Stop Pushing Perfection: & just create a home you can actually keep neat

by Bonnie Borromeo Tomlinson

Remove from your mind the idea that organization equals perfection.

Some of you reading this right now are hoping that this book is accompanied by a magic genie that will once and for all put everything right in your home, and as importantly, keep it that way. If that’s what you’re looking for, you may want to put this book back on the shelf. If, however, you are searching for a helping hand that comes with its share of sometimes blunt but always caring guidance, keep reading. STOP PUSHING PERFECTION may be just what you need.

Like its predecessor STOP BUYING BINS, STOP PUSHING PERFECTION is also told through individual client stories. It strips the rooms in question to their bare bones before rebuilding them for efficiency. Along the way, you’ll learn what decor works best for the functionality of a space, what systems you can implement to keep it clean, and how to use what you already own without purchasing “organizers”.

The goal of this book is not to teach you how to stage your rooms and rope them off. The intention of this book is to help you gain more time, space, and comfort by simply streamlining your life for workability. If you have that in place, the rest takes care of itself.

“Perfection is not the intention.”

“Create a home for yourself that’s neat, not neurotic.”

“An organized life simplifies.”

Genres: Nonfiction

266 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2023

About the author

Bonnie 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

Reviews

[Jennifer Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stop Pushing Perfection

This second book in the stop buying bins series is even better than the first. Decluttering is an event and something to keep up with but we all need to live in our homes. My husband and I joke about my German ancestry demanding I continue to find efficiency in our routines. And there's nothing like getting a puppy to make you aware of just how long it takes you to leash up, snag a coat, put on shoes and scoot out the door before an accident!

Bonnie, can I put in a request for book 3 to be Stop Shunning Systems. Or something similar. Would love to hear how you helped some of your downsizing clients transition from old habits to new in a new environment!

[Sharon Watkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

As far as I'm concerned, this book was a bait and switch. I chose it because I thought it would deal with calming perfectionism (which causes me to procrastinate). Perfectionism was mentioned in the first page or two and at the very end. Otherwise, it was just a description of how Bonnie helped various clients. There were a few helpful ideas, but it mainly made me wish I could just hire her.

[Julie keener · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had some good tips when trying to organize and declutter. Main point, not having the goal of perfection but creating efficiency in your home. I skimmed through the real life stories that backed up her tips.

[m · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another winner full of common sense advice for getting your house in order. If it seems overwhelming, start small. Just get started.