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!

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.

As a mom with another on the way, I saw this and was like YES PLEASE HELP. But then I started reading it and there were so many things that annoyed me about this book. For one, she's all about minimalism. That's great, but not for me. Then I noticed that she talks to her readers like Rachel Hollis who I just cannot stand. Finally, she promotes herself WAY too much in this. Like we get it, you're successful and you do alot of stuff that you get paid from.

I found this book to be such a disappointment. Early on I realized it was written by the blogger who went viral after she gave away most of her children's toys. She apparently went on to become a multi-millionaire (she tells us often how successful she is) with her podcasts that lead people to pay for her expensive courses on how to declutter. She has testimonials in the book from people who "invested in themselves" and paid $200 to take her courses and how it supposedly changed their lives, but there is virtually NOTHING NEW in this book to differentiate it from your average blog post (and most of it is just her old blog posts from way back, that you can still view through the wayback machine). I wonder if she held back anything honestly helpful for those raking out the hundreds for her classes, if there is anything good in there either.

The one and only thing that was remotely new or helpful to me was that she mentions that in her paid course for getting kids to declutter, the other woman involved in that course made up 5 categories of kids regarding their motivation. This reminded me a lot of the love languages and some are pretty much the same and just rebranded. But basically some kids are motivated by competition, some by wanting to please, some by time with you, etc. and you can convince them to declutter by knowing what motivates them (like give them a dollar for every 10 things they get rid of if they're motivated by money and presents, and just spending time with you will motivate the ones who value quality time). This was literally one paragraph in the entire book though, and it is the only thing I found remotely new.

The author likes to call you "girl" and talks like Rachel Hollis. She also acknowledges that she comes from a privileged perspective, and that shines through. For instance, she talks about getting rid of stuff and you can just buy it again later if you need it, and she describes her lovely house with lots of descriptions of expensive, luxurious items and not just less stuff. She does talk about how to buy better stuff when you're really poor and things like that, but to me she focuses a lot on owning nice things, which isn't really minimalism. The focus is certainly on getting rid of stuff too, but it's really basic advice.

I'd recommend books like Decluttering at the Speed of Life if you want more information.

Considering how often the author plugs her podcast and paid courses, it almost feels like the idea was to get people to buy the book so then they'd go pay hundreds for her courses. There are already about a hundred reviews here on Goodreads from her loyal fans who all parrot the exact same lines.... "Allie gave me the kick in the butt I needed!" and such, so she seems to have sent people over here and to Amazon to rave about the book. If you like her and want to give her some money and hear her talk some more, this will be a great book for you. For those who aren't fans I don't know that you'll get much out of this unless you are absolutely brand new to ever reading anything about decluttering.

I read a digital ARC of this book via Net Galley.

In Declutter Like a Mother, a mom of three children under three gets organized so she can enjoy her children and life without stress.

I have been down the road of minimalist perfection. I read Marie Kondo’s book the day it was published. I watched her entire streaming show as well as the Home Edit one. I’ve read countless blog posts and watched tons of YouTube and TikTok videos. I have bought a truckload of organizational products. My house is a bigger mess now. I now have tables of wire drawers to build and plastic containers waiting for me to use them. I also have a pile of underwear on my bedroom side chair. Because, seriously, no one wants or has time to fold their undies before shoving them into little lingerie cubicles. No one!

However, because I’m ever hopeful, I picked up Declutter Like a Mother. Sure, my only child moved out almost ten years ago. But I’m willing to treat myself like a toddler if I can just get organized.

There are three things that make this book different from every other decluttering book out there. First, it allows you to go at your own speed. Only have 10 minutes? No problem, work for 10 minutes. It’s better than zero minutes, right? After less than a week, you have worked an hour.

Second, part of my problem is that I never start a project because I can’t decide where to start—kitchen, dining room, living room, or primary bedroom. I tend to do only a bit in each room, which doesn’t improve the issue much. In this book, the author encourages starting in the bathroom. Why? Because it is the smallest room and the one least likely to contain sentimental items. It just has a lot of expired or almost empty bottles that are easy to toss. Boom! Success!

The third item at which this book excels is cleaning up kid’s areas. She has several good ideas for this complex and difficult process. All will work better than telling your child that someone must have stolen their Legos. I’m sure some other mother somewhere has also used that excuse to avoid stepping on any more bricks on the floor, right?

Overall, Declutter Like a Mother works. For me, it works slowly—which is just the way I want it. 5 stars and a favorite!

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

Are you tired of being a "hot mess" mom, spending your days drowning in overwhelm? Forget the stark white empty walls, Casazza teaches a family-oriented approach to minimalism that shows you how to reclaim the joy in motherhood and make your home work for you. Declutter like a Mother does a great job conveying the why of decluttering for families, explaining the benefits to both mothers and children. The actual decluttering techniques are similar to basically every decluttering book. Also, be aware that she gets a little annoying with the self-promotion of her online courses.

Allie Casazza pleasantly, yet firmly, exhorts her "cluttered" readers to have method in their "madness" to de-clutter. Her definition of minimalist (ness) differs from what she believes is the mainstream meaning. When one has vision or 'setmind' of how one wishes the rooms of their home to look like, then the task of decluttering will be less overwhelming, she reckons.

Casazza gives a room-by-room guide of how-to-do and how-not-to-do the decluttering. She encourages mothers to include her childen in decision making as she believes in passing better habits on to the next generation. Oh, and yes, the big one, ideas of how to get the spouse onboard with the plan.

Information about Casazzo podcasts, facebook community, programs and the author herself is included. To round up her message, the appendix offers sharings by several mothers who'd been at their wits' ends until they found this program and disentangled themselves from "things". Seems revolutionary and guaranteed to benefit one and all who invest in this 'de-clutter and de-stress program'.

~Eunice C., Reviewer/Blogger~

August 2021

Disclaimer: This is my honest opinion based on the review copy sent by the publisher.

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A few years ago The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up became a huge sensation. I read it and loved it, but the rigid rules made me so overwhelmed and I was not able to stick with it.

Declutter like a mother was made for me. The emphasis on NOT being a minimalist and sticking to a set number but instead following your intent was literally a lightbulb moment.

I can not wait to own a physical copy of this book so that I can highlight all of the best parts.

I just started the declutter process but can already tell that this book is going to be life changing for me.

Allie shares very useful & practical ideas in this book. She put my clutter into perspective and helped inspire me to begin taking steps (big or small) toward enjoying my home & the space I have. A favorite quote of mine in this book is “Too often, moms play the victim to their lives. We play victim to our kids, to our home, to our circumstances, when, really, we're the ones in charge. We just need to take ownership of what is ours.” She opened my eyes to this truth about myself. This is one of the many ways she helped me to actually want to follow through with her sensible advice. Allie has helped me begin to make all of my home function FOR my family. I will read this book over & over & follow her advice again and again. I have only been able to make small steps with her tips so far, but it has already made a huge difference. I am grateful for Allies guidance and highly recommend this book to everyone! It is written with mostly mothers in mind, to help us free up space to enjoy motherhood. But, the ideas she shares in this book, will help anyone.

I'm not a natural minimalist, though I'm perhaps an aspirational minimalist. This book is helpful, conversational and provides great tips. It's definitely helpful for those like me, that need a little help and maybe especially for those already on the path toward minimalism. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who loves to declutter and organize I found this book to be so inspirational. I think this will help so many women and honestly anyone who is looking to simplify their life. It's so clear after reading that book that as long as you are willing to put in the work you can find balance, enjoyment, and freedom. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy of the book.

Allie Casazza takes a conversational tone while suggesting ways to declutter your living space. The ideas are basic. Keep what you use most often, less is better, take photos of papers and objects. A lot is common sense. While cleaning out my basement I had piles for keep, donate and trash without ever opening a book to give me those suggestions. I did like that she doesn't demand everyone live as a minimalist and to include children in cleaning out their clothes and toys. But I didn't have any strong take aways or anything to inspire me to tackle a closet or room at the moment. She does promote her podcast, webpage and instagram for additional ideas. I think I was hoping for something more motivating. Thank you to NetGalley and Nelson Books for a temporary ARC ebook in exchange for an honest review.

So, I had never heard of Allie Casazza until I requested this book to review. Let's just say she was what I was looking for! As a mom with several children, I often wonder how some moms keep their house spotless without any effort, and this book was exactly what I needed! Where have you been all my life Allie? She gives step-by-step instructions on how to incorporate her decluttering lifestyle into a busy mom's schedule and it works amazingly!
It feels like a guidebook that she is holding your hand all the way and it's not major changes in one swift motion, this is a baby step kind of book and it's amazing! Allie's message is clear to the reader: Read, Learn, work on it and change. I will definitely be purchasing the book to be able to look back on it and since I found out she has a podcast, I will check into that too! If you feel like you are drowning and you are never good enough, invest in this book and invest in yourself! I cannot recommend this book to you enough!

Allie Casazza has a wonderful voice for getting a straightforward message out. That the less you own, the less in your space, the lighter you feel.

This book resonated with me not just because I am a mother but because I can feel the genuine desire behind the book to help people realize that your home should be for you and not what you think others think it should be. Everything in your home should be there for you. You are the one living in the space and is your responsibility. So logically the more you own the more you are responsible for and the more time needed to keep it all under control.

Over the last year I have read many books on lessening the items in my possession and this one really focused on the feeling behind owning a lot of items. How it can make you loose track of what you want in life, and the anxiety and overwhelm that comes with too many choices. This isn't a book that will remind you to donate mindfully or to pass on. It just tells you that you need to start. Open a drawer and get to moving things to a new home that isn't yours.

I would like to feel lighter too.

Declutter Like a Mother is a conversational style instruction book on decluttering aimed at women with children. It has nothing new or revolutionary in it, so if you have already read books in this genre I probably wouldn't bother. The author talks to her readers in a slang and chatty way referring to them as 'girl'. I found it a little bit annoying, but I suppose for those who follow her blog it will be ideal. I didn't find much in the way of instructions, they were glossed over at a high level. I also found it a bit contradictory when the author states that there are no rules, then manages to add some. It is very much set to the authors lifestyle and even the case studies were not relatable. Not for me, but I am sure the book will have its perfect market and audience.

Great book with loads of advice. It was easy to read and very easy to get started on my own projects around the house. Definitely one for someone who needs a little motivation.

I have done a couple of Allie's programs and this book was still worth the read.

I have been following Allie's programs off and on for a couple of years now, and reading this book was like a recharge kick in the pants that I needed. We have just moved into a smaller (we lost 900 sq ft) and the amount of stuff we have is just overwhelming in our new home. Reading this book right when we are getting ready to go back to school was perfect timing. I have so many idea's about what toys to put away/ purge, along with many other area's of the house from this book that I can't wait to get started. I feel that even if you have done Allie's programs before this book is still worth the read. If you have never done any of Allie's programs this is a great way to dip your feet in the pool and get a feel for what she is like.

I have read and enjoyed many books about simplicity, decluttering or minimalism so was interested in reading this book. Unfortunately it did not add anything to my knowledge of how or why to declutter. The writing style was also very annoying. The author called the reader "girl" all the time and used excessive periods. The first sentence is "Things are about to get so. much. lighter." I guess the author and publisher thought this would make the book hip and relatable. I just found it annoying. Save yourself some time and money and read something else.
I received a complementary copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55918692-declutter-like-a-mother" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px"><img border="0" alt="Declutter Like a Mother: A Guilt-Free, No-Stress Way to Transform Your Home and Your Life" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1619543799l/55918692._SX98_.jpg" /></a><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55918692-declutter-like-a-mother">Declutter Like a Mother: A Guilt-Free, No-Stress Way to Transform Your Home and Your Life</a> by <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8075249.Allie_Casazza">Allie Casazza</a><br/>
My rating: <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4179158531">4 of 5 stars</a><br /><br />
NetGalley review<br />What a terrific book! Allie Casazza shares her journey from crisis point to transformation as a minimalism lifestyle coach, managing to home school her children and run a successful business. Although the concept of minimalism isn’t new, I love Allie’s approach, providing flexible guidance for decluttering rather than rigid rules. Plenty of how to advice, starting on small tasks and not getting overwhelmed, dealing with emotional attachments, getting the family involved. Although the book is pitched at moms, the book will resonate with everyone. Definitely an inspiration for me to start decluttering, strongly recommend this very practical book!
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<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/133698341-cat">View all my reviews</a>

This book is a game changer in the minimalism game. Allie has given step by step instructions on how to go through the whole house to declutter and make it the place you want it to be. Highly recommend this book to anyone needing to minimalize their belongings and mindset.