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Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized
Most of us have too much stuff and not enough places to put it. Combine that with our hectic modern lives, and you’ve got a recipe for clutter catastrophe. Luckily, help is at hand. Hot A Practical Guide to Getting Organized can show you how to simplify your life—and get control of your stuff. In this new guide to streamlining and organizing your belongings, your house, and your life, author and expert Laurie Palau gives you all the strategies you need to clear your clutter once and for all. This comprehensive book offers clever storage ideas and decorating tips, but more importantly, it shows you where your clutter comes from and how to change your approach. This makes it the definitive how-to for dropping all the dead weight that’s been keeping you stressed and anxious. Just follow the hacks, tips, and strategies Palau clearly outlines, and you’ll soon be sipping pinot noir in a beautifully tidy living room. Whether you’re naturally neat or a total chaos magnet, this informative and amusing guide takes an approach to organizing that’s as unique as you are. Let this witty little handbook be your new secret weapon in the war on disorder!
- GenresNonfictionSelf Help
232 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
23 people are currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Laurie Palau
1 book10 followersLaurie Palau is the author of the book HOT MESS: A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO GETTING ORGANIZED, host of the popular weekly podcast, This ORGANIZED Life, and founder of Simply B Organized-a lifestyle company helping people live simply and work smarter.
Her advice has been featured in national publications including Real Simple & The New York Times. Laurie often speaks on the topics of clutter, parenting, and entrepreneurship.
In addition, Laurie spends much of her time mentoring other professional organizers through her #SBOPartnerProgram and CLUTTER CLINIC™ speaker series, which helps other professional organizers grow their businesses.
A self-described homebody and coffee lover, Laurie lives in Bucks County, PA with her husband Josh, 2 daughters, and dog, Jeter.
Her advice has been featured in national publications including Real Simple & The New York Times. Laurie often speaks on the topics of clutter, parenting, and entrepreneurship.
In addition, Laurie spends much of her time mentoring other professional organizers through her #SBOPartnerProgram and CLUTTER CLINIC™ speaker series, which helps other professional organizers grow their businesses.
A self-described homebody and coffee lover, Laurie lives in Bucks County, PA with her husband Josh, 2 daughters, and dog, Jeter.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 30, 2018
A book about the types of clutter, identifying your type of clutter making and simple solutions to organize your home. I think the author went out of their way to identify a variety of solutions for all different type of people. Personally I tend to find when I feel harried, my house becomes a reflection of that particularly my craft room. This book helped me look at some of my patterns from a different aspect and gave me a few strategies to work on. Very easy to read and actually you don't even realize you have read the whole thing by the time you are done. Well done.
April 25, 2018
I am truly an organized person. We have moved enough times for me to learn that “less is more” or at least it’s more manageable. It’s kind of the motto in our house. However, I am a great believer in always being able to learn something else. Not only did I enjoy reading Palau’s book, I learned some tips, some new nuggets of ways to handle part of my “stuff”. It made me get started too. Even information can become clutter and she even touches upon some apps and new software to use. In fact, she touches on all kinds of clutter; maybe that is the key to this book. She talks about so many different kinds of clutter; makes you really internally think about which type is your clutter and how you handle it or maybe how you don’t handle it. No matter how organized you are I bet there are a few you haven’t heard of or at least have not looked at from this perspective.
This is a very well put together book. It flows well and has many different layers of information. Books on a subject like this can sometimes be laid out as a long novel; difficult and sometimes boring. This book was easy to read. Broken up in shorter chapters with questions for you to think through along the way.
You could say “oh self-help books are all the same” but Palau seems to have broken this down to a science. One which would help any of us at any level of “cluttering”. I read things I knew about but I don’t think I had looked at them in the same manner. Here is a kind of clutter she mentions that sort of stopped me in my tracks…calendar clutter. Put together with any other type of clutter you might have, this can make life pretty overwhelming.
As I said above, I think this is well-written and interesting and can be a help to anyone.
**This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
This is a very well put together book. It flows well and has many different layers of information. Books on a subject like this can sometimes be laid out as a long novel; difficult and sometimes boring. This book was easy to read. Broken up in shorter chapters with questions for you to think through along the way.
You could say “oh self-help books are all the same” but Palau seems to have broken this down to a science. One which would help any of us at any level of “cluttering”. I read things I knew about but I don’t think I had looked at them in the same manner. Here is a kind of clutter she mentions that sort of stopped me in my tracks…calendar clutter. Put together with any other type of clutter you might have, this can make life pretty overwhelming.
As I said above, I think this is well-written and interesting and can be a help to anyone.
**This book was provided to me free of charge in exchange for an honest review.
May 1, 2018
This practical guide is “a step-by-step guide for taking you from chaos to calm.” It is divided into three sections: first, the author gets us to understand the root of our clutter; then she describes solutions; and, finally, she shows us how to organize different areas of our home. Best of all, she states that “there is no ‘right way’ to organize your life. The most successful methods are the ones that are simple and sustainable.”
The author speaks to us in a no-nonsense, conversational manner and illustrates her points with true-life accounts. The book itself is full of simple, easy-to-follow, practical advice, as well as quizzes and questionnaires to help you through the de-cluttering process. There is a handy summary of key points in the last chapter, followed by a list of resources at the end of the book. These include: places that accept donations, products and suppliers mentioned in the book, and productivity apps.
The book is beautifully presented and illustrated throughout with gorgeous, clutter-free, black and white photographs, as well as simple diagrams. Even the tables expand with a simple touch. It is also the first footnoted book I have read where the footnotes work properly.
After reading this book, I am actually looking forward to starting my de-cluttering and organizing!
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post (2 May): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
The author speaks to us in a no-nonsense, conversational manner and illustrates her points with true-life accounts. The book itself is full of simple, easy-to-follow, practical advice, as well as quizzes and questionnaires to help you through the de-cluttering process. There is a handy summary of key points in the last chapter, followed by a list of resources at the end of the book. These include: places that accept donations, products and suppliers mentioned in the book, and productivity apps.
The book is beautifully presented and illustrated throughout with gorgeous, clutter-free, black and white photographs, as well as simple diagrams. Even the tables expand with a simple touch. It is also the first footnoted book I have read where the footnotes work properly.
After reading this book, I am actually looking forward to starting my de-cluttering and organizing!
I received this book in return for an honest review.
Full blog post (2 May): https://booksdirectonline.blogspot.co...
May 16, 2018
Organization has always been my thing. I credit it to those years in retail sorting clothes by sleeve length and colors. But life got hectic over the last few years and my house has become a jumbled mess of stuff. It doesn't help we are moving my mother-in-law in with us. Already, using just a few tips from Hot Mess, I have been able to make progress through cleaning up my in-laws house. With this book in hand, I'll be turning my attention to our house next to get it ready for her to move in.
What I appreciated most about Palau's approach is that she acknowledged our "emotional" clutter: our need to keep something because of our emotional connection to it. In my basement, there are boxes and boxes of projects my kids made and school work. Hot Mess made me realize I need to look at these things with a new strategy. The other highly motivating factor was admitting my "calendar" clutter: how I try to fit it in too many things. Isn't there a saying that if you want things done, ask a busy person? This busy person is eager to use Palau's tips for conquering calendar clutter to make life and all that other clutter more manageable.
For those of us struggling with clutter in any form, Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized by Laurie Palau may be the most important and helpful book we read all year.
What I appreciated most about Palau's approach is that she acknowledged our "emotional" clutter: our need to keep something because of our emotional connection to it. In my basement, there are boxes and boxes of projects my kids made and school work. Hot Mess made me realize I need to look at these things with a new strategy. The other highly motivating factor was admitting my "calendar" clutter: how I try to fit it in too many things. Isn't there a saying that if you want things done, ask a busy person? This busy person is eager to use Palau's tips for conquering calendar clutter to make life and all that other clutter more manageable.
For those of us struggling with clutter in any form, Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized by Laurie Palau may be the most important and helpful book we read all year.
March 25, 2018
Review by Emily: I am giving this book five (5) stars for a few reasons. First, I love how short and concise the chapters are. This gives me a great sense of accomplishment each time I finish a chapter, which is critical because I have a busy schedule. The second reason I gave Hot Mess five stars is because of the book’s overall organization. It’s very easy to follow even if I pick it up after a couple days of being away. Third, the author gives “true stories”, which are anecdotes that supplement the text. These are always timely and enjoyable. Lastly, I am giving this organizational tome a perfect score because all the tips are helpful. I hope you find this book as fun and timely as I did.
January 26, 2018
Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized is a must read for everyone! I has some great tips on how to get organized and simplify life. After reading it, I found myself thinking about what I can do change some things around the house. This is definitely a perfect guide to go by. It is easy to read and easy to follow instructions on how to get started. I give it a well deserved 5 plus stars. I will be recommending it to all of my pack rat friends!
I was gifted a copy of this book from the author. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
I was gifted a copy of this book from the author. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
August 5, 2018
A good, practical and easy read. Most of the ideas weren't new to me, but we're organized well and are a good reminder/kick in the pants to do it. the part on what paperwork to keep and memorobelia storage was most helpful.
March 9, 2024
Inspiring for someone wanting to get organized. Not much new for me, but then I listen to her podcasts frequently.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews