Book Review: Confessions of an Organized Housewife

(first of all, a pretty picture: my Christmas table)

I like reading housekeeping books, so I own some and I'm always interested in ones I don't know. This one was recommended by Leila at Like Mother, Like Daughter. It's titled Confessions of an Organized Housewife by Deniece Schofield, published in 1982, and (hooray!) at my library.

My main thought after reading it was, wow, I am already doing most of what she recommends. Wow, maybe I am a good housekeeper. . . that has sustained me for a few weeks now.

Schofield makes the point that having a clean, organized house frees you up to focus on things you really want to do. Yes, that has been my experience. If the house is at bottom organized and regularly cleaned, you can clean off the surface mess (ahem - TOYS) and surface dirt with a minimum of effort and irritation.

Another good point: if you do it well, you'll like housework.

Some organizational things Schofield does that I realized (joy!) I do already:
1. When I'm considering buying something, I ask myself where I'm going to put it in my house.
2. I store things at or near point of first use. (as opposed to where it "should" be kept or where my mother kept it)
3. I store the children's toys on shelves - not in toyboxes or out of sight.
4. I plan a few menus of varying involvement for a week and then as the week unfolds, I match them up to my schedule for the day.

Overall, I do recommend this book. But then, I told you that I like to read housekeeping books. . .