The Tidy Lark

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Decluttering & Home Organising Services
Marie Kondo trained - Master KonMari Consultant
Member of the Association of Professional Declutterers and Organisers
Cardiff and South Wales

23/06/2026

When they say “choose what sparks joy”, this is what they mean...

It’s not expecting giant waves of excitement or happy tears streaming down your face when you pick up a pretty tea towel :)

If you’ve been expecting that and not feeling it, don’t worry, you’re not getting it wrong.

Marie Kondo describes joy as something much quieter.
In Japanese, the word she uses is tokimeki, which is often translated as a feeling of lightness, energy or uplift: “A little thrill, as if the cells in your body are slowly rising.”

And the good news is, you don’t need to know exactly what that feels like straight away.

In fact, Marie Kondo says that tidying helps you develop your sensitivity to joy.

So often we find joy sounds more like:
❤️When I wear this jumper my mum bought me, it feels like a big hug.
💙Somehow my tea tastes better when I drink from this mug.
💜My handwriting is neater when I use this pen.
💚I’ve recommended this book to so many people I’ve lost count.
🧡I love how this hand cream sinks in properly instead of leaving my hands feeling greasy.
🤎I always choose this lipstick, even though I’ve got five others.

As you declutter, it becomes easier to recognise joy.
And the easier it is to recognise joy, the easier decluttering becomes. You get there through a process of discovery and reflection. It takes time and that’s okay.

Because decluttering isn’t just about removing what doesn’t belong, it’s about discovering what does belong.

That’s where I come in as a KonMari Consultant. I’m not just helping you decide what to let go of, I’m helping you recognise what brings you joy and deserves a place in your life and your home.

If you’re in South Wales and want to work with me, get in touch to find out more.

The clutter doubt will creep in. It’s pretty inevitable, especially when you’ve made decision after decision after decis...
09/06/2026

The clutter doubt will creep in. It’s pretty inevitable, especially when you’ve made decision after decision after decision.

Your body wants to protect you and keep you safe, by keeping things the same as they always were.

This can show up as an attachment to our past (everything all of a sudden feels sentimental) or a fear of the future (all the ‘what if’ nerves kick in).

When your doubt creeps in, see which reason feels the strongest. You can work on it to help letting go a little bit easier.

Which of these comes up most for you?

The goal isn’t to own a *should* amount, but to own what feels manageable to you. And of course, only what sparks joy. A...
05/06/2026

The goal isn’t to own a *should* amount, but to own what feels manageable to you. And of course, only what sparks joy.

And this doesn’t just apply to coats, it also counts for lipsticks, tea towels, cushions, bras, etc!

Is your home under or over your threshold?

03/06/2026

A tidy wardrobe doesn’t just create more space, it creates more ease too.

When you sort through your clothes there are so many benefits that sneak in.

The biggest ones I see as a professional organiser are:

Ease from not making as many decisions. The more you own, the more decisions you make as you consider to wear or not wear every day.

The release felt when someone removes an item from the past that remind them of old relationships, jobs, eras, etc. These can be good or bad, but to move on, it’s good to let go.

The calm from removing all those minor irritations. The straps that never stay up, the skirt that spins around, the jumper that’s itchy. We put up with them out of habit, but they are easy to eliminate.

The feel good factor of taking away items that make you feel not right in your body. Too big, too small, too old, too young, too tall, too short, too loud, too quiet. Enough!

If you’ve done wardrobe refresh lately, what was the biggest benefit you’ve felt?

One of the biggest reasons you may feel frustrated with decluttering is because you’re trying to declutter by location a...
28/05/2026

One of the biggest reasons you may feel frustrated with decluttering is because you’re trying to declutter by location and this means making too many different types of decisions.

Tidying by room (or even just a drawer at a time) means your brain is switching constantly between:

Rubbish
Paperwork
Sentimental
Storage
Laundry
Random objects
Where things belong

It’s exhausting.

Decluttering by category helps your brain stay focused on one type of decision at a time, which is often why it feels so much clearer and easier to follow through with.

If you’ve been going around in circles with clutter, try changing the method to see if it makes a difference.

Which category would be easiest for you to start with?

26/05/2026

We tell ourselves these things because decluttering can feel tricky in the moment.

Here’s what you can tell yourself instead:

A bigger house is harder to maintain. Less stuff is definitely a better solution.

You don’t have to get everyone else on board. Start with your own things and watch the ripple effect happen.

There’s no such thing as the perfect time. Now is as good a time as any.

Tidying is a skill you can learn.

Hidden clutter is still having an impact on how you feel at home.

Your donations can make someone else’s day. Spread the joy.

Organised clutter is still clutter. It’s now just another system to maintain.

Don’t start with the sentimental stuff, find something that feels easier and focus on what you can do.

Your children will love not being burdened more than any item you have.

If you need something you let go of, trust there is always an alternative.

If you’re ready to begin, download my free decluttering planning guide and checklist.

Comment ‘lies’ below and I’ll send you the link.

26/05/2026

We tell ourselves these things because decluttering can feel tricky in the moment.

But, here are some things you could tell yourself instead:

A bigger house will be even harder to maintain. Less stuff is definitely the better solution.

You don’t have to get everyone else on board, start with your own things and watch the ripple effect happen.

There’s no such thing as the perfect time. You could start making a few decisions right now.

You can learn tidying skills.

Hidden clutter is still impacting you in your home.

Your donations can make someone else’s day. Spread the joy.

Organised clutter is still clutter. It’s now just another system you have to maintain.

Start easy, not with sentimental. It’s not a test you need to ace on day one.

Your children will love that you didn’t burden them with stuff, more than items they’ll feel obliged to keep.

If you find out you need something you once let go, trust there is always an alternative.

People will say choose your hard. But I know, from working with clients, it doesn’t always feel like a choice. Hard is s...
22/05/2026

People will say choose your hard. But I know, from working with clients, it doesn’t always feel like a choice. Hard is simply hard.

We know making decisions, letting go of clutter, keeping up with routines will make things easier in the long term, but it doesn’t make doing it easier.

Knowing it and having the capacity to follow through are two very different things.

That’s where I can help. If it feels to hard to declutter alone and you’d like some support, then drop me a message and get the ball rolling towards easier.

I offer 1:1 decluttering and organising support (in person and virtual) so you can create a home that’s calmer and easier to live in.

20/05/2026

I see those people out there telling mums to do a complete kitchen reset before bed, make tomorrow’s lunch the night before, pack bags ahead of time and lay out an outfit ready for the morning.

Good for them. I’m exhausted just thinking about it 🤣I’m also a professional organiser and for years I tried to trick myself into being that type of person. It never worked.

Instead, my severely-low-in-energy-after-4pm human body does these 7 simple things to make tomorrow an easier day.

1. I fill and put the dishwasher on straight after dinner (don’t sit down, that’s fatal) without thinking I’ve got to clean the entire kitchen, because a big task sometimes meant no action at all.

2. I ask the whole family to do evening tidy up time - just 5 minutes, but getting everyone involved energises me to get it done.

3. I check the calendar every night to see what’s expected tomorrow AND 48-hours after that. Then there are fewer last-minute surprises.

4. I’ve accepted I’m a morning person, so I go to bed early (boring as that might seem) so I have more energy when I wake. I empty the dishwasher, put a load of washing on and have a quick 10-minute tidy every morning before I go to work. It’s the way I’m wired, so I’m okay with messier evenings.

5. I’m strict with not using my morning energy for low energy tasks (the stuff I find easy) and instead only use it for things that I find harder (or put off!)

6. I keep a simplified wardrobe and have the same go-to outfits that are comfortable, reliable and easy to throw on. This may be boring, but easier is what brings me joy. This means my morning brain can focus on more important things.

7. I don’t overcomplicate food. My kids are bored of the same meals, but the other day I calculated I’ve probably cooked over 11,000 evening meals since my eldest was born. They can cope with my lack of creativity!

I’ve stopped expecting evening me to have the same energy, motivation and decision-making skills as morning me. My home flows perfectly fine, evening though I don’t meet those evening reset ideals.

Are you working with your natural energy or against it? Are you morning or evening?

18/05/2026

Let’s normalise thanking our things as we declutter.

I wore these running tights for my first half marathon over 10 years ago…blimey time flies!

Yet somehow, even though they are now thin, worn out and long replaced by better ones, I kept them (probably out of a mixture of habit and sentimentality). But I know it’s time to let them go.

If I put them back in the drawer to remind me of the ‘good old days’ eventually my space will start to fill and that isn’t how I want my home or my life to feel.

So instead, it’s time to say out loud:

“Goodbye running tights. Thank you for doing your job brilliantly. You were part of some good times and I really appreciate you.”

Does thanking your items sound strange? It might a little.

But one of the things I love most about the KonMari Method is the idea of gratitude when we let things go.
Because when we acknowledge what an item gave us, it becomes much easier to release it.

It can really help when something’s purpose in our life is complete as it gently closes the chapter, so we can move forward.

You don’t have to say it out loud or for every item you let go, but definitely use gratitude when it matters and see if you can feel the difference.

Have you tried it?

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Cardiff
CF15

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Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

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