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Secrets of an Organized Mom: From the Overflowing Closets to the Chaotic Play Areas: a Room-by-Room Guide to Decluttering and Streamlining Your Home for a Happier Family
Reich, Barbara
256 pages, Hardcover
First published February 26, 2013
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1099 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
June 12, 2013
Two and a half stars, actually, but I'll round up because not everyone will be as horrified as I was at the instruction to organize your books by size. BLASPHEMY! And also only appropriate for people who own about 2 shelves of books. For the rest of us, that's a truly idiotic thing to do--a complete time waster, both on the "organizing" end as well as on the "finding ever again" side. *shudder* That concept deeply offends my librarian soul.
On the plus side, many of her ideas are pretty practical, particularly her overarching rules of Purge, Design, Organize, Maintain, and nine of her ten "commandments." The exception being #9: "Use one kind of hanger, storage container, etc." That's all well and good if you've got loads of extra cash to spend, but it's definitely not something I'd put right up there as one of the most important rules. And I do not share her love affair with plastic, handy as it is in some cases. I'd much prefer non-toxic alternatives whenever possible. However, she is correct that when purchasing containers, having them all the same (or coordinating) shapes and sizes does usually make the best use of your available space because they fit together well, stack efficiently, and are visually pleasing.
I like that she takes you through each area of the home, as well as seasonal things like holidays, vacations, and even moving. (Her story of losing luggage when her twins were babies cracked me up: the queen of organizing hadn't packed a change of clothes for everyone in the carry-ons? Ha!) I also liked how she advocated labeling things...perhaps to an extreme...because it makes me even more thankful I talked my husband into buying me a label-maker last summer. I love my label-maker!
I didn't find any concepts in this book especially earth-shattering, but they were good reminders of ways to break tasks down and to look at your space with new eyes, and most importantly, to be persistent in getting through your problem areas. Like Commandment #1 says, "Do the thing that is most distasteful to you first." Home office, here I come!
On the plus side, many of her ideas are pretty practical, particularly her overarching rules of Purge, Design, Organize, Maintain, and nine of her ten "commandments." The exception being #9: "Use one kind of hanger, storage container, etc." That's all well and good if you've got loads of extra cash to spend, but it's definitely not something I'd put right up there as one of the most important rules. And I do not share her love affair with plastic, handy as it is in some cases. I'd much prefer non-toxic alternatives whenever possible. However, she is correct that when purchasing containers, having them all the same (or coordinating) shapes and sizes does usually make the best use of your available space because they fit together well, stack efficiently, and are visually pleasing.
I like that she takes you through each area of the home, as well as seasonal things like holidays, vacations, and even moving. (Her story of losing luggage when her twins were babies cracked me up: the queen of organizing hadn't packed a change of clothes for everyone in the carry-ons? Ha!) I also liked how she advocated labeling things...perhaps to an extreme...because it makes me even more thankful I talked my husband into buying me a label-maker last summer. I love my label-maker!
I didn't find any concepts in this book especially earth-shattering, but they were good reminders of ways to break tasks down and to look at your space with new eyes, and most importantly, to be persistent in getting through your problem areas. Like Commandment #1 says, "Do the thing that is most distasteful to you first." Home office, here I come!
November 3, 2023
I love Barbara. This is my favorite book on home organization.
May 14, 2013
Loved it, easy breaks down each room and goes over it step by step. The best part I'm not as messy and unorganized as I thought.
March 28, 2013
This book was a pretty good and straightforward approach to being organized. I didn't, however, feel like it had anything earth-shattering or that I didn't already know. The section on the home office was probably the most useful to me, and I will likely use some of her ideas. I think this book would appeal to someone who is extremely disorganized and/or just owning a home for the first time, and while I definitely am far from being super organized, this book made me realize that at least I'm doing a few things right!
February 23, 2013
This is a good book to help you get yourself organized. Sometimes the hardest part is knowing where to begin and this book definitely gives you some great pointers. It will help you get rid of your mess, put everything in it's place and help you make your house feel like a home.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.
February 9, 2020
A lot of helpful, practical tips!
July 21, 2023
4 stars
Direct and lots of helpful hints. Got me started on the right foot!
Direct and lots of helpful hints. Got me started on the right foot!
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June 12, 2015This is an easy to read book that can inspire you to deal with clutter and cut out the stuff you don't need in your home. There are some great tips and some useful 'rules' for how to deal with clutter, etc. (Although some of us DO allow glitter glue into our homes because it's fun and cleaning it up isn't THAT big of a deal.)
However, the author is a little New York focused sometimes with her assumptions. For example, some of us live far away from grocery stores and are feeding large families which means that we DO need to stock up (especially during sales) and freeze meat, etc. I understand that she's saying not to buy so much it gets freezer burned or expires before you consume it, but her assumptions about what kind of life we can all live is a bit off-putting. (And no, my winter shopping for the kids doesn't include clothing for our trips to other climates. I wish!)
As well, you have to temper the advice on what to get rid of with you actual, real life. In my case I'd rather have two soup ladles (which is not 'ridiculous' in my home as I do use them both in one day if not one meal sometimes) than have a useless scale for baking. I've never seen a cookbook with weights instead of measurements...so why would I use that instead of a measuring cup?
A good book, but frustrating and off-putting sometimes.
However, the author is a little New York focused sometimes with her assumptions. For example, some of us live far away from grocery stores and are feeding large families which means that we DO need to stock up (especially during sales) and freeze meat, etc. I understand that she's saying not to buy so much it gets freezer burned or expires before you consume it, but her assumptions about what kind of life we can all live is a bit off-putting. (And no, my winter shopping for the kids doesn't include clothing for our trips to other climates. I wish!)
As well, you have to temper the advice on what to get rid of with you actual, real life. In my case I'd rather have two soup ladles (which is not 'ridiculous' in my home as I do use them both in one day if not one meal sometimes) than have a useless scale for baking. I've never seen a cookbook with weights instead of measurements...so why would I use that instead of a measuring cup?
A good book, but frustrating and off-putting sometimes.
July 30, 2018
Did not finish this one, and writing up a review so I will stop reading a book that just irritates me.
This isn't so much an organizational book as a "how to throw stuff away" book. The author has worked as a professional organizer for people who have spare cash to hire a professional organizer...and apparently buy way too much stuff. This was just downright frustrating to me. I'm pretty good at not buying stuff. I'm pretty good at getting rid of stuff that's broken. I was hoping for a book about how to keep what we do have neat, not a sermon on how no one needs more than four cookie sheets and to get rid of the rest (I own two, thank-you very much!).
More than once, she also talks about just throwing LEGOs away, which just killed me.
But I think it's that lecturing tone, and the assumptions that the reader is coming from some wealthy, over-spending background that made this book so frustrating. I've read other books that took an upbeat, minimalist tone, but this is like getting lectured for things I didn't do, with none of the organizational tricks I was hoping to find.
This isn't so much an organizational book as a "how to throw stuff away" book. The author has worked as a professional organizer for people who have spare cash to hire a professional organizer...and apparently buy way too much stuff. This was just downright frustrating to me. I'm pretty good at not buying stuff. I'm pretty good at getting rid of stuff that's broken. I was hoping for a book about how to keep what we do have neat, not a sermon on how no one needs more than four cookie sheets and to get rid of the rest (I own two, thank-you very much!).
More than once, she also talks about just throwing LEGOs away, which just killed me.
But I think it's that lecturing tone, and the assumptions that the reader is coming from some wealthy, over-spending background that made this book so frustrating. I've read other books that took an upbeat, minimalist tone, but this is like getting lectured for things I didn't do, with none of the organizational tricks I was hoping to find.
January 15, 2015
i, like many other reviewers, have a few issues with her cost prohibitive approach to matching (bins, hangers, file boxes, everything has to match for this woman!). but mostly I found this book to be very informative and inspiring. she asks the right questions to get you to let go, has great mantras and reminders and really deals with all areas of the house. in the 2 days of reading this book, I organized a number of spaces and donated at least 3 trash bags full of clothing, shoes and other items. a few places in my home feel so refreshed!
March 7, 2015
I have realized the problem with books about organizing-I still am the one who has to do all the work once the book is finished. I thought she gave some great tips-especially the ones about traveling as a family! But the author obviously has OCD as evidenced by her need to have her milk cartons lined up at perfect right angles and that everything must be evenly spaced in her refrigerator. While I admire her for turning her OCD into a profession, her level or organization would be hard for most people to achieve as well as maintain.
June 2, 2014
The author did not present any revolutionary new ideas, but nonetheless it was inspiring to read about her life as a professional organizers and glean hints for my own home. I will certainly be putting my label maker to use again and buying more organization totes.
September 1, 2017
Honestly, I'd rather give it 2.5 stars, but the title is awesome. Unfortunately, it isn't worthy of it. First and foremost, there's little in here about life with kids is generally like. A little bit that applies more to baby-babies or older kids, but neither of those is the chaos phases in terms of household stuff. The author is a professional organizer, but one that clearly can't empathize with or understand people who are not naturally tidy in their homes after being taught good techniques. From some of her little stories of childhood, it seems to me she needed intervention from a mental health professional. I don't know how her family can possibly live with her, she's so over-the-top on things looking neat and organized. She insists on uniform containers and hangers (if she saw that I had multiple colors of hangers in my closets- on purpose, mind you- she'd lose her mind), for example. And she uses language that makes it feel far more than just recommendations or suggestions, but commands. She's bossy about it all, quite frankly, with no room for personal preferences. I looked past that more with Marie Kondo's book (The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up), as she was similar. They both do have some genuinely good ideas that I have implemented mixed in with the crazy. And they clearly do not think like most people do.
BUT.... this author also seems like she's in a bit of a bubble in terms of lifestyle. She's from South Florida and now lives in NYC, and I suspect a significant portion of her clients are too (or close to NYC). Not all parents send their kids away to summer camp (truly, that's not very common in most parts of the country); not all people have standard door styles for closets (most mass-development suburban homes and newer apartments have folding styles); not all households with 2 parents have 2 professional working parents. These are some of the assumptions made in the book that just made me sour on otherwise good parts and suggestions. It's a book for white-collar, middle-class+ people who live at least pretty close to a major metropolitan area.
As I said, there were some good ideas in here. I thank her for those. But now I want to move on to an author that doesn't make me feel like hitting her!
BUT.... this author also seems like she's in a bit of a bubble in terms of lifestyle. She's from South Florida and now lives in NYC, and I suspect a significant portion of her clients are too (or close to NYC). Not all parents send their kids away to summer camp (truly, that's not very common in most parts of the country); not all people have standard door styles for closets (most mass-development suburban homes and newer apartments have folding styles); not all households with 2 parents have 2 professional working parents. These are some of the assumptions made in the book that just made me sour on otherwise good parts and suggestions. It's a book for white-collar, middle-class+ people who live at least pretty close to a major metropolitan area.
As I said, there were some good ideas in here. I thank her for those. But now I want to move on to an author that doesn't make me feel like hitting her!
October 1, 2019
So much of my personal organizing philosophy jives with the book. Get the same color of hanger for your entire closet people!
Quotes I liked:
"Use one kind of hanger, storage container, etc. This is a simple remedy of what I call 'visual clutter' - that feeling of anxiety when everything's jumble and your eye doesn't know where to go. Clothes hang better and more uniformly if they are all on the same kind of hanger. Moreover, your view of your clothing is made simpler and more calming if your hangers are all the same color" (page 13).
Elimination questions (page 17-19):
1. Is the item in good condition and/or can it be repaired?
2. Have I used it/worn it in the last year?
3. Will I ever use/wear it again?
4. Am I holding on to it because someone I love gave it to me but I hate it?
5. Is it justifying the space it's taking up?
6. If I discarded it and found I needed it later, is it replaceable?
"A bargain is a bargain only if you would have bought it at full price (had you the budget)" (page 54).
"[After purging] if you are left with a mound of hundreds of unsorted items - tiny Lego pieces, unmatched doll socks, an ear from Mr. Potato Head, and a host of unidentifiable plastic shapes - ask yourself if it's worth your time to go through it all. If not, then toss it. All of it. I swear: You and your children won't miss a thing" (page 79).
"You only need two towels per person and two sets of sheets per bed . . . keep one additional beach towel per family member [and] keep a third set of sheets for [young children]" (page 112).
Child Items to Keep/Toss (page 203):
Keep: Journals, creative writing assignments/anything self-revelatory, and standout pieces of art
Toss: Worksheets, fill-in-the-blanks, color-in-the-lines, and all tests and math homework; old notebooks, after-school class certificates, weekly notes home, and medals/trophies
Quotes I liked:
"Use one kind of hanger, storage container, etc. This is a simple remedy of what I call 'visual clutter' - that feeling of anxiety when everything's jumble and your eye doesn't know where to go. Clothes hang better and more uniformly if they are all on the same kind of hanger. Moreover, your view of your clothing is made simpler and more calming if your hangers are all the same color" (page 13).
Elimination questions (page 17-19):
1. Is the item in good condition and/or can it be repaired?
2. Have I used it/worn it in the last year?
3. Will I ever use/wear it again?
4. Am I holding on to it because someone I love gave it to me but I hate it?
5. Is it justifying the space it's taking up?
6. If I discarded it and found I needed it later, is it replaceable?
"A bargain is a bargain only if you would have bought it at full price (had you the budget)" (page 54).
"[After purging] if you are left with a mound of hundreds of unsorted items - tiny Lego pieces, unmatched doll socks, an ear from Mr. Potato Head, and a host of unidentifiable plastic shapes - ask yourself if it's worth your time to go through it all. If not, then toss it. All of it. I swear: You and your children won't miss a thing" (page 79).
"You only need two towels per person and two sets of sheets per bed . . . keep one additional beach towel per family member [and] keep a third set of sheets for [young children]" (page 112).
Child Items to Keep/Toss (page 203):
Keep: Journals, creative writing assignments/anything self-revelatory, and standout pieces of art
Toss: Worksheets, fill-in-the-blanks, color-in-the-lines, and all tests and math homework; old notebooks, after-school class certificates, weekly notes home, and medals/trophies
January 17, 2025
Feeling inspired by new year resolutions, I picked up a copy of this book at my local library. Over the following days, I found myself tearing through this book, and the house.
Largely inspired, I ended up organizing my master bedroom closet, entry closet, kitchen cabinets, and daughter’s bedroom. I finally got boxes for all of her school art projects and yearly prize’s possessions, organized, and stacked them in a newly cleared spot in her closet. I cleared out about half of her extra t-shirts she never even wore, and reconfigured our clothing and off-season accessories, and donated an entire trunk’s worth of unneeded things. Additionally, I inspired my girl so much that, on her own, she sorted through her bookcase and came up with a big pile of books to donate to her school library.
I’d highly recommend this book for encouraging anyone to dig in and finally clear the clutter. Turns out, this year is the one where I’m finally getting to those cleaning projects I’ve been “meaning to” get to for years. This book certainly motivated me to finally toss what isn’t adding to my life, or my family’s life.
Largely inspired, I ended up organizing my master bedroom closet, entry closet, kitchen cabinets, and daughter’s bedroom. I finally got boxes for all of her school art projects and yearly prize’s possessions, organized, and stacked them in a newly cleared spot in her closet. I cleared out about half of her extra t-shirts she never even wore, and reconfigured our clothing and off-season accessories, and donated an entire trunk’s worth of unneeded things. Additionally, I inspired my girl so much that, on her own, she sorted through her bookcase and came up with a big pile of books to donate to her school library.
I’d highly recommend this book for encouraging anyone to dig in and finally clear the clutter. Turns out, this year is the one where I’m finally getting to those cleaning projects I’ve been “meaning to” get to for years. This book certainly motivated me to finally toss what isn’t adding to my life, or my family’s life.
November 27, 2022
Maybe it was just because her organizational strategies were a good fit for my personality, but I really liked this book. More than quite a few others I've read and more than I expected to given its rating on Goodreads. There wasn't a lot that was groundbreaking, but it had quite a few suggestions I hadn't thought of and did a great job of breaking things down into specific and manageable steps, which I need or I will easily get overwhelmed. I took lots of notes and will probably end up buying myself a copy for my e-reader to be able to refer back to later.
My one complaint is that it seemed to make a lot of rather dated assumptions about its audience (pretty much just moms) and the roles played by them and how they feel about all of it. Possibly a silly gripe, but I found it annoying regardless, as it made some inaccurate generalizations that didn't fit my family and situation... Or that of quite a few people I know.
My one complaint is that it seemed to make a lot of rather dated assumptions about its audience (pretty much just moms) and the roles played by them and how they feel about all of it. Possibly a silly gripe, but I found it annoying regardless, as it made some inaccurate generalizations that didn't fit my family and situation... Or that of quite a few people I know.
June 15, 2017
This book is probably for someone that is good at this stuff anyway. I feel that she is naturally inclined to be neat and organized. I think I need to read a book by a pack rat that learned new ways, not someone like Reich and Kondo that are natural organizers.
Anyone know a book written by a recovering pack rat? I need help to be better, but not from people that are naturally blessed with the desire to fold their socks, and clean out their purse daily!
Or maybe I need a for dummies version. This type of book almost isn't dumbed down enough for me. She claims most things can be done in 2 hours! Why can't I get stuff done that fast? or well?
Anyone know a book written by a recovering pack rat? I need help to be better, but not from people that are naturally blessed with the desire to fold their socks, and clean out their purse daily!
Or maybe I need a for dummies version. This type of book almost isn't dumbed down enough for me. She claims most things can be done in 2 hours! Why can't I get stuff done that fast? or well?
November 27, 2025
This is a pretty good organizing book, especially for moms of young kids, but also for anyone who wants to organize and reduce clutter. I don’t like all of her suggestions/rules, but some are really good. I personally think it’s wasteful to have all the same hangers and all the same storage bins; I think you can work around that and still have good organization. The author talks about every area of the house and includes digital storage which is an added plus. Time management is also addressed to some extent. As with all of this kind of book, I think you can take what works for you and not use the rest.
April 17, 2018
This book was okay. Nothing overly life changing, but there were some useful bits...
Squint test: when looking to organize a closet, the author suggests to stand back and squint. The white space that remains is wasted space and she suggests finding a way to utilize it.
24 hour rule: Party favors are thrown away after a day, and not kept for weeks afterwards.
Stain stickers: She suggests putting a sticker on a stained clothing item before putting it in the laundry basket. Then you don't have to rack your brain for what is and isn't stained in your next load.
Squint test: when looking to organize a closet, the author suggests to stand back and squint. The white space that remains is wasted space and she suggests finding a way to utilize it.
24 hour rule: Party favors are thrown away after a day, and not kept for weeks afterwards.
Stain stickers: She suggests putting a sticker on a stained clothing item before putting it in the laundry basket. Then you don't have to rack your brain for what is and isn't stained in your next load.
January 24, 2020
This looks like a great book, but I am just not in the mood to read it right now.
It’s nicely organized by room. Lots of bullet points, bold writing. It’s a great reference book. It’d be great to go through the whole house room by room over the course of a year.
I just don’t have the energy to overhaul my house in midwinter. And I don’t have the interest to read this straight through. I need to crack down on the backlog of books that I own.
It’s nicely organized by room. Lots of bullet points, bold writing. It’s a great reference book. It’d be great to go through the whole house room by room over the course of a year.
I just don’t have the energy to overhaul my house in midwinter. And I don’t have the interest to read this straight through. I need to crack down on the backlog of books that I own.
April 15, 2020
This isn't my favorite or more useful organizing book. It mainly reenforces tips I already out into practice: Purge, purge, purge, group like with like, etc. The author has a different style than me, which I realized when she suggests storing all shoes in the bedrooms. I strongly disagree with that because I hate the idea of carrying dirty shoes across the home and putting them in a closet with your clean clothes.
December 12, 2017
I really liked this book, it got me super motivated and I got a lot done! it is super easy to understand and implement, it maybe didn't have to be so long, it is a pretty easy concept. and you just do the 4 steps in every corner. if your home.
July 29, 2019
This book has a four step program to help moms get organized and stay that way. It covers the many different areas of the home and is a fun read. It is a system that everyone can easily follow.
March 2, 2020
Actually didn't find this overly helpful and did a lot of skimming. Maybe I'm finally an organized mom?!
March 4, 2020
It's a treasure book for every woman to organize her home. It contains great tips for life as well!
July 27, 2021
More accurately 3.5 stars. Some solid advice, a bit dated, but overall I enjoyed reading it.
December 7, 2023
Not a lot of new information. An easy read if you are somewhat organized. If you need to start from the beginning, you may need to buy the book in order to remember the ideas.
May 9, 2024
Good suggestions, but everything is pretty standard with these kinds of books. I do like how she simplifies every step for decluttering and maintaining each room.
January 28, 2025
Meh. Nothing revolutionary.
February 10, 2023
Just put everything in plastic stacking drawers? Really?
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