Bringing Order to Your Life, Home & Routines

Love the book however the spine split from the pages quickly. It’s a great read.

The moment I read the description for this book, I knew I had to have it. I usually buy used books, but I pre-ordered this one. It couldn't get here fast enough.For me, the heart of this book is the calendar. The calendar breaks down many of Martha's wonderful ideas into manageable daily tasks and activities. It lets the reader look over Martha's shoulder and follow along day by day. It's a condensed glimpse of how she accomplishes so many things in her life. What excites me most about the calendar is that she remembers to include leisure activities. I have often had a hard time balancing chores and leisure. I also often have a hard time choosing what to work on each day, and lately that indecision has been making me pretty miserable. As soon as the preview for the book was available, I started following along with the calendar and immediately started feeling better.This past week I:– did some yoga (using the Ring Fit game on our Nintendo Switch)– organized a list of upcoming medical appointments for myself, my husband & our two sons– bought some citrus fruit (found some excellent pink grapefruit)– shopped at a white sale (found a much-needed big warm comforter)Tonight we’re planning to have a movie night with the kids (sans the suggested fireplace; if I continue following Martha’s suggestions, we should have our fireplace ready to use next winter for the first time in over a decade of living in our house).In short, it’s a relief to follow a simple list of tasks and get positive results. As one lady put it on Twitter, “Martha take the wheel.”The checklists and schedules are the other helpful parts of the book. I have posted a couple of photos from those other sections that aren’t included in the Amazon preview. (Pro tip: Search for this book on Google Books for some additional glimpses of what’s inside.) The book is a little short. I see it as a companion for The Martha Manual. I pounced on that book too, but then it sat on my shelf getting dusty because I had a hard time getting organized enough to apply her ideas to my life. Martha Stewart’s Organizing adds that missing piece. It’s a little early to say, but I have a feeling that this book will finally get me on track. If you’re struggling, it might help you, too.

It’s very good organising book and it’s very well organised itself. All the seasons and everything. A lot of gorgeous pictures. It’s like reading a magazine.

Purchased for Mom- she requested. She loves the organization.

The book was in excellent shape. Shipping was quick. Great book all around!

👍

Martha goes way back in my organization recollections, back to nearly 30 years! When I found this book, I had to have it. I have a few others of hers, but this looked like a definitive manual that was a MUST HAVE! Now that I have been a parent for the last 10 years, it made even more sense for me to have something like this. No regrets- I love the way there are items "to do" laid out for the seasons and also general home keeping advice for each area of the home. If you can get your hands on a copy, don't delay.

I've always loved Martha Stewart's books and guides, but this is one of my favorites. It condenses a lot of what her larger handbooks entail, down to a very aesthetic and digestible amount. She updates many of her suggestions for organization to include newer technology but also still advocates for the basics, such as taking care of books that have been on a shelf for a while.If someone is just starting out on their own, merging their household or just looking for a way to spring clean effectively, this is a great gift. It was my gift to myself because I'm worth an organized home and ideals to work toward!

I LOVE this book! It is so very thorough, just like Martha!! It is a true treasure of mine. It is a stunningly beautiful book & so inspiring.

Thank you, Martha! I bought this book to try and turn over a more organized "leaf" for the new year. I have already instituted some of the suggestions found in this book, and I continue to make my way through. There are a couple of sections that do not apply to my type of household, but there are masses of suggestions that would be good for most any home. Beautiful photographs; well put together.

There are some helpful tips in Martha’s book and I enjoyed reading some of her and recipes. The book is set up so you can move around to what’s important to you. The photographs throughout the book are every bit as useful as the written material if you’re more of a visual person.

Great and well organized book by Martha Stewart. Covers many topics, celebrations and monthly things to do and priorities. Affordable price. You can never go wrong with Martha Stewart.

Greta book lots of fun information, tricks, tips and ideas. Good ready and looks nice on a coffee table or bookshelf as well! Love the monthly calendars in the book for decluttering!

I wasn’t really sure what to expect as I have never read a Martha book, but I watched her documentary and thought, “This lady is a boss!”. Oh my god, I love a good list and for someone to just tell me how to live my life. Martha gives you instructions on how to take care of all aspects of your life, right down to you need to meditate. She also provides creative ideas and it’s not for people who just live a lavish life it’s for us normals too. Anywho I bought 4 more for each of my close girlfriends for Christmas gifts. You should probably buy it too.

Not what I expected, but has a lot of useful ideas.

This book is an amazing resource for many topics. I love it and have purchased a few copies to give as housewarming gifts to my friends. Martha Stewart covers a wide variety of topics, and the book is well organized and aesthetically pleasing in the way it delivers its information.

I was expecting a bit more in terms of lists, the calendar I guess takes that place. I prefer one area at a time organizing and the book sort of does that. Much of the material comes from her magazine and TV shows. I was hoping for a long list of places to purchase items, which I found lacking. I also live in my office three days a week and mine is a paper explosion, then it disappears. More practical working areas in your home; like shut the door. I totally get rid of items you don't use and just make time to do that. I don't have elves helping me, so organizing takes a while for me.

I love Martha. I have been following her since the '90s. As someone who is perpetually organizationally-challenged, I was hoping Martha would provide me with the tools to achieve success. I think it will inspire me but will need to search for a more in-depth manual.This book is a great example of what Martha does best. The book is glossy and visually stunning. It also covers WAY too many topics: a detailed (and quite insane) calendar of tasks for each day of the year, sections on organizing different rooms, children, pets, health, cooking, laundry, home office, gardening and entertainment. It's basically every possible facet of your life in 288 pages. That doesn't allow much detail for any one thing. It feels like a great inspiration to get started on something, get some ideas working, but then I'll need to look elsewhere for anything more. For example, a huge issue for me is PAPER. I mean, it's everywhere. She devotes TWO PAGES TOTAL to "Document-Retention" and "Filing System." That's it. The chart of what to keep and how long is great; the section on filing seems like an overview for someone who is just tweaking their current system, not an instruction on how to set it up or what it might look like. That is the basic premise for everything: here's a few pages to get you started. I would have preferred fewer different sections (don't need entertaining, gardening or cooking in an organizing book, those already have their own books) and more "meat."Martha doesn't forget an item, though. The book is a handy reference for all kinds of things and especially with regard to home tasks, she gives me an idea of when I should be regrouting the bathroom or mulching the lawn. She breaks things down in minute detail so a task is never forgotten, but then just sort of leaves you there, overwhelmed.Some other thoughts:* Minimalism is the name of the game. Things can have a place if you don't have a metric ton of toilet paper and food containers. Less is more in her world, and it is inspiring to think that I can pare down the kitchen utensils and learn to work with what I can neatly store in the drawer. I mean, I've got three soup ladles; I really only need one.* The photos are glorious but no kids or pets must go anywhere near those spaces. Most people have more detritus of living than was evident in the entire book. Just look at the photos of the kid areas. I had to laugh.>>Side note for designers: NO ONE organizes their books by COLOR. No. One.* I am a SAHM and would need a team to help me complete the tasks of living this life. Most people do not want to devote that many hours of their lives just so their spaces look like a magazine photo spread. It's not realistic for basically anyone but Martha. And her team.I'm happy enough to keep the book. There are some worthwhile ideas and it will serve as a reference, as well as inspiration. It won't be the only book I need to change my home, though. Maybe I just need a maid.....

Two sections in this book; seasonal by month--things to do to organize your life but organizing not just with an eye to maintenance of your dwelling, but also maintenance of your lifestyle. So in January, when you are likely to be eyeing a new workout routine, sign up for a yoga class. When you are gathering your forms for tax season, schedule an appointment with your advisor. February: a short month, deep winter. Start a knitting project. Sharpen garden tools for later in the season, get a sitter for Valentines Day dinner. You get the drift.Then the second part of the book is organization by subject, bathroom, bedroom, living area, kitchen, entryway.What I love about this book are the calendars and also the lovely photos, which you would of course expect from Martha Stewart. But there are also suggestions of things that can help organize you, such as roll out shelves for your bathroom vanity. And what to store there (such as a first aid kit) and what to put somewhere else because it's not used as frequently.There are many decluttering and organizing books but this book is very appealing and readable. It follows a bit of the advice of "Fly Lady" who suggests daily, weekly, and monthly routines in a book to keep you from being overwhelmed at any one time and on track. This book is more aesthetic in nature but as such, it's inspiring.And it's very practical advice; for example kitchen. What do you keep on the counter? So, Martha suggests putting essential tools in a drawer within arm's reach of the stove or sort them into crocks by type (spoons, whisks, tongs.)She suggests felt pad glides for on-counter appliances so you can shove them back against the wall when not in use, and forward for cleaning behind the. I never thought of that one--good idea for the big mixer.Lots of small helpful tips, for example, washing your sponge in the dishwasher doesn't really work so well (this is true.) Put the sponges in a net bag and run them on hot water with big towels.Another hint I can verify; make sure when you are constructing or remodeling your kitchen island, you have an electrical outlet. And install hooks or a towel rod for kitchen towels.Lots of good ideas, very readable book and very nice to look at.