Book Review: The Home Edit

As we always say, you can have the item or you can have the space, but you can’t have both!
— The Home Edit by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin
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Why I picked it up: So many reasons! 1. I’m a bit of an organizational enthusiast, so I nerd out over this stuff in general all the time. 2. I follow them on Instagram and they are hilarious and 3. The book came out a perfect time for me, as we moved into our new house and spring cleaning season hit.

What I Learned:

  1. In the book, the authors emphasize that their combination of organization combines function and design in a way that makes spaces not only look great, but stay organized for the long term. “Sprinkling this extra layer of pixie dust inspires people to maintain their organized spaces. Which is the whole point!”

  2. It’s okay to get rid of things. I’ve discovered as I’ve tried to clean out our belongings before and after our move that I do feel a lot of guilt about getting rid of things that I don’t want, either because it was a gift, or it was expensive, or because I personally bought something that I shouldn’t have. When looking at an item you feel you bought by mistake, they urge “Don’t double down on the mistake by keeping it!”

  3. Not every item will fall into the keep or discard pile. I loved that they spent time in the book to point out that there are some items that won’t fall into the binary choice of keep or toss. Something that is sentimental, but you don’t use everyday should be stored away in a basement or attic. That way it’s safe, but it’s not taking up valuable space elsewhere.

  4. Label, label, label! As stated in the book, “We believe that this [labeling] is actually the secret to long-term maintenance.” This could be especially helpful in my case, as I’m the one doing all of the organizing. How’s my husband supposed to know where things go if I don’t tell him somehow? The thought of labeling things seems a bit too permanent for me, so I might look into labels that can be erased/changed if needed.

Do I think having a perfectly organized home is absolutely necessary? No, I really don't’t. But I do see the benefit in getting spaces organized if you have the time, brain space, cash and resources to make it happen. Getting the containers to organize every closet, cupboard and drawer in my house sounds daunting, so I’m going to try to break it into small pieces. Hey, they recommend starting with just one drawer.

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Hey, I'm Meghan

Hey, I’m Meghan

I’m here sharing content all about pursuing your own version of more and loving how you feel doing it. If that sounds good to you, stick around and let’s be friends!