Being organized is very important to me- so when I was asked to review Pretty Neat: the buttoned-up way to get organized & let go of perfection, I was all for it. There are many things in life that I liked to have organized, for example, keeping our home together in an organized fashion.
I like to have everything organized not only because it looks better but it reduces stress and helps you to be more productive.
Title: Pretty Neat: the buttoned-up way to get organized & let go of perfection
Author: Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch
My Review:
Pretty Neat offers helpful tips and suggestions, and I enjoyed completing the exercises. It was also helpful to read examples and interviews from other women to get an idea of their organized approach. I learned that I could truly let go of perfection and that it is okay to say no, which has been difficult for me in the past. I also do not feel as guilty about delegating as I did before. This book includes easy and manageable tips that everyone can use to get organized- a must read.
Click HERE if you would like to order a copy of Pretty Neat (value $14.95), or enter the giveaway for your chance to win.
To Enter Contest for $250:
Share your best organizational tip or shortcut by commenting on this post no later than December 31st at midnight. The reader who submits the best tip across all participating blogs will win $250. The winning tip will be selected by Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch, authors of Pretty Neat and co-founders of Buttoned Up and will be announced on January 10th.
In addition, the blog who has the most comments on their post wins $250!
To Enter Giveaway for Pretty Neat Book:
WAHM Resource Site is also pleased to offer one reader a copy of Pretty Neat. We want our readers to have a chance to win a great book that has many helpful tips! For a chance to win: Simply share your best organizational tip or shortcut by commenting on this post no later than December 31st at midnight. Share as many tips as you wish. Random.org will be used to select the winner
Open to all. Please make sure that you leave your email address in case you win. Good Luck!
Giveaway closed- The winner of the Pretty Neat Book is Jennifer B.- Winning comment #28. Congrats!
Update:
The blogger with the most comments on their post and winner of $250 is SimplyStacieblog.com with 601 comments.
The winning tip, selected by Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch, authors of Pretty Neat and co-founders of Buttoned Up, was also from SimplyStacieblog. Believe us when we say it was tough! There were 879 comments to consider.
Click on the Giveaway Linky for other great giveaways!
I received no monetary compensation for this post. I received one copy of Pretty Neat (book) for review. The opinions herein are my own.
{ 28 comments }
one of the things we do is Keep a donation box in our house and every time we come across something we don’t use or need, we add it to the collection. and drop it off monthly. It has helped us declutter our home a ton.
make a list of what you have to do the next day (everyday) and you will have a neat and clean home
mverno@roadrunner.com
I am by far not an organized person but one thing that I did do is put dividers in my freezer so that all of the meat was in the same area and the veggies in another area so that I didn’t have to empty the big freezer looking for something specific. Thanks for the chance to win!
In my hobby room, I have 10 rollie carts that I use to keep like items together in an organized fashion. These are the tall carts with 7 or 8 plastic drawers. Each drawer is labeled; and the carts are rolled up against the walls. Then when I’m done with a project, I always clear off my work table and put everything away. If you stay on top of the mess all the time, it makes it so much easier to find what you want and gives you room to work.
best organization tip is KEEP A NOTEBOOK and record everything!!!
When not in use, store every item in its “home”. For example, when watching television, immediately after turning on the TV, changing the channel and adjusting the volume, return the remote control to its “home”.
we always have a box in our house that we keep for give away items. we donate as much as possible.
I organize my coffee beans in mason jars to keep it fresh and organized.
I avoid the “saving stuff” clutter by keeping clippings in notebooks. When I read a magazine or newspaper and want to keep an article or idea, I turn down that page. When done with the mag, I tear out the page and put in a folder. Every Monday I go through my folders and cut and paste the quotes, pictures, ideas, decorating tips, etc. onto construction paper then place by category into my notebooks. I have notebooks with ideas for every holiday, for gardening, kids’ crafts, devotional thoughts, games, helpful hints, you name it, all lined up on a shelf. No digging through stacks of old magazines to find that cute Halloween centerpiece. I even have friends who call and ask, “Can I come over and look through your birthday party book?” and of course they are welcome to do so. It keeps clutter down and makes planning easier.
A lot of my storage is on wire shelving. To make it usable for storing more things, so that the wires don’t dig into things like books and so that small items don’t fall through between the wires, get sheets of foam-core-board at a craft store and cut it into appropriately-sized pieces to lay on the shelves covering the wires. To decorate it, you can cover the pieces with contact paper.
I use neat baskets to organize all of my goodies. Different sizes for different items (one for current bills, one for small knick knacks, etc.) They are handy and don’t look too shabby. Thanks for the chance!
I’m the type of person that likes to kill two birds with one stone. I like to rewash and reuse my plastic storage bags. I am trying not to be wasteful. I take the bags and fill them up with a cup of laundry detergent and throw it in the washing machine with a load of clothes. My clothes come out clean and so do the bags. I think that is pretty neat!
Finish what you start
My best tip is just to organize as you go: don’t put it down, put it away. If I’d actually use that tip, I’d be totally organized. As it is, I only aspire to it.
Cindy´s last [type] ..The Fresh Air Fund Needs Your Help
One thing I like to do for organizing is have a plastic bin near each door in the house. That way I can put things in it and take the bin to put stuff away. Small things that help to cut down on time and clutter.
Making lists is very helpful to me
I recommend working in sections. A major reason most people put it off is because it seems to big and daunting. But if you make a plan to work on small sections you will emotionally get satisfaction as you finish each part (which is a great motivator) and you won’t get overwhelmed by the entire project.
gmmerrell at yahoo dot com
It’s always best to go a little at a time. That way it seems like less of a chore in the moment
A shoe basket at the entrance of your home is a great organizational tool. Not only will family members remove their shoes before walking onto the carpet, but everyone will always know where they last left their shoes–no guessing the next morning where their shoes are!
My mom and grandma have probably nearly given up on reminding me how to (and to) organize my home stuff. You see, they are women who are incredibly serious in having a place for everything and have everything on its place (however, they make it appear so simple!). Which to me, translates to headache and hardwork. For years, I have just let their advices go into my right ear, and have ‘em out on the left. I heard them, alright – but I never really listened nor put into practice. Until it happened. I was overwhelmed with the clutter in the house that I was not able to locate some personal documents that I badly needed at that time. Many more subtle instances occured such as not being able to locate books, toys, fancy earrings, pet stuff, gifts, photos, and even receipts. I then have finally decided to organize my life by organizing my stuff. Sharing the following:
Be realistic. The vision won’t happen overnight. It will be an every day practice 
however, it is the first step in getting organized. Every simple action or idea in having a Pretty Neat surrounding counts – as simple as put things back where you’ve gotten them (as my grandma says always). Practice makes Habits 
and it is a practical and wise choice to have a Pretty Neat habit. 
> Resolve to yourself that you need to organize your stuff if you intend to organize your life: having a worry-free environment where you can actually LIVE IN and MOVE ABOUT without the need to decide every now and then where you have put things or where to put things; knowing your essentials are safely organized in a place you know is secured and WITHIN REACH in your home.
> Have a common VISION in the family/home. Define a VISION to have a Pretty Neat life YOU CAN MANAGE – identify ONLY WHAT YOU CAN MANAGE. Share your vision with your husband/wife, children, and whoever lives in your home. Visualize what you would want to see in the master’s bedroom, kid’s playroom, etc. DECIDE what you can do (and see) without. Whether or not they follow your vision religiously, set a common day in a week where you can help them out organize their lives and their stuff
> Categorization: A place for everything and everything on its place. Have a place for everything so that no decision is needed on your end every time things need to be stored. It will just be second nature to you where to put things and where to find them. List down major categories of home stuff: for your husband, wife, kids, pets (and even for household helps!); family (general stuff); kitchen; room; dining area; visitors area; kids’ playroom; home office. Of course, have some sub-categories. For example in the home office: supplies, reviewed/pending/done items, papers, documents, reference books/library, picture frame, ornaments, furniture, and your “always-needed/reached-out-for” items.
> Organization: Create crafts for boxes with proper labels; prepare baskets, drawers, holders where you may put your stuff per category or sub-category. Don’t forget to have trash bags/bins/cans where you may throw things not needed by you or may not be needed by someone else if shared. If you can, it may help to have a biodegradable and non-biodegradable bins at home.
> Placement: Define importance of each category you have listed. Have a secured place for all documents such as certificates (marriage, job, birth, land title, car title, loans, deed of sale, diplomas, trainings), insurance, passports, etc. Put the rest of your stuff on the boxes, baskets, drawers, holders you have prepared. Put these on a certain location you would be happy to know you have picked out beforehand – where it will just be second nature to you to put back stuff where you have gotten them, after using them. For work whether in the office or at home, it’s always nice to have proper folders in your mailbox; and only keep important/reference emails.
> Reminders: For people working in the office or at home, it helps to have those traditional post-its nearby; or the post-its software that are managed on the computer. It’s great to remind us of our daily priorities so as not to be overwhelmed on all the tasks for the day. Of course, separate notes for personal and work would be one great helpful trick to prioritize your tasks.
> Miscellaneous: Have a miscellaneous basket (if you are so in a hurry to go somewhere in the house to organize stuff) – and have a definite day in a week to sort the basket’s contents to put them in the proper place; Prepare for any event that may come. List down the details that may come your way and go back to prioritizing each task – and how to squeeze these in your already jam-packed schedule.
> Share: Instead of throwing some stuff away, give them away! Prepare for a day of sharing in a year (perhaps on your husband’s or kids’ birthday, or on Christmas season to give to less fortunate people). Your stuff can also bring in money to you. Your frowned-at stuff could bring joys and hopes to others, and you may just inspire them to organize their lives by organizing their stuff also.
Final note, have a Pretty Neat life YOU CAN MANAGE. All of the advices may be great and helpful, but it all boils down as to WHAT YOU CAN MANAGE. As what the Pretty Neat authors Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch have shared as I re-word: letting go of perfection is a decision
pringlespalo(at)gmail(dot)com
Establish order, you should put the tree necessary to prepare salads, invite friends or relatives. Well, if you go to visit, then you will not have to do everything that is listed previously))
Hi – my best tip with small kids is lots of bins. At the end of the day you can throw things in. They don’t have to be super specific. For example….I have one for shoes and hats by the coat rack, one for big toys, one for small toys, a few for books. It makes cleaning up for the kids easy too – they can help without having to work too hard. Plus they think it is fun to “throw” them in……just as much fun sometimes as dumping them out…….
Thanks for offering this
retailtherapylounge at gmail.com
To keep organized especially around the holidays I purchase tubs and place labels on them so I know exactly what is in there. I then store them in the attic on shelves. It makes my life so much easier around the holidays. Kellyeandjosh@aol.com
Every week, I take my receipts from purchases and put them into a spreadsheet. It’s a quick way to see where my money is going and how to save.
i left my tip on another blog , i hope it is ok to repeat it?
in so many small bathrooms, the type with ped sinks and NO storage,
where on earth can you put your stuff?
many years ago while living in the first of many homes that had that problem, i started using canvas over the door shoe organizers.
i found that the lower boot pouches fit a rolled up bath towel perfectly and higher up, reg towels could be rolled and fit very well too.
shampoos, hairsprays, dryers..all found a great home in the “shoe” bag. it looked very tidy and of course hardly takes up any room at all!
nowadays, you can find them in a variety of fabrics and some etsy shop owners can probably custom make one for you to perfectly coordinate with your bathroom.
tattgiff at centurytel dot net
I would say the best tip I can give is to check all of the things you have around to make sure not only if you need them but if they are still any good. For example a lot of things we use every day like deorodants, extra shampoos and kitchen products like boxed foods, spices and even over the counter medications all have expiration dates. You get rid of so many things that are not longer good and just taking up space. I did this and there was so much stuff that I didn’t realize could even expire!
Consolidate! Most people have so many things in their home in multiple packages. They open new shampoo before fully using the past of the previous bottle. This applies to hand soap, spices, mouthwash, etc (I especially had this issue with ketchup!). Take the time to put these together into a single bottle. You can get rid of all your extra bottles of stuff and really clean up!
The best organizing tip I have is buy the over the door clear plastic ‘shoe’ holders. Holds like 20 or so (different ones have different sizes on them) on the back of all of my closet doors, especially the linen/coat closet and pantry to hold small items. For example on the linen/coat closets, I can put gloves in one pocket, pillow cases in the larger pockets. The pantry one I put the gravy type mixs in one, kool aid packs in another, pasta mixes, jello boxes in another. Very easy to just look and see where things are.
Thanks
Sweeps_momma(at)hotmail(dot)com
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