Hello Beautiful Book Club
October 2026
the life-changing magic of tidying up
by Marie Kondo
Introduction
Hello, Beautiful. Welcome to the Hello Beautiful Book Club, the place where we manifest, our very best. Home, health, wealth, style, and relationships by reading a new self-improvement book each month.
I'm your host, Corinna Allen, and I'm so glad you're here. I don't know about you all, but I am still working to wrap my head around the fact that it is October.
Where did the summer go? Here in East Tennessee, where I am. It still feels like summer. But I just feel like once we get through back to school, once we get through Labor Day. Now, all of a sudden, it's October, and we're thinking about Halloween, and right behind that, is the holidays. And boy, 0 boy, I just, I'm wrapping my head around that. You know what, though? That is why I love this book club. Because when you start to think about things like that and here, you know, 0 my gosh, all right, in less than 2 months, 2 months, it's gonna be Christmas. It's gonna be the holidays.
You can get some anxiety. You can start worrying about that. And if you don't have anywhere to channel it. I mean, I guess you could start gift shopping now, but I'm gonna say this is a much better outlet for your energy. This is where you can channel your energy, take a step back, take a breath, and say, all right, what do I need to do now to manifest the best holiday season ever, ever of our lives. Okay, that's not what this book is about, but I'm just, that's what's on my mind right now. And, you know, as children, the holidays can be such a magical time, but then as you mature and become an adult, especially if you're an adult with children around, you realize that that magic doesn't just happen. That we need to make the magic happen. So whether you're doing it for your children or just Making the magic happen for yourself.
It's something that you have to, I don't want to say work at it, but it's something you need to put some energy toward. And that's something you can start right now. And that's why I love this book club, because each month, we're going to have a takeaway, hopefully more than one takeaway, but each month, my goal is to have a new piece of information, a new element that I can implement into my everyday life. So maybe it's something tiny. Just the tiniest change. The smallest reframe. But if you are able to internalize that, And really integrate it into your everyday life, that's a win, right there. That's a win. And then when you think about doing that, Every single month.
That is going to have a compounded effect, that is powerful, powerful. And the good news is, we're going to make it painless, because when I say book club, that sounds like reading, you are welcome to read along, but if you don't want to read, if you don't have time to read, if your life is not about reading right now, you don't have to read. You can just listen, and I will bring you all the highlights. So, Keep that in mind going forward. Uh, especially this month. I'm very excited about the book we're reading this month. We are reading the life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Condo. And before you say it, I know. I know. I know, this is a very polarizing book.
Because we, it came out, gosh, years ago, and everybody was talking about the idea of purging half your closet, and she advocates, we'll get into it in the book, but she does advocate taking everything out of your closet and throwing it on the floor. And then deciding what sparks joy and only putting back the things that spark joy. And as uh, mother as a uh, adult who has other responsibilities in my life, I can tell you, that that is kind of a a daunting task and just doesn't seem very practical because, I mean, I can just see taking down everything from my closet. Having it in a big mess on the floor and then looking up and realizing I have to get in the car and go run carpool and now I've got a big mess.
Okay, can you, can you feel my blood pressure? Rising just as I'm thinking about that. So I hear ya. I'm with you. It is a very, this book. It, uh, It elicts? What's the word? What's the word I'm looking for? It, it, um, creates very strong emotional responses. So I just want to get in front of that heading in.
And, you know, in fact, I read this and years ago, and I thought, you know what, I'm going to go look that up. And in fact, Marie Condo, the author, did go on record, after writing the book, that it is not practical to maintain that level of tidiness long term. She had 2 little girls and she said, well, if the little girls want to not be tidy. That's all right. That's all right. I will let them do that. And then she had a 3rd child, who was a boy, and she went on record saying, nope, I'm not maintaining that level of tidiness anymore because what sparks joy for me is spending time with my children. And good on her, for realizing that, and I just applaud her. Way to go, Marie, for saying it publicly. Because, you know, a different person might have said, no, no, I still maintain that level of tidiness.
Meanwhile, she employs a team of 10 to maintain that fiction. So no, she doesn't do that. Uh, I'm just saying a different author might have just, you know, thrown money at the problem and hired other people to tidy for her. But she was really honest about it. And I, uh, appreciate that and I want to model that here as well. Um, That, I'm not ad, well, we'll see. We'll get into the book, but, um, I get it that, uh, some of the ideas that she puts out in this book don't seem very practical. But she does say it's magical and a lot of people have benefited from her course, so I'm willing to try, especially, given the fact that it is October right now, we are heading into a season that brings a lot of new shit into your life. The holidays, just by definition, are a season where, 1st of all, you bring in all of those decorations and, um, extra things on your schedule, but then all of the new gifts that come into your life during the holidays.
Just from a really practical standpoint. I like the idea of making room for new things. Heading into the holidays, right? And what better time to do that than the beginning of October. Also, for those of you who are new to manifesting, it is my personal belief that, Decluttering and making space for new things is the secret sauce to making manifesting work. Because really, I mean, and this isn't woo woo. This is just science, to make something happen, which is what manifesting is, to make something happen. The 1st step is to get really clear on what you want. And then the 2nd step is to take action. So that's basic.
But if you really want it to work, and if you want it to work quickly, there are some things you can do to speed up the process. The 1st one is to raise your vibration. Um, a great way to do that is by, um, Gosh, I'm thinking so many ways you can raise your vibration, but the absolute number one way to raise your vibe. Raise your resonance is gratitude. Uh, I keep a gratitude journal in the morning of uh, just little things that make me happy, big, small. Uh, boy, at one point I remember saying hot water. I'm grateful for hot water with lemon.
That is going to, uh, make you happier, make you more satisfied. Uh, so that is going to raise your residence. Um, being surrounded by a home that loves and supports you, that is not choked with clutter. That is going to raise your resonance. It just is. Think about getting dressed in the morning. If you are surrounded by clothes that don't fit, that are worn out, that are not clean, that are wrinkled, that are damaged and need repair. You're going to start your day frustrated and frazzled. So if you think of it that way, just from, again, this is not woo woo. This is not me just making this up.
We all know this to be true if your closet is well organized. You're gonna have a better start to your day. So that is the 1st step that is going to uh, improve your manifesting process. raise your resonance. But then also, all right, so raise your resonance, get clear, and take action. Now what do you do? You've taken action, you know, maybe you have looked at the homes that you want. Maybe you've researched the school that you want for your kids. Uh, whatever it is. Maybe you have joined a dating service because you were looking for a new partner.
You've taken aligned action. Okay, now what? While we're waiting for the universe to to swing into action and help us achieve our goals. What do you do? Oh, I have an idea. How about you declutter? It is honestly, one of my most favorite things to do, and one of the most powerful tools. That we all have access to, and it doesn't cost a thing, even just cleaning out your junk drawer in your kitchen. Um, gosh, you know where the spot that um, collects junk for me is uh, where I keep my toothbrush. Somehow, you know, you'll have a pill bottle and then you get a refill and now you've got 2 bottles and I don't know.
That that one right now is crying out to be cluttered, decluttered. Um, it is a very powerful thing. It's, uh, it's easy to do. It's, um, something we can all, uh, access, um, it makes you feel better. But I'm telling you, there, uh, Uh-oh, you know, I don't know how to, I need to figure out, if somebody knows how to silence, uh, You know, uh, alerts on my laptop. Uh, would you tell me? I need to do that before, uh, starting to record. And also, I will just say, I don't, I don't edit these, um, because I want it to be really real, and just from a practical standpoint, I would be never getting any of these out to you, and none of these episodes would ever get published. Just being real, none of these episodes would ever get published if I held myself to editing out every beep or cough or sneeze or cat visiting.
Uh, but what I was saying is, uh, decluttering is really powerful. And actually, I thought of a great example, decluttering and making room for new things. The girls and I like to watch the decorating show. Uh, Christina on the coast. Uh, and there is, she's just so cute. I love her family. Her daughter's around the same age as my daughter and um, she always has her pets on the show. A big part of the show is her best friend, Cassie, who is her best friend from childhood. And one of the early episodes was redecorating Cassie's house. And in her primary bedroom where she sleeps, she has an en suite, and Christina said, Cassie, we're giving you a double vanity.
We are going to put in 2 sinks for you, my single girl.
Why 2 sinks, you ask for someone who lives by herself? Why, I will tell you. Because they were making room for the husband of her dreams, for the partner of her dreams, to manifest, and funny thing, right after they finished the remodel. She met her husband. And, you know, did he just come knock at the door? Well, no. She joined a dating service and so she was really clear on what she wanted. Clearly, she was grateful. I mean, what an amazing life she's got. Uh, She was really clear on what she wanted. She took action.
She joined the dating service with a really clear profile, what she was looking for. And then she made room. For this new partner. She made room for him in her life in her house, in her bedroom, in her bathroom.
That's powerful. It's powerful. So, Here we are. Okay, so we are 15 minutes in. Uh, let's let's jump into the book, huh? Um, so we will do a chapter, an episode. I'm going to start with the introduction. Um, and we'll do it over a month. So, uh, in this case, we have, let's see.
Well, we have 5 chapters, but I'm going to have to divide those up because those would be really long episodes. So let's call it 10 chapters, 10 episodes plus this introduction. And so that'll be, um, a new episode uh, every 3 days. So there you have it. And again, you're welcome to listen. Uh, you're welcome to read along with us. Um, But if you want to just listen, that is just fine too, the one thing that I would suggest, whether you read or whether you listen is to get yourself a little notebook. Uh, you know, with back to school, I think we're all choked with spiral notebooks and composition books and things like that. They're all so cute.
Um, And keep that with you. That can be your book club journal. And that way, as you go along. Uh, and that's what I plan to do as I go along as something jumps out at me that I want to uh, remember and perhaps consider integrating into my life. I will have it written down. And then at the end, we can go back and review. So maybe that'll be a conclusion. Maybe we'll add a 12th episode at the end to kind of look back over uh, what we've learned. Okay, get excited. The life-changing magic of tidying up by Marie Condo.
Here we have her introduction. In this book. I have summed up how to put your space in order in a way that will change your life forever. Impossible? Um, yeah. Impossible? A common response, and not surprising, considered that almost everyone has experienced a rebound effect, at least once, if not multiple times, after tidying. Mrs. Marie, asking this. Have you, have you ever tidied madly only to find that all too soon your home or workspace is cluttered again? If so, let me share with you the secret of success.
And she puts this in bold. Start by discarding. Start by discarding, then organize your space thoroughly, completely in one go. If you adopt this approach, the Con Mari method, you'll never revert to clutter again. All right, so I'm going to write that down in my. But club journal, start by discarding, then organize your space. I think that's the important part. She says thoroughly, completely, and in one go. I don't know, Marie. That's that's a lot.
Thoroughly, completely anyone, go. But I definitely can get behind, start by discarding. Make room for new stuff. Start by discarding, then organize your space just from a really practical standpoint. This is advice I've heard other places as well. Uh, start by, don't, if you go to the store and buy your organizing materials, you know, your bins and baskets, it's so tempting to do that. If you start by doing that, then you are going to end up organizing in a way that uses what you've bought. And maybe it looks nice, but that is not the most efficient way to do things. You're much better off. Evaluating what you have.
Ideally get getting rid of what you no longer need, what no longer serves you, and then looking at it, and taking that information to the store, and saying, what do I need to organize what I have? That is a much better approach. So, all right, writing that down. Start by discarding, then organize your space. Although this approach contradicts conventional wisdom, everyone who completes my private course, cha-ching. Is that a little? Is that a little advertisement for her? Everyone who completes my private course has successfully kept their house in order, with unexpected results, putting their house in order, positively affects all other aspects of their lives. Including work and family. I know. Mrs. Marie saying, I know that tidying can transform your life.
Does it still sound too good to be true? If your idea of chiding is getting rid of one, an unnecessary item a day or cleaning up your room a little at a time, then you are right. It won't have much effect on your life. If you change your approach, however, and I understand that, if you change your approach, Tidying can have an immeasurable impact. In fact, that is what it means to put your house in order.
Okay, and going on, she talks about her history, how she came to this. Um, the Con Mari method is uh, based on accommodation of her 1st and last name, Con Mari. Uh, so Mari, Marie Kondo, Con Mari. So maybe her name is Mari. I keep calling her Marie. Yeah, on the front of the book, though, it's Marie, M A R I E, Marie Condo. The Conmari method. Uh, I thought this was interesting. The number of things my clients have discarded, from clothes and undergarments to photos, pens, magazine clippings, and makeup samples, easily exceeds a 1000000 items. This is no exaggeration.
I have assisted individual clients who will, who have thrown out 200 bags of garbage in one go. Okay. Uh, and then here it is in bold again, a dramatic reorganization of the home causes correspondingly dramatic changes in lifestyle and perspective. It is life transforming. Okay, she put that in bold. I'm not going to write that down because I already believe you. I believe you, Marie. Uh, and she has some testimonials uh, from past clients.
One woman says, after your course, I quit my job and launched my own business doing something I had dreamed of ever since I was a child. Yay, good for you. Snaps, snaps for you. Another former client says your course taught me to see what I really need and what I don't. So I got a divorce. Now I feel much happier. Wow, okay. Well, good for you, if that's what you needed, I applaud you. And then the last one. This client says, I finally succeeded in losing £10 Okay, wow.
So by getting rid of unnecessary uh, belongings. Uh, this person was able, I don't know if it was a man or a woman. I assume it was a woman, was able to lose 10 pounds. But you know, if you feel good, if you're well organized, if you're not stressed, if you have a home, and maybe a kitchen, that is there to support you with healthy snacks that are easily accessible. Maybe more time in your schedule to uh, exercise, I could see that. I could see losing 10 pounds. Marie says, my clients always sound so happy, and the results show that tidying has changed their way of thinking and their approach to life. In fact, it has changed their future. Why? This question is addressed in more detail throughout the book, but basically, when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order too. As a result, you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don't. And what you should and shouldn't do.
And then she goes on and says, I occasionally check in with graduates of my courses to see how they are doing. In almost every case. Not only is there home or office still in order, but they are continuing to improve their space. It is evident, from the photographs they send, that they have even fewer belongings, than when they finish the course, and they have acquired new curtains and furnishings. They are surrounded only by things they love. And that last sentence is in bold and I think it's worth writing down.
They are surrounded. Maybe I'll put it in 1st person, surround myself, by things, by only things that I love. Love that for us. All right. Oh, she has a caution that not everyone has finished her course. Some quit because they expected her to do the work for them. As an organizing fanatic and professional, she says, I can tell you right now that no matter how hard I try to organize another person's space, no matter how perfect a storage system I devise, I can never put someone else's house in order in the true sense of the term. Why? Because a person's awareness and perspective on his or her own lifestyle are far more important than any skill at sorting, storing, or whatever. Order is dependent on the extremely personal values of what a person wants to live with.
Most people would prefer to live in a clean and tidy space. Anyone who has managed to tidy even once will have wished to keep it that way. But many don't believe it's possible. They try out various approaches to tidying only to find that soon things return to quote unquote normal. I am absolutely convinced, however, that everyone can keep his or her space in order to do that. It is essential to thoroughly reassess your habits and assumptions about tidying. That may sound like far too much work, but don't worry. By the time you finish reading this book, you will be ready and willing. And then last paragraph, she says, when you finished putting your house in order, your life will change dramatically. Once you have experienced what it is like to have a truly ordered house.
You'll feel your whole world Brighton. Never again will you revert to clutter. That is what I call the magic of tidying. And the effects are stupendous. Not only will you never be messy again, but you'll also get a new start on life. That is the magic I want to share with as many people as possible.
Oh my goodness. Are you excited? I am excited. All right, let's take a little peek ahead at what the chapters will entail. Uh, chapter one is entitled Why Can't I keep my house in order, and 3 points she'll cover. You can't tidy if you've never learned how. Uh, tidy a little a day and you'll be tidying forever.
Ah, and storage experts are hoarders. A little judgy. Chapter 2, finish discarding first. Yes Marie, I agree with you. Start by discarding all at once, intensely and completely. All right, we'll see. Uh, secondly, selection criterion, does it spark joy? Okay, we'll talk more about that. And she says, starting with memento spells certain failure. I agree with that.
So there is an order that she says to use when discarding. Uh, chapter 3, tidying by category works like magic. Uh, and then some uh, points that she will cover clothing. Place every item of clothing in the house on the floor. I don't know. We'll see. Uh, she says unread books. Sometimes means never. If you are going to read it sometimes, then that means you are never going to read that book. And finally, she says, well, she's got lots of points in chapter 3, but uh, the top 3 In my opinion, uh, the 3rd one is reduce until each, let's see, I'll start that again.
Reduce until you reach the point where something clicks. Ooh, okay, what's that going to be like? Chapter 4, storing your things to make your life shine. Again, she says discard first, store later. Uh, she says, decorate your closet with your secret delights. Love that for us. Ah, don't underestimate the noise of written information. So all those receipts that I keep each month. Apparently they're causing noise in my life. Okay. And finally, chapter 5, the magic of tidying dramatically transforms your life.
She says, put your house in order and discover what you really want to do. She says, your possessions want to have you. Love that. Your real life begins after putting your house in order. Okay. Well, I don't know about you all, but I am excited. All right, I do want to keep these episodes to 30 minutes, so we will leave it there. And I will see you, beauties, in just a couple of days for the 1st part of chapter one. Talk to you soon. Enjoy every moment.
