5 comments about Lighten Up!: Free Yourself from Clutter.

1. I love Michelle's attitude. She's very forgiving and compassionate at the same time she turns a clear eye on the reasons we acquire clutter (mostly unfinished business and fear).

   Her filing section is fab. My papers have never been so orderly and, when I slip back into the 'piling up' phase, I reread her words of wisdom to get back on track.

   She is realistic about different lifestyles (some of us are more cyclical with our cleaning up and she takes that into account) and very specific which helps when I'm feeling inadequate to the task. Her step by step approach makes it seem less overwhelming.




2. This is the best clutter book I have ever seen for those of us who have intelligent, creative personalities that attract clutter. The author deals with some psychological reasons for clutter, and how to overcome clutter both practically and emotionally. This book is inspirational! Her "a path for everything and everything on its path" advice alone is worth the price of the book. This book will give you power over clutter! If your spouse is the clutter hound in the family, this is a good book to read and then give to your spouse, because it deals with clutter problems sympathetically, helps you understand clutter, and gives you techniques to deal with clutter.



3. This book is amazing. It walks you through every obstacle to clearing your clutter. I wouldn't part with it because you can pick it up again and jump back in when you are starting to slide back into your cluttering ways!



4. I recently bought three books on getting rid of clutter. This is by far the best of the three for me. Michelle Passoff is patient, caring and concerned for the readers wellbeing. The other books seemed to order me to do things and I just do not respond to the 'tough-love' method.
   
   I have started already with clearing away the clutter, and with my first minor success, feel her advice is bang on!
   
   A caring, loving, author sharing her skills with us to help us with life. I wish I had found this book years ago!
   
   Anthony Newman, Netherlands



5. The most invaluable thing I learned from Passoff's brilliant clutter-free plan is that women are so unhappy because their goals are so vague. She teaches you how to have specific goals and to work on them one thing at a time-not concentrating on the entire picture-because you can't ignition if you think about China!
   
   Not since the equally brilliant book, "Taming the Office Tiger," has an "organization" book doubled as a life-changing plan!

5 comments about Home Organizing Workbook: Clearing Your Clutter, Step by Step.

1. The book is easy to read and make use of in everyday life for relieving clutter and learning how to remove it from your life. It is divided into sections that coordinate with the home. I found the book very enlightening and gave me some great "new" ideas for cleaning up the clutter in my life. Overall: A very good book for both unorganized and the organized alike.



2. I bought this book at the recommendation of my favorite magazine...Good thing I used a gift certificate and didn't waste my own money. I gave it 2 stars, but maybe it's worth 2.5 stars-just for the effort. It does have some good ideas, but for the people like me, who love to organize but just don't have the space, it's not that useful. I was expecting more ideas about how to use the space I have. Unfortunately, I usually have better and more creative ideas than the author. Another major "-" is that the book talks a lot about throwing stuff away; well, what I have to say to that is that I periodically do that anyway, and I still am space challenged. That's not the solution to every problem!



3. Finally an organizing book that focuses on the real 'how to' of getting your home organized. I have other books on this subject but, this is my favorite. It makes it do-able room by room.



4. I admit that I was attracted to this book because of the beautiful presentation. However, as I glanced through it, I began to see how well-organized the book itself is, and I immediately bought it. This book is presented simply, without a lot of psychobabble about underlying issues that cause people to be disorganized. The book has great ideas and I recommend it to those who want to jump right in and begin working on home organization projects. I am an organized person, but the wonderful man to whom I am married appears to be able to live happily amidst piles of plastic crates. I am hoping to get him to read this book!



5. I got this awhile back and have been using it ever since. It is well written. There's no fluff, just good step by step advice. If you are serious about organizing your home this is the book to get!

5 comments about Too Much Stuff: De-Cluttering Your Heart and Home.

1. Too Much Stuff is stuffed from cover to cover with techniques on how to de-clutter both your heart and your home. This advice is given in a clear, easy-to-read manner which has us eager to decontaminate our homes of unwanted, unneeded, and unused items. Not only does Mrs. Porter help us make our homes cleaner and our space more effective, but she also gently encourages us to de-clutter our hearts - which is where the clutter really begins.
   
   Kathryn begins the saga of de-cluttering by sharing her own heartfelt story of growing up in a cluttered home and how she brought those habits with her after she'd married and moved out on her own.
   
   Each chapter brings us deeper into our clutter and gives prudent advice on how to start shoveling our way to a neater home. Topics range from defining clutter, planning how to de-clutter in an orderly way, working in the main rooms such as kitchens to less seen rooms like bathrooms and bedrooms. She also tackles the dirty job of paper work and bills - those seldom touched piles on our desks.
   
   But Mrs. Porter doesn't stop there. How does clutter begin? Why do we `need' to keep things? Are we so cluttered in home and mind that we push our time with God aside? Do we go to God with real needs for `food and raiment' or for those sale items we can't seem to pass up?
   
   When I finished reading Too Much Stuff I was taking a second look at my home and my heart.



2. If you struggle with holding onto clutter in your home, it can be an act of deep faith to let it go. Kathryn Porter understands a woman's desire to keep "too much stuff."
   
   In her inspiring book, she bares her heart to readers with the story of how she grew up in a cluttered home and took these habits into her adult lifestyle. When she reached a point of desperation, she prayed to God for help and enlisted the advice of wise friends.
   
   In learning to rid her home of material junk, Katherine began to feel deep spiritual cleansing, uncovering peace and joy. She wants to help YOU do the same.
   
   Her book is a powerful tool for today's busy women who need help letting go of things to make room for God. (If you love FlyLady, you'll love this book, and the principles for decluttering come from a Christian perspective.)
   
   --Christian Women Online Book Buzz



3. I bought several books on de-cluttering and this was the least useful for me. It's from a Christian perspective, which I thought might be helpful, but that seems rather superficial. I found Cindy Glovinsky's books much more helpful -- especially "Making Peace with the Things in Your Life." (They're not specifically Christian.) Glovinsky gets deep down into your heart much more effectively, I thought. I'm going to de-clutter "Too Much Stuff" by putting it in my giveaways box.



4. This is a must read for anyone who struggles with self-worth and self-discipline. Kathryn does a beautiful job in sharing heart-rendering personal moments to becoming a disciplined woman of the Word, not only in her housekeeping but life in general.
   
   The author shares how to set up a system that almost works itself in maintaining a home and a heart free of clutter. With the applications suggested in her book and God's help, all things are possible.
   
   I would recommend this for a really good Christmas gift to all the harried people out there who are standing around with bows in their hair and tinsel in their hands, asking themselves what to do next.
   
   Paulette L. Harris
   Author/reviewer



5. This is the best book I've ever read on de-cluttering and organizing your home. BUT...it also tells you why you have the clutter in the first place. It also guides you thru de-cluttering your life... the emotional clutter we carry with us, which takes up space and prevents us from reaching our goals and full potential.

5 comments about The Well-Ordered Home: Organizing Techniques for Inviting Serenity into Your Life.

1. Don't let the size of the book fool you - just because it doesn't take an encyclopedia sized book to get her ideas across does not mean they aren't profound, easy to internalize, and life changing.
   
   I recently had the pleasure of taking a seminar on the Well-Ordered Home taught by Ms. Kendall-Tackett at a La Leche League conference and I was so impressed I ordered the book the next day.
   
   It's not too simple to be true - this little book can help you get your home in order so you can spend more time enjoying life!



2. My first reaction to this book was one of disappointment. I thought it was too general and too short. However, since I've read it, I keep finding myself referring to it and implementing ideas I found in it. Many of the things I already do and I found this book affirming. I like her phrase 'Start where you are'. After reading her overview, one can always look for more information to cope with specific problem areas, like clutter.



3. As a born-organized person now facing clutter problems due to homeschooling my young son, I'd purchased this book hoping to find new perspectives on battling paper monsters and the inevitable slew of books, toys and crumbs that kids generate. Sadly, there is nothing new in here.
   
   "Handle paper as it comes in" is something you can read at free websites on home-organization. Ditto for "keep a nice box or bin in each room to stash toys in at the end of the day."
   
   But you'll have to read through various chapters to put that together: the author is continually bringing up a topic (e.g., closet organization) then promising "I'll go into that more in Chapter X." Well, guess what: each 'chapter' is only 2 pages long. How much organizational advice do you REALLY think you're going to get in 2 pages?
   
   This book does not recommend any particular system, does not discuss advantages or disadvantages of the varying home-organization products out there, and doesn't even suggest routines or schedules you can adopt for your day.
   
   What it does do is dispense saccharin, simplistic advice -- spend 15 minutes per day sorting through clutter and discard what's broken beyond repair; what's outdated; what you don't love, use or need; do a little bit every day; keep supplies where you need them; replenish supplies as they're depleted; and don't set your expectations unrealistically high.
   
   There, I saved you money. I wish I'd saved my own, and also wish that the hour I spent reading this slim, trite book had been spent organizing my kitchen cupboards (yet another thing this book does not tell you how to do).



4. While the author certainly gives good pointers on how to order a home, the presentation is just.... barren. No color, nor illustrations, drawings or photograps except on the cover. A thin book on coarse paper.
   
   The text itself is also rather austere: she just tells you, two or three-page chapters, how to manage a certain problem. No anecdotes, no examples, no babbling. What she tells is worthwhile, though.
   
   If you want a short book, that can be read in 2 hours, and are prepared just to do what she tells you, this is a good book. If you need more, this booklet might leave you feel a little light handed.



5. I really appreciate the author's writing style of this book. I like the short, simple chapters that can be refered back to again and again.
   This book helped me develope a positive mindset towards organization.
   It's helpful to realize the impact organization can have by reducing stress and saving time. This is not a book for someone already organized that's looking for grand innovative ideas. The ideas are pretty basic and simple, but were very useful for me.

5 comments about Don Aslett's Clutter-Free!: Finally & Forever.

1. First, let's be blunt. Aslett got a free book out of the letters and emails sent to him by fans of Clutter's Last Stand. This book has very little Aslett and very little practical advice other than "toss it." It consists of personal stories of being a prisoner of clutter, the wilder the better.
   
   That said, if you want to feel massively superior to people who've saved sixteen years' of National Geographics, the entire contents of the city dump, or a barn full of fluorescent light fixtures, this book is a hoot. Once you've started decluttering, read this book during your drink breaks. It's easy to put down, thanks to all the short sections, and the vision of not being like these people will keep you going.



2. I found this book more of a comic book then a to help book. More stuff was humor than help hints. Would not recommend for someone seriously wanting to declutter.



3. I appreciate the irony of buying a book on clutter with which to clutter up your bookshelf. But I still love this book and leaf through it often. The thing is, once you've read Clutter's Last Stand and then implemented the helpful suggestions there, it's a life-changing moment. You see things differently than you did before. Kind of like a born-again nonsmoker, you want to dwell on the subject of clutter and read more and more anecdotes about other people's before-and-after moments.
   
   The chapters are as follows: 1 - More Sightings of Unidentified-Lying-Objects (examples of strange junk that people keep). 2 - The Cost of Keeping It (the hidden costs to your finances, energy, and health). 3 - More Incredible Excuses for Clutter. 4 - Help with How to Dejunk. 5 - How to Identify Junk and What to Do with It Afterwards. 6 - More Advice on Specific Topics (e.g., kid clutter, kitchen cabinets, vehicle junk). 7 - Preventing Re-Junking. 8 - Success Stories.
   
   True, this book could be viewed (by the hard-core de-junker who wants to keep his bookshelves bare - who doesn't even HAVE any bookshelves!) as a bit of a retread. Basically, this book is made up of hundreds of letters sent to the author by all those former packrats whose lives he's changed.
   
   It's like browsing through an especially content rich online forum with hundreds of people sharing their personal anecdotes - except it's a whole lot better edited! This is the book for those who have managed to clean up their lives and who either want reinforcement, or who remain fascinated with the concept of de-junking and what an incredible difference it makes in the lives of so many. Plus this book has a wonderful tone: never condescending, and full of laugh-out-loud humor.



4. I think this book is a total waste of money. I have read other of Mr. Aslett's books, and this one just seems to be a lot of testimonials as to how wonderful his hints for cleaning clutter & other things in a house or business. I returned the book to Amazon & requested a refund, which I have received. I think that Jeff Campbell, of the Clean Team, has much better books and routines for cleaning. He is based in San Francisco, Calif & I have used his products & cleaning suggestions for years.
   I did not find anything useful in Mr. Aslett's latest book. Thanks for 'listening/.



5. I'm writing primarily to take exception with the most recent reviewer who returned the book. It's more a matter of preference than he or she is wrong and I'm right. I purchased this book in 1996 and have read it several times since, mostly for the motivation and change of attitude. I've given copies of it as gifts to family members. I love this book because it shares other peoples experience which is often very funny and is very helpful to see the ways that hanging onto too much stuff is a net and gross negative that can affect and bleed, (at times literally)
   in so many ways into ones life. Following through with this book is work and at times the work is painstaking and draining. Having someone assist at the right time, (who is detached from your stuff) can be very helpful, but not by any means necessary. The rewards: in a way you get your life back. To much stuff can be a form of malignancy in its own way. It can weigh a person down emotionally and block ones vision field for true dreams and accomplishment.

5 comments about Closet Control: The Ultimate Guide to Revitalizing Your Wardrobe and Revolutionizing the Way You Store It (Book & DVD).

1. This book liberated me from my ideas about style! I always felt resigned about fashion, thinking it was just too much effort and too much money to be stylish. This book totally turned me around! Barbra has so many ideas for being fashionable on any budget, but even better, she makes getting dressed FUN. You start to see your clothes are an expression of yourself, and you get to make the rules about how you're going to wear them. Once you realize that you can have a tailor shorten a skirt that you never wore because it was too long or you can just dye a pink pair of shoes black, you can never look at your clothes in the same way again. The DVD is cool, too because it shows case study examples (some of them famous) of Barbra's fashion ideas in practice, which is really inspiring. This book is awesome!



2. I LOVE this book! It's beautiful and entertaining, while extremely practical. I had no idea I could do so much to improve my clothes all by myself. Whether it's dying things, cutting things, or simply mixing and matching in a whole new way, Closet Control has taught me to throw caution to the wind and be fabulous no matter what my budget or body type. Barbra Horowitz is a true innovator and fashion genius - as someone whose never given fashion or clothing a lot of thought or energy (which is sadly apparent to all!) this has inspired me like nothing before... I've never seen a book on clothes be so important, uplifting, and healing to us as individuals, and to the planet. Run, run, run and read it today! :)



3. In addition to gift giving, holiday parties, and mistletoe kisses, the end of the year brings about much self-reflection, especially as we stare into our over-stuffed closets and utter the famous phrase "I have absolutely nothing to wear!" Wouldn't it be great to say sayonara to that tired phrase? Well, in 2008 you can -- and without breaking the bank on a new wardrobe. Enter Closet Control, a smart, savvy, stylishly-designed book that shows you how to revamp your wardrobe using the pieces you already own. Love that! Not only is the book useful and informative, but the accompanying DVD makes it all the more user-friendly. As someone who's gotten advice on what to wear from Barbra first-hand, I can tell you she's a seasoned pro and her book ROCKS!



4. This book shook me up. I'll never again think of my clothes as a static collection of "good investment" pieces that get archived away. Barbra's philosophy is new-millennium thinking: I purge while things have resale value, and I buy things used. And I now expect to have my clothes altered (because it really is absurd to think that mass-market clothes will fit me perfectly, right?) It does require more energy to keep my wardrobe a fluid work-in-progress, BUT I really love this new mindset that clothes will MOVE THROUGH MY WARDROBE (maybe in several incarnations, with a pair of scissors) until it's time to discard them. Only criticism: while I do feel more in "control of my closet," this book's title feels somewhat misleading.



5. Mostly common sense - thick chapters dedicated to clothing design, sewing, tailoring, fashion. I wish I'd saved my money. Good book and CD included if you are into all this effort at reusing clothing instead of just interested in a fantastic closet design which you won't find here.

5 comments about A Well-Kept Home : Household Traditions and Simple Secrets from a French Grandmother.

1. About 50% of this book offers advice that is either useless or dangerous. A few potted geraniums on your windowsill will NOT keep away mosquitoes. You do not make "Homemade soap" by squashing together the remains of previously-used soap. Ditto for "Homemade cheese". Anyone who tries to "save" rancid butter by massaging in a few tablespoons of baking soda and water is just asking for a bellyache. Do you have any "Spanish White" around your house? Neither do I. If I'm going to make a special trip to "any local hardware store" to pick up a tube of Spanish White and a vial of "methelated spirits" so I can blend them into silver-polishing paste, why wouldn't I just snap up a cheap tube of silver polish and save myself the added expense and mixing effort? The worst advice in the entire book is this: "Give your apricot, plum or cherry jam an almond taste by cooking a few crushed fruit stones, enclosed in a small muslin bag, at the same time as the fruits." That almond taste you've just added is CYANIDE, a deadly poison found concentrated in fruit pits and usually used to execute gas-chamber prisoners in a really horrible way. Do you really want to add that to your jam? Wouldn't you rather use an inexpensive and non-poisonous almond extract, almond milk or even marzipan paste instead? And for those of you who argue that a little can't hurt - how much arsenic or lead do you usually like to add to your food? Cyanide is MUCH worse. How much is too much? The authors certainly don't say. They don't even mention that it's poison.

   If anything, the photographs in the book are exquisite, and if you study them for decorating ideas, gardening ideas and color combinations, the book is certainly worth a dent in your credit or library card. The prose, however, needs more than a little tightening up and perhaps some fact-checking.




2. This book is nothing but a hardcover magazine. Gorgeous pictures, useless content. These are not the memories of a French grandmother so much as a big... ad for you to buy a whole lot of products, try out some weekend project that never ends, give up and go out and buy more useless products. There are much better books on this topic for people who are serious about the running of their home but are mostly, unfortunately out of print.



3. Disappointing content. Pictures are nice but not worth more than a quick browse.



4. I only gave this book three stars because it is the same book as "Secrets of Good Housekeeping" also by Laura Fronty -- same content, lovely photo's, etc., only difference is the title.



5. HOLY COW WHAT A LOAD OF C%%*, this book has been given a new cover and recycled, with the same stuff in it. Not to mention the stuff in the book is nether wise nor safe. Whoever the grandma was who provided these tips didn't actually make any of this stuff because if they did they wouldn't have made it to be a grandma. Ditto on the CYANIDE-would be almond flavor added to your jam, what the hell? they new you had to get all of the pits out of the fruit before storage in ancient Rome? Ever hear of Oil of Bitter Almonds? DUMB. I think someone sat down and imagined this stuff. Even in hard times you would never do these things. Oh and the preserved fruit in oil and salt? One word "Botulism". You could look at the pictures though! I am an avid canner and preserver. I am not a skidish person when it comes to doing things the old fashioned way, unfortunately this stuff is just someones idea of what the old fashioned way would be. I think the French Grandma for this book was pretty DUMB.

3 comments about Do I Dust Or Vacuum First?: Answers to the 100 Toughest, Most Frequently Asked Questions about Housecleaning.

1. When I don't feel like cleaning, and I usually don't, I get this book out and browse. Something in it will get done. Don makes it so easy and fun.



2. This is an upbeat and witty guide to cleaning various parts of the residential house, written by master de-clutterer, Don Aslett. Everybody who cleans house occasionally will find something useful here. It answers questions from "How do I clean my textured ceiling?" to "I love bleach, do you?" Very practical and informative, with a personal slant. Great book!



3. A friend first gave me this book and then I loaned it out and didn't get it back. This book contains so much very helpful practical information. I love it and use it often.

2 comments about Outdoor Cleaning with Pressure Washers: A Step-by-Step Project Guide.

1. Great tips on selecting and using home use pressure washers. Helps you to operate the units right so you are not as likely to damage what you are cleaning. Factors you will learn to consider include: spray angle, distance, nozzle pattern, and the ratings of the unit you select.
   
   Good treatment of the subject with lots of pictures. Far superior to any other book on pressure washers that I have seen.



2. This book was over priced. It deals strictly with Brigg&Stratton equipment and was of little use to me as I had bought an electric washer. It's fine for B&S owners but not much good otherwise.

5 comments about The Healthy Living Space: 70 Practical Ways to Detoxify the Body and Home.

1. Detox diets and cleanses, dry skin brushing, dental tips, green cleaning, feng shui, meditation and much, much more. Mr. Leviton covers every aspect of your life in this guide. He includes good instructions on how to do everything along with recipes and where to buy the things you need for the various detoxes. I bought this book after a very disappointing experience with a different detox book. This one is hands down GREAT!



2. This book seems to cover every possible topic relating to creating a healthier and less toxic home and body. The author addresses products that most of use everyday and points out the potential hazards.
   
   How many of us would consider a long hot relaxing bath a potentially toxic experience? After reading this book you will understand why it is important to have a whole house water filtration system and to choose carefully your bath products.
   
   I was not aware of all the products in my home that potentially contained volatile organic compounds (VOCs) before reading this book. Some examples of products that typically contain VOCs are dry cleaned clothes, common household cleaners, chlorinated water, tobacco smoke, treated fabric, pressed wood products, building insulation, cosmetics, carpet, plastic, moth balls and deodorizers. If any of these items surprise you, this might be a good book for you.
   
   Are you still using fabric softener in your laundry? This book references a group called CITIZENS FOR A TOXIC FREE MARIN CALIFORNIA that claims there are at least 9 toxic compounds in many brands of fabric softener. I had read about the toxicity of fabric softener in the past. However, this information was enough for me to switch to green laundry products. Why risk your health for something so trivial as fluffy and highly perfumed fabrics.
   
   I don't know that I believe all the information in this book. However, much of the information just seems like common sense. Artificial products/chemicals may be contributing to other health related problems in our homes and our lives. It makes sense to avoid as many of these as we can. The author makes you think about the products that enter your home and your life. I have learned to close every window in my home for a few days when the lawn services are applying toxic chemicals in my neighbors' yards. Just think what those chemicals are doing to the children and pets that play in the grass.
   
   If you are interesting in learning more about green living this is excellent resource.



3. This is a huge book, lots of info...almost too much. Lots to read...too much. Not an easy or quick read.



4. This book has a similar title to Healthy Living Spaces: Top 10 Hazards Affecting Your Health by Daniel Stih.
   
   Get them both.
   
   As one review said of 70 Practical Ways, "This is a huge book, lots of info... Lots to read...."
   
   Healthy Living Spaces: Top 10 Hazards, is an easy read that simplifies things.



5. This is, for the most part, a pretty good book that jam packs a myriad of ways that everyone can follow to detoxify and enjoy greater health. However, it seems that, as most health journalists seem to follow this fundamental flaw, they do not give a pure scientific review to every piece of material, and thus, by taking the word of some authority figure, they take the word as truth.
   
   An example of this would be where he suggests a sodium hypochlorite (bleach) produce wash. Firstly, no studies have ever shown that any such wash, whether it being diluted bleach or the like, have been significantly better at removing residues than pure water. Secondly, sodium hypochlorite is a corosive poison that acts as an irritant, can cause respiratory problems, neurotoxicity, cancer, endocrine disruption, and other various issues. What's even more odd is that he got this piece of advice from a Naturopathic doctor's book; how on Earth could a Naturopath recommend this?
   
   So with that, while generally has quite a bit of good information, make sure to read the book critically, and question EVERYTHING! Be your own scientist and do your own research!