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362 reviews for:
How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets
Dana K. White
4.1 AVERAGE
362 reviews for:
How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets
Dana K. White
4.1 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
I started with Dana K. White's newer book, [b:Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff|35540769|Decluttering at the Speed of Life Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff|Dana K. White|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498855842l/35540769._SY75_.jpg|56963994]. It was practical & enjoyable, and she made several references to this one for basic house management tips, so I thought I'd try it out as well. I was disappointed to find that there was so much overlap. This one includes A LOT of the same decluttering info as her newer book. And the daily stuff I thought I'd find here wasn't what I had hoped for (specifically I would have sworn her Decluttering book referred me to this one on how to keep papers under control). I was also super disappointed that the audiobook didn't include a link to a printable copy of the oft-referenced 28 days checklist.
I am going to give some parts of her "system" a try, so it's not all a waste. But overall, while this is an enjoyable enough listen with good enough content, there's not enough new content to read both this one and Decluttering.
I am going to give some parts of her "system" a try, so it's not all a waste. But overall, while this is an enjoyable enough listen with good enough content, there's not enough new content to read both this one and Decluttering.
Yes, I admit it, I read this. I know, I know . . . I think books on tidying and decluttering are silly. I actively dislike clean freaks and the entire Kondo project seems to me an obsessive compulsive disorder disguised as a “Japanese art” in order to make a whole lot of money. To me, obsessive tidying is a problem — not a talent, skill, or a moral imperative. Not something to be proud of or sanctimonious about. Ditto for considering the feelings of inanimate objects in your house. That’s just nutty. Isn’t it? Better to address mindless consumerism than to throw out all the possessions you’ve just spent your money on. I like my stuff. To tell the truth, it sparks joy. So yes, it’s amazing that I read this book. Granted, it was $1.99 and I wouldn’t have spent a penny more, but I read it. Most of it, anyway. I skimmed the chapters about laundry and skipped the parts addressed to busy moms.
This book is not for neatniks or Kondo enthusiasts. (Nor does White ever once mention Kondo.) It’s for people who are completely stressed out and discouraged by an inability to achieve even some rudimentary order in their homes, for those whose sinks are always filled with dirty dishes to the point where they’re eating breakfast cereal out of measuring cups because those are the only clean containers. I’m not in that group either — truly. But I was curious about what kind of advice the author had to offer. Burn the house down? See a therapist? No, she really does have a sensible, effective, and easy-to-follow program, one that will give hope to the hopeless and helpless. One that starts with steps so small, it should be almost completely painless. There is an amazing amount of redundancy in this book. Maybe some people need that. At any rate, it did inspire me to put down my book, get up from the sofa, and put away everything that did not need to be on the kitchen table during supper. Today, perhaps I’ll dust — unless I’m lost in a good book.
This book is not for neatniks or Kondo enthusiasts. (Nor does White ever once mention Kondo.) It’s for people who are completely stressed out and discouraged by an inability to achieve even some rudimentary order in their homes, for those whose sinks are always filled with dirty dishes to the point where they’re eating breakfast cereal out of measuring cups because those are the only clean containers. I’m not in that group either — truly. But I was curious about what kind of advice the author had to offer. Burn the house down? See a therapist? No, she really does have a sensible, effective, and easy-to-follow program, one that will give hope to the hopeless and helpless. One that starts with steps so small, it should be almost completely painless. There is an amazing amount of redundancy in this book. Maybe some people need that. At any rate, it did inspire me to put down my book, get up from the sofa, and put away everything that did not need to be on the kitchen table during supper. Today, perhaps I’ll dust — unless I’m lost in a good book.
This book was not written for me, a clean person. The author plainly told me that in the first chapter. I debated whether to continue reading. However, I read the author's Decluttering at the Speed of Life and knew I liked this author. I had similar problems (being a clean "normal" person reading a book meant for slobs) with Decluttering at the Speed of Life but still found it motivational. I thought the same thing would happen with this book.
The advice was VERY basic but to be fair, I was warned. I still probably would have rated this book three stars. What annoyed me was that nearly half of this book's contents can be found in Decluttering at the Speed of Life. I was unprepared for that. In fact, I kept reading the decluttering parts, thinking they would simply be a brief recap. Nope. I felt like I was reading Decluttering at the Speed of Life all over again. After several chapters, I did what I hate doing and skipped the rest of the decluttering chapters.
I'm not sure if I'll try another White book. I like her conversational tone and practical methods. She's relatable and funny. However, I really didn't appreciate the repetition. There wasn't enough new material to justify two books.
2 Stars.
The advice was VERY basic but to be fair, I was warned. I still probably would have rated this book three stars. What annoyed me was that nearly half of this book's contents can be found in Decluttering at the Speed of Life. I was unprepared for that. In fact, I kept reading the decluttering parts, thinking they would simply be a brief recap. Nope. I felt like I was reading Decluttering at the Speed of Life all over again. After several chapters, I did what I hate doing and skipped the rest of the decluttering chapters.
I'm not sure if I'll try another White book. I like her conversational tone and practical methods. She's relatable and funny. However, I really didn't appreciate the repetition. There wasn't enough new material to justify two books.
2 Stars.
I found this book to be of great help. It was written for disorganized people by a disorganized person. I've read other organizing books, but never really found a way to conquer my clutter; most of these books were written by extremely organized people. I'm organized in some ways, but more disorganized than organized. I've already started the process and believe that, this time, I will be successful in getting my home decluttered!
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
I preferred Dana's decluttering book, but this one has lots of good info as well. Audiobook is the way to go for both of these, though, so you can work while you're listening!
You can read this entire book five times in a row and your house won’t be any cleaner than it was before you opened it. Methods don’t clean your house. You have to clean your house.
Well isn’t that the truth. While my home isn’t a disaster the way the author describes, she made a few excellent points. I liked that she talked about her struggles with keeping a clean house instead of it being judgmental. It was a bit repetitive, but repetition is the mode of learning.
> You won’t figure out anything if you talk yourself out of trying.
Free on kindle unlimited.
Well isn’t that the truth. While my home isn’t a disaster the way the author describes, she made a few excellent points. I liked that she talked about her struggles with keeping a clean house instead of it being judgmental. It was a bit repetitive, but repetition is the mode of learning.
> You won’t figure out anything if you talk yourself out of trying.
Free on kindle unlimited.
For me, this was less instructional and more motivational. White doesn’t have groundbreaking tips and tricks here, and honestly that’s the beauty of it. She encourages you to simply DO things instead of waiting around for the best way or time. I felt like she got to the heart of what is holding me back from having a cleaner home. That being said, the book gets repetitive and doesn’t have more than a few novel things to offer. I recommend it, but be prepared to skim.
An organization book written by someone who actually understands the struggle! Dana White is a self-proclaimed slob, and not just one of those people who is like, “I’m so messy, look, my throw pillow isn’t level with the back of the couch.” So her advice is super practical and helpful to a slob like me!
Neither James nor I are naturally clean people. We are both the youngest, both creative, both laid back, both type B. As whimsical as that may be, our house can get real messy as a result, and lately I’ve been feeling like I’m failing at being an adult because we can’t even stay on top of dishes, vacuuming, etc.
I’ve looked up chore schedules online and knew immediately I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them. “Every Monday: Vacuum whole house, dust every surface, shine silverware, retile kitchen, replace bathroom grout, burn house down and start from scratch.”
I’ve tried the Marie Kondo method and told myself that if I could just declutter good enough the first time, I would never need to again. Lol. Sure, some of her methods have helped me, but I still don’t know what it means for an item to spark joy. If I got rid of everything that didn’t spark joy, all I’d have would be James and my dog. Maybe that’s all a girl needs?
One of my main issues with the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up was that I just couldn’t relate to Marie. She talks about how she’d stay back from recess to organize her teacher’s supply cabinet. How she talks to her objects and thinks of them as having feelings like people. How she once cried because she had let mold grow in her shower caddy. That is just so not me! Mold growing in a shower caddy would be the least of my concerns. I’m more concerned about mold growing on the towels I forgot in the washing machine for three days. And the only reason I stayed back from recess to help my teacher was because I was scared of other kids and the recess monitors. (Anyone remember Miss Novak? She was terrifying.)
Anyway, Dana White is not like Marie Kondo because she isn’t naturally organized. She’s a slob like me. She is down to earth and so so practical. Her “hope for your home” steps feel completely doable. She sets realistic goals. She rocks.
My one complaint is probably that she seems to have inadvertently selected a very small audience for readership (white, middle-class woman, married, potentially stay-at-home mom). It might be hard for people from other groups/walks of life to apply some of her more specific tips, though most of this is doable for just about anyone.
Neither James nor I are naturally clean people. We are both the youngest, both creative, both laid back, both type B. As whimsical as that may be, our house can get real messy as a result, and lately I’ve been feeling like I’m failing at being an adult because we can’t even stay on top of dishes, vacuuming, etc.
I’ve looked up chore schedules online and knew immediately I wouldn’t be able to keep up with them. “Every Monday: Vacuum whole house, dust every surface, shine silverware, retile kitchen, replace bathroom grout, burn house down and start from scratch.”
I’ve tried the Marie Kondo method and told myself that if I could just declutter good enough the first time, I would never need to again. Lol. Sure, some of her methods have helped me, but I still don’t know what it means for an item to spark joy. If I got rid of everything that didn’t spark joy, all I’d have would be James and my dog. Maybe that’s all a girl needs?
One of my main issues with the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up was that I just couldn’t relate to Marie. She talks about how she’d stay back from recess to organize her teacher’s supply cabinet. How she talks to her objects and thinks of them as having feelings like people. How she once cried because she had let mold grow in her shower caddy. That is just so not me! Mold growing in a shower caddy would be the least of my concerns. I’m more concerned about mold growing on the towels I forgot in the washing machine for three days. And the only reason I stayed back from recess to help my teacher was because I was scared of other kids and the recess monitors. (Anyone remember Miss Novak? She was terrifying.)
Anyway, Dana White is not like Marie Kondo because she isn’t naturally organized. She’s a slob like me. She is down to earth and so so practical. Her “hope for your home” steps feel completely doable. She sets realistic goals. She rocks.
My one complaint is probably that she seems to have inadvertently selected a very small audience for readership (white, middle-class woman, married, potentially stay-at-home mom). It might be hard for people from other groups/walks of life to apply some of her more specific tips, though most of this is doable for just about anyone.