Customer Reviews

Organizing from the Inside Out with Julie Morgenstern [VHS]

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I was dozing off the other night, the TV was on PBS, when Julie's excited voice filtered into my brain. I thought I was dreaming! What was this about organization? Could it BE possible for me to analyze the clutter in my world and make some changes that will FINALLY clean the place up? Is it REALLY as simple as the model of a Kindergarten Classroom? Organization = Fun??? Suddenly, I was wide awake!

YES, YES, YES!!! FINALLY a plan of attack (one that ironically leaves the 'attack' to the last step) that has you discovering WHY that clutter exists, THEN what to do about it!

No more diving into that pile of mess only to come up GASPING for air and clarity an hour later! No more moving that pile from the kitchen table to the office then back again because the kitchen table is REALLY the most comfortable place to pay the bills!

Julie Morgenstern gives you a clear, sensible, step-by-step way to make your home, office, garage, LIFE! an organized, comfortable place to live. These ideas will not only help clear the physical clutter, they can also be applied to other areas of your life to help get you organized; i.e., your time. Julie's enthusiasm, clear presentation and anecdotal examples had me wishing that I wasn't watching her on PBS - because there are no commercials, I couldn't jump up to grab a pen and paper or I'd miss something! And the PILE of books, tissues and misc. on my bedside table didn't yield anything useful in that regard! *sigh* I wasn't organized enough to jot down how to get organized!

So, I cannot WAIT to get this video! December will not arrive soon enough for me! Never mind the holiday hubbub! I'm going to be plunked down in front of my TV/VCR taking notes! THEN watch me go! I'll have these boxes of Christmas ornaments put away instead of piled under the desk until next year! Ditto for the piles in the kitchen, my son's room, my bedside table!

Ahhhhh, bliss, thy name is 'Organizing from the Inside Out!'

This video is a very enjoyable and effective summary of the method to organize described in the corresponding book. It does a far better job at that than the book because the book has the method burried in 250 pages of advices that are not as essential as the method. The author herslef is the host in a studio using before/after pictures and videos of places she organized. The method consists of A)Analyze; B) Strategize; C)Attack. To Analyze one must ask what is causing the clutter, what is working, what is not working, what items are most essential. To strategize one must devide the room into activity zones and store items at the point of use. Finally one must attack the SPACE by Sorting, Purging, Assigning a home for objects, Containerizing and Equalizing.
Before you tackle a major organization project it is better to spend the 1 hour or so watching this video than reading the book. You will be immediately ready to organize instead of being paralyzed with so much written advice.

My brother said he had seen an "organizing your home and office" show on the local PBS station and came away with some great pointers. He was actually quoting parts of the show to me!

After much digging through the piles of papers and trash in my apartment, I finally found the TV Guide but sadly, the show was only on once. I started searching and eventually found that the exact show that aired on PBS was going to be on home video. I ordered it from Amazon immediately and two days after it was released, it was in my mailbox.

The video's easy-to-understand common sense information that will have you saying to yourself, "Why didn't I think of that?". This tape is definitely a must for you or any unorganized person in your life. If you follow the simple instructions, your home, apartment or office space will be noticably neater and more organized in less than one day after viewing this tape.

The only drawback is that it plays too much like an infomercial with audience members laughing and applauding at everything the hostess says like it's the funniest or most interesting thing they've ever heard. But stick with it and you will learn why you are so messy and -- most importantly -- how to fix it.

Is it really that easy to "come clean"?

My apartment is much neater now solely because of this tape. I recommend it highly.

I purchased this video after reading the book. I really liked the book, but I thought the video would provide extra inspiration. It truly does. In fact, I would almost say this is a better first purchase if you really need to get going on your organizing effort. You will learn all the basic techniques that are in the book, but it will only take an hour to learn them, vs. several hours of reading the book.

The techniques the author discusses can be applied to anyone and anyplace. They are for the truly messy, the not-too-bads, and people who feel that they just need a little help.

Once you have learned and possibly applied the techniques you learn from the video, buy the book for more information and inspiration.

If you are totally commited to organizing your home or office, then I recommend this book. It has alot of preparation involved though, but it is worth it in the long run. This is a very logical process to getting uncluttered & completely organized. She gives alot of ideas that seem so simple & could kick myself for not knowing them. Again, this is NOT for people looking for a quick fix. This is NOT an organizing book that will take you through one weekend of cleaning your entire home. It will get you completely organized right down to the last pair of shoes in your home.

I used "Organizing From The Inside Out" in my 12th grade Health class recently to show the students how diorganization is a stressor & can affect your mental, emotional & physcial health. After watching this video, they all agreed that being organized helps create a stress-free environment. They were amazed to find that we spend sooooooo many hours every week just hunting for things we can't find. And we spend lot's of hard earned money to replace items we have misplaced because we are not organized. This is a great video and would recomend that all parents watch it with their children to create happier, healthier individuals, families, homes & workplaces. My class could identify areas they all needed to improve in. They also shared how one persons lack of organization in the home affects all persons in that home. Again, great video ! Great teaching tool also.

I bought the book several months ago, flipped through it, and had been meaning to read it since then. My house is so cluttered that I felt I didn't have time to read it, and half the time, I couldn't even find the book. When I saw that Julie had published a video version of her book, I thought that I could set aside that much time one afternoon to watch the video. It actually took 3 segments of time to watch it due to two toddlers and my husband, but I watched it and was inspired. I think I learned everything I need to from the video, although the book includes more details. I think it's easier to get started just with the basics than to be overwhelmed with information, anyway. I actually learned information that I can use this time, and what's more, I'm putting it to use! I highly recommend this video. Also, Julie Morgenstern is really likeable, so it's fun and inspiring to see her on video.

Guys, girls, young and old, do yourself a favor and get this video! What I liked best was her distinction between being unorganized and being "messy"--there is a difference. I almost turned the video off when she described her turning point
from living an unorganized lifestyle, but I'm glad I didn't. It is a great motivational tool!

Morgenstern gives excellent advice and tips in this video on how to organize your home and office. Not just theory and fluff, but step by step here's how to do it advice. And she explains why the steps work and why you shouldn't skip any. I found it very helpful and have recommended it to my friends and family. The first time through, I just watched and listened. Then I rewound the tape and watched again, pausing it to take notes. I've made an Organizing Notebook with Morgenstern's tips in the front, and specific plans of action for my organizing projects within. You will know in short order whether your initial implementation worked or whether you need to adjust it. But after watching this, you will know HOW. Great video!!

I've presented this video to large groups as part of a day full of time-management related activities. It always ranks at the top, being quite practical, helpful and succinct in its advice. Morgenstern's down-to-earth, positive attitude transmits nicely.