It's All Too Much by Peter Walsh gives a person that wants to organize his or her home some great ideas. It starts out with some general tips on getting rid of surface clutter. Before Walsh has you go through each room, he advises you really think about what you want your home to be, as well as what function you want each room to serve. Walsh thinks that this is best done as a family, not just one person. He then goes through each room or area in a house and gives specific ideas for room. The end of the book talks about maintaining the changes that you have made. Below are some tips I really liked.1. Keep flat surfaces clean (counter, table, desk, etc.)
2. Buy one color of wrapping paper and a few colors of ribbon for gift wrapping. (My sister has done something like this and I got a bunch of the gift wrap she was getting rid of.)
3. Don't have a junk drawer.
4. In the kitchen, get rid of cookbooks you absolutely do not use.
5. Spend 5 minutes a day in maintenence.
6. The in/out rule for clothes, toys and books. Every time you get a new item of clothing or a new book or toy you find something to get rid of that you do not use anymore or cannot be fixed.
Warning: This book may take some of the fun out of your shopping.
3 comments:
Those are some good tips, think I'll look up this book next time I'm at the library.
I inherited the habit of not being able to keep my table or desk area free from mail,papers, etc.... I guess that runs in the Wolters blood. Most of us are pack-rats of some sort. I'm going to put #'s 5 & 6 to use this week.. but I think my junk drawer has got to stay...at least for now =)
this would be a timely book for me to read given my current circumstances. Some of it is easier said than done. Esp. #1.
How is your summer vacation going?
This is a well-written review, Clair.
Indeed, keeping flat surfaces clean is not an easy task for me either. I think Missy's right: a predilection for clutter does run in the family. (Just look at some of our tables.)
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