Title: Pretty Neat: The Buttoned-Up Way to Get Organized and Let Go of Perfection
Author: Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch
My Review:
Finally, an organizing book has been written for women in the real world. Pretty Neat is the first organizing book that I have ever read that made me feel more confident about what I am already doing while giving me lots of useful tips that feel “do-able.”
My house is clean and pretty organized but far from “perfect.” If I am being honest, at times it can be very discouraging because my husband is somewhat obsessive compulsive and expects the house to be a showcase despite the fact that we have three children ages 3, 4 and 5 and a dog. I was a bit apprehensive to read Pretty Neat because I mistakenly assumed that these organizing gurus would point their finger at me and make me feel even worse about my own organizing skills. Instead, Pretty Neat authors Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch give permission to “get organized and let go of perfection the buttoned up way.”
Pretty Neat is a treasure trove of organizing information and my favorite chapter is “Temper Those Toy Tsunamis.” With three young children that are homeschooled, two boys and a girl, my biggest challenge is keeping the living areas neat and tidy as well as making sure the playroom is not overrun with toys, games and books. There were so many excellent ideas to start with in this chapter and I actually got excited to tackle the playroom. Surprisingly my three children were even willing to pitch in after I explained that we needed to select toys for a garage sale and also to donate to a local children’s home. Once we had thinned the toy pile, the children helped color pictures that we taped to each bucket i.e. a car for Hot Wheels and a baby for Barbies, dolls etc. Then I showed the kids how we would pick up twice a day to put the toys in their proper spot by identifying the correct bin. The money that we raised from the garage sale will completely cover the cost of any new toys purchased for Christmas too. My husband was so thrilled with our plan that he built a home school book case and file cabinet for me to keep all of our books, crafts, puzzles and supplies in the garage. Finally, my children brought toys to donate to the children’s home and it taught them a lesson about sharing and giving to others.
Can you say “no”? I often have difficulty saying “no” to others and find myself over-extended and stressed out especially as we get ready for the holidays. Pretty Neat has an entire chapter devoted to learning to just say “no.” I also related to the chapter about eliminating excuses. I tend to procrastinate if it is a task that seems overwhelming and I got lots of useful ideas and information to help tackle the organizational “but.” What is that you ask? You will just have to read Pretty Neat to find out and while you are at it you won’t want to miss the funny interpretation of “org porn” either which had me laughing out loud.
Pretty Neat includes an excellent resource section at the end of the book. There is no doubt in my opinion that this is the most “real” organizational book that I have ever read and I am so glad that I got over my initial apprehension and decided to read it. Instead of reaching for perfection which will indefinitely remain out of my reach, I am now confident that I can tackle techniques in real life that will help make us a better organized family.
The authors, Sarah Welch and Alicia Rockmore are the co-founders of Buttoned Up, which is a company that helps “busy people get organized sanely.” You can visit their blog at http://getbuttonedup.com/.
To purchase Pretty Neat go to their website and while you are there you can check out all of their other great organizing products too.
Pretty Neat-$14.95
*I received a copy of this book to review but I was not financially compensated in any way. The opinions expressed are my own and are based on my observations while reading this novel.*
Giveaway
We are pleased to be able to offer our readers an extra special giveaway today! The authors of Pretty Neat are giving away $250 to the person who shares the best organizational tip or shortcut. The winner will be selected by Alicia Rockmore and Sarah Welch out of all the participating blogs and will be announced on January 10, 2011.
In addition, the blog who has the most comments on their post wins $250!
Just to make it a little more enticing to have you share all your organizing tips and tricks, I am offering my own little prize too. One reader is going to win a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card. The winner will be selected by random.org from all the entries on my blog.
So that’s TWO PRIZES you can win- $250 Cash and a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card!
To Enter:
Leave a comment sharing an organizational tip or shortcut. Please share as many tips as you like. Remember the best one wins the $250 and a random commenter will win a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card!
Open to all.
The giveaway ends on December 31, 2010 at 11:59 pm EST.
About Maureen
I wash out and re-use ziplog bags of every size. They are just wonderful for storing items such as hair clips, coupons, box tops, dog treats, etc. Anything that is a dry good that doesn’t have to be kept germ-free. LOL
To keep my teenage girls ready in the morning I keep all their hair supplies in clear plastic bins, Easy for them to see and grab what they need ..
I keep my bathroom organized by using pretty jars to hold my q-tips, cotton balls, and more. I also put my mouthwash in a decanter. It looks pretty and keeps the things I need at my fingertips.
pandahugger(at)gmail(dot)com
I use magnetic spice jars and keep them on the side of the fridge. My spices are handy, but look neat and trendy. I use something like this:
http://www.amazon.com/Lipper-International-20-Piece-Magnetic-Stainless/dp/B000MM7DJM
I guess you can tell by my tips that I like organization that looks pretty.
I take off the clothes I’m wearing in the condition I want them for washing. For example, socks and underwear are taken off right side out, a shirt may be taken off inside out, a bra is taken off and then hooked back up.
ceis8009 at yahoo dot com
The best organizational tip is “don’t procastinate”. Things pile up when you do,
Flylady.net has alot of helpful tools for keeping your life in control.
ceis8009 at yahoo dot com
Well I live in a very small dorm room so to stay organized i use many many cubes with cute drawers
It’s very difficult to live without my glasses, phone or purse. So I have trained myself to leave these items in one of two places: on my computer desk or on my bed bookcase headboard.
ceis8009 at yahoo dot com
One big organizing tip is to not let your weeks worth of newspapers pile up! They seem to multiply, so within a day or maybe two, put it into your pile for recycling!
When I just can’t seem to get in the mood to clean;I tell my self that I’m going to clean as much as possible in 30 minutes; than I’ll take a break.By the time my 30 minutes is over, I’m in my cleaning zone, and I don’t want to stop.
If I set a timer in a room for 12 minutes, I work in that room only. I make a game out of it and work as fast as I can, but thoroughly. This works best for me in the kitchen, where the counter tops and kitchen table have become hot spots for clutter. The kitchen looks amazing in no time, and what needs to go elsewhere I put in a laundry basket to be delivered after my 12 minutes.
Clean as you go. I hit the bathroom first, so it takes little additional time to clean the mirror, sink and swish the toilet. Next I head to the kitchen for my coffee, while it brews I take out what’s needed for dinner. After coffee I head to the bedroom and computer. Make my bed, dust and sit down to my sweeps. If you’re gonna be there anyway, you might as well clean.
I follow GFC.
I entered The Boxamania giveaway.
I reuse plastic screw top jars from costco (nuts and other yummies come in them) for various things around the house! They work great for storing homemade pet treats and even storing lots of extra plastic baggies from produce or the grocery store to pick up after your pet at the park or on a walk.
sara at theniffs dot com
Scan frequently used documents and copy to a flash drive. Of course you want to keep the originals, but when a copy is acceptable or you need to email it, it is at your fingertips.
ceis8009 at yahoo dot com
Leave a pail of appropriate cleaners in each room. For example: tub clearner, toilet cleaner, glass cleaner, paper towels/rags in the bathroom. Or dusting materials, glass cleaner, etc. in the bedroom.
ceis8009 at yahoo dot com
When using a dishwasher, just scrape off any left-overs. No need to rinse dishes before placing in dishwater. Modern dishwashing detergents are formulated to “attack” that “dirt”. They will not work as effectively if the dishes have been rinsed clean. If you run the hot water in the kitchen sink for about 10 seconds prior to turning on the dishwasher, the water temperature will be closer to what the dishwasher needs so it won’t be trying to heat up a dishwasher full of cold water before beginning its cycle. Save time, money and resources!
ceis8009 at yahoo dot com
There are certain supplies that you do NOT like to run out of: printer ink, soap, toilet paper!
Try to keep a package that is being used and a back-up. When the first package runs out, immediately buy another package even though you have your back-up package to use. If you wait too long to purchase the back-up package, you’ll probably forget to buy it and then–you’ll run out of that indispensible item. 
ceis8009 at yahoo dot com