Declutter Like a Mother

Edit: My review was based on the 2020/2021 Allie. With 2022 came allegations of SA and 2023 brought a whole spiral to Allie, to include slamming followers and anyone who disagrees (even when it's medically unsafe to agree - like the potato juice for strep throat supposedly posted for the algorithm/to be viral).

I don't know what's going on (and don't need to), but I am really struggling to balance who she was with who she is now (in regards to how much and often she is putting other people down). She no longer has faith in or cheerleads her followers and, knowing that, I don't think I could read this book again and feel like it is authentic. It seemed that way at the time, but I can't help to question it now after seeing everything that is being posted by Allie.

”Life is too short to drink out of a fugly mug.”This book is authentically Allie and I am so here for it. I discovered Allie last year when I was on a podcast kick and the mindset shift she presents when it comes to being in a state of lack (vs. abundance) changed my relationship with my time and my belongings. Shortly after, I was able to join her 2021 Declutter Like A Mother challenge on Facebook. Because of this experience, I couldn't help but visualize Allie's mannerisms and excitement while reading this book. I even heard the text through her voice. It feels kind of creepy to admit that, but the words are so true to what she would say if this were instead a podcast, class, or Facebook challenge that I couldn't help hearing it that way.If you haven't participated in a Declutter Like A Mother Challenge, I am excited that you get to do so for the first time. The physical goal is decluttering, but there is a larger mental goal of lightening the load and stress on your life through the removal of clutter. My favorite part about this method is that it's not focused on rules or numbers, but what works best for you. ”You get to decide what's good enough for you right now. You focus on progress, not perfection; you focus on what you think is going to work for you and your family, not on what works for someone else.”If you have participated in a Declutter Like A Mother challenge, you already know the general content and layout of this book, but I will say that reliving that experience at my own pace and being able to relive it as often as I like is pretty dang useful. I've come a long way since January's challenge, but after a big purge, I've realized it's an ongoing process. Like with the annual challenge, it's hard to make it through a section without feeling the urge to immediately get up and start decluttering.This book is written casually. If you're not familiar with Allie, I recommend popping into one of her podcast episodes to get a feel for her style and overall vibe. I recommend this because I tend to be a skeptic and reading a book without understanding the authenticity or tone behind someone's written word is difficult for me. This isn't required in order enjoy the book of course, but it will add to the experience.”Whatever we call it, it's about being intentional. It's about simplifying. It's about having less of what doesn't matter in order to make room for what does.”At the end of the day, I adore Allie because she has faith in her followers and cheerleads us on while also being direct about what our true holdups are. Her desire to do this with the hold ups we have in our home has encouraged long lasting change in my life. If you can appreciate the beauty in this and are ready to approach your home with a new mindset, you'll love this book.

Thank you Nelson Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

The book is a great read which helps one to live a simple life with less clutter or no clutter. It is minimalism but with our own rules. If we have less stuff at home. We can clean easily and we have more time for many things because all women have the same problem. The daily lot of cleaning work and no me time or time to spend with kids or family. I loved many sayings by the author like - “Everything needs to have a purpose when it enters my home. Every time you buy something for yourself you have to remove one thing from your closet.” I have implemented a few things which worked for me. Decluttering helps in making things better.