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The Life-changing Magic of a Little Bit of Mess
The only domestic bible you'll need.
There is nothing more satisfying than a beautifully organised home! say the #homeinspo influencers.
In an era of decluttering gurus, cleaning bloggers and aspirational pantries, Kerri Sackville has studied the evidence and declared, 'Nah, way too much trouble.'
Instead, she has embraced domestic imperfection and discovered the life-changing magic of letting your standards slip.
In this, her magnum opus, Kerri explains why cleanliness is not next to godliness, why decluttering is the enemy of joy and why no-one cares about your messy bedroom.
With affirmations for the mess-challenged (#DisarrayIsOkay!), cleaning hacks that actually work (*Don't Have Children), and recipes for people who hate washing up (Step download a meal delivery app), this book will inspire you to tear off those rubber gloves, put down the sponge and take a nap.
Whether you have surrendered in your war on dust or are still bravely fighting for ordered folds in fitted sheets, The Life-changing Magic of a Little Bit of Mess is a welcome dose of #inspo that transports you to the joyous world of imperfection. Because no one has ever looked back on their life and wished they'd spent more time scrubbing the floors.
There is nothing more satisfying than a beautifully organised home! say the #homeinspo influencers.
In an era of decluttering gurus, cleaning bloggers and aspirational pantries, Kerri Sackville has studied the evidence and declared, 'Nah, way too much trouble.'
Instead, she has embraced domestic imperfection and discovered the life-changing magic of letting your standards slip.
In this, her magnum opus, Kerri explains why cleanliness is not next to godliness, why decluttering is the enemy of joy and why no-one cares about your messy bedroom.
With affirmations for the mess-challenged (#DisarrayIsOkay!), cleaning hacks that actually work (*Don't Have Children), and recipes for people who hate washing up (Step download a meal delivery app), this book will inspire you to tear off those rubber gloves, put down the sponge and take a nap.
Whether you have surrendered in your war on dust or are still bravely fighting for ordered folds in fitted sheets, The Life-changing Magic of a Little Bit of Mess is a welcome dose of #inspo that transports you to the joyous world of imperfection. Because no one has ever looked back on their life and wished they'd spent more time scrubbing the floors.
Kindle Edition
Published April 1, 2022
10 people are currently reading
114 people want to read
About the author
Kerri Sackville
22 books12 followersI am a mother, wife, friend and writer living life from one crisis to the next.
I live with my husband The Architect, 12 year old Little Man, 10 year old Pinkela, 3 year old Boo, Spunky the unfriendly rabbit, and a ridiculously white couch.
My book, 'When My Husband Does The Dishes', was released in May 2011 with Random House Australia, and is available in all good bookstores, or online here.
In my spare time I enjoy eating Nutella, fantasizing about Simon Baker, drinking caffeine and alcohol with friends, and lying very still on the couch.
I live with my husband The Architect, 12 year old Little Man, 10 year old Pinkela, 3 year old Boo, Spunky the unfriendly rabbit, and a ridiculously white couch.
My book, 'When My Husband Does The Dishes', was released in May 2011 with Random House Australia, and is available in all good bookstores, or online here.
In my spare time I enjoy eating Nutella, fantasizing about Simon Baker, drinking caffeine and alcohol with friends, and lying very still on the couch.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 12, 2022
Would have been good as an article. I completely agree with the premise, but it wasn’t really enough material for a book unless there was a deeper exploration of female domestic slavery.
June 28, 2022
“But I firmly believe it is perfectly fine to have a perfectly imperfect home. A little bit of mess is just a harmless by-product of your gloriously imperfect human life.”
No one has ever looked back on their life and wished they had spent more time cleaning. We don’t spend our final hours regretting the fingerprints we left on the windows or the laundry we left unfolded for weeks at a time. And yet, in this age of decluttering gurus and #homeinspo bloggers, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that our homes (and lives) need to be perfectly mess free.
In The Life-Changing Magic of a Little Bit of Mess, Sackville challenges that idea and instead gives us another, easier, one: that mess is fine, mess is good, and cleaning is for the weak. This lighthearted book is full of reminders to step back and focus on what matters - which is not the extra clothes in your wardrobe or the fact you haven’t dusted the skirtings in, well, ever. It offers plenty of jokes, cleaning tips that actually work (bribery), and ideas on what to do with all the time you’ll save by not cleaning so much.
It’s fun, and not to be taken too seriously, but exactly what you need to read when you feel fed up with the mess that is human life (read, parenthood).
No one has ever looked back on their life and wished they had spent more time cleaning. We don’t spend our final hours regretting the fingerprints we left on the windows or the laundry we left unfolded for weeks at a time. And yet, in this age of decluttering gurus and #homeinspo bloggers, it’s easy to get caught up in the idea that our homes (and lives) need to be perfectly mess free.
In The Life-Changing Magic of a Little Bit of Mess, Sackville challenges that idea and instead gives us another, easier, one: that mess is fine, mess is good, and cleaning is for the weak. This lighthearted book is full of reminders to step back and focus on what matters - which is not the extra clothes in your wardrobe or the fact you haven’t dusted the skirtings in, well, ever. It offers plenty of jokes, cleaning tips that actually work (bribery), and ideas on what to do with all the time you’ll save by not cleaning so much.
It’s fun, and not to be taken too seriously, but exactly what you need to read when you feel fed up with the mess that is human life (read, parenthood).
July 9, 2022
This book was brilliant- I wanted to message all of my mum-friends and tell them to read it ASAP (if only they were readers!!). Instead I began to follow the advice and take any opportunity I can to give the author credit. This book was so funny.
I am a big fan of minimalism, simple living, decluttering, sustainability etc, and honestly this book was funnier because of it. Of course the author exaggerates a lot but it is supposed to be light-hearted. And as ridiculous as this book is, it also is so very needed. I am so glad this voice has been added to all the info out there about what being a modern woman should/could look like. Finally someone who put the sense back into aspirational living. I now aspire to invite friends over despite the mess and laundry and dishes, and to always have yummy biscuits in my pantry (this is proving a challenge, because I keep eating them), and to not clean up my kids toys when they arent looking (deep breathes, I will get through this).
I even laughed at her author bio photo. What a gem.
I am a big fan of minimalism, simple living, decluttering, sustainability etc, and honestly this book was funnier because of it. Of course the author exaggerates a lot but it is supposed to be light-hearted. And as ridiculous as this book is, it also is so very needed. I am so glad this voice has been added to all the info out there about what being a modern woman should/could look like. Finally someone who put the sense back into aspirational living. I now aspire to invite friends over despite the mess and laundry and dishes, and to always have yummy biscuits in my pantry (this is proving a challenge, because I keep eating them), and to not clean up my kids toys when they arent looking (deep breathes, I will get through this).
I even laughed at her author bio photo. What a gem.
May 17, 2023
As a person living bravely with neatness, this book has helped release me from the shackles of tidiness. It was really funny too.
November 29, 2023
I had a friend who morphed into this perfectionistic extremist homemaker after becoming a SAHM. This book describes her to a tee, including the insta worthy pantry & her literally sparkling sink. Her cure was an eventual return to work.
I am not as effective at achieving perfection, so am very predisposed to seeking magic here. This book is my salve.
Firstly, the book cover description (listed on GR) is really accurate. Possibly the most accurate I can recall.
The book is a quick, light, read. Ideal for helping perfectionists take a step back; perfectionists still striving & those of us who, crushed by the weight of it, replaced striving with guilt.
It also has some pearls worth polishing and keeping. Eg "There are so many things to look at in life, and so many positive things to consider. Avert your eyes from those things that dont serve you. Eventually the light will move away from them, and everything will look better."
Im going to romp back through it again to make sure the message takes. Then sharing it with friends who may appreciate it.
I am not as effective at achieving perfection, so am very predisposed to seeking magic here. This book is my salve.
Firstly, the book cover description (listed on GR) is really accurate. Possibly the most accurate I can recall.
The book is a quick, light, read. Ideal for helping perfectionists take a step back; perfectionists still striving & those of us who, crushed by the weight of it, replaced striving with guilt.
It also has some pearls worth polishing and keeping. Eg "There are so many things to look at in life, and so many positive things to consider. Avert your eyes from those things that dont serve you. Eventually the light will move away from them, and everything will look better."
Im going to romp back through it again to make sure the message takes. Then sharing it with friends who may appreciate it.
April 6, 2023
Some very funny moments, especially the oven cleaning and exploding toilet. I also found it to be life changing. I have a hand print left on the ceiling by a tradie that bothers me. I have never dared tackle it because I always thought it was a sure fire path to a broken hip. But now I know from Kerr that I probably would have just made it worse. So now the ceiling print is a symbol of my wisdom.
March 13, 2025
As a brave person living with neatness, this is just the book I needed to read after having 2 children who have no desire or enthusiasm in keeping my nice neat house tidy… welcome the chaos of children. I’ll just keep telling myself “Mess is the spice of life” and breath 🙏🏻😅 My favourite line: “If your messy house is upsetting you, then do something about it. If your messy house is upsetting your visitor, then that is their problem entirely” 😂😂😂
August 30, 2024
A very light and satirical read.
I enjoyed myself throughout moments in this book. Although it was a good read, I struggled through the last few chapters - something about the way it engaged with me changed.
Overall, a nice book to read in my free time.
I enjoyed myself throughout moments in this book. Although it was a good read, I struggled through the last few chapters - something about the way it engaged with me changed.
Overall, a nice book to read in my free time.
April 9, 2022
As someone who also broke their oven by taking the door apart to clean it, I found this book hilariously life-affirming. I feel seen.
June 18, 2022
The funniest book I have ever read. Very relatable!
August 16, 2022
Funny, but a bit repetitive after a while.
December 1, 2022
This was a very funny and clever book.
November 27, 2024
I laughed so hard while reading it my husband and kids asked if I was ok. This book was exactly what I needed to read two days before hosting Thanksgiving. I can't recommend it enough!
December 22, 2024
Hilarious.
June 18, 2023
Cards on the table here, I am an anal, Type-A, super-organised, ultra-tidy person. ‘A place for everything and everything in its place’ is my mantra. If you come to my house and put a glass down, you’ll probably find it has been whipped away, washed and put back in the cupboard before you’ve finished with it… I’m THAT annoying. My house is a pristine, clean, tidy and sweet-smelling environment, but perhaps not always the most relaxing one for anyone other than me (did I tell you how much I LOVE order?). As I told the publisher, I am the perfect person to review this book. If this author can persuade me to relax a bit when it comes to mess, she can convince anyone!
I have to say, this book is written very tongue in cheek from the off. The shtick is that an inexperienced staff member confused the author (who is a bit of slob) with a cleaning influencer and signed her up for a book. Only too late was the error discovered, the contract had to be honoured, and so we have a home inspo guide written by someone with quite a… laidback attitude to cleaning. The joke is carried through the book brilliantly and with aplomb, and it is actually really funny. I definitely laughed out loud in a good few places, largely because the author is the exact opposite me and made me realise just how ridiculous some of my more extreme tiding habits might seem to someone who isn’t the same.
In amongst the humour, though, are some nuggets of actually sensible advice about loosening up, letting things go and not letting an obsession with maintaining order and a tidy home stop you living your life to the fullest. After all, no one lay on their deathbed wishing they spent more time cleaning their toilets or ironing a fitted sheet. If it doesn’t kill you, it’s probably ok and people come to see you, not how clean your house is.
Has this book completely transformed my thinking and converted me from a woman with a broom stuck up her butt (metaphorically speaking) to the potential subject of an episode of ‘How Clean Is Your House?’ Of course not. I can’t think straight in chaos, I like to put things away in their proper place so I can find them next time and need them and I like to iron my bedsheets as it makes my bedroom feel a bit like a nice hotel when I go to bed at night, which helps me sleep. I’m a bit odd, I know, but I’m 51 years old and it’s too late to change completely now and, after all, there are worse things to be than a clean fiend. Has it convinced me that’s it okay to relax a tiny bit and not have to whip out the hoover every time a dog hair lands on the carpet or snatch people’s dirty glasses away as they are lowering them from their still-wet lips. Yes.
I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of a laugh and maybe has a slightly unhealthy attitude to cleaning – whether that be doing too much or too little off it. It might just give you a little push in the right direction. I’ve now given a copy to my sister, who is the opposite of me, thinking it might make her feel a little better about her absolute state of slovenliness. (Hmmm, maybe I’m not so cured after all, I’d better go in for a second read!)
I have to say, this book is written very tongue in cheek from the off. The shtick is that an inexperienced staff member confused the author (who is a bit of slob) with a cleaning influencer and signed her up for a book. Only too late was the error discovered, the contract had to be honoured, and so we have a home inspo guide written by someone with quite a… laidback attitude to cleaning. The joke is carried through the book brilliantly and with aplomb, and it is actually really funny. I definitely laughed out loud in a good few places, largely because the author is the exact opposite me and made me realise just how ridiculous some of my more extreme tiding habits might seem to someone who isn’t the same.
In amongst the humour, though, are some nuggets of actually sensible advice about loosening up, letting things go and not letting an obsession with maintaining order and a tidy home stop you living your life to the fullest. After all, no one lay on their deathbed wishing they spent more time cleaning their toilets or ironing a fitted sheet. If it doesn’t kill you, it’s probably ok and people come to see you, not how clean your house is.
Has this book completely transformed my thinking and converted me from a woman with a broom stuck up her butt (metaphorically speaking) to the potential subject of an episode of ‘How Clean Is Your House?’ Of course not. I can’t think straight in chaos, I like to put things away in their proper place so I can find them next time and need them and I like to iron my bedsheets as it makes my bedroom feel a bit like a nice hotel when I go to bed at night, which helps me sleep. I’m a bit odd, I know, but I’m 51 years old and it’s too late to change completely now and, after all, there are worse things to be than a clean fiend. Has it convinced me that’s it okay to relax a tiny bit and not have to whip out the hoover every time a dog hair lands on the carpet or snatch people’s dirty glasses away as they are lowering them from their still-wet lips. Yes.
I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a bit of a laugh and maybe has a slightly unhealthy attitude to cleaning – whether that be doing too much or too little off it. It might just give you a little push in the right direction. I’ve now given a copy to my sister, who is the opposite of me, thinking it might make her feel a little better about her absolute state of slovenliness. (Hmmm, maybe I’m not so cured after all, I’d better go in for a second read!)
July 2, 2022
Much of this is “laugh out loud” and forces you to share with your partner: “let me just read this bit” and “oh please I have to read one more bit to share with you”. I’m stopped from giving it 4 stars, as it is just a lad long for the joke to last.
April 26, 2024
Unfortunately, after the first amusement wore off, it read as a repeating rant. It didn’t make me feel better; it didn’t explain anything. It was just… blah…
Sorry!
Sorry!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews