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Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind and Soul
STUFF. It's everywhere. Lurking in corners and closets,
spilling onto counters and coffee tables, creating havoc everywhere we
look. And it's not just the physical clutter that weighs us down. Oh
no, it is the stress of overbooked schedule, and the weight of a life
that sometimes feels oppressive and totally out of whack.
New York Times
bestselling author Ruth Soukup feels your pain--she has been there too.
Through personal stories, Biblical truth, and practical action plans,
she will inspire and empower each of us to finally declutter not just
our home, but our mind and soul as well. Unstuffed is real,
honest, and gets right down to the question we are all facing--how can
we take back our lives from the stuff that is weighing us down?
In this book, together we will:
Create a comprehensive vision for our homes, and make instant changes to improve its overall function. Discover that more closet space is not the solution, and instead learn how to set strict limits for the stuff we bring in Overcome
the frustration of dealing with our kids' influx of stuff and implement
practical solutions for keeping the chaos at bay. Recognize the
pitfalls of an overstuffed schedule BEFORE it gets out of hand, and
instead learn to combat the culture of busy that keeps us running from
one thing to the next. Finally conquer that mountain of paperwork that threatens to tumble down around us at any moment. Let go of the guilt that gets attached to gifts and instead learn to separate our loved ones from their stuff. Begin to cultivate our real friendships while eliminating the toxic relationships that weigh us down.
spilling onto counters and coffee tables, creating havoc everywhere we
look. And it's not just the physical clutter that weighs us down. Oh
no, it is the stress of overbooked schedule, and the weight of a life
that sometimes feels oppressive and totally out of whack.
New York Times
bestselling author Ruth Soukup feels your pain--she has been there too.
Through personal stories, Biblical truth, and practical action plans,
she will inspire and empower each of us to finally declutter not just
our home, but our mind and soul as well. Unstuffed is real,
honest, and gets right down to the question we are all facing--how can
we take back our lives from the stuff that is weighing us down?
In this book, together we will:
Create a comprehensive vision for our homes, and make instant changes to improve its overall function. Discover that more closet space is not the solution, and instead learn how to set strict limits for the stuff we bring in Overcome
the frustration of dealing with our kids' influx of stuff and implement
practical solutions for keeping the chaos at bay. Recognize the
pitfalls of an overstuffed schedule BEFORE it gets out of hand, and
instead learn to combat the culture of busy that keeps us running from
one thing to the next. Finally conquer that mountain of paperwork that threatens to tumble down around us at any moment. Let go of the guilt that gets attached to gifts and instead learn to separate our loved ones from their stuff. Begin to cultivate our real friendships while eliminating the toxic relationships that weigh us down.
224 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 5, 2016
520 people are currently reading
2593 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Soukup
32 books191 followersNew York Times bestselling author, speaker, and entrepreneur Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people break through fear and overcome the obstacles that stand in their way so that they can create a life they love.
Through her top-ranked Do It Scared® podcast and her wildly popular Ruth Soukup Weekly newsletter, which reaches more than a million weekly subscribers, she provides easy-to-follow guidance for following your dreams and reaching your goals.
She is also the founder of the Living Well Planner®, Living Well Spending Less®, and Elite Blog Academy®, as well as the author of six bestselling books. Her practical advice has been featured all over, including in Women's Day, Entrepreneur, TODAY, Martha Stewart Living, Family Circle and Fox News. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck and two daughters, Maggie and Annie.
Find out more & subscribe to Ruth's weekly newsletter at www.RuthSoukup.com
Through her top-ranked Do It Scared® podcast and her wildly popular Ruth Soukup Weekly newsletter, which reaches more than a million weekly subscribers, she provides easy-to-follow guidance for following your dreams and reaching your goals.
She is also the founder of the Living Well Planner®, Living Well Spending Less®, and Elite Blog Academy®, as well as the author of six bestselling books. Her practical advice has been featured all over, including in Women's Day, Entrepreneur, TODAY, Martha Stewart Living, Family Circle and Fox News. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck and two daughters, Maggie and Annie.
Find out more & subscribe to Ruth's weekly newsletter at www.RuthSoukup.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 238 reviews
April 19, 2016
Read to find out how a book about clutter can turn into a missive about religion...
February 15, 2016
I received an ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
On one hand, this was an enjoyable read- light, full of engaging stories and ideas, and I think Ruth is a good writer. She definitely knows how to present information in a helpful way that is easy to act on right away. On the other hand, I realize I am probably not the right audience for this read for the stage of life I am in (transitioning to life in the States after having lived in a developing country for several years) and I could not fully appreciate it. I had a couple gnawing thoughts as I read. One was that it makes me incredibly sad that the problems that this book addresses plague us. They are definitely “first world problems”, and, having recently lived outside the States, it made me ache that there is such an imbalance in the distribution of resources in our world. One family is drowning in stuff and another can hardly put food on the table. I could not read this and not think about homes I had recently been in that had such few items I wondered how they managed. I was distracted thinking about how to remedy the unequal distribution and wanted a greater focus on how to channel the stuff to the people who could use it. I know that Soukup’s goal is not to write about charity and that she is helping many families with this book, so I don’t want to minimize that; I just had memories too fresh in my mind of families in dire need that made me see the content of this book with different perspective.
All that said, I have had a tendency to hold onto stuff for the wrong reasons, such as sentimental gifts or cards, or stuff I “might” use one day (Ruth addresses how to reframe our motivations for keeping this kind of stuff in a very helpful way). The book unpacks a variety of the reasons for accumulating clutter, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and helps us to reflect on how to feel okay about getting rid of it and moving forward.
I think my favorite part of the book was the last chapter where she is very vulnerable in sharing her own struggles; I really admired her honesty and knowing her story allows the reader to really appreciate where the writer has come from.
On one hand, this was an enjoyable read- light, full of engaging stories and ideas, and I think Ruth is a good writer. She definitely knows how to present information in a helpful way that is easy to act on right away. On the other hand, I realize I am probably not the right audience for this read for the stage of life I am in (transitioning to life in the States after having lived in a developing country for several years) and I could not fully appreciate it. I had a couple gnawing thoughts as I read. One was that it makes me incredibly sad that the problems that this book addresses plague us. They are definitely “first world problems”, and, having recently lived outside the States, it made me ache that there is such an imbalance in the distribution of resources in our world. One family is drowning in stuff and another can hardly put food on the table. I could not read this and not think about homes I had recently been in that had such few items I wondered how they managed. I was distracted thinking about how to remedy the unequal distribution and wanted a greater focus on how to channel the stuff to the people who could use it. I know that Soukup’s goal is not to write about charity and that she is helping many families with this book, so I don’t want to minimize that; I just had memories too fresh in my mind of families in dire need that made me see the content of this book with different perspective.
All that said, I have had a tendency to hold onto stuff for the wrong reasons, such as sentimental gifts or cards, or stuff I “might” use one day (Ruth addresses how to reframe our motivations for keeping this kind of stuff in a very helpful way). The book unpacks a variety of the reasons for accumulating clutter, physically, emotionally, and spiritually, and helps us to reflect on how to feel okay about getting rid of it and moving forward.
I think my favorite part of the book was the last chapter where she is very vulnerable in sharing her own struggles; I really admired her honesty and knowing her story allows the reader to really appreciate where the writer has come from.
August 25, 2022
How many books on decluttering can I read before thinking I've read enough? I don't know, but I am not there yet. They are my crack habit. And I am okay with that.
I can across Unstuffed by happenstance and listened to it as an audiobook. I really liked it, perhaps for including the clutter of the mind and soul as well as the home.
What really stood out was a simple idea: the things that people often have the hardest time decluttering are sentimental items, which are usually things given by someone no longer in our life (usually due to death or break-ups). But the more we can understand that the important thing to hold on to (assuming it is a happy thing you want to hold on to) is the memory, not the thing. She talked about her sister-in-law passing away and how her daughters starting associating their aunt with things she had given them, and started hoarding, and how freeing it was to instead try to cultivate the habit of talking about their aunt and holding on to the feeling and memory of her love (through stories, etc) instead of holding on to the things. I love this idea.
So all around, easy, fun read. The only thing that drove me bonkers? She goes over a possible weekend decluttering schedule, and includes a timeline that just seems crazy. Now I am all for get-it-done-quickly schedules, but seriously, this was not doable. An example? She tells you to wash all bedding and remaking the beds (for a fresh feel) at the start of the day. Super fine with this, but she allots three minutes for it. Three minutes?! Seriously - how is that not a set up for failure? I literally set a timer, rushed like a mad lady, just to see if it was possible, but I'm sorry, I cannot put on sheets and a new duvet cover and four pillow cases in three minutes. And honestly, I'm not so sure anyone can, including the author. End of rant.
The rest of the book? Totally worth it.
I can across Unstuffed by happenstance and listened to it as an audiobook. I really liked it, perhaps for including the clutter of the mind and soul as well as the home.
What really stood out was a simple idea: the things that people often have the hardest time decluttering are sentimental items, which are usually things given by someone no longer in our life (usually due to death or break-ups). But the more we can understand that the important thing to hold on to (assuming it is a happy thing you want to hold on to) is the memory, not the thing. She talked about her sister-in-law passing away and how her daughters starting associating their aunt with things she had given them, and started hoarding, and how freeing it was to instead try to cultivate the habit of talking about their aunt and holding on to the feeling and memory of her love (through stories, etc) instead of holding on to the things. I love this idea.
So all around, easy, fun read. The only thing that drove me bonkers? She goes over a possible weekend decluttering schedule, and includes a timeline that just seems crazy. Now I am all for get-it-done-quickly schedules, but seriously, this was not doable. An example? She tells you to wash all bedding and remaking the beds (for a fresh feel) at the start of the day. Super fine with this, but she allots three minutes for it. Three minutes?! Seriously - how is that not a set up for failure? I literally set a timer, rushed like a mad lady, just to see if it was possible, but I'm sorry, I cannot put on sheets and a new duvet cover and four pillow cases in three minutes. And honestly, I'm not so sure anyone can, including the author. End of rant.
The rest of the book? Totally worth it.
May 31, 2018
I am not the target audience for this book. While there are some good tips about decluttering to be had here, there is a Christian spin that suggests becoming unstuffed requires grace. Food for thought, but not necessarily the message one needs when looking for a practical way out of clutter.
June 24, 2016
Why is it so hard to find books about decluttering that don't bring Jesus into the discussion multiple times per chapter?
March 13, 2022
While I don’t doubt that Soukup has beneficial insights to share on the topic of decluttering and minimalism, I was not impressed with this book. And truthfully, I could not finish it.
Within the first few pages, there is a twisting of Scripture. Soukup quoted Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”
But then Soukup talks about how this is inspiring so that we might shed possessions and clutter so that we might “run the race”.
That is not what Hebrews 12 is about. And the “therefore” at the beginning gives the indication that this passage hinges on the ideas in Hebrews 1-11.
If she wants to write books on living with less, that is wonderful and most definitely needed. But to slap a Christian label on it is inappropriate when not done well. I was hoping for more gospel, more Jesus.
Within the first few pages, there is a twisting of Scripture. Soukup quoted Hebrews 12:1, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us…”
But then Soukup talks about how this is inspiring so that we might shed possessions and clutter so that we might “run the race”.
That is not what Hebrews 12 is about. And the “therefore” at the beginning gives the indication that this passage hinges on the ideas in Hebrews 1-11.
If she wants to write books on living with less, that is wonderful and most definitely needed. But to slap a Christian label on it is inappropriate when not done well. I was hoping for more gospel, more Jesus.
January 30, 2018
If you're an upper-middle class Christian (preferably a stay-at-home mom with more money than common sense), then maybe this book is for you... because it sure wasn't for me. I quickly grew weary of listening to her a) plug her own products, b) bible scripture after bible scripture, c) complaints about her "too much" lifestyle (Oh no! So many gifts for Christmas! Better put them all in a truck and take them away!). Even just listening, I found myself silently correcting her grammar. This book was not written by anyone who had anything of value to say, or had the education to say such drivel eloquently enough to be enjoyable. At best, it's just a waste of time. 1.4* (Audiobook)
July 7, 2019
If you are just looking for tips and tricks to unclutter and minimize your stuff, it's best to stick to the first third of the book or look at Marie Kondo's material. I appreciate that the author further delved into the importance of "unstuffing" our schedules, relationships, etc. Without giving out spoilers, the last chapter of this book bumped up my rating. It was touching and heartfelt; I like that the author opened up and was vulnerable about her own struggles.
As someone that grew up in a very religious Christian family, I was able to wade my way through the multiple Christian themes in the book. Had the text been less Christian- and more spiritual-based, I may have enjoyed it more.
As someone that grew up in a very religious Christian family, I was able to wade my way through the multiple Christian themes in the book. Had the text been less Christian- and more spiritual-based, I may have enjoyed it more.
July 24, 2016
3.5 stars
When picking up this book, it's important to realize from the start that the book will not focus solely on decluttering physical possessions. Thankfully, the subtitle conveys this right away: "Decluttering your home, mind, and soul." The book is organized into three main sections (Home, Mind, and Soul), with three chapters in each section tackling different components, like living areas, storage, kids, schedule, paperwork, gifts, and soul aspects of living (friends, wellness, and spiritual). The author uses both personal anecdotes along with practical step-by-step lists to offer what she's learned and researched about decluttering our lives - physically and mentally. She incorporates a few faith-based statements throughout, but especially focuses on spiritual 'decluttering' and focus in the very last chapter.
A few aspects to consider: This book will be most helpful to its intended audience, which is first world, middle class with an overabundance of material stuff and crowded schedules. If outside of that group, this book will either be not useful, or possibly frustrating. However, considered within the intended audience, she begins with the physical stuff because many readers feel like that can help them gain some sanity if they're in a position many middle class Americans are with too much all around.
The practical tips begin right away (on page 17), and her ideas will likely help much of her intended audience. If readers have researched decluttering techniques at all, many of her tips will have been heard or read before, but can still serve as good reminders. Perhaps more helpful is how she includes examples of applying those tips before or after each such numbered list of tips. The second section of the book is perhaps more useful because it deals with the why of decluttering (and why we get so cluttered in the first place), which allows readers to reflect and look at ways to change (and ways to accept grace). I particularly appreciated her thoughts on balance.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
When picking up this book, it's important to realize from the start that the book will not focus solely on decluttering physical possessions. Thankfully, the subtitle conveys this right away: "Decluttering your home, mind, and soul." The book is organized into three main sections (Home, Mind, and Soul), with three chapters in each section tackling different components, like living areas, storage, kids, schedule, paperwork, gifts, and soul aspects of living (friends, wellness, and spiritual). The author uses both personal anecdotes along with practical step-by-step lists to offer what she's learned and researched about decluttering our lives - physically and mentally. She incorporates a few faith-based statements throughout, but especially focuses on spiritual 'decluttering' and focus in the very last chapter.
A few aspects to consider: This book will be most helpful to its intended audience, which is first world, middle class with an overabundance of material stuff and crowded schedules. If outside of that group, this book will either be not useful, or possibly frustrating. However, considered within the intended audience, she begins with the physical stuff because many readers feel like that can help them gain some sanity if they're in a position many middle class Americans are with too much all around.
The practical tips begin right away (on page 17), and her ideas will likely help much of her intended audience. If readers have researched decluttering techniques at all, many of her tips will have been heard or read before, but can still serve as good reminders. Perhaps more helpful is how she includes examples of applying those tips before or after each such numbered list of tips. The second section of the book is perhaps more useful because it deals with the why of decluttering (and why we get so cluttered in the first place), which allows readers to reflect and look at ways to change (and ways to accept grace). I particularly appreciated her thoughts on balance.
Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 8, 2018
The first thing you need to know is that I *LOVE* throwing things away, decluttering, and organizing, so this book is "my kind of book!" However, because I have a natural bent to purging (I make at least one trip a month to donate to charity and sometimes I go multiple times in the same month), I often don't learn anything new when reading books like these. But not this book! Soukup is not only an engaging writer on what could be a VERY mundane subject, she's an honest one.
One of my favorite ideas in this book is the suggestion to limit Christmas gifts to three to represent the number of gifts brought by the wise men. Or this idea: "something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read."
the features I adored about Soukup's latest book is the gray-colored blocks with gut-level honest LISTS from the Unstuffed Weekend Challenge to "If this, then that" rules for clutter to How to graciously decline a gift.
Even though I put a lot of her points into action already, Unstuffed extends beyond material possessions to finances: "Money comes from work" and all stuff is purchased with money. She also addresses decluttering mind and soul, which includes learning to say no and evaluating toxic relationships.
Soukup wrote a winner if people want help in unstuffing their home, mind, and soul.
One of my favorite ideas in this book is the suggestion to limit Christmas gifts to three to represent the number of gifts brought by the wise men. Or this idea: "something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read."
the features I adored about Soukup's latest book is the gray-colored blocks with gut-level honest LISTS from the Unstuffed Weekend Challenge to "If this, then that" rules for clutter to How to graciously decline a gift.
Even though I put a lot of her points into action already, Unstuffed extends beyond material possessions to finances: "Money comes from work" and all stuff is purchased with money. She also addresses decluttering mind and soul, which includes learning to say no and evaluating toxic relationships.
Soukup wrote a winner if people want help in unstuffing their home, mind, and soul.
July 8, 2016
The author has the same problem most of us have - too much stuff. Our homes are filled with things, our schedules are packed and our lives are headed towards crazy. She's taken a simple, yet effective approach and has mixed stories of her personal experience and sound advice from experts to talk about how we can lessen not only our stress, but our dependence on things.
Not only was this book filled with helpful advice and tips for getting rid of stuff, but it was actually really interesting. The stories fit well with the topic and were entertaining as well. The author mixes humor with facts to bring out important thoughts on how to change our attitudes and relationships with stuff. I loved the lists, to-do lists, and ideas on how to declutter. Overall, this would be a great book for someone who needs to declutter, wants to unload both their schedules and their closets, and enjoy the read while they do it.
I received this book free of charge from BookLook Blogger in exchange for the honest review.
Not only was this book filled with helpful advice and tips for getting rid of stuff, but it was actually really interesting. The stories fit well with the topic and were entertaining as well. The author mixes humor with facts to bring out important thoughts on how to change our attitudes and relationships with stuff. I loved the lists, to-do lists, and ideas on how to declutter. Overall, this would be a great book for someone who needs to declutter, wants to unload both their schedules and their closets, and enjoy the read while they do it.
I received this book free of charge from BookLook Blogger in exchange for the honest review.
February 27, 2019
Excellent insight into why we hold on to possessions, ideas, memories (good and bad), and how to reframe thinking and habits to live an uncluttered life.
I would’ve liked it more if it wasn’t so focused on Christianity and stayed generic with faith and purpose.
I’m pretty sure Jesus isn’t necessary to stop buying (and buying into) too many things or clinging tightly to unnecessary junk (physical or mental).
It doesn’t matter where a person draws their strength, as long as they have it. Anyone can work through issues discussed here.
That said, I’ve taken a lot from this book and recommend it to those who could use a clear space and mind.
I would’ve liked it more if it wasn’t so focused on Christianity and stayed generic with faith and purpose.
I’m pretty sure Jesus isn’t necessary to stop buying (and buying into) too many things or clinging tightly to unnecessary junk (physical or mental).
It doesn’t matter where a person draws their strength, as long as they have it. Anyone can work through issues discussed here.
That said, I’ve taken a lot from this book and recommend it to those who could use a clear space and mind.
July 7, 2016
The author is insufferable. She comes across as extremely judgmental and materialistic. Any valuable information from her book was taken from someone else. The Flylady is better for actual instruction on organization, cleaning, and decluttering.
March 27, 2018
This was a slightly different book on decluttering. The author's very upfront about it - it's not an instruction manual with step-by-step guides to getting your house and/or life together. She tells you that this is more about the mindset - "becoming unstuffed is much more than getting rid of the things you no longer want...It's changing the way we look at our homes and the stuff we live with. It's changing the way we look at our schedules and the stuff that fills our time. It's changing the way we look at our relationships and the stuff they are made of." This is more geared towards those with children. It also has a strong element of religion injected into the suggestions which was a little different perspective.
Quotes to remember:
The very first step toward becoming unstuffed is being realistic about how we actually use our homes rather than how we think we should use them.
...becoming unstuffed ultimately means removing everything that doesn't contribute to the way we want our homes to feel, while keeping everything that does.
...allowing your mind and body to take a break even when there is more to do. Because there will always be more to do. Every day. For the rest of our lives.
Real relationships are tricky and messy and sticky and hard. They take effort and endurance and selflessness...They are the people who will celebrate your triumphs with you and cry with you when you fall. They are the people who will love you no matter what. With great risk comes great reward, and while the effort of cultivating real relationships may feel risky, the reward is worth it.
Quotes to remember:
The very first step toward becoming unstuffed is being realistic about how we actually use our homes rather than how we think we should use them.
...becoming unstuffed ultimately means removing everything that doesn't contribute to the way we want our homes to feel, while keeping everything that does.
...allowing your mind and body to take a break even when there is more to do. Because there will always be more to do. Every day. For the rest of our lives.
Real relationships are tricky and messy and sticky and hard. They take effort and endurance and selflessness...They are the people who will celebrate your triumphs with you and cry with you when you fall. They are the people who will love you no matter what. With great risk comes great reward, and while the effort of cultivating real relationships may feel risky, the reward is worth it.
December 2, 2016
I totally admit that this book really took me to long to read; Mid-September until beginning of December. The reason for this slow reading was the book is one "jewel" of information after another. My brain could only take in these "jewels" in small quantities. Will I be reading some parts of this book over again? You can count on it. Why? Because I want to take the "jewels" of ideas and make them a part of everyday life. Change takes time, and I want to change! This was the second book written by this author that I took time to read. This author has a style of writing that touches a lady's soul. Women of all ages will find at least a couple of "jewels" in this book to add to their lives.
July 10, 2017
This book had a great mission, but was very disorganized and poorly executed. I was distracted by the many anecdotes that were introduced only to be expanded upon several chapters later, and I felt that some stories had much more detail than necessary to make her point, such as the cabbage patch doll story. I also felt that the story about her past should have been much closer to the beginning of the book, and overall this should have been packaged more as a memoir. There were definitely some good ideas here, but there are many other books in which to find inspiration for decluttering and minimalism that are better written.
Read
May 16, 2016I found this book to be very informative - both for the "duh" of course i "should" do that , so the, hunh, good idea. Like putting away nick nacks - i did that and felt so much better. I didn't toss them, i now take out the box every month or 2 months and rotate what is on display!
The only other downside is the preachy/churchy parts - but you can overlook that. And i just skipped right over the kid chapter.
But all in all, i found it a nice read and something to get you going on your way to limiting stuff in your space actual and virtual and spiritual!
The only other downside is the preachy/churchy parts - but you can overlook that. And i just skipped right over the kid chapter.
But all in all, i found it a nice read and something to get you going on your way to limiting stuff in your space actual and virtual and spiritual!
January 18, 2016
Soukup takes on more than our messy houses... she also attacks our messy minds and relationships. Her Christian perspective adds some soul to the tips.
December 9, 2016
A good book to listen to.
March 20, 2017
Exactly what I needed right now! (The challenge will be to actually do something about what I've learned.)
May 10, 2017
Repetitive. Nothing new or mind- blowing that I haven't read in other books or on other blogs. She includes examples from her own life that are nice to relate to.
January 15, 2022
Ruth Soukup is a new author to me. I grabbed this book by the title and cover, not knowing what it was about. I think on some level, we all want to declutter our homes, minds and souls.
Hospitality is not inviting people to our perfect homes; it is inviting them to our imperfect hearts. -Edie Wadsworth
This book is divided into three sections. The first is your home, the second section is your mind, and the third is your soul. Each section has multiple chapters related to the overall theme. Each chapter begins with a quote and has a section in it that is like a recap or action points.
Beware the barrenness of a busy life. -Socrates
I enjoyed this book. While I have read quite a few books along similar lines over the years, I still gleaned new information from this one. It is written in a more informal, conversational tone, making it an easy read. The author doesn't write from the perspective of one that has it all together, but from the perspective of a work in progress.
Friendship...is born at that moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one by myself..." -C.S. Lewis
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to declutter any aspect of their life. There is much we can all learn from each other.
Hospitality is not inviting people to our perfect homes; it is inviting them to our imperfect hearts. -Edie Wadsworth
This book is divided into three sections. The first is your home, the second section is your mind, and the third is your soul. Each section has multiple chapters related to the overall theme. Each chapter begins with a quote and has a section in it that is like a recap or action points.
Beware the barrenness of a busy life. -Socrates
I enjoyed this book. While I have read quite a few books along similar lines over the years, I still gleaned new information from this one. It is written in a more informal, conversational tone, making it an easy read. The author doesn't write from the perspective of one that has it all together, but from the perspective of a work in progress.
Friendship...is born at that moment when one man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one by myself..." -C.S. Lewis
I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to declutter any aspect of their life. There is much we can all learn from each other.
December 26, 2019
Did a skim read and contains a few nuggets with reading. Don’t feel like reading in great detail just needed to know if it was worth taking up space on my shelf. Will keep for now and have another, perhaps closer, more detailed look in the future.
June 5, 2021
3.5 rounded down
November 30, 2019
I got some ideas and pointers from this book, but I zipped through the religious references and sections about kids’ stuff, which didn’t interest me as much at this point in my life. I did appreciate the section on friendships/relationships, though.
April 5, 2016
The first thing to remember about UNSTUFFED is that it is not really about getting rid of clutter. Yes of course, the author does talk about getting rid of uwanted stuff, but that's not the real point. The real point, Ms. Soukup explains, is that you get rid of this stuff so that you can see what is REALLY important in life. It could be relationships, it could be your family, it could be lots of things--but the clutter is getting in the way.
The author freely admits that she really feels the attraction of accumulating things:
I love to get stuff.
I love to give stuff.
I love the idea of stuff.
I love getting a good deal on stuff.
Stuff is pretty.
Stuff makes me happy.
Of course, we should strive to simplify, but here's the key: "Becoming unstuffed, truly unstuffed, is much more than that. It’s changing the way we look at our homes and the stuff we live with. It’s changing the way we look at our schedules and the stuff that fills our time. It’s changing the way we look at our relationships..."
As for the practical ideas, The author presents 10 simple habits, which alone can go a long way to help you simplify your life. They are not earth-shattering ideas; rather, they are simple but effective ways to achieve a lot for a little time. Here are a few: making your bed properly, promptly trashing junk mail, or even just cleaning the kitchen sink. Each of these habits only take a minute or two, but they go far toward simplifying and de-cluttering your home.
Much of the emphasis in UNSTUFFED is how to deal with clutter in your family--especially in buying your kids things. The author suggests that you teach the kids the value of money, by helping them to associate the reward with the effort. In particular, she teaches her own kids that money comes from hard work.
The entire theme of UNSTUFFED is based on Christian, biblical principles. Ms. Soukoup was confronted with a simple, but profound question years ago. She how asks the reader the same question: "What are you doing with God’s money?" Are you being a good steward, or trying to forever get more and more?
Ruth suggests a simple answer: Instead of chasing after more and more goods, a Christian can simply choose to be CONTENT. Making that simple (but tough!) choice will tend to lessen the urgency of accumulating more and more goods.
Part of overcoming the cluttered lifestyle is to decide to sometimes just unplug. This might mean keeping your weekends free, or it might mean taking a nap sometimes. You give yourself permission to unplug. Just like the Biblical principle: "We were made to rest. I was made to rest. Balance isn’t something I can do, giving myself and my family time for rest is something I can be more intentional about."
At the very end of the book, the author presents a spiritual lesson in how to really achieve an "unstuffed" life: "The only way to become truly unstuffed is to accept the amazing, incredible, unlimited, and totally undeserved grace we’ve already been given and to stop trying to fill that hole ourselves. Grace is the answer we are often too stubborn stubborn to believe and too proud to receive."
UNSTUFFED is a surprising book. If you're just looking for a book of practical tips, you might find the spiritual side unsettling. Again, it's not simply a book of tips and tricks to make your life a little bit simpler. UNSTUFFED does indeed have those practical tips, but that's not the main thing, that the author wishes to convey.
UNSTUFFED is a lot more than practical tips. It's actually a philosophy of life.
For a related title by this same author, I recommend "Living Well Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life."
For another perspective on de-cluttering your life, see, "Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up."
Advance Reading Copy courtesy of Netgalley.
The author freely admits that she really feels the attraction of accumulating things:
I love to get stuff.
I love to give stuff.
I love the idea of stuff.
I love getting a good deal on stuff.
Stuff is pretty.
Stuff makes me happy.
Of course, we should strive to simplify, but here's the key: "Becoming unstuffed, truly unstuffed, is much more than that. It’s changing the way we look at our homes and the stuff we live with. It’s changing the way we look at our schedules and the stuff that fills our time. It’s changing the way we look at our relationships..."
As for the practical ideas, The author presents 10 simple habits, which alone can go a long way to help you simplify your life. They are not earth-shattering ideas; rather, they are simple but effective ways to achieve a lot for a little time. Here are a few: making your bed properly, promptly trashing junk mail, or even just cleaning the kitchen sink. Each of these habits only take a minute or two, but they go far toward simplifying and de-cluttering your home.
Much of the emphasis in UNSTUFFED is how to deal with clutter in your family--especially in buying your kids things. The author suggests that you teach the kids the value of money, by helping them to associate the reward with the effort. In particular, she teaches her own kids that money comes from hard work.
The entire theme of UNSTUFFED is based on Christian, biblical principles. Ms. Soukoup was confronted with a simple, but profound question years ago. She how asks the reader the same question: "What are you doing with God’s money?" Are you being a good steward, or trying to forever get more and more?
Ruth suggests a simple answer: Instead of chasing after more and more goods, a Christian can simply choose to be CONTENT. Making that simple (but tough!) choice will tend to lessen the urgency of accumulating more and more goods.
Part of overcoming the cluttered lifestyle is to decide to sometimes just unplug. This might mean keeping your weekends free, or it might mean taking a nap sometimes. You give yourself permission to unplug. Just like the Biblical principle: "We were made to rest. I was made to rest. Balance isn’t something I can do, giving myself and my family time for rest is something I can be more intentional about."
At the very end of the book, the author presents a spiritual lesson in how to really achieve an "unstuffed" life: "The only way to become truly unstuffed is to accept the amazing, incredible, unlimited, and totally undeserved grace we’ve already been given and to stop trying to fill that hole ourselves. Grace is the answer we are often too stubborn stubborn to believe and too proud to receive."
UNSTUFFED is a surprising book. If you're just looking for a book of practical tips, you might find the spiritual side unsettling. Again, it's not simply a book of tips and tricks to make your life a little bit simpler. UNSTUFFED does indeed have those practical tips, but that's not the main thing, that the author wishes to convey.
UNSTUFFED is a lot more than practical tips. It's actually a philosophy of life.
For a related title by this same author, I recommend "Living Well Spending Less: 12 Secrets of the Good Life."
For another perspective on de-cluttering your life, see, "Spark Joy: An Illustrated Master Class on the Art of Organizing and Tidying Up."
Advance Reading Copy courtesy of Netgalley.
November 24, 2017
This book contains some useful information. Nothing new but I like hearing different perspectives on decluttering/minimalism/organization - whatever you want to call it - so I read it.
I was really annoyed by some of the lists the author gives though. Sometimes they're completely unnecessary to prove her point. For example, at one point, she says "I want to say yes to my kids, who are vying for my time and attention and need their mom. I want to say yes to my husband, who for the most part is pretty patient and long-suffering but who needs to know he is more important than everything else I have going on." It goes on with like 12 other things she wants to say yes to.
It doesn't end there. In the next paragraph, she hashes out why she shouldn't say yes to everything: "My kids are disappointed because I am distracted. My husband is irritated because I never have enough time to just sit and talk."
I'm all for parallelism in writing but this author does it way too much for my taste. I had to skim a lot of sections because of it. "Don't say yes to everything because people you love suffer." Ok, got it. That's all I need, I don't need super specific examples about your life.
I'm probably being too critical but thought I'd share.
I was really annoyed by some of the lists the author gives though. Sometimes they're completely unnecessary to prove her point. For example, at one point, she says "I want to say yes to my kids, who are vying for my time and attention and need their mom. I want to say yes to my husband, who for the most part is pretty patient and long-suffering but who needs to know he is more important than everything else I have going on." It goes on with like 12 other things she wants to say yes to.
It doesn't end there. In the next paragraph, she hashes out why she shouldn't say yes to everything: "My kids are disappointed because I am distracted. My husband is irritated because I never have enough time to just sit and talk."
I'm all for parallelism in writing but this author does it way too much for my taste. I had to skim a lot of sections because of it. "Don't say yes to everything because people you love suffer." Ok, got it. That's all I need, I don't need super specific examples about your life.
I'm probably being too critical but thought I'd share.
January 25, 2018
A Good Book on Relieving Stress as well as Clutter
This book is about so much more than overcoming clutter. It is about unstuffing your whole life. Yet the author makes a great point when she describes how people can hang onto items through guilt after the loss of a loved one. It can make people feel guilty to get rid of an item that belonged to their dearly departed loved one. She stresses the point that we should treasure memories not things.
After decluttering our houses she shows us how to declutter friendships. She shows us how sleep is important to our health and other ways to destress our lives. The author finishes with an emphasis on the spiritual and how she became a Christian.
Most every part of this book was helpful to me. And, though I may not agree with everything she wrote, and some things are hard for me to do (like letting go of things I feel too guilty to throw away), the author has shown great wisdom and written a well-organized and spiritual book.
This book is about so much more than overcoming clutter. It is about unstuffing your whole life. Yet the author makes a great point when she describes how people can hang onto items through guilt after the loss of a loved one. It can make people feel guilty to get rid of an item that belonged to their dearly departed loved one. She stresses the point that we should treasure memories not things.
After decluttering our houses she shows us how to declutter friendships. She shows us how sleep is important to our health and other ways to destress our lives. The author finishes with an emphasis on the spiritual and how she became a Christian.
Most every part of this book was helpful to me. And, though I may not agree with everything she wrote, and some things are hard for me to do (like letting go of things I feel too guilty to throw away), the author has shown great wisdom and written a well-organized and spiritual book.
May 4, 2017
While a lot of the book focused on unstuffing in relation to family and children (which I don't have), I did find several things that could relate to me. Of course, the mind and soul sections were my favorite- we can all use tips and tricks on how to unstuff our life, and it helps to know there are situations in which we are not alone! One specific section, on friendship, really spoke to me. There are different kinds of friends- those we can trust and depend on, superficial ones that we can still hang out with and have fun with, but aren't really as deep as others, and toxic friends that it's ok to break those ties with. Soukup does a great job of validating thoughts we didn't even know we had, and giving ideas on how to move forward in unstuffing our life.
August 17, 2017
Be realistic about how we use our homes.
"Filling our homes with things we don't need based on a fantasy that will never actually materialize is nothing more than an exercise in frustration."
Aspirational clutter has always been an issue for me. The past few years, I've gotten better and better about letting things go I won't realistically get around to doing whatever I thought I might do with it.
Okay, her weekend declutter plan sounds insanely exhausting (90-minute sessions divided by 15-min breaks to get a drink and/or use the bathroom), but she also has a 30-day plan too. She does have a lot of useful tips, though not really anything new.
FYI - If it will bother you that she's Christian and includes church/prayer/scriptures, you'll want to skip this book.
"Filling our homes with things we don't need based on a fantasy that will never actually materialize is nothing more than an exercise in frustration."
Aspirational clutter has always been an issue for me. The past few years, I've gotten better and better about letting things go I won't realistically get around to doing whatever I thought I might do with it.
Okay, her weekend declutter plan sounds insanely exhausting (90-minute sessions divided by 15-min breaks to get a drink and/or use the bathroom), but she also has a 30-day plan too. She does have a lot of useful tips, though not really anything new.
FYI - If it will bother you that she's Christian and includes church/prayer/scriptures, you'll want to skip this book.
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