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Stop Buying Bins: & Other Blunt but Practical Advice from a Home Organizer
Decluttering our homes can be difficult.
Letting go of things can be challenging.
Living with less seems impossible.
With wit and tough love, Stop Buying Bins seeks to break down the obstacles that tether us to our possessions. Why do we hold onto belongings that no longer serve us? How do we change our perspective regarding our things? And once we've tackled those questions, how do we go about actually downsizing our clutter?
Told through individual client stories, Stop Buying Bins reveals the personality traits that create resistance to letting go, flips the switch on assigning value to objects, and provides step-by-step instructions on how to decide what goes and what to do with it.
Stop Buying Bins will have you coming to terms with some hard truths about your stuff as you realize you'll enjoy what you have more if you have less.
Letting go of things can be challenging.
Living with less seems impossible.
With wit and tough love, Stop Buying Bins seeks to break down the obstacles that tether us to our possessions. Why do we hold onto belongings that no longer serve us? How do we change our perspective regarding our things? And once we've tackled those questions, how do we go about actually downsizing our clutter?
Told through individual client stories, Stop Buying Bins reveals the personality traits that create resistance to letting go, flips the switch on assigning value to objects, and provides step-by-step instructions on how to decide what goes and what to do with it.
Stop Buying Bins will have you coming to terms with some hard truths about your stuff as you realize you'll enjoy what you have more if you have less.
Audible Audio
First published November 1, 2021
530 people are currently reading
835 people want to read
About the author
Bonnie Borromeo Tomlinson
6 books27 followersBonnie Borromeo Tomlinson is the author of STOP BUYING BINS & other blunt but practical advice from a home organizer, STOP PUSHING PERFECTION & just create a home you can actually keep neat, and the newly published YOU DON'T NEED IT & other motherly advice from a home organizer on setting up your first home. She was principal of Bonnie Lia Interiors, a home organizing and interior decorating firm with clients in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. She has been featured in articles in Homes & Gardens, Better Homes & Gardens, The Boston Globe, Apartment Therapy, and The Spruce. While her focus is on writing full-time, she also serves as the visual merchandiser for the UMass Store at her alma mater, the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
Originally from New Jersey, Bonnie now lives in Amherst, MA.
On Facebook @Stop Buying Bins
On Instagram @stop_buying_bins
Originally from New Jersey, Bonnie now lives in Amherst, MA.
On Facebook @Stop Buying Bins
On Instagram @stop_buying_bins
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 78 reviews
December 27, 2023
But to be blunt, bins are the Band-Aid on the severed arm that is your clutter.
This book was absolutely fantastic. The writing is so funny and engaging, the author seems genuinely delightful—blunt in a "tough love" way, but never inconsiderate or unaware of her own biases—and it had some of the most useful tips I've ever read in an organizational book. These are steps that actually work and make sense, as proven by her years of experience, but they're also steps that could be utilized by anyone regardless of life situation, mess level, or budget.
Most of all, I loved Bonnie's approach to how our mental health and outlooks on life can affect our homes and our clutter levels. There's an entire chapter about "retail therapy" in which she breaks down the idea that many of us seek out shopping for comfort because we're unhappy with our everyday lives, and how focusing on the wonderful things we already have can help us stop seeking fulfillment elsewhere. As someone who has spent the past 2 years focusing heavily on re-working my perspectives on life and focusing on gratitude, it has made de-cluttering and restraining from "retail therapy" immeasurably easier, so I have to say I fully agreed with Bonnie's points there (and everywhere else, to be fair).
If I can recommend one all-purposes book on de-cluttering and organizing your home, this would be it. She breaks things down into step-by-step processes, works through our excuses (and why they usually suck), and each piece of advice comes with a client's story to drive things home. It's a fun, quick read that has a lot to offer and I'm so glad I picked it up!
✨ Content warnings for: mentions of hoarding, divorce, single parenthood, financial struggles, food insecurity, loss of loved ones
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June 6, 2022
I am 83 years old, my husband is 94. Our son bought us a new house close to our granddaughter to help us out. We cleared out, downsized big time our old house of 59 years. it was really hard to get rid of good items, collectibles, etc. but we did and boxed for sort out., after selling our house.
It has been two years, placing items in a brand new house. Of course it is cluttered with thek boxes still in thek unfinished basement. I have thought of what we still have, our children don't want most of the items and now I am helping my sisters get rid of all of my mothers items as she has passed away. It is a very large 20 room house and she was a hoarder. However, it has helped me to some soulsearching, re-thinking. I have read manyk downsizing books but yours is the best. You gave me
the emphasis I need and the plan to rearrange, de-size and still get rid of much of the items I own.
Thank you for the deep thought process you gave. I am a deep thinker and you have managed to
retrain my thoughts to a pleasant downsizing of may items I still have collected and saved, and
still don't use. good luck on your business. Marianne Hayes, Milliken, Colo. mariannehayes33@comcast.net.
It has been two years, placing items in a brand new house. Of course it is cluttered with thek boxes still in thek unfinished basement. I have thought of what we still have, our children don't want most of the items and now I am helping my sisters get rid of all of my mothers items as she has passed away. It is a very large 20 room house and she was a hoarder. However, it has helped me to some soulsearching, re-thinking. I have read manyk downsizing books but yours is the best. You gave me
the emphasis I need and the plan to rearrange, de-size and still get rid of much of the items I own.
Thank you for the deep thought process you gave. I am a deep thinker and you have managed to
retrain my thoughts to a pleasant downsizing of may items I still have collected and saved, and
still don't use. good luck on your business. Marianne Hayes, Milliken, Colo. mariannehayes33@comcast.net.
April 29, 2024
DO NOT BUY what you can SWAP, BARTER, or BORROW. Even if it’s something you think you’ll use more than once, unless you are consistently in need of it, it’s just not worth owning. This is not just an exercise in reducing and limiting your clutter. It’s an exercise in community and friendship and charity and helping your fellow human. It’s about slowing down the rate of production of new goods and using what we have in new ways. It’s about putting less into landfills and keeping more money in our pockets. It’s about prioritizing each other and the world we share rather than purchasing things. Every little bit helps.
This is my new favorite decluttering book. I actually read it all the way to the end, instead of skipping through and just reading the parts that apply to me, as I usually do with decluttering and minimalism books. Well, mostly. I did skip through the part at the end labeled "My Philosophy." I think every chapter in the book reflects the author's philosophy about decluttering and home organization. I didn't need a summary. But otherwise, there are some great ideas here that are well worth checking out. Just ask me how much I decluttered and organized while I was reading this book. A lot, is the answer. Highly recommend for those interested in simplifying their life.
June 24, 2022
After reading more books on decluttering and organizing than I can count, this one works!
She talks about getting to the root of why you are cluttered then gives concrete steps of what to do about the problem.
Excellent book for anyone downsizing.
She talks about getting to the root of why you are cluttered then gives concrete steps of what to do about the problem.
Excellent book for anyone downsizing.
December 15, 2023
I've read more than a few books on organizing/decluttering. Some I have loved and others went right to the thrift store to torment someone else.
I liked this one. I liked her no nonsense approach to downsizing. Her advice isn't rocket science, just hard to swallow. I like how she helped people get to where they needed to be to get the job done.
I sometimes struggled with her tone. It felt like every one of her clients had a special place on the naughty list. But overall I felt inspired to tackle my own mountains. So 4 stars.
I liked this one. I liked her no nonsense approach to downsizing. Her advice isn't rocket science, just hard to swallow. I like how she helped people get to where they needed to be to get the job done.
I sometimes struggled with her tone. It felt like every one of her clients had a special place on the naughty list. But overall I felt inspired to tackle my own mountains. So 4 stars.
September 14, 2023
I couldn't resist that title, lol. I enjoy reading organization books and watching organizational tv shows, you can always learn a new trick that makes daily life easier! For me, most of the advice in this book was stuff I already knew. I did find helpful and new-to-me her suggestion to think about the WHY behind your decision to organize. She says to keep that reason in the forefront of your mind to help motivate you to keep on track. I feel that's good advice when implementing any life change - exercising more, starting a meditation practice etc. Think about that end goal!
The first step on this monumental staircase called clutter is to determine your "why." Not why you are overwhelmed. Not how you got there or what you are going to do to get out. But "why" does it matter that it's a mess? Why do you care to remedy it in the first place? If you say "because I should," I will promptly thank you for your time and tell you to call me when you have a better reason. What I'm getting at is if you don't really feel the need and are only considering getting your act together because you think you should, you are not going to be motivated to get it clean, much less keep it that way. You have to personally want it and more importantly, you have to know why. If the reward(your why) is valuable enough, the job of organizing is not insurmountable. Why is this task important to you at this time and what is the ultimate achievement is you are hoping for once the job is complete. Steer clear of vague explanations like "It's a mess so I should clean it up." You are looking for a forever fix, a life-changing goal.
Her chapters are divided into the different types or reasons people decide to get organized. You've got people downsizing to a smaller house, blended families consolidating their stuff, divorced people setting up a new life, compulsive shoppers, people who buy too much for their hobbies/side gigs, people who never learnt basic life skills or who don't find them intuitive(I got the impression that two of her customers mentioned are neurodivergent but she didn't explicitly list that as a reason in this book), people who ascribe strong emotions to their possessions...maybe there were a few more types but that's all I can recall offhand.
Personally I related most to the downsizing reason and the buying too much for hobbies reason. Books have been what I compulsively buy. Over the years I've whittled them down but I think I still own more books than most people. It's a lifelong struggle for sure. The downsizing/moving reason is a more finite reason. I'm good at recognizing that my stuff must fit my space and not trying to cram all my stuff into a space where it doesn't fit. Five years ago we moved cross country and downsized from a house to an apartment. I knew that everything we owned would need to fit in the apartment. We have no attic, no basement, no garage, no offsite storage unit - that is helpful in a sense because you don't end up forgetting about things you own.
I practice a lot of what she preaches in the book. I try to use or display mementos I want to keep. I learned about that in Marie Kondo's book 2014 book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It makes a lot of sense. If it's worth keeping, it's worth looking at/using. After that book, I got rid of our wedding crystal and some of the china. I kept the china plates and now use them in daily life. They aren't saved in a cabinet for 'someday'. I have several childhood toys on my dresser that I get to look at daily and enjoy. I even hung up my childhood game of Hungry Hungry Hippos on a wall. I love the design of it! I framed old posters from high school/college. I like that every piece of art on our walls has a unique backstory. It's not "I went to Target and bought a poster to fill up the space on this wall" reason.
In one chapter she discusses parents who save too much of their kids stuff, especially their artwork. She pushes for throwing it all away but one or two pieces. I have a better idea! I got my kids (17 & 21 at the time) to photograph all their artwork I'd saved. They bitched about it but once they started they ended up laughing and enjoyed revisiting what they'd made. I then went online to Shutterfly and made a photo album book for each of them of their art. I'm not gonna lie, doing the layouts took longer than I thought, but it was worth it. We threw away all the art and instead have great bound books with all their childhood art published in it. In terms of saving toys/books/clothes etc - I gave each of the kids one plastic bin to save childhood stuff and then I gave myself one bin for each kid to save what spoke to me from their childhoods, mainly baby and toddler items since they have no memories of those ages and don't care. Now their are two plastic bins on the top shelf of their closets with saved mementos.
Random Quotes Highlighted on my Kindle
Consumerism is an easy, legal fix that is ingrained in us from an early age when we learn shopping is a treat, spending is power, and happiness is in the purchasing and owning of stuff.
She bought into the picture of perfection by having the right clothes and the right car and the right-looking lifestyle all because she believed it would make her happy and undo all the misery and sense of lack she grew up with.
Instead of viewing your life as missing everything you don't have and still need, switch that perspective to appreciating all you do have and don't need.
Our loved ones who pass want only to be remembered in the most beautiful way. And if that way is through a special possession, then by all means, hold onto it and use it and cherish it. But no one would want to be remembered for the burden left behind by boxes of unwanted clutter
You are overwhelmed because the mess in front of you appears to require more energy than you can muster and therefore is too much to handle, so you decide to put it off until such a time that you seemingly will have more energy, instead of tackling even just a little bit of the larger project. "I'm overwhelmed" is just another way of saying "It's easier to throw my hands up and keep adding to the mess than to make a plan and get to work." This bothered me. No mention of people with health issue who cannot physically do it or people struggling mentally with depression, anxiety etc. Read the book How To Keep House While Drowning for more helpful advice when you are struggling mentally/physically to stay organized
Lifestyle systems are those little procedures we all have in our homes that create efficiency.
You may not even notice that they exist because they just come about naturally and give structure and sense to the flow of life.
ADVICE: Construction-grade contractor garbage bags are best for large-scale projects where you will also be throwing out a lot of heavy or awkwardly shaped items. These bags are taller and wider than the usual household trash bags, and sharp objects are not likely to puncture the reinforced plastic so there should be no leaking or dangerous edges poking through.
"Yeah. It's bad. My sister came over the other day and said it looks like the home of a drug-dealing twelve-year-old." HAHA. What one her clients, a man who sounded like he was on the spectrum, said in response to how his apartment looked.
I really wasn't helping my clients or myself because I hadn't fully thought through what it was these clients were actually asking of me. They had called me in to organize their homes but what they were unknowingly asking of me was to organize their lives.
All the superficial as well as the deep emotions that played into their clutter, their need to hold on, their shopping and hoarding tendencies, their need for approval, their hopes for a different version of themselves; it was all part of it.
I was not requiring my clients to be part of the process.That was a glaring omission on my part. I hadn't taken the time to talk to them about what happened to get them to this place, or how they lived their lives in their homes, or why they weren't able to fix and maintain it for themselves. I was only thinking, "I can whip this place into shape and make it look gorgeous." But in only considering a beautiful Instagram-worthy reveal room, I wasn't fixing the problem at its core.
This was about making efficient spaces for less-than-efficient people and giving them the tools to keep it that way.
The number-one reason for disorganization is more stuff than room. Preach it!
Why would buying bins do anything but add to the clutter, even if it does appear to make it neater? There is no way around it. When it comes to organizing, if you have more things than space, some things have to go! Bins do not, won't, nunca, will never equal organization.
Bins are the Band-Aid on the severed arm that is your clutter. They are not fixing the problem.
The first step on this monumental staircase called clutter is to determine your "why." Not why you are overwhelmed. Not how you got there or what you are going to do to get out. But "why" does it matter that it's a mess? Why do you care to remedy it in the first place? If you say "because I should," I will promptly thank you for your time and tell you to call me when you have a better reason. What I'm getting at is if you don't really feel the need and are only considering getting your act together because you think you should, you are not going to be motivated to get it clean, much less keep it that way. You have to personally want it and more importantly, you have to know why. If the reward(your why) is valuable enough, the job of organizing is not insurmountable. Why is this task important to you at this time and what is the ultimate achievement is you are hoping for once the job is complete. Steer clear of vague explanations like "It's a mess so I should clean it up." You are looking for a forever fix, a life-changing goal.
Her chapters are divided into the different types or reasons people decide to get organized. You've got people downsizing to a smaller house, blended families consolidating their stuff, divorced people setting up a new life, compulsive shoppers, people who buy too much for their hobbies/side gigs, people who never learnt basic life skills or who don't find them intuitive(I got the impression that two of her customers mentioned are neurodivergent but she didn't explicitly list that as a reason in this book), people who ascribe strong emotions to their possessions...maybe there were a few more types but that's all I can recall offhand.
Personally I related most to the downsizing reason and the buying too much for hobbies reason. Books have been what I compulsively buy. Over the years I've whittled them down but I think I still own more books than most people. It's a lifelong struggle for sure. The downsizing/moving reason is a more finite reason. I'm good at recognizing that my stuff must fit my space and not trying to cram all my stuff into a space where it doesn't fit. Five years ago we moved cross country and downsized from a house to an apartment. I knew that everything we owned would need to fit in the apartment. We have no attic, no basement, no garage, no offsite storage unit - that is helpful in a sense because you don't end up forgetting about things you own.
I practice a lot of what she preaches in the book. I try to use or display mementos I want to keep. I learned about that in Marie Kondo's book 2014 book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. It makes a lot of sense. If it's worth keeping, it's worth looking at/using. After that book, I got rid of our wedding crystal and some of the china. I kept the china plates and now use them in daily life. They aren't saved in a cabinet for 'someday'. I have several childhood toys on my dresser that I get to look at daily and enjoy. I even hung up my childhood game of Hungry Hungry Hippos on a wall. I love the design of it! I framed old posters from high school/college. I like that every piece of art on our walls has a unique backstory. It's not "I went to Target and bought a poster to fill up the space on this wall" reason.
In one chapter she discusses parents who save too much of their kids stuff, especially their artwork. She pushes for throwing it all away but one or two pieces. I have a better idea! I got my kids (17 & 21 at the time) to photograph all their artwork I'd saved. They bitched about it but once they started they ended up laughing and enjoyed revisiting what they'd made. I then went online to Shutterfly and made a photo album book for each of them of their art. I'm not gonna lie, doing the layouts took longer than I thought, but it was worth it. We threw away all the art and instead have great bound books with all their childhood art published in it. In terms of saving toys/books/clothes etc - I gave each of the kids one plastic bin to save childhood stuff and then I gave myself one bin for each kid to save what spoke to me from their childhoods, mainly baby and toddler items since they have no memories of those ages and don't care. Now their are two plastic bins on the top shelf of their closets with saved mementos.
Random Quotes Highlighted on my Kindle
Consumerism is an easy, legal fix that is ingrained in us from an early age when we learn shopping is a treat, spending is power, and happiness is in the purchasing and owning of stuff.
She bought into the picture of perfection by having the right clothes and the right car and the right-looking lifestyle all because she believed it would make her happy and undo all the misery and sense of lack she grew up with.
Instead of viewing your life as missing everything you don't have and still need, switch that perspective to appreciating all you do have and don't need.
Our loved ones who pass want only to be remembered in the most beautiful way. And if that way is through a special possession, then by all means, hold onto it and use it and cherish it. But no one would want to be remembered for the burden left behind by boxes of unwanted clutter
You are overwhelmed because the mess in front of you appears to require more energy than you can muster and therefore is too much to handle, so you decide to put it off until such a time that you seemingly will have more energy, instead of tackling even just a little bit of the larger project. "I'm overwhelmed" is just another way of saying "It's easier to throw my hands up and keep adding to the mess than to make a plan and get to work." This bothered me. No mention of people with health issue who cannot physically do it or people struggling mentally with depression, anxiety etc. Read the book How To Keep House While Drowning for more helpful advice when you are struggling mentally/physically to stay organized
Lifestyle systems are those little procedures we all have in our homes that create efficiency.
You may not even notice that they exist because they just come about naturally and give structure and sense to the flow of life.
ADVICE: Construction-grade contractor garbage bags are best for large-scale projects where you will also be throwing out a lot of heavy or awkwardly shaped items. These bags are taller and wider than the usual household trash bags, and sharp objects are not likely to puncture the reinforced plastic so there should be no leaking or dangerous edges poking through.
"Yeah. It's bad. My sister came over the other day and said it looks like the home of a drug-dealing twelve-year-old." HAHA. What one her clients, a man who sounded like he was on the spectrum, said in response to how his apartment looked.
I really wasn't helping my clients or myself because I hadn't fully thought through what it was these clients were actually asking of me. They had called me in to organize their homes but what they were unknowingly asking of me was to organize their lives.
All the superficial as well as the deep emotions that played into their clutter, their need to hold on, their shopping and hoarding tendencies, their need for approval, their hopes for a different version of themselves; it was all part of it.
I was not requiring my clients to be part of the process.That was a glaring omission on my part. I hadn't taken the time to talk to them about what happened to get them to this place, or how they lived their lives in their homes, or why they weren't able to fix and maintain it for themselves. I was only thinking, "I can whip this place into shape and make it look gorgeous." But in only considering a beautiful Instagram-worthy reveal room, I wasn't fixing the problem at its core.
This was about making efficient spaces for less-than-efficient people and giving them the tools to keep it that way.
The number-one reason for disorganization is more stuff than room. Preach it!
Why would buying bins do anything but add to the clutter, even if it does appear to make it neater? There is no way around it. When it comes to organizing, if you have more things than space, some things have to go! Bins do not, won't, nunca, will never equal organization.
Bins are the Band-Aid on the severed arm that is your clutter. They are not fixing the problem.
August 31, 2023
TLDR - The best way to organise your living space is to throw things that no longer serve you. Inanimate things, mind you!
I expected tips on how to better organise and I do appreciate the advice on decluttering but the author tends to sound a little judgemental and condescending and becomes part-time therapist when dealing with her clients.
I expected tips on how to better organise and I do appreciate the advice on decluttering but the author tends to sound a little judgemental and condescending and becomes part-time therapist when dealing with her clients.
March 4, 2024
The audiobook is excellently narrated. This book is useful, concise, and covers a variety of categories/people types that I haven't read before.
April 24, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 25, 2022
Perfect motivation to purge!
This book was a quick easy read. Each chapter was a different challenge to overcome. Great common sense advice that helped me tackle my own project successfully!
This book was a quick easy read. Each chapter was a different challenge to overcome. Great common sense advice that helped me tackle my own project successfully!
June 13, 2025
My pick this year from the “organizing/purging/cleaning” genre, to inspire action. The first chapter on clothes was the most helpful for me, and I ended up with 2 1/2 trash bags worth, headed for a new home.
October 27, 2025
I loved it. But I'm completely biased.
Truthfully, I hope you love reading it as much as I did writing it.
Thank you. ~BBT
Truthfully, I hope you love reading it as much as I did writing it.
Thank you. ~BBT
June 23, 2024
Helpful
As someone who has more than one too many bins, I was motivated by this book to purge. I enjoyed reading about the journeys of others as they faced their clutter.
As someone who has more than one too many bins, I was motivated by this book to purge. I enjoyed reading about the journeys of others as they faced their clutter.
May 27, 2025
Very much enjoyed this book. Includes more stories than your typical “how to declutter” book, which I liked.
January 5, 2023
Is it so obvious what one of my new year’s resolutions was? This book’s tone was incredibly insightful, and I felt like she was a friend that I could get together with for coffee. I felt like she really understood the mindset of the people and clients she shared about and the way that she worked through it each person’s clutter was very functional and appropriate. I would use this book in a coaching setting when working through mindset change, not just surrounding the accumulation of stuff, but even in the realm of changing other lifestyle habits.
January 17, 2023
Stop Buying Bins
Finally, a concise read, non judgemental, and the wonderful sense of humor we with too much stuff need. No shaming just a reality check.
Excuse me, I have a junk drawer I need to attend to! Thanks, Bonnie,... Making a plan, come visit!
Finally, a concise read, non judgemental, and the wonderful sense of humor we with too much stuff need. No shaming just a reality check.
Excuse me, I have a junk drawer I need to attend to! Thanks, Bonnie,... Making a plan, come visit!
October 30, 2025
This book is wonderful! Bonnie’s advice is so practical and easy to follow. There is a lot of life advice mixed in with the day to day organizing, which I loved. I would recommend this book as a good how-to for the new or seasoned organizer. Note: I listened to it, and the reader did an amazing job.
January 16, 2023
Informative and entertaining, and very motivating. Look out closets, I'm coming for you.
October 2, 2025
Nothing new or groundbreaking here.
Kinda disappointed, I expected more.
Maybe I have just read too many books in this genre?
Kinda disappointed, I expected more.
Maybe I have just read too many books in this genre?
July 1, 2023
Overall I’m grateful I read it because I learned a couple of things based on her tips. Parts of the book were kind of slow, but the good and helpful parts were really helpful. I give 3.5.
January 3, 2023
Blunt...indeed! Motivational as well. The author gives a great plan for attacking organization.
July 29, 2023
TL;DR:
Several useful, actionable lists for tackling different spaces / categories.
Mostly useful for those with ADHD.
Does not promote the faux-feminism of perfectionism.
DETAILED REVIEW:
Ah, yes.
The "practical advice from a home organizer" genre is one I am deeply familiar with.
Proposing "simple" and "effective" techniques to move beyond the Life that has erupted in your home, they hold us to insane standards that never seem to take into account the Life we live that got us there.
Especially if you are neurodivergent.
Then this genre is just a masochistic experience in shame and self-loathing.
And I know this from experience.
So, why did I read this one? And how did it do?
Something about the bins - yes, I DO have a personal collection, but that is not why we are here. We're here because I know that I have a personal collection of them and that they need to go.
I gave this book 5 stars because it is 90% actionable by those with ADHD, and the author is VERY supportive, forgiving, understanding and does not stress the faux-feminism of perfection. A million points right there. She also gives LOTS of step-by-step how-to lists that are not the useless pie-in-the-sky kind where it really doesn't help you to do the task (another million points).
The ONLY things I wanted that she didn't include was:
1. The awareness / acknowledgement that neurodivergent people will have additional struggles (and I'd love some lists/techniques specifically for us),
2. Lists of maintenance systems, especially because neurodivergent people struggle with that, even when it might seem obvious to everyone else.
I did not let that affect my rating, since that is above and beyond what the scope of the book is.
Several useful, actionable lists for tackling different spaces / categories.
Mostly useful for those with ADHD.
Does not promote the faux-feminism of perfectionism.
DETAILED REVIEW:
Ah, yes.
The "practical advice from a home organizer" genre is one I am deeply familiar with.
Proposing "simple" and "effective" techniques to move beyond the Life that has erupted in your home, they hold us to insane standards that never seem to take into account the Life we live that got us there.
Especially if you are neurodivergent.
Then this genre is just a masochistic experience in shame and self-loathing.
And I know this from experience.
So, why did I read this one? And how did it do?
Something about the bins - yes, I DO have a personal collection, but that is not why we are here. We're here because I know that I have a personal collection of them and that they need to go.
I gave this book 5 stars because it is 90% actionable by those with ADHD, and the author is VERY supportive, forgiving, understanding and does not stress the faux-feminism of perfection. A million points right there. She also gives LOTS of step-by-step how-to lists that are not the useless pie-in-the-sky kind where it really doesn't help you to do the task (another million points).
The ONLY things I wanted that she didn't include was:
1. The awareness / acknowledgement that neurodivergent people will have additional struggles (and I'd love some lists/techniques specifically for us),
2. Lists of maintenance systems, especially because neurodivergent people struggle with that, even when it might seem obvious to everyone else.
I did not let that affect my rating, since that is above and beyond what the scope of the book is.
January 5, 2023
This book was fabulous. I love Bonnie's tough love approach to her clients and the reader. Her honesty is refreshing. My grandfather used to say "You can go broke saving money, buying deals." And this book underscores that point.
If you are looking to downsize, organize or live better in your own space I highly recommend. And no, you don't need a lablemaker! Thank you for adding that!
Bonnie, you made me return three things I bought last week and do a total inventory of everything I bought from Amazon this year. Breaking it down into needs vs. Wants. Did I have to buy the corsage/ boutonniere for my son's junior prom? Probably not. It was fun but honestly I was the only one sweating that.
BTW, some writers don't treat writer's block with Netflix. We buy more books and call it research. ;-)
If you are looking to downsize, organize or live better in your own space I highly recommend. And no, you don't need a lablemaker! Thank you for adding that!
Bonnie, you made me return three things I bought last week and do a total inventory of everything I bought from Amazon this year. Breaking it down into needs vs. Wants. Did I have to buy the corsage/ boutonniere for my son's junior prom? Probably not. It was fun but honestly I was the only one sweating that.
BTW, some writers don't treat writer's block with Netflix. We buy more books and call it research. ;-)
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September 7, 2023Loved this!
Funny and informative, this gives an organizer and designer view on how to organize your "stuff", by getting did of things we don't need or love in our lives. It made me laugh out loud! This ebook was worth the couple of dollars it cost to purchase if not more. Very good advice here, thank you author! :-)
Funny and informative, this gives an organizer and designer view on how to organize your "stuff", by getting did of things we don't need or love in our lives. It made me laugh out loud! This ebook was worth the couple of dollars it cost to purchase if not more. Very good advice here, thank you author! :-)
December 28, 2022
You know a decluttering and organizing book is good when you set it down in the middle of a chapter to overhaul your closet! I didn’t think I even needed this but checked out the ebook on hoopla because the title was unique. She teaches the why of clutter and gives motivating tips to solve the problem.
June 12, 2023
Super quick, entertaining read. It gave me my hgtv fill, but in a “I don’t need to buy stuff for my home to look nice” kind of a way.
August 22, 2023
Gave me a little push to get started clearing out 30 years of everyone else's stuff
March 24, 2023
cute and wise. lots of examples
August 17, 2023
Clutter
I first got hooked on de-cluttering with Marie Kondo. I so enjoyed Bonnie's book and stories and as I was reading, I kept running to do more de-cluttering before my next donation trip.
I do use bins but wisely.
I first got hooked on de-cluttering with Marie Kondo. I so enjoyed Bonnie's book and stories and as I was reading, I kept running to do more de-cluttering before my next donation trip.
I do use bins but wisely.
February 14, 2024
Great information
I am planning a long distance move which will result in downsizing 20+ years of "stuff" from a large home to a small condo. I have read 5 or 6 books on the subject. This is the best book I have read on decluttering, and downsizing. Lots of great hints and good examples from real life stories. Would highly recommend it.
I am planning a long distance move which will result in downsizing 20+ years of "stuff" from a large home to a small condo. I have read 5 or 6 books on the subject. This is the best book I have read on decluttering, and downsizing. Lots of great hints and good examples from real life stories. Would highly recommend it.
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