Customer Reviews

Organizing Magic: 40 Days to a Well-Ordered Home and Life

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I find it hard to believe I read the same book these other folks did. Perhaps when they saw "Organizing Magic," they thought it meant "Instant, Easy Organizing." It doesn't.

But if, like me, you have read stacks and stacks of household hints books, and organizing books, and you are still fearful about letting others into your home, this book WILL make a difference, IF you actually follow the directions.

This book isn't meant to be read in an afternoon or two, even if the generous use of checklists, white space and text boxes makes it look like a quick read. It requires a daily commitment to reading, notetaking, and analyzing YOUR situation and YOUR attitudes. It doesn't assume that the same answers will work for everyone; maybe that's what frustrates some readers. Instead, working through the book a chapter at a time helps instill new attitudes and new habits in dealing with a cluttered home, with solutions tailored to YOU. New attitudes and habits are what people with a serious cleaning and organizing problem need -- not tips and tricks, although those have their place, and there are some in this book.

After you can open the door all the way when a friend comes by, THEN you can read all the Heloise, Martha Stewart, and Cheryl Mendelson you want to. Because THEN it will really stick.

This isn't a fast-food approach to making a better life; it's from scratch -- takes patience and time, but ultimately more nourishing, healing, and helpful.

The Organizer Lady, Sandra Felton, is back with Organizing Magic: 40 Days to a Well-Ordered Home and Life. Actually, Felton explains at the beginning that these are not forty consecutive days because some of the projects require a change of thinking, such as finally feeling that you can invite someone into your home. It's more accurately described as forty projects than forty days.

Felton offers ideas as varied as dealing with the paper crunch, saving time, e-mail, organizing closets, efficient movements, developing a visitor-friendly attitude, and upgrading your home. (No, she doesn't mean blowing it up and starting from scratch as my mom has suggested!) She gives the reader permission to reject whatever projects don't work for you while developing a new style of thinking.

Felton is an engaging writer with a practical, friendly style. She lets readers struggling with clutter not feel guilty. Angry yes, guilty no. Most chapters include several helpful pointers and boxed quotations to encourage you such as, "If you can't move the mountain, move a few stones. If there is a better solution...find it," by Thomas Edison. The book ends with a resource bibliography.

One of the good things about the book is that she provides options for you to consider and suggests you choose one that you feel comfortable with. For instance, in her chapter on making bold judgment calls, she gives you eleven project choices which range from dropping out of a club, giving up addressing Christmas cards by hand, throwing out all mail with a bulk postmark unopened, rotating your visible knickknack collections, using paper plates for quick clean up, and more.

Some of her suggestions sound familiar to me because I've read one or two of her books over the years, so those who have read some of her other books may want to look this one over before purchasing it. Those who are new to the struggle to organize their lives will find her ideas helpful and her writing engaging. - Debbie W. Wilson, Christian Book Previews.com

For years I have found myself shifting things from pile to pile. And I can make a mess faster than most people's kids. Magic for me, is learning to put things away. I've been on Flylady's list for years, and although she's done some good things for me, it's Sandra Felton who has emphasized that putting things away NOW is the best way to avoid having a mess to deal with LATER. Until I learned this, I was deeply frustrated, for in my efforts to declutter and organize my house, I was spinning my wheels. I'd work hard, only to find a week later, I was back where I started.

This book really emphasizes putting things away ASAP, and getting into that mindset is changing my life.

This should actually be "40 STEPS (rather than DAYS) to a Well-Ordered Home and Life." I love the idea of becoming Martha Stewart in less than two months, but, unfortunately, it took me six months to get through the book. (I wanted to implement each chapter before moving on to the next.) And I'm still not Martha Stewart.

This is a great book! The author offers practical and sound advice for behavioral change. It's not a book of "put this here and buy this organizing tool." Rather it is a collection of tiny steps to help people change their behavior toward more organized living. The author doesn't want to give people cleaning schedules; she wants to help people maintain clean and organized homes by encouraging clean and organized habits. The book design is colorful (quite feminine, but I'm a woman, so I didn't mind too much) and easy to read. Sidebars and shoutouts are prevalent. The chapters are short making it perfectly bite-sized reading.

Final Thoughts: Definitely RECOMMENDED.

This was such a great book for encouragement! It wasn't your typical organizational book. Though it helps with organizing tips the biggest help to me was giving me a whole new perspective on clutter and my home. It was an excellent book to keep you motivated! If you have trouble getting started or get discouraged easily while reorganizing your home- this book is for you!

I have enjoyed all of Sandra's books but I found this one particularly helpful. This is not a how-to book in the sense that it gives a lot of structure for organizing . But I found it to be very helpful as a daily encouragement, almost like a "daily devotional" for those of us who struggle daily to keep up the motivation to keep our homes and lives organized in spite of busy lives and families. (If you struggle like this you will know what I mean and I think this book will help you, too.) Thanks, Sandra!

How does Sandra Felton know exactly what I'm like and what I'm thinking? The chapter headings give specific assignments which is the kind of step-by-step approach I appreciate. I am on the 'Be Very Annoyed step' and feel I am making progress. Great book!

As usual, Sandra Felton provides a thoughtful, kind, step by step program for getting out of a mess into a clean, organized home. While this book alone will leave you with some questions, buy it in conjunction with almost any of her other books, and you will have a guide to solving your most pressing home organization problems.

Felton provides her suggestions with more than a little bit of insight into how things got to be this much of a mess to begin with. She is a reforming messie person, and doesn't hesitate to share her experiences with you.

I think this is a great book. It started out a little dry and I have to admit that I was a little disappointed that it didn't have any pictures or diagrams. She offers very practical tips and it has really motivated me to work on my house and to clean out and de-clutter and even to change my daily habits. I would highly recommend this book. It's easy to read a chapter and then go put it into practice. I'm about 1/2 way through and can't wait to read the remaining chapters.

Sandra's words are comforting, encouraging, inspiring and right on target when it comes to identifying the Messie! It helps so much to know that I'm not alone. She gives some real practical ideas to use and start right away to overcome some of the struggles being a Messie involves.