Customer Reviews

Sorting It Out: One Disorganized Woman Solves the Problem of Too Much Stuff

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"When you clear out your plentiful assortment of excess stuff and things, you not only straighten up your home, you also clear out space in your head." ~ pg. 149

If you feel that excess "stuff" around your house is distracting you from your life goals, many traditions promote organization as a way to also declutter the mind and clean out the cobwebs of your daily existence.

Many people, especially artists, can live in chaos and function on a normal level, but most of us want to be able to find things so we spend less time searching for our keys, looking for the ingredient we just know is in the kitchen someplace and living in fear of looking under the bed. I create very well in chaos, but then I have to take a break and organize myself for the next creative impulse.

Organizing can seem intimidating at first, but with "Sorting It Out" you will let go of old possessions in exchange for new ideas, a less complex lifestyle and a renewed spirit.

`It turns out that the less stuff you carry with you, the less you have to think about." ~ pg. 107

Do you feel overwhelmed by your possessions?

Do you dread coming home from work to find the house is still not how you'd like it to be, so you can relax?

Are you constantly looking for items you know exists but are buried someplace in a pile on the desk?

Do you have time for a garage sale or would it make you feel good to donate your items to a charity?

What do you do about items with sentimental value? Some tricky questions...

Don't give up yet! Help has arrived because Cynthia Friedlob has been there and decided that all that "stuff" was limiting her existence and standing in the way of the life she envisioned. Through her witty advice and humorous tales you can take on household clutter with flair. She also has advice for how to save time by setting up your bank account to automatically pay bills. This has worked very well for me over the past few months. She addresses the issue of "paper" in regards to bills, magazines, catalogues and newspapers.

I now have five big black garbage bags full of stuff to donate to charity and I will say someone is going to find a few good books to read! It really comes down to the decision to buy more bookshelves or help the books I've read find new homes. This year I had spring and autumn organizing and without so much stuff around the house, it is even easier to clean the carpets.

Whether you are taking on one room or one drawer or closet at a time, this book can help you clear out the chaos and find out what is truly valuable.

"Don't get caught up buying storage containers to organize your stuff until you've tossed out everything that you don't need." ~ pg. 38

~The Rebecca Review

Sorting It Out is a short, simple book published by lulu.com. It is geared to a female audience and focused on helping readers to rid themselves of the "stuff" serving to clutter their lives. Although it does provide some tips on organization, it is less of a getting organized manual and more of a gentle guide to actually getting rid of the material possessions that come to burden us over the years. Author Cynthia Friedlob writes in a light-hearted, joking manner, easily drawing you into her own struggles with disorganization (although I thought she spent a bit TOO much time with personal stories). She is very encouraging, maintaining that anyone can learn how to sort through and part with their belongings. What I found to be particularly helpful were the "Tidbits," which are like little reality checks. For example, she points out that keeping things which are "too good to use" is an excuse that makes absolutely no sense; the same goes for holding on to things that need to be fixed or that you think you "should" be using. With respect to organization, she specifically addresses topics such as papers, clothing, hobbies, and kids. If you are a die-hard pack rat, this book isn't likely to change you overnight, but it IS likely to inspire you to start immediately throwing away some useless, unnecessary items, which is exactly what I did. Overall, I would recommend this book as a quick, fun read to provide motivation towards getting yourself organized.

Written by self-confessed clutter sufferer Cynthia Friedlob, Sorting It Out: One Disorganized Woman Solves the Problem of Too Much Stuff is part memoir but mostly a self-help guide drawn from personal life experience to expunging excess clutter from one's life. Chapters address how to free oneself from the trap of identifying oneself through one's possessions, how to exercise appropriate restraint when buying new stuff, means of disposing or even profiting from extraneous stuff, humorous anecdotes, and much more. A wonderfully friendly, down-to-earth, and much-needed antidote to the clutter indigestion induced by too much consumption.

With a generous dose of humor and practical advice, this book outlines how to declutter our homes and why we clutter up in the first place. While other how-to manuals explain technically what to do, this book explains in a very simple, straight-forward manner how to unclutter our homes and how to stay uncluttered. With several stories of her own comical initial efforts to unclutter her home, this author provides inspiration, hope and optimism no matter how little or how much your home is plagued by runaway collections of things. Highly recommended!

When I first bought this book, I thought it seems interesting and could be a good way to pass the time. Once I began to read this book, I found it very interesting and funny. I found myself constantly laughing.It was easy to relate to what the author was saying. Yes, I have alot of magazines that are 5 months old etc., just like the author. This book motivated me to start working on the things that I kept putting off. that Needless to say, I trimmed my hedges, threw away old magazines, organized my closets, and much more. I recommend this book to those individuals who just don't know where to start. This book would make a great gift as a suttle hint for a friend. A truly good book.

Cynthia Friedlob helps us to relate to her cluttered life and her attempts to overcome clutter and become more organized in a delightfully funny way. You will be laughing out loud and thinking, "Oh good, I am not the only one who does that!" Get some great ideas on how to de-clutter and un-stuff your life.

There are no guilt trips in this exploration of cutting out the clutter in our heads and in our lives. In contrast to books written by perfectionist organizational gurus, the author uses her own personal experiences dealing with disarray to encourage, advise and entertain. Packed with sound advice and a game plan, the book is also peppered with humorous anecdotes about the author's own (formerly) messy life, as well as those of her delightfully disorganized friends. Sit on the couch - if you can find an uncluttered spot- put your feet up and be prepared to get inspired!

Open this book anywhere, and there's valuable practical advice on how to create order out of chaos. It addresses everything from closets and garages to kids' rooms and offices, and it even helps solve the biggest problem of all -- getting started. I've used several of the tips with great success. This is a must if you're overwhelmed with stuff in your life.

This book inspired me...I thought I was hopeless, but this book made me realize that all was not lost (or hidden in that pile)! Delightful, funny and extremely helpful.

A must read for anyone like me who's given up the battle of the bulk!

This is a great read. Laugh out loud funny and very informative too. An enjoyable way to get some good ideas.