Regina woman channels Marie Kondo to find hidden depths of joy

Lauren Dahnke's Regina home is the tidiest it has ever been.

Dahnke has spent the past week organizing her closets, refolding linens and piling up unused items to donate. She went from having two closets full of clothes, to filling only half of one.

The home makeover is all thanks to the Netflix show, Tidying Up.

Japanese professional organizer Marie Kondo had become a household name with the New Year's Day release of the show, based on her New York Times bestselling book.

Dahnke said she resisted at first, but after seeing it all over social media, she decided to watch an episode.

By 4:30 a.m. the next day, she had seen every episode and was making plans to implement the Konmari method in her own home.

The first step is to pile all your clothes into a mountain on your bed and go through each item to determine whether it sparks joy.

"That kind of stressed me out a bit if I'm being honest because I go shopping with my friends to pass time," Dahnke said. "There were some things that you could tell were hanging in my closet that were like, so crisp and straight, because I probably haven't worn them in like a year."

"I had over 50 scarves."

Dahnke said she considered each item based on how often she wears it, if she would wear it in the future and if there was sentimental value.

She said she was happy to discover a Christmas vest her grandma had given her for a school spirit day in Grade 7.

"Lots of people think that this is just to get you to purge things but it's not," Dahnke said. "You're reconnecting with stuff, which sounds kind of lame but it kind of opened up a whole new realm of everything."

Kondo encourages people to donate items that are no longer needed. Landke had already filled five garbage bags and two boxes before finishing her kitchen.

"If it doesn't bring you joy — so like an article of clothing — it has an opportunity to bring you joy when you give it to someone else," said Landke. "Most people feel good after they help someone else."

Dahnke's to-go list includes an unopened box set of the entire Twilight series and a giant ball of yarn (she admitted she doesn't knit). 

Local charities reap the benefits of Tidying Up

In Regina, the YWCA usually sees a spike in donations in January. This year, they've had even more new donors.

"For me to think that people considered YWCA when they're making these donations is really a wonderful thing," said Alexis Losie, senior director of operations at the YWCA Regina.

Losie said the organization was able to serve more than 7,000 women and families last year thanks to community donations.

"The donations that come into YWCA Regina are used to help the women and families we serve. People coming to us in need, at times, have left maybe a tumultuous situation with very, very little," said Losie. 

Nancy Matthewson, a regular donator to YWCA, said she recently purged her closet at home. She said immediately thought of the women and families who rely on the YWCA.

"They leave with nothing, so anything that you can give is something for them," Matthewson said.

Losie said she aims to pass on unused items in her own home to people who may need them. She encourages others to do the same.

"I think it's probably a great concept for all of us to downsize and de-clutter. Many of us have a lot of amazing items and probably more than we need," she said.

"If they're in good quality they should be donated."

Most needed items at the YWCA:

• Underwear (S, M, L).
• Toiletries (shampoo, body wash, deodorant, menstrual items).
• Gently-used clothing.
• Warm clothing.
• Diapers.
• Small appliances.