First off, I'm an unusual reader for this book.
1)I'm 22.
2)I'm male.
But, since I'm going to be moving out on my own in a couple months, and I found this book at a discount, I figured "Eh, why not?"I want to have an organized home, and since I'm not yet married, I figured I'd have Emilie Barnes, housewife extraordinaire, give me some advice.
At that, she did okay.First, since I'm going to be living in an apartment by myself, much of the book was pointless, so I skipped several of the chapters ("Raising Children", "The Garden", "The Garage").But, what was left was pretty good advice.Simple things to make your life and more easier and more organized.Is most of it common sense?Sure.But, it's common sense that we don't necessarily think about without someone else pointing it out.
My major disappointments in this book were two-fold.First, it's terribly organized.One would think that a book about organization would be...well, organized.Instead, you get a more or less disorganized list of tips separated into topical chapters (which aren't always particularly accurate).Second, it can be kind of cheesy for me.Under "Beauty" (a chapter I browsed rather than read), she suggests to "teach a child to ride a bike".What that has to do with beauty, I'm not entirely sure, though it is a nice thing to do.
So, to wrap up, if you want a book with a step-by-step method for organizing your home and your life, look somewhere else.Emilie believes that whatever specific system you use has to work for you, so she doesn't bother offering one.If you want a book with some random good ideas that you could probably think of yourself if you had more time, then this is the book for you.Personally, I don't regret buying it.I think it will get me started on the right foot as I move into my apartment.(It's already encouraged me to clean up my room here at home!I haven't done that this thoroughly for 7 years!)
This book will encourage you to organize your life, and give you some tips to get started.But, Emilie certainly won't hold your hand all the way!
Product DescriptionMore than 285,000 copies of Emilie's Creative Home Organizer have been sold! With its new cover,Emilie's timeless household wisdom will reach evenmore women from all walks of life.
A time and organizational management expert, Emilie offers thousands of helpful tips for cleaning,cooking, gardening, staying healthy, raising children, and more. From thekitchen to the bathroom, from doing laundry to cleaning out the garage, readerswill find innovative and practical suggestions for clearing out the clutter andorganizing what is left to make life easier and allow time for more meaningfuland fun activities.
Emilie's Creative Home Organizer has the facts,ideas, and creative solutions guaranteed to help readers save time, use their energywisely, and avoid stress.
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Emilie's Creative Home Organizer (Barnes, Emilie) (Paperback)
This is a book that I have referred to over and over again to get myself organized and stay organized.Emile Barnes uses a no nonsense approach to get you organized.Her common sense system of using a timer and giving yourself 15 minutes to stay focused on your area of attack is great.I am a working mom with two toddlers.I read this book originally when I got married 7 years ago.I read it at least once a year to reinspire myself and as a constant reference to stay motivated with a busy schedule to get organized.
