Customer Reviews

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living

5 star:		(61)
4 star:		(17)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

I never write reviews, good or bad. However, I am so compelled to share with everyone in the world how this book has changed my life, and the lives of my family as well. Prior to reading and following the plan in Tsh's book, we were clutter bugs. Our home was in a constant state of disarray, and my heart was in a constant state of panic over the unsightly home that I lived in. I felt trapped in a home too small and too cluttered to breathe in. I was convinced that I could never love such a small home and would only be happy someday when I could move my husband and son into a larger home.

This book changed that. I now have a kitchen that has space for everything to fit into, in fact we have several empty cupboards. My son, husband, and I each have a space just for ourselves in this home. In the evenings I am now accustomed to doing some work before I settle in to relax. Now I can say that I truly do relax, because I enjoy my surroundings again. My soul is at peace.

Strongly recommend! Especially if any of you are the kind of person that fears having people stop by or fears hosting a social gathering. You will have a home that is guest friendly that you can be proud of. Guaranteed!

first off i must say i loved this book. it has inspired me in so many ways to simplify my family's busy life! it packed with practical tips to make your house run smoothly. i sincerely appreciate the time the author took to write this book. it is very well thought out and flows wonderfully. the only reason i did not give this book 5 stars was on several occasions she refers you to appendix a for additional information (chart diagrams, cleaning solution recipes and more) since i ordered this book for my kindle that appendix is not available. a few of the charts she mentions are available on her website for free download, but no where can the cleaning solution recipes be found.i do not know who to place the blame on for this mess up. whether it was the publisher, amazon or who knows - it is disappointing.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I devoured it in 2 days and am now re-reading much of it slowly, trying to completely digest all the great tips. The practical checklists that are included are very user friendly and easily personalized. And the step by step guide to decluttering is detailed without being overwhelming. 5 years ago everything my family owned fit in a Toyota Camry (all else was a victim of hurricane Katrina) and now I'm realizing just how much STUFF we've accumulated since then. It only took 5 years to completely fill a 1400 sq ft house plus an attic! I'm using this book as a jumping off point for fresh start, not keeping anything that isn't either beautiful or useful, just as the author advises. I'm so thankful for the inspiration, especially as the Christmas (aka most clutter-filled) season begins!

The photos were lovely and the information timely, valid and useful. That said, they're nothing you won't find simple variations of in a dozen other organizing/ simple living books. If you really don't know how to organize yourself, maintain your home or where to start decluttering your life this would be a decent place to start.

It is worth noting that there's a big chunk of mental/psychological discussion at the beginning - writing a family mission statement, determining how you want to live and use your home, etc. Depending on where you are, this may or may not really be helpful to you. That said, I recommend checking out the author's website and surveying the home organization shelf at your local library before buying. There are tons of resources on this subject, and since you really only need one of them it's worth making sure you pick the one that's the best fit for you.

I found myself recently staring at my to-do list wondering...

Why am I doing all of this anyway?

What if life really could be simpler?

In the midst of those questions, I discover this book. I set it on the kitchen table--right in the middle of stacks of paper, lists, and to-do's that have been left undone. I realize the irony every time I see the title: Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider.

I pick up the book and begin reading. Tsh tells of how modern life has gotten complicated and makes a case for living differently. It seems she's right there at my kitchen table talking to me at the start of chapter three...

"I hate to break it to you, but you can't do it all. I can't either. We're all given a finite amount of time, resources, and talents, which makes it rather impossible to achieve that noble, yet impossible ambition of doing everything well that you want to do....No one in the history of the world has been able to accomplish it all."

Those are comforting words, especially coming from Tsh--the creator of the highly popular site SimpleMom, brilliant businesswoman, as well as wife and mama making a difference in the world.

Tsh goes on to say it's important to create a Family Purpose Statement that guides what you do. So I take the book with me to my weekly breakfast date with my husband the following Saturday and together we answer the questions she offers to help you create your statement. For example, "What are the top four priorities we want our family to value?"

It makes for a lively discussion over bagels and coffee. And when I come home to the same stacks and to-do lists I had before, I'm more motivated to do something about them. Oh, I've read articles on organizing or ways to make life simpler before--but detached from the "why" they just weren't compelling enough to make me take action.

True simplicity, Tsh says, is "living holistically with your life's purpose." So after the "why" Tsh moves on to the "how" and even ends with a ten-day plan for organizing your home.

First say to yourself what you would be; and then do what you have to do.--Epictetus.

By the time I close the final page, I feel calmer and I actually have a practical plan for making some changes in my home. Oh, I may still hyperventilate in the cleaning supply aisle. And my schedule still might be a bit more crowded than I want. But when I think back to the gifts of this year there will be a new one I'm thanking Tsh Oxenreider for--a simpler life.

It's not the kind of gift you open once but rather a choice you make each day.

And after reading this book, I think I'll make it.

If you looked at my bookshelf you'd see organizing book after organizing book. I was almost hesitant to buy one more, but I am so glad I did. She lays it all out, walks you through and completely understands where you're coming from. It was like she was reading my mind. LOL! You won't be disappointed. Plus there are lovely pictures at the beginning of each chapter that just make you smile.
It's the last organizing book that I'll ever have to buy!

I can't say enough about this title. The book is quite literally changing my life, and that of my family. I started reading and could not put it down ... It was as if Tsh had written it for us specifically. She put into words what had been nagging at me since my children were born: we are consuming too much and needed to simplify in order to be happier.
Her tips are easy to follow, with great, down-to-earth tips about how to simplify things day-to-day, from finding your keys to managing your budget, but without being preachy about it. I have been working on decluttering my house, and each time I complete one room, I immediately feel a sense of peace. What a relief! It's cut down on my housework, and eased my budget, which leaves me with more time for my kids and husband and more money in my pocket.

I especially loved creating a family purpose statement, which really gave my husband and I some perspective with our decision-making.

I highly recommend it for any family that feels short on money, time and purpose. This book will help you get all three, and more.

I have been following Tsh's blog for a while now... and was very excited to FINALLY get her book in hand! I received it yesterday and have read it cover to cover already. I'm excited to implement so many of her great ideas of how to simplify the craziness of life. This would make a great gift for ANYONE you know that struggles with slowing down and enjoying the simpler things of life.

***WARNING: this book does seem to be laced with the implication that you are a Christian Stay At Home Mom, and that religion/church is a vital part of your life. The book doesn't lose validity if you ignore these references, but some people might find it irritating. It's not overwhelming, but it's there.

I am always interested in organizing books and have read quite a few. I am an educator specializing in academic intervention, and science education, and I work with students and families that struggle to be organized. I also work extensively with students with special needs, something that can really wreak havoc on a student's ability to be organized, and add strain to family dynamics. I bought the kindle edition of this book.

The best thing about this book: It's a pretty good common sense guide to getting yourself acquainted with some of the major categories of organizing and simplifying. Home management, finances, simplifying, and time management. It offers some concrete starting points. This book also brings up two vitally important things; Family communication and the way that work life in the US is contributing strongly to the destabilization of family.

The worst things...It's poorly edited in places. It meanders quite a bit. Most of the information can be found for free on the web (try Organized Home.com), or in countless other organizing books. It is essentially NOT egalitarian and doesn't suggest very often that a household should be run by anyone but the MOTHER...in other words everything falls on YOUR shoulders. You organize, you have a to do list, you probably should be a stay at home Mom to get it all done (I have two masters degrees, and I'm not wasting them)... What I wish most after reading this is that Tsh Oxenrider, start a real movement to improve work hours and work conditions so that BOTH spouses have time to have holistic family lives. With her influence in the blogosphere, she could start something powerful....but at the end of this book, I felt a little trapped. The responsibility of keeping a family above water was still ALL mine, and a weak suggestion that people should try to cut their work hours back...doesn't get to the root of the problem.

I'm naturally drawn to anything that claims to "simplify" my life. I work from home full-time and so does my husband. We have 3 children under 7 years of age and we are naturally busy. Through Simple Mom's blog and now her book, I've turned from a fly by the seat of my pants kind of girl to the woman who intentionally plans out our lives. I used to bring about $200 a month of decorations into our home all for the excuse of "beautifying" and "nesting" when really the best beautifying and nesting I've learned is that of simplifying. Truly. Tsh has helped me to transform the way I see "pretty" and I've loved every moment of my new life. Thank you, Simple Mom!