Marie Kondo Has a Lot Going On

Not even Marie Kondo can follow all of her rules for tidying all of the time. "Of course, when things get very busy, I need to let go of some of my standards and methods, and I think that's a completely natural thing," the decluttering guru, Netflix reality star, and mother of two told the AP. The soft-spoken Kondo was tight-lipped on exactly what she lets slide, besides leaving her house slippers in the middle of the floor occasionally, but one thing's for sure: When it comes to Kondo, the emphasis is on busy these days. Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has amassed an empire by urging the world to decide if their belongings "spark joy," and she continues to expand her reach:

• Her debut children's picture book, Kiki & Jax: The Life-Changing Magic of Friendship, co-written and illustrated by Salina Yoon, was released Tuesday. The story of Kiki, a squirrel with a hoarding problem, and Jax, a meticulous owl who loves to sort, is a sweet extension of the best-seller that led to her global influence

• For grown-ups who fight chaos on the job, she has partnered with organizational psychologist Scott Sonenshein on a new book due out in April, Joy at Work: Organizing Your Professional Life, aimed at sorting out desks, schedules, and inboxes.
• Kondo and the first season of her Netflix series, Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, were nominated for two Emmys this year, with no wins. While discussions are underway for a second season, she has slowly gone about dispensing advice on a broader range of lifestyle topics, from knowing when a relationship no longer sparks joy to making the perfect bento box for kids. And in the last year, she has expanded her network of KonMari-certified consultants to about 300 in more than 30 countries.
• Later this month on her website, Konmari.com, she'll start selling some of the things that spark her own joy at home but are made by others, such as her favorite incense and rice cooker.

With Kondo's Netflix show came a move to Los Angeles with her husband and daughters, ages 4 and 3. She admits, "I think my standard for tidying definitely changed after I had children. Before, I think my ideal was a perfectly organized home, but naturally children do tend to make a mess, and I'm also limited in time as well. It can be quite exhausting, as all mothers know. I think I've become much more forgiving of myself." (More on Kondo, including what she found "shocking" when moving to the US, here.)