Here’s just a few words from someone who read Marie Kondo’s book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and is trying to practice “tidying up” using a lot of joy.

I didn’t want my husband to know what book I just bought because I am always buying books on “getting organized”, “decluttering your life” and the like, so I hid the book and only read it when he wasn’t at home.

Then it came time to really put what I read and thought I understood to work. I emptied my T-shirt drawer and started folding, when I realized I didn’t know what I was doing, so I got the book and propped it up right in front of my makeshift folding table. Once I followed the directions to a “T”, I was making progress. I ran my hands over the shirt, removing any wrinkles, and if it didn’t give me pleasure by even looking at it, I tossed it on the floor to use for rags.

Progressing to long sleeve t-shirts, underwear, socks, I couldn’t stop until I knew he would be home. Though I was a bit apprehensive, thinking he was going to think I had lost it, I couldn’t wait to share my newly organized drawers.

Much to my amazement, Lou embraced the new technique and started in with one of his drawers. He couldn’t believe it, but it was true—we were organized. Some pieces of clothing were even color-coordinated, but most of all our socks, t-shirts and underwear now “gave us great joy when we opened our drawers” and we had managed to gain more space and keep it that way.

Pat Mooney is owner and principal designer of Designlines Interior Design, which was established in 1989. Connect at 520-885-9577 or DesignlinesAZ.com.