Cover Image: Declutter Like a Mother

Declutter Like a Mother

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Thanks to NetGalley and Nelson Books for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I had recently come across the Instagram page of Allie Casazza. As a mom who's always looking for ways to minimalize the amount of crap in my home and organize it, I was excited to read her book. Who better than another mother to help me figure out how to get this task done? Well, I wasn't all that impressed. Almost all the information is basic logic I've already learned or come across in other books. The section I was most excited about, children and their belongings, had a plug to her "paid program" to really go deep on the types of children and how to help each type let go of things. She gave a very simplistic view in the book on these types, but again, it was all so basic I just skimmed over it. I actually found myself skimming a lot as there just wasn't anything in there that was new to me. It felt like one huge advertisement of herself, and the opening was way too long. I wanted to get to the meat of the book, but every time I though she was done talking, it just kept going with more words.

My biggest turnoff was I did not like the Rachel Hollis tone of "hey girl" Allie kept using in the book. As someone who loathes that kind of marketing to be hip with women, I finally had enough and DNF the book. I think I made it just over 50% of the way through and was done. I think anyone who is a fan of Allie, her blog, her podcasts, or her programs, you might like this book. It just wasn't for me.

I'll be posting my review on Goodreads right away, but I might only do a very simple review on Instagram. I hate leaving bad feedback on that site as it feels a lot more personal than Goodreads. If I do post, it will be up before the 15th of September.

Was this review helpful?

“This is why minimalism is not about having less for the sake of having less. It’s not about having a clean house. It’s not about being a minimalist because it’s trendy and cool and your house will look perfect. There has to be a bigger and deeper why. It’s about having less for the sake of having more of what matters.”

Here ye here ye, calling all moms. Declutter Like A Mother is a room by room and item by item guide to help you be your best clutter free self. This is an extremely real and practical way to get your life back. It’s not the minimalist movement that has you feeling you have to survive with one fork and 7 items of clothing. But it IS about not having so much that it’s stealing your joy and life.

Holyyyyy hell am I glad I raised my daughter before there was so much pressure for moms to be perfect and have Pinterest worthy houses on the regular. My daughter played with toys and they were everywhere…and literally no one cared. Because no one saw it. Ahhh the simpler times before social media.

According to this book, my generally chill and laid back attitude stems from my lack of clutter in my home. Wahooooo. A cluttered home equals a cluttered mind has been my adult life mantra. I have a place for everything and everything is in its place. The one caveat to my clutter free, light, and airy home are…you guessed it…books. #SorryNotSorry And as she states in the book, “progress not perfection.” Can I get an amen?!

If you are interested in simplifying your life and taking it back from the clutter that surrounds you, read this book! Thank you to Netgalley, Nelson Books, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

“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.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

What sets Allie apart from the others, is that her minimalist style is not one that will make you feel starved or going without. Declutter Like a Mother is a practical and realistic approach to decluttering your home. It is an achievable guide that won’t overwhelm you to set you on your path to living a purposeful and minimalist life, and allow you to enjoy more of motherhood as a result.

Was this review helpful?

Allie's take on minimalism is refreshing without being pretentious. For anyone that loves the philosphy behind Marie Kondo's vision of living with less, but has a hard time getting behind the anthropomorphic language of saying goodbye to your belongings, I think this satisfies a similar itch. It's also helpful and practical for anyone with children, as we all know - a lot of stuff comes with them! I'd definitely recommend this to a friend and it's worth revisiting from time to time when you need a refresher. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been doing the Declutter Like a Mother Challenge for 3 years. This book does not disappoint! What’s better than freeing up your time and space, and improving your whole mentality with simple changes? Allie’s straight to the point style is real-life talk and helps others see how these changes can improve their lives. I spend way less time on household chores and more time doing things I love.

Was this review helpful?

Allie gives good, reasonable, manageable advice on decluttering and reclaiming your spaces. The book is geared towards moms and those who live in houses, and it includes sections on kid stuff and working with your kids to declutter their things. The book expands on Allie's annual "Declutter Like a Mother" challenge, and she does mention her other subscription/purchase programs. I enjoyed reading the book, and I did find it easier to work with than the challenge because it is more in depth and self-paced.

Was this review helpful?

Wow! If you are struggling with clutter or secretly want the minimalistic life, but can't wrap your mind around it, this book is for you! Allie makes it make sense. Not to strip your house of happiness and things you love to only have bare walls and 2 coffee cups, but to make your house manageable! The level of clarity I had after reading this was unbelievable! The encouragement and relatability made it all click into place. Run! You need this, I promise.

Was this review helpful?

I love Allie's no-nonsense, laidback approach to decluttering (and life, for that matter). Her style is straightforward, open, and relatable - reading this book felt like hanging out with a friend who "gets" me. If you're a mama (or anyone really) who is new to decluttering or just looking for a way to do life more simply, this book is for you! Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

I already feel lighter by reading and listening to this message.. Allie does a perfect job of helping to explain how to lighten your load in life by simplifying your home. Her voice comes through like a friend who is working along next to you. It is easy to take what she shares in this book and start making progress in your home immediately. If you are over the feeling of overwhelm, this is a great start to clearing the clutter and making room for what’s important in your life. Get the book! You won’t regret it!

Was this review helpful?

I love to read this sort of book despite the fact that it has very little impact on my life or domestic situation. But this one does not do it for me in any way. I found the author's style and persona a huge turn-off. I don't know why but there was a sort of smugness and self-promotion which jarred. I'd much rather ignore the advice of the gentle and sweet Marie Kondo.

Was this review helpful?

Nothing earth shattering if you’ve read other declutter books, but the author’s no pressure method of declutter ing might be the message you’re looking for. I’d recommend if someone were looking to get started

Was this review helpful?

Some fab tips on how to declutter but I definitely feel it could have been enhanced with some photos and visuals.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the preview copy.

Was this review helpful?

In Declutter Like a Mother, Allie Casazza, walks us through her process of decluttering. This book is geared more towards moms, however, the process she describes can be utilized by anyone.

Allie wants you to stop drowning in your stuff and start living in your space with your kids/family. She wants to know if “you’re ready to make some of the same changes that I made that led me to this place of thriving in life and opting out of mere survival mode,” “You can choose a different path, you can thrive, you can love and enjoy this life, you can escape the chronic overwhelm that everyone else calls normal.”

However, Allie then goes on to explain that her method is not really minimalism, “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.” “this process we’re going through is not about trying to create a home where things are perfect; it’s about creating a home where things are so much lighter. It’s about creating a world in which we are available for life – the good parts and the hard parts – and aren’t making things even harder on ourselves. A world where we don’t feel stress and negative energy all day every day but instead have more clarity and more space.”

I will say that if you have read any other organization or decluttering book, you probably have already heard the process that Allie is going to walk us through. The latter part of the book goes through the house room by room with tips on how to create a space you will enjoy and that will keep you stress free. The problem with this is that some of the spaces she walks through, I don’t have. And some of them are geared toward kids, so if you don’t have kids, there is some irrelevant material to sift through.

I feel this book was just your average decluttering book. And I have a feeling that if you follow her blog or Facebook page, you will have already learned the lessons from this book.

Was this review helpful?

Allie's book is going to change lives in the best way. She gives practical, digestible wisdom on how to make your space one that works for you and your family. My favorite is that it's not so prescriptive that you can only have a certain number of each item but digs into what your situations might be and how to support the life your family has. When reading this book, I read the kitchen chapter and immediately went to work. I went from having a kitchen that I hated cooking in to having space that brings me peace and I want to spend time in. I didn't spend money, I just followed her instructions to set it up in a way that was thoughtful and made me happy. Everyone has commented on how much bigger my kitchen looks now (which is a nice bonus). I already know I will be buying a hard copy of this book for me to keep on hand, and will be buying many more to gift. Thank you, Allie, for making this accessible to so many.

Was this review helpful?

Declutter Like a Mother provides a do-able blueprint for readers to work through de-cluttering their homes in manageable chunks. I appreciate Allie's "you do you" approach to decluttering. Allie writes to her readers in a very casual and relatable way sharing lots of personal examples, reading Declutter Like a Mother feels like chatting with a friend

Was this review helpful?

A eye opening, actionable, thoughtful book to help you break down the steps of decluttering and simplifying your home to make space for what matters. Allie prompts you through some questions to find your “why” for decluttering and then walks you through, step by tangible step, how to declutter your home.

This book was so inspiring, I did what she said by setting 30 minute timers and worked on chunks of our house during each session. Our home is so much lighter, happier, easier to maintain, I am less stressed, and so is the family. This is a must read for anyone (not just moms) who wants to find my intention in life, less stress and chaos, and more peace. Because, as Allie explains, what takes up your space takes up your time, and clutter can literally steal your joy.

Was this review helpful?

Allie is an Encourager, a motivator, she know what she is talking about because she has lived it! An overwhelmed mom who was tired of picking up after her life instead of living it. Her book helps you shift your mindset and provides specific steps to help make those tough decisions. This is an easy read and one you will go back through many times on your journey. If you truly want more time and more freedom in your life, check out this book. Don’t just read it, take action!

Was this review helpful?

This book was fun and informative! I love how the author broke down each space of the home. I'm a organizational freak so this kind of reading is so much fun. Helped me think about getting rid of even more stuff. Highly recommend!

Was this review helpful?

I love Allie's approach in this book, as well as all that she teaches..."progress, not perfection." As a family that has just moved and is unpacking, this book couldn't have come at a better time. She gives you just the right size amount to "chew off" at a time when the overwhelm hits. I've been following Allie for years now and am a current student of the Uncluttered Home, as well as many of her other courses. The chapters in this book truly work and literally moved mountains in my own life with her words of wisdom and experience. I'm so thankful for her and her message that is being spread out there with this book.

Was this review helpful?