Yeah right! When I saw the title of Joshua Becker's new book Clutterfree with Kids I was very skeptical because the words clutter-free and kids don't really go together at all! Especially in my house filled with collections of rocks, drawers filled with legos, and piles of tiny plastic animals from the mall.
If Joshua Becker is a new author to you, you may want to take a moment to head over to his website Becoming Minimalist and get to know him a little bit.
When he invited me to read his new book about kids and share a review with you I couldn't sign up fast enough. Ever since I started following his website and Facebook page I hear his voice in my head all day long as I de-clutter and try to live with less.
Clutterfree with Kids isn't like the other organization and de-cluttering books that most of you have read. Clutterfree with Kids offers a new perspective and fresh approach to overcoming clutter.
The book begins by sharing a simple lesson Joshua learned from his son and a few very important realizations that he had...
"Living life is more enjoyable than managing and organizing stuff!"
"Life would be better lived if there was less stuff to manage and organize and clean. Not only were my possessions not bringing me joy. They were actually distracting me from the very things that did."
Amen.
Clutterfree with Kids is a well-organized how-to manual for parents who want to take back their lives and their homes and get rid of clutter!
Here are some of the clutter problem areas covered in the book...
- Toys
- Clothes
- Artwork
- Sentimental items
- Collections
- Screens
- Photos
- Gifts
- Packing
- Schedules
- Preparing for baby
As a mom with three kids ages 5 and under who also loves to be crafty... this book was EXACTLY what I needed to read to help get our house and life under control and feeling more organized.
The gems of wisdom shared in Joshua's book are constant.
Once you buy the book definitely grab yourself a notebook or a highlighter because you'll want to write down several tidbits of his advice to hang on your wall, sticky note to your cupboards, or memorize so you can chant them to yourself when you are tempted to buy a new toy or big container for organizing stuff.
I am contantly reminding myself...
"Don’t Just Declutter, De-Own."
"There is more joy to be found in owning less than can ever be found in organizing more."
Clutterfree with Kids is a book about owning less and living more. That is totally what I want to do.
It made me think hard about the time that I have spent over the years organizing and buying new storage bins and building new spaces to store more stuff in my home. I also thought about the mental energy I expend just thinking about how unorganized and clutter-filled my garage and craft cupboards are EVERY. SINGLE. DAY when my brain could be filled with happier and less negative thoughts.
Clutterfree with Kids is a powerful book. Now I just need 24 more extra hours in the day to implement all of the great ideas I received as I read and re-read the book.
My favorite parts of the book are the simple practical ideas to help you create new habits.
Clutterfree with Kids is also inspirational. It made me realize what a better parent, spouse, and friend I could be if I spent less time focusing on managing and organizing stuff.
I love a book that inspires me to action.
Check out a few of the places I re-organized and de-cluttered recently below. Clean up is way quicker now (than the top photo) and we have probably half the toys. Playtime is also more meaningful and fun because there aren't so many toys distracting and overwhelming the kids. I also organized my closet... finally... and donated many things I don't wear.
Right now the book has me de-cluttering, de-owning, and re-evaluating the purchases we make and what we allow in our home.
Clutterfree with Kids is currently the #1 Parenting and #1 Self-Help book in America and it just launched yesterday! You can go read even more about it over at Becoming Minimalist.
For the first 7 days, the digital edition will be offered at a discounted price (only $2.99). After the first week, the Ebook will sell for $6.99. Currently, the paperback is available for $10.44.
Purchase Clutterfree with Kids here
Disclosure: I was provided a free copy of Clutterfree with Kids to review and share with you if I enjoyed it. Opinions are all mine!
I'm not seeing the discounted price on the website. $2.99?
You had to have purchased the book during the initial 7 days. I originally shared this post a year ago, so it was $2.99 for those initial first days. Definitely watch the amazon link to see if it goes on sale. The book is amazing.
just went to purchase and it is coming up with $5+ price on amazon- how do you get the initial 7 day discount?
You had to have purchased the book during the initial 7 days. I originally shared this post a year ago. Definitely watch the amazon link to see if it goes on sale. The book is amazing.