Martha Stewart's Organizing

November 18, 2019
Stewart (Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection) turns her discerning eye to organization in this beautifully photographed and impeccably designed guide to organizing everything. Starting with a sensible list of organizing principles and provisions (among them tackling one room at a time, doing a little work every day, and making the most of every square inch of space) and her top 10 organizational tools (including bins and baskets, drawer inserts, and lazy Susans), Stewart divides the book into three broad categories: Organize Your Year, Organize Your Home, and Organize Your Routine. Wondering how long to keep beauty products? In a comprehensive chart, Stewart tackles the top 12 items found in most bathrooms, including mascara and sunblock, covering how long each lasts and how to extend the life of each. Not sure how long bacon and other kitchen staples last? Stewart enumerates items, shelf life, and how to store items. Need a list to keep one’s Thanksgiving preparations on point? The author’s begins a month before Thanksgiving and ends the day after. Stewart also includes instructions for a few charming craft projects, including map coasters for Father’s Day. This thoughtful, empowering offering will inspire even the most unorganized.

December 6, 2019

Lifestyle expert Stewart offers suggestions for getting and staying organized in her latest book, the culmination of decades of research for her magazine and TV shows. As expected, both time-tested and fresh ideas are packed into an attractive format (heavy on bullet points, charts, and checklists) that lends itself to browsing or quick reference when tackling a particular challenge. Part 1 helps readers organize the year with color-coded calendars. Part 2 is a room-by-room guide to organizing items stylishly and offers storage solutions and projects for combatting clutter. The last part focuses on routines for everyday life (even showering) and special occasions by outlining supplies, manageable steps, and schedules. VERDICT Readers on a budget or establishing a household will find inspiration and customizable ideas here. Those seeking a philosophical discussion about downsizing or decluttering as they undertake organizing should also look to Margareta Magnusson's The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning or Joshua Becker's The Minimalist Home.--Bonnie Poquette, Milwaukee

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2019
Whatever readers' opinions of her may be, Martha Stewart consistently offers tips, tricks, and techniques that are, in a word, lifesaving. Almost every page of this (well-organized, naturally) organizing tome offers a useful activity or a snippet of one. Three sections?year, home, and space?cover a multitude of areas in which many of us could use a little help getting organized. There's a smattering of recipes here, the main draw is color photographs that capture the essence of Stewart's topics (clean, launder, celebrate, pets, and the like). Readers will appreciate great ideas like making a summer car kit (which includes wipes, a blanket, and a cooler), and charts like one for scheduling preventive health. Even Marie Kondo devot�es might find this a far more practical approach to stuff and life. Includes templates.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)