Organizing Your Life {Book Release Update}

 

Last week, I mentioned that I would share an update on the book that almost killed me I wrote over the summer called “Organizing Your Life”.  The book is part of the Idiot’s Guide series and is published by Alpha Books/DK Publishing.  Every five years, Idiot’s Guide publishes an in-depth organizing book and I was so thrilled to be asked to write their latest organizing book.

The book is scheduled for release on December 2nd and is now available for pre-order here on Amazon (omg! am I really saying that?)..  It’s available either via electronic ($9.78) or paperback ($14.43).  It’s also now available for pre-order on all Amazon International sites and is translated in multiple languages and you can scroll down to the very bottom of the page here to find the Amazon website for your country/language, if you’re outside of the U.S.

 

I am so proud of the finished product and last week, I received advanced copies of the book from the publishers.   It’s such an exciting and surreal feeling to be able to finally touch the book itself (rub it, grab it, hug it, cling to it) because I poured everything and more that I had into it (and stuff I had no clue I had in me).

 

 

The book has 288 full-color (glossy) pages and we strategically designed the book to be more of a workbook with areas in each section for the reader to write in, take notes and create their own checklist (room by room).  More than anything, I wanted the reader to be able to use the book itself as a self-contained “plan of action”and serve as a workbook for systematically going through each area of the home (and life):

 

 

After the introduction and the “Getting Started” first chapter, the book is broken down, room by room (kitchen, bedrooms, closets, etc..).  For every image shown, there are highlighted organization tips to the right that are examples in the featured image.  At the end of each room section are two “Quick Tricks”, which are quick and inexpensive DIY projects for that particular room in the home.  There are also 19 DIY projects (a little more involved than the Quick Tricks) throughout the book for almost every area of the home as well.

Here’s a sneak peek:

At the end of the book, we created a “Rest of Your Life” section, where I share my tips for managing time more efficiently, making the most of to-do lists (how to make your own or use my free printable) and tricks for how to efficiently edit the things that you take on in your life. This section is dedicated to walking the reader through how to spot and declutter the things in our life that drain our time, no longer serve a purpose (add value), so we can make room for the good stuff!

There are more than 1500 images in the book that are great examples of creatively organizing/maximizing space. Most of the images are either from my own home or homes of contributing bloggers and designers.  I wanted to make sure that I included a variety of unique spaces and I especially wanted to include those projects that have inspired me over the years from some of my favorite bloggers and designers.

I know you guys will recognize a lot of these talented faces and I am so grateful to these awesome ladies for allowing us to share their project (or two) in the book:

 

 

From the top to the bottom (left to right);

Amanda Carol Eck- Amanda Carol Interiors
Jen Jones- I Heart Organizing
Heather Garrett- Heather Garrett Design
Kate Riley- Centsational Girl
Claire Paquin- Clean Design Partners
Carrie Waller- Dream Green DIY
Jenna Buck Gross- Colordrunk Designs
Sherry Hart- Design Indulgence
Megan Ardoin- Honey We’re Home
Traci Hutcherson- Organize and Inspire/ Beneath My Heart
Donna Dotan- Donna Dotan Photography
Kim Wilson- Sand and Sisal
Molly Scott-(no website)
Kelly Marzka- View Along the Way
Jenny Williamson- Evolution of Style
Me

I just can’t thank everyone enough for sharing projects!

I am so grateful to the editors and publishers at Alpha Books/DK Publishing for taking this book and concept to a whole new level and giving me this opportunity and freedom to veer off of the traditional organizing track and share a more simplified and doable approach to organizing. It’s really just a no-nonsense, realistic way of organizing our busy homes and lives by simply changing our approach and focus. It’s the only approach that has worked for me and my crazy busy family.

I hope more than anything that this book will resonate with everyone who reads it and that it inspires people to approach organizing in a completely different way.  The right solution for getting and staying organized is really right at our fingertips. We just have to change our approach!

Cheers!

Cyndy