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363 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
363 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
I am going to give this self-help for the slob a 4 star rating, not because it did so much for me, as it has the potential for someone wanting to de-slobify, as the author puts it. I am not a slob so I actually read in some shock (horror?) as the author described having to eat cereal out of measuring cups because there were no clean bowls. Or that she couldn’t begin to sweep floors because of all the old newspapers an debris in the way. Yikes. So I was a bit frustrated as she yammered on about doing the dishes every single day. Are there people who don’t? Ok - I know there are, but not me. I am a little OCD about having the kitchen “put away” every evening as my children will attest to. Happy mom - have the kitchen picked up before I come home. They know the drill. So what did I get out of this book other than some cringe worthy laughs? I just retired and am trying to develop a lasting house cleaning system that keeps everything tidy and doesn’t require a lot of my time - after all I have STUFF to do! I have had a cleaning service for the last decade and will now be on my own again - with the help of my adult children still rooming with me of course. So again, what did I get out of this book? Well, my nemesis is the floor. I have 2 dogs and 2 cats - lots of hair. And I hate hate hate sweeping and vacuuming. So I procrastinate it until the floors look like they could come to life. Tumbling tumbleweeds of hair. So - I turned the author’s philosophy onto my floors. Sweep every day, damp mop at least 1/week. And you know what? If I sweep every day and vacuum/mop weekly, and pick up hair balls as I see them - it takes little time at all. It is manageable AND my floors are looking better, and less gross to walk on. And I get to work on my squats as I pick up hair all day long. I also treated myself to a Norwex mop and other cleaning supplies - oh yes, I researched this stuff to death; that’s who I am. I have a new system, more on that possibly later on my blog-to-be. Would anyone read a blog if I developed one? Would you? Not devoted to cleaning but to life beyond working in corporate America.
informative
slow-paced
Getting my home organized and clean has always been a struggle even though I live in less than 1000 square feet! This book has made me feel like I'm not alone in my struggle and given me tools that work with my "Slob Vision." I don't see the mess until sometime comes over. Suddenly I realize the dishes are still in the sink, the floor hasn't been mopped in weeks, and there are at least five different piles of mail and paper junk on my kitchen table, fireplace, desk, and counter. So embarrassing. I digress. Implementing the daily dishes habit seemed overwhelming but makes such an impact! And the Guide, 28 Days to Hope For Your Home, is realistic enough to follow but meaningful enough to work.
informative
medium-paced
This is White's book about basic housekeeping & creating very simple habits to begin to addressing your "slob" home. (White is a self-professed, reformed "slob".)
She does a great job explaining why you have a mess (your mind just doesn't register it) & talks you through doing some very basic cleaning tasks. And she repeats & reinforces doing these basic tasks daily. White is a good motivator, as well as being funny.
A great book for the truly overwhelmed, sloppy home that is so over the top that you don't know where to start.
If you need help with decluttering (which will then make your housekeeping easier), check out her other 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://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498855842s/35540769.jpg|56963994].
She does a great job explaining why you have a mess (your mind just doesn't register it) & talks you through doing some very basic cleaning tasks. And she repeats & reinforces doing these basic tasks daily. White is a good motivator, as well as being funny.
A great book for the truly overwhelmed, sloppy home that is so over the top that you don't know where to start.
If you need help with decluttering (which will then make your housekeeping easier), check out her other 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://images.gr-assets.com/books/1498855842s/35540769.jpg|56963994].
Ok, I'm excited for the techniques here. I felt very seen with her stories and tips. I started immediately applying the techniques to my home to give them a try. I love that she uses her own made up words but they are so clever. I enjoyed that she doesn't feel entitled because she managed to get her home under control like a lot of other authors. Definitely reading her other books!
Wow! I don't think I've ever had such a personal connection to a self-help book. This lady is my people. Sometimes I would think to myself, "at least I'm not that bad!" and then would have to reality check. I think I'm in denial about my slob ways. 4 stars for now and I may bump it up to a 5 as I continue on this journey. Listening to her podcast should help me stay on track. My goals this year have to do with getting on a daily schedule (with everything, not just housework) and to cultivate better habits. This book will get me off on the right track so it was a perfect fit.
This book opened my eyes to a niche I guess I knew existed but never thought about: slobs. She wrote an organization book for slobs. Dana says in the intro she never got anything out of organization books because they are written by organized people and her brain doesn't work that way.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this book was for me. One of Dana’s warning in the intro: “If you’re looking for strategies to tweak your almost-perfect organizing strategies, move right along.” #recordscratch
I would not describe my organization methods as “almost-perfect” but I am an organized person. Ok, I’ll admit it. I love a good organization system, couldn’t function without my checklists, and have been known to roam the aisles of The Container Store just for fun. I am not the target audience for this book. However, Dana has found her tribe, and speaks right into their hearts and minds.
This book is for those who are starting from home management ground zero. Throughout the book she talks about those who leave dishes in the sink for days and have piles of laundry in various stages lying around common areas of the house. This makes me itch just thinking about it. However, If that is a real life struggle for you, Dana has some wise words for you.
All in this book wasn’t lost on me though. Dana introduced me to some great concepts to help anyone get over mental hurdles that get in our way when decluttering or cleaning our homes. For example, setting a timer for 5 minutes to get yourself kickstarted. Or, timing yourself doing a task to realize it doesn’t take the hours we imagine it will in our heads.
I timed myself folding laundry. Can you guess how long it takes to fold two full loads of laundry and put them away? My brain kept telling me an hour or longer. The reality: 20 minutes. That’s not even the length of a sitcom!
Though I didn’t come away with tips to perfect my organization systems, I came away with a renewed energy and inspiration. I have a better handle on the mental roadblocks that stop me from digging into a task.
Note: I was provided with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Honestly, I wasn’t sure if this book was for me. One of Dana’s warning in the intro: “If you’re looking for strategies to tweak your almost-perfect organizing strategies, move right along.” #recordscratch
I would not describe my organization methods as “almost-perfect” but I am an organized person. Ok, I’ll admit it. I love a good organization system, couldn’t function without my checklists, and have been known to roam the aisles of The Container Store just for fun. I am not the target audience for this book. However, Dana has found her tribe, and speaks right into their hearts and minds.
This book is for those who are starting from home management ground zero. Throughout the book she talks about those who leave dishes in the sink for days and have piles of laundry in various stages lying around common areas of the house. This makes me itch just thinking about it. However, If that is a real life struggle for you, Dana has some wise words for you.
All in this book wasn’t lost on me though. Dana introduced me to some great concepts to help anyone get over mental hurdles that get in our way when decluttering or cleaning our homes. For example, setting a timer for 5 minutes to get yourself kickstarted. Or, timing yourself doing a task to realize it doesn’t take the hours we imagine it will in our heads.
I timed myself folding laundry. Can you guess how long it takes to fold two full loads of laundry and put them away? My brain kept telling me an hour or longer. The reality: 20 minutes. That’s not even the length of a sitcom!
Though I didn’t come away with tips to perfect my organization systems, I came away with a renewed energy and inspiration. I have a better handle on the mental roadblocks that stop me from digging into a task.
Note: I was provided with an advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
informative
fast-paced
As a reformed slob myself, Dana White was someone I sought inspiration from via her blog and podcast a few years back. It's so validating now to read her books and realize I've taken what works for me and maintained an organized lifestyle. While I'm giving it three stars because it was truly a review for me, I recommend this book to anyone who wants a realistic and honest way to stop being a slob.
This is a fantastic book! The author is so genuine and full of personality and has great ideas that have all worked for her.