Organized Simplicity Book Review and Giveaway 1/24

January 3, 2011 By kristi maloney 283 Comments

The Review

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to create a more organized, peaceful home. Clutter really does drive me nuts! Organized Simplicity is just the book that I needed to read to start my journey toward a clutter-free home that we all can love. The book includes -

A10 day plan that shows me how to organize every room in my home.
Ideas for creating a family purpose statement to help me identify what to keep and what to remove from my life.
Templates for a home management notebook to help me effectively and efficiently take care of daily, weekly and monthly tasks.
Recipes for non-toxic household cleaners and natural toiletry items like toothpaste, deodorant and shampoo.

The most important lesson of Organized Simplicity is found on page 112. Tsh Oxenreider writes, “You can’t wait to move into the “perfect” home to declutter and organize. You’ll be waiting a long time because the perfect home doesn’t really exist. You may eventually move into the perfect-for-you home, but don’t wait for the elusive day to create the home you truly want. Choose now to make your current living space work to the best of its ability.”

Reading that was a wake-up call for me, having nearly moved out of this house into a new house last year. Now, I am back in this house with boxes and boxes of stuff that are sitting either in our garage or utility room containing all of these items that I obviously don’t even need! In the book, it is recommended that when I start to go through all of the stuff, I need to ask two questions. 1. Is the thing useful to me (us)? 2. Is this thing beautiful to me (us)?

The author recommends selling some unwanted items at a yard sale. She advises marking the prices on stuff as you go through it when deciding to sell it, so you are not overwhelmed when its time to actually have the yard sale. I thought this was great advice too!

In chapter 6, the author explains how to create a home management notebook. This notebook can include items like a daily docket to-do list, a master grocery list, monthly calenders, monthly budget, master project list and so on. These are all valuable tools for home organization in addition to the ten day room-by-room tasks required to obtain a simpler, more organized home.

There is no pressure to do-it-all in one day, as the author realizes becoming clutter-free is a slow process that takes time. Whether you are ready to commit 100% to the author’s advice, or you just want to take baby- steps toward a more organized home, you will find valuable tips, advice and information in Organized Simplicity.

The following is a excerpt from Organized Simplicity:

Stuff: Our Modern-Day Slave Master
By Tsh Oxenreider
Author of Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living

“Too many people spend money they haven’t earned, to buy things they don’t want, to impress people they don’t like.”
- – WILL ROGERS

What does it look like for a modern-day family to live simply while still participating in after school sports, errand running, and getting enough sleep to not go insane? Simple living is about living your life with a purpose that aligns with your values. It’s about enjoying the things you love and care about and not about stressing over the things that don’t matter. It’s fulfilling; it brings peace; it drips with contentment. Living simply is about being who you were made to be.

That’s what this book is about. I want to park at the nitty-gritty of life – -the intersection between good intentions and reality. I want to help you find that peaceful place, where your pocketbook, your home, and your weekly routine reflect your family’s convictions and values. Responsible home managers must be intentional with their decisions – -we need to take time to evaluate our priorities and then take the steps necessary to make our family life reflect the simple life we crave. It won’t happen for us- – mature adults proactively make decisions and form habits to shape their home lives into the lifestyles they desire. We can’t blame a hectic schedule, too many bills to pay, or too many messes to clean for keeping us from our goals because we can do something about those. You want a simpler life at home for your family – - a home that is clean and organized and fits your life’s purpose. I want to give you some tools to help you do this.

Admitting that I’m not a certified organizer or a simplicity guru is probably not the best way to begin a book about simple living. But I need to lay that out on the table between me and you, the reader, before we begin this journey together. I don’t have a database full of clients, and I don’t have my own TV show. I’m a young mom running a busy house- hold. Maybe you can relate. Simple living is something I’ve learned to value through my life experience. It’s been along journey to get here, and it’s a journey you can take as well. In fact, I’m still walking the path.

My husband and I have made simplicity one of our live’s highest priorities. We currently live outside of the United States in a 1,400- square- foot apartment (boasting only one closet) with our five-year-old daughter, our two-year-old son, and another little one on the way. We continually evaluate all of our belongings to make sure they still offer our value to our lives. We are selective with the new purchases we bring in our home in order to make the most of our space. We hardly watch any television, and we spend lots of time together because both my husband and I work from home. These intentional decisions allow us to live a life that feels right in a way that corresponds with our highest values. We’re able to live on a rather meager salary while still enjoying family outings, the occasional vacation, and even quality coffee. But our lifestyle didn’t happen overnight. My life’s journey helped shape my philosophy about simple living.

The above is an excerpt from the book Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by Tsh Oxenreider. The above excerpt is a digitally scanned reproduction of text from print. Although this excerpt has been proofread, occasional errors may appear due to the scanning process. Please refer to the finished book for accuracy.

About the Book

Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living. Simplicity isn’t about what you give up. It’s about what you gain. When you remove things that don’t matter to you, you are free to focus on the only things that are meaningful to you. Imagine your home, your time, your finances, and your belongings all filling you with positive energy and helping you achieve your dreams. It can happen and Organized Simplicity can show you how. Copyright 2010 by Tsh Oxenreider. ISBN- 978-1-4403–0263-3.

Author Bio
Tsh Oxenreider, author of Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living, is the creator of the popular blog SimpleMom.net and is the founder of SimpleLivingMedia.com. She is passionate about simplifying life and eliminating clutter so that the truly meaningful things in life can breathe. Tsh spends her days with her husband and three young children exploring the world, reading and learning, and being inspired by whatever surroundings their travels take them to. For more information please visit www.TshOxenreider.com and follow the author of Facebook and Twitter.

Buy It- Organized Simplicity is available on Amazon.com for 10.97.

This giveaway is now closed. Check the right sidebar for my current giveaways!

I also recommend Get organized! To find out more Click Here!

Win It- Leyane from FSB Associates is offering one copy of Organized Simplicity for giveaway on Moms Own Words.

Here is how to enter –

Mandatory Entry

1. Comment on some area(s) in your home that could use some organization!

Extra Entries:

Additional optional entries: Eligible after completing mandatory entry above: You can do any or all of the following. Please leave a separate comment for each that you have done and be sure to include your email.

2. Subscribe to my blog here -

and confirm your subscription. Current subscribers are eligible too. (3 entries!)

3. –Follow my blog on GFC (see bottom of screen to sign up) Already a follower, just leave a comment saying that you are a follower. (1 entry)

4.–Follow me on Twitter . (1 entry) Current followers are eligible too. Tweet about this giveaway and leave a link to your tweet (Can tweet once daily for 1 entry per day).

5.–Like my Moms Own Words Facebook fan page. See right sidebar.(1 entry)

6. –Follow my blog on Networked Blogs, see bottom of screen. (1 entry)

7. — FOR 3 EXTRA ENTRIES Mention this giveaway on Facebook. Leave a link to your Facebook page. Post 3 separate comments that you’ve mentioned it.

8.–FOR 3 Extra ENTRIES – Grab my button (on the right sidebar) and add it to your blog roll. Post 3 separate comments that you’ve added it.

10. –FOR 5 EXTRA ENTRIES – Write a blog post about this giveaway,by posting this on your blog – “Stop by Moms Own Words – New England Mom Blog, Freelance Writer product reviews and giveaways. Enter to win Organized Simplicity Book.” (Feel free to add more, just please post my link as written. )

Giveaway ends on Jan. 24th 11:59 PM EST. Open to US. Winner will be chosen by random.org and contacted by email. Please respond in 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen. To be fair to everyone, comments not meeting requirements will be deleted.

Many thanks to Leyane from FSB Associates for the Organized Simplicity books.