability of the 'spark joy' thing.  I mean, I own very few things that are purely for aesthetic purposes (decorative, art, etc).  Everything else has a practical application.  So if a lamp doesn't spark joy, I'm supposed to get rid of it, even if I need/want a lamp?  And then spend how much time (not to mention money) searching for one that does spark joy?  That would be my definition of miserable.  If I need a kitchen chair and I find a workable one at the dump or the thrift store, it might not be my ideal design or color (sometimes required for the joy to spark) but the reduction of waste means way more to me than the perfect design.  If I'm buying something new and various designs/colors are available to me, I'll certainly choose one that's pleasing to me, but in so many arenas that's way far down the priority list compared to "locally available" and "within budget".

I find it impossible to believe this is truly what she is endorsing, so I tend to assume there is some subtle mismatch in translation.  Although maybe not.  Actually could it be more a cultural thing where she just assumes that most people are urban apartment-dwellers who don't need much in the way of tools etc, whose clothes are mostly for fashion rather than for basic protection from the elements, and who have all manner of furnishings stores within delivery range?

PS Anybody know where to find a good joy-sparking wheelbarrow?  Mine both work fine but I just don't feel that joy...

[Baxter]

I haven't read her book although I might like to if I had more time. I've watched a little bit of her show. I think the whole sparking joy thing can't really be applied to everything. Obviously we would all love to find that joy sparking wheelbarrow but alas it may be elusive and we might just need to get a regular wheelbarrow. However, if you just generally have too much stuff or one category of stuff, then looking through it all and deciding which things to keep because they bring you joy might be a good way to weed out some stuff to get rid of. Her show has certainly inspired me to get rid of some stuff and to organize what I have better as I feel my house is too cluttered. But I do love my books and I'm not likely to get rid of most of those. They also haven't taken over my entire house like you see some people's collections do of books or other things.

My mom has a bit of a hoarding problem. She is currently renovating her house and I have told her that when everything gets put back in place, she's going to need to cull things because she has too much stuff really to enjoy all the lovely stuff that she has. She agrees with me on this. But I know I will need to sit down with her and go through things and there will likely be some tears. But you can't let stuff take over your like and be a burden.  

[ViolaSebastian]

I tend to focus on the "spark joy" part of the equation when I'm thinking about bringing something new/new to me and non-utilitarian into my home. My dehumidifier and my hair dryer aren't going to spark joy, but they're still necessary. But if I'm at an antique store and I'm trying to decide if I really want something, I think about if the object brings me joy. So, for example, I found a pair of bright turquoise Fiestawear cups and saucers. I didn't *need* them, I have plenty of coffee mugs, but the bright color made me happy and "sparked joy," so I bought them. Likewise, I've found things I like, but didn't *really* like, so I left them at the store. It just makes me more deliberate in my purchases, which has helped keep my impulsive buys to a minimum. 

[FloraKitty35]

3 hours ago, SPHASH said:

It would be even funnier if the subscriber count was 69.  Ok off to the prayer closet now.  Seriously (no pun intended) does Goofy Anna have a bike fixing business?

I saw 666 and I thought of Sharon Needle's song 666 and the video for it.  Steve would have an aneurysm if he watched that.

[JermajestyDuggar]

I have the heart of a Minimalist, and if I didn’t have kids, I would have very few things. I don’t enjoy “stuff” that much but I need some of it, lol. I like Marie Kondo’s show. I also like Marie herself. She seems like a lovely person. I love her folding method and her practical side. I love practicality so she speaks to me when she folds up a bunch of clothing and you can see it all in one draw when you open it! I would recommend her show to anyone. Mostly because I believe the majority of Americans have some extra things that they could get rid of. 

[nastyhobbitses]

1 hour ago, church_of_dog said:

I find it impossible to believe this is truly what she is endorsing, so I tend to assume there is some subtle mismatch in translation.  Although maybe not.  Actually could it be more a cultural thing where she just assumes that most people are urban apartment-dwellers who don't need much in the way of tools etc, whose clothes are mostly for fashion rather than for basic protection from the elements, and who have all manner of furnishings stores within delivery range?

Well, she is from Japan, which is one of the most urbanized and densely populated countries in the world. She's from a nation and culture where people just don't have that much space for stuff already (because homes/apartments are so small), and minimalism has been a feature of art, design, and culture for at least a thousand years. It can be hard to apply a way of organizing your home and life that works well for someone who lives in Tokyo, to someone who lives in rural Indiana, for instance. 

As for the "spark joy" thing, I think you can interpret it to apply to practical things as well. Are you buying a cheap, crappy wheelbarrow that you'll have to replace halfway through the season (which won't make you very happy), or are you buying a good, sturdy one that will last you a long time and help you keep your garden looking nice and neat and flourishing (which will definitely make you happy)? Are you buying lots of lamps that don't really give off enough light and aren't energy-efficient, or are you buying just a few very good ones that give off the amount of light you need and don't use too much electricity? "Sparking joy" doesn't have to mean that the product in and of itself makes you happy; it can mean that it will augment your happiness and ease of life (by being aesthetically pleasing, or by fulfilling a specific need or purpose), rather than add to a pile of clutter in your home. I haven't read or watched her, but that's how I think of it. 

[PennySycamore]

@nastyhobbitses, you may very well be correct about the way we view the things we need in terms of them sparking joy.  My cat box doesn't spark joy exactly, but I am glad that I have an automatic one (a ScoopFree).  I like it because I can be away for a few days and not have to worry about it being scooped.  It also tended to deter "burgling" by the dogs since it uses crystal litter, but Gwen doesn't seem to seem to mind crystal covered cat turds.  In fact, they seem to spark joy in her!  My cat, though, does spark joy and I need a litter box for her.  

@FloraKitty35,  off to youtube to find that video of Sharon Needles'!