Never let your schooling interrupt your education.

Organized Simplicity – A Giveaway

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This giveaway has ended. Winners will be announced on December 12th!

I‘m writing today because of a beautiful package that arrived on my doorstep recently. It’s Organized Simplicity: The Clutter-Free Approach to Intentional Living by my friend Tsh Oxenreider.

I first heard the name Tsh Oxenreider when I had been writing over at my blog Steady Mom for a couple of months. Not having a single clue about how to grow my blog, I purchased audio transcripts from a blogging conference called Blissdom. Tsh was one of the speakers.

After listening, I spent some time exploring Tsh’s blog, Simple Mom. It seemed amazing to me, but I also thought it was similar to the blog I hoped to create. I remember telling my husband Steve, “Is there really a need for another blog about motherhood when she has one that is so huge?”

Steve–ever the wise, prophetic soul, said, “Don’t think of her as competition. Think of her as an ally.”

Now, because of the magic of the blogosphere, Tsh and I work together here at Simple Living Media. She is the real deal and I’m thankful to call her “boss.” (Well, I don’t really call her that, but you know what I mean!)

Organized Simplicity is beautiful, inspiring, and every page conveys Tsh’s heart for families to find the definition of simple living that works for them. (In other words, you don’t have to feel guilty if you have a washing machine!!)

I love it and think it belongs in your personal library. I know I’ll be referring to my copy again and again.

Organized Simplicity Giveaway

Today I have the privilege of giving away copies of Organized Simplicity to three Simple Homeschool readers!

Here’s how to enter:

Everyone has three chances to win. Choose one or all three.

1. Leave a comment on this post and answer this question: What is currently your biggest organizational challenge?

2. To get a second entry, follow @simpleschool and @simplemom on Twitter and tweet this giveaway. Be sure to come back and leave a separate comment letting me know you’ve tweeted.

3. Subscribe to Simple Homeschool by email or in your feed reader. Leave a separate comment letting me know you’re subscribed.

This giveaway has ended. Thanks for entering!

About Jamie C. Martin

Jamie is an introverted mom of three, who loves books, tea, and people (not always in that order), and avoids answering the phone when possible. She co-founded SimpleHomeschool.net in 2010 and began IntrovertedMoms.com in 2020.

Jamie is the author of four books, including Give Your Child the World (reached #9 on Amazon's Top 100 Best Sellers list), and her latest release, Introverted Mom (an ECPA bestseller). Her work has been featured by LeVar Burton of Reading Rainbow, the Washington Post, Parents, Today Parenting, and Psychology Today.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Aimee

    My biggest organizational challenge at the moment is my homeschool stuff. The things for the kids are organized. But the articles I’ve printed for reading, the things I need to do planning, my manuals…..all are in a constant state of disarray. It’s frustrating!

  10. Chrissy

    my biggest challenge is paperwork – bills, school stuff, things to file away – it sits in piles and just glares at me begging to be organized.

  11. Kimberly E

    My biggest challenge right now is my basement. It’s a bit of a nightmare right now. Would love this book!

  14. Marina

    Right now, I’m trying to fit 2 kids in one tiny room. I keep giving things away, organizing, moving…and it’s still a huge mess! HELP!!!!

  16. Kara

    My biggest organizational challenge is paper clutter, both homeschool and otherwise. If I file something away I forget about it, if I don’t. . .well, the piles are a problem.
    Kara’s latest post: I Did It At Last!

  20. Stacy

    My biggest challenge is managing the paperwork: homeschooling papers, financial paperwork, other activities and action items (all with paperwork!). It’s hard to know what to keep, what to file, and what to keep in sight so I don’t forget to do something with it! Help!

  21. Nahuatl Vargas

    Everything! We move to a different country on April and in to our new home on September. I still have boxes around, I still have to many things, and I’m so tired to see my house like this. I really wish I could found some balance.
    Nahuatl Vargas’s latest post: More small gifts

  22. Nancy

    The clutter, it goes from one place to another. Kitchen counter to the living room to the office …. same clutter!!

  25. Coleen

    My biggest challenge right now is keeping books and toys organized in a fashion that I like and that my kids will follow. Sigh.

  26. Serena

    Everything. We’re putting in a new kitchen, so nothing is quite where it needs to be. After the kitchen is done, though, I know it’s going to be my crafting stuff: fabric, yarn, scraps of everything…

  29. amy

    My ebay stuff. It’s how I’m able to work from home but sometimes it takes over the home!! Help me!!

  35. Alexa F.

    My biggest organizational challenge is storage and relieving clutter in a small studio that’s home to two busy people. One of us has a home business out of the garage (which spills over into the studio) in addition to two other part time jobs and the other has work that occasionally needs to be finished at home (usually involving painting and designing).

  37. Renelle

    Paperwork in the office, pantry x homeschool supplies cupboard & laundry and the rest of the house!! It is a constant battle and I have a small home so I really need to declutter and simplify I know, but where to start???? I’ m ordering this book, as it’s unlikely I’ll win with only 1 entry and living in Australia, but you’ve got to be in it to win it!
    Renelle’s latest post: Educating Mother

  42. Mindy

    My whole house is my biggest organizing challenge. With 5 homeschooled kids, a husband, 8 pets, and my mom moving in with us, my house is a mess! I am in need of some serious organization!

  43. Cherie

    I think my biggest organization issues lie in my kitchen and my personal closet/bathroom. The kitchen gets crazy if I stop looking at it for more than two seconds… which means things don’t really have a home and thus clutter my counters. As for my closet and bathroom, everything that clutters the rest of the house eventually ends up there in an effort to alleviate looking at extra stuff in the main living areas.

  44. cari

    My biggest organizational challenges center around laundry! From getting it done in a timely manner, to putting it away neatly…the whole system is dysfunctional around here.

  45. Laura

    My biggest organizational challenge is my kitchen counter! It seems to be a magnet for everyone in the house, including me, to drop things. I can clean it off and two days later it’s gone again. I really need less clutter and more oranization!

  46. Holly

    Staying focused on the task at hand. For example.. I start to empty the dishwasher, I put up 3 glasses and then notice someone’s glove are on the counter. I go to put the gloves away and see that the glove drawer is spilling over. When trying to sort out the drawer, I see that someone put a t-shirt in the drawer…. so I take it to the laundry room and put a load of clothes in the washer and take a load out of the dryer to fold. I have a discussion with myself about whether it is more efficient to put those clothes away now or wait until all the laundry is done (hahahahaha). then I let the dog out, go get the mail, go to put the mail on the counter and realize that I never finished the dishwasher. I know this sounds like I have adult ADD (which I don’t)…. I just need a plan and fewer distractions… and a little help from this book might be just the thing 🙂

  49. Lindsay Sledge

    Currently it would be our hundred year old house. It’s tiny and there is only one very small closet for storage. It’s hard to be organized when I can’t anything away.

  50. Margaret

    We are undergoing the grand challenge of unpacking the last boxes of nonessentials from our move last year (3 months before our 4th was born) and dramaticly downsizing the obscene amount of toys. Finding time to tackle it bit by bit is crazy. Thank goodness for the 15 min. timer!

  54. Colleen

    My biggest challenge is trying to organize my house in general with two little ones at home with me. They generally undo my “work” before I get to it.

  55. Karyn Hostetter

    My biggest organizational challenge is my school books and school room. I have so many reading books for my four children that they get scattered here and there.

  57. Teresa B

    My biggest organizational challenge is closets and drawers. I have good intentions and then they just get out of control.

  61. Sarah O

    My biggest challenge right now is my craft supplies that are supposed to stay hidden since I don’t really have a room for them at present.

  68. Jennie

    Our biggest organizational challenge is paper that comes into our house (including mail). This book would really help us out! Thanks for the chance to win.

  70. Amber

    my biggest organizational challenge is my closets- I’d love to read Tsh’s tips about how to keep them clutter-free and organized.

  75. Heather

    My biggest challenge is organizing the whole house with two busy boys. This book would be such an inspiration!!

  80. Gina

    My biggest challenge right now is organizing my craft room. My knitting supplies are all over the place and my scrapbooking stuff is disorganized too.

  82. Marilyn

    I am a subscriber- my biggest challenge is everyone dumping daily “Stuff” on the dining room table which is where we sit down to eat- it’s always full of stuff and it drives me crazy! I am an organized person but would love some ideas on this one!

  91. Anne Marie

    Really…only choose one area to get organized?! I have a toy issue, clothes, the basement is to scary to even go into, I overbook us…and the list goes on!

  93. Julie Capp

    My life…. since having two brain surgeries over the summer I have not caught back up. I am trying every day 🙂

  94. tracy white

    My biggest challenge is my kid’s constant drawing and paperwork, there are piles of papers everywhere. I try to save as much as I can for them, but it is overwhelming.

  101. Sarah Gainey

    My biggest organizational challenge is being sentimental. I have trouble identifying what should go and what should stay in our home.

  103. Jenn

    My biggest organizational challenge is clutter… everything doesn’t have a “home” and I need to purge.

  104. lisa todd

    My biggest challenge….where to start? I am trying to get organized throughtout my home and being a new homeschool mom I can’t seem to find the time or way. I also struggle with getting rid of things. I want to minimize but I get attached to things that people have given me or that elicit certain memories. I would love the book.
    lisa todd’s latest post: Christmas Cards…

  105. Emily@Creative Disaster

    My biggest challenge is that we move every couple of years! This time we moved and have a huge place but limited furniture and places to put everything. We’ve been here since July and I have boxes that still need to put emptied. We are also on a tight budget, that never helps.
    Emily@Creative Disaster’s latest post: Excited for Something New

  106. Laura

    My biggest organizational challenge…well, there are two: 1- paper. I know that I should put it in the right place immediately, but usually the mail comes in the house at a busy time and rather than leave it on the counter, it ends up in a pile on the desk; 2-craft items. Those crazy things that are oddly shaped and/or huge that I save for kids projects (vinegar bottles, shoe boxes). I want to be one of those moms that has the materials for anything, but I have no idea where/how to keep them

  109. Nicole

    My organizational challenge is finding the motivation to battle filing/cleaning/etc when I have a crawling little one that is at my side at all times. She likes to “help” by flinging things around, which, contrary to what she may think, is counterproductive! Oh, and does having a husband who doesn’t want to try to understand our organizational system count? How do I get him to see that our drawers are organized and things have homes? He’s not a messy person, but he puts things away in the wrong places (and not the same wrong place each time).
    Nicole’s latest post: LE at 8 Months

  112. Melissa

    Clearing the clutter is a constant battle. My 5 year old has been diagnosed with Asperger’s and that in its self creates a ton of ‘informational clutter’. My boys are 1, 3 and 5 and I know that the visual clutter they see impacts their life. I feel like I cannot keep up. I feel like I’m making no progress and I know that especially my 5 year old needs order, organization and consistancy.

  114. stephanie

    Biggest organizational challenge is……everything!! I am a naturally unorganized person and need all the help I can get. I love thinking about being organized, but when the rubber hits the road, it’s not so great. Thanks!
    stephanie’s latest post: A promise is made

  116. Lisa K

    Just one? My office/dining room (which we are unable to dine in because you can’t see the top of the table) has been the bane of my existence for years. Everything gets placed on the table “for now”. I can get it cleared off and within days it is covered again. Just the name Organized Simplicity makes me feel calm and hopeful that I can have that it my home.

  117. Bethany glozier

    I need this book :). My biggest challenge is that I spend so much of everyday just pickng up,schooling, cooking, doing laundry, ect it’s so head to fi

  118. Sandra

    Paper work! We are in the process of adopting (paper work!) and our youngest has recently been diagnosed with autism (paper work!). We are usually “stackers” but we’re becoming “filers.”
    Sandra’s latest post: Calendar Time with 2

  120. Johanna ZumMallen

    I am already on the email list. : ) My biggest organization problem is either papers from school, etc. or toys. The girls have been going through stuff, and I have been doing everything to get them to keep toys in their rooms – put away as soon as they are done with them instead of carelessly leaving them out.

  121. Laura

    I am so disorganized at the moment, I can’t even pinpoint my biggest organizational challenge! It’s everything!

  122. Sheri

    My biggest organizational challenge is really easy to choose at this time of year: We walk straight into the living area of our home from outside – we don’t have a foyer or laundry area to walk into – so we have snowy boots and snowy clothes right by the doors, and no real space for them.

  128. Rebecca

    The paper clutter. My mom never threw anything out so I am always struggling against not learning how to go through things as I grew up. I do not want my children to have this same problem. As a wanna be homeschooling mom, my oldest is almost 5, I feel I need to tackle this and give everything as home so I can begin…
    Rebecca’s latest post: Snow

  130. Mary

    I have 4 young children and the hardest things for me to keep organized are the toys/games/art supplies. There’s just never enough room and and they’re always a mess!

  131. Christie

    my biggest challenge … just having two middle schoolers (in public school *frown*) one elem aged and a one year old … just keeping everyone’s schedule going smoothly is crazy enough! I also started selling Avon so that I can stay home longer with the baby 🙂
    So between all these things, cleaning, laundry, etc … I can’t get a rhythm!!
    Thinking of homeschool for my little one but just don’t know how I would do it ….

  133. Cheryl

    I definitely plan on giving myself this book for Christmas if I do not win it! Right now our biggest organization challenges are our girls’ rooms and our school room!

  136. Molly

    The family finances are my biggest organizational hurdle! I am in charge of keeping things tidy in that department, and it is NOT my strength.

  138. Sharyn Davis

    Juggling work and kids and homesschooling and house – i do odd bits of work so when there is something i am called in to do, i am not organised yet in the other bits of my life to feel like everything is in control! I think school is going ok and the house is getting tidy then work comes along and everything else gets undone!

  140. Pennie

    My biggest struggle is just making sure that everything gets put where it belongs at the end of the day… and not bringing more stuff into the house that we don’t need.

  142. Catherine

    My biggest challenge is the miscellaneous clutter on my kitchen countertops. All kinds of things without a home get put there, and then it’s just so overwhelming to deal with – a lot of decisions.

  144. Jen B.

    My biggest challenge now feels like the whole house needs to be organized! But to narrow it down, if I organized and purged toys, the house would feel a lot more neater and kept up. Toy clutter is probably my biggest problem.

  146. Sharyn Davis

    I already subscribe via email – hope that counts. Really like the emails coming in as i’d forget to open the blog.

  149. Meg T

    My mother in law keeps bringing me HUGE tupperware boxes filled with her old decorations and “stuff”! I love the simple way of living and it makes me feel like I am drowning when she unloads her things. I am having a hard time telling her no, but she says she can’t wait to enjoy seeing the things up in my home. Help!!

  150. Heather

    My biggest challenge is stuff for homeschooling! Ugh! We have no extra storage space upstairs and so currently my homeshool office is currently toted around in a laundry basket! True Story!

  155. Jeni

    My biggest organizational challenge right now is…well, everything! We moved into our house 4 years ago, and it’s a tiny old house with only 2 closets in the whole place. We’re still trying to figure out how to pare down & organize things.
    Jeni’s latest post: WFMW- Weaning from the Binky

  156. greengardeninggirl

    Clothes for all the kids. Clothes for this season, next season, what they have grown out of, what the next will grow in to!!!

  161. Stefani M.

    Money! It seems like I need money to buy stuff to get organized… no matter how much I purge, there’s always more stuff to organize… especially with homeschooling.

  162. Tammy aka @SkipsMKGirl

    My biggest organizational challenge is tasks! I have a planner now that is helping consolidate everything but I still have stacks of contacts, sales ideas, material to read, calls to make, emails, etc. I feel like my space is organized but my head isn’t!

  169. Rebekah

    My biggest challenge is having more stuff than we have space. We own a condo and are constantly challenged to get rid of excess belongings so that we can live comfortably here.

  179. Chris

    My biggest organizational challenge is “a place for everything, and everything in it’s place”. A room may have started organized as some point, but as you obtain new items and as your kids grow and gain new interests (and things), it’s hard for me to keep finding an appropriate place for everything, even when getting rid of some of the old.
    Chris’s latest post: Tis The Season

  185. Rana

    Right now just clearing out all the clutter. Things that are around the house that don’t ever get used. I’m working my way through the house room by room. I already have a copy of Tsh’s book and I love it, but I would love to win one for my sister.
    Rana’s latest post: First snow!

  186. Abbigale

    My biggest challenge is grocery shopping and following through with meal plans. I make them, and either i forget something at the grocery store (or they don’t have it) or i eat something that is supposed to go in something else. Just messes it all up!

  190. Carie T

    My biggest organizational challenge….homeschool stuff. Markers, papers, work completed, books….it is a mess. I want it to look better, operate better, and be accessible to the kids, but I don’t know how!

  192. Ashley

    My biggest organizational challenge is my daughter’s stuff. I like to try and find places to put all her stuff and group common things together, but it’s not always easy. I love to be organized so it’s so hard to have things all over and no where to put them! Now I am in the process of getting rid of even more stuff we don’t need, so that’s made my organizational issues even bigger.

    Great giveaway!
    Ashley’s latest post: How To Make Yarn Dolls

  193. Kathleen Loughran

    Ugh! In 18 months my household has gone from two adults to four adults and one child (on the verge of two). There is so much stuff and I am struggling with how and where to pare things down. So the question would be what suggestions could you offer as I only have control over some of the stuff?

  196. Stephanie

    I added you to my twitter thing and retweeted the giveaway. I am brand new to twitter, so it only goes to you and Simple Mom now, I think. I’m working on it. That’s okay if this doesn’t count!

  197. Jane

    My seven year old daughter is my biggest organizational challenge. We live in a small house, homeschool and she’s a packrat! Need I say more? 🙂

  198. Dulcie

    I have been eyeing this book. I don’t twitter or tweet and I am already subscribed so here is my entry. Thank you for the chance to win.

  203. mimi

    I love this giveaway. My greatest challenge…..we recently moved from a 4000+ sq space to 1400. Trying to organize is a daily mental challenge. I am embracing the word simple, but clueless how to implement it.

  204. Kathleen Loughran

    I am subscribed to simple homeschool through google reader. Thanks for the opportunity to win the giveaway.

  209. Torey

    Oh, where to begin. . piles of papers, clothes, trying to get everything picked up so that I can actually clean. . .trying to downsize and convince family members that they don’t need to keep everything.

  210. Nneka Russell

    my biggest organizing challenge right now is books and papers. i can never keep my papers organized and every time i turn around theres a book where it shouldn’t be… then WHY do i have so many bookshelves!?

  216. Kayla

    My biggest struggle when it comes to organization is that I don’t know where to begin and I find it so difficult while having an almost two year old and another on the way wearing me out!

  221. Heather N

    I just bought this book and LOVE IT. I would like to win a copy for my mom. She has been a hoarder most of her life and is just now discovering the joys of having a simpler, less cluttered life. I was doing fairly well until my child came along. Now, toys are taking over our family room. What toys to keep and what toys to sell/giveaway is my biggest organizational challenge. Thanks for the giveaway!!!

  222. Erin

    My struggle is with deciding how to take care of the things my kids make. My 3-year-old is a prolific artist and if I just go by what I’d like to keep it would be probably 3/4 because his drawings are so interesting! With my 5-year-old it’s a little easier because he doesn’t draw quite as much. On one hand we can’t keep everything, and on the other hand its very hard to decide which exact pieces to keep.
    Erin’s latest post: Holy Mess

  227. Julie

    My biggest challenge is the office. I cleaned it up when we started homeschooling last year, and make sure the kids keep it clean as we go through our busy day. But there is still “my” corner – and it’s stacked high with papers, mail, and misc. things to get to.

  233. Kara

    My biggest organizational challenge is paper-related. Because we homeschool and I also work from home, it seems like we have a lot of paper to keep track of, and we also try to be responsible about using it well — front and back, etc. So I’ve got a paper problem :o)

  234. Bethany

    Our biggest organizing challenge is how to keep everything organized for each of our moves. We are military and move all the time and can’t just organize for the house we are living in at the time.

  238. Pam

    Biggest organizational challenge is my “work area” in the kitchen. I have multiple projects going on and everything creeps out across the counters. I hate to put things up, though, because out of sight is out of mind.

  240. Jennifer N

    I would love this book! My biggest challenge is the girls room. They share and they have baby dolls and other toys and books. I desire their room to be peaceful and uncluttered…but what to do with the “stuff” ?

    Thank you for this amazing giveaway!

  242. Carol B.

    My biggest organizational problem…EVERYTHING!!! I’m a bit of a pack rat, have been working on getting rid of STUFF the past year and still have way TOO MUCH!! I could use this book. Thanks for the opportunity to win one.

  244. Tami Whiting

    1.) I already subscribe to your blog.
    2.) My biggest organizational hazard right now is my homeschool room/shelves.

  245. Jenny

    My biggest challenge is our laundry room/mudroom/dump everything room. It seems impossible to keep the chaos under control.

  246. Kaight

    We’re adopting twin 11 mo boys from Ethiopia and my greatest challenge is getting our homeschool and chore routine running as smooth as possible by the time they come home in the spring.

  247. Kim

    My biggest challenge would have to be in managing our construction business from our home, as I homeschool as well. It seems I never feel “together” and just barely get by with billing and paperwork. I would love some help in that area!

  249. kari

    What a great giveaway! My biggest organizational challenge right now is crafting supplies. I have stacks of fabric, notions, and patterns on top of my sewing table (which is in our dining room) and it drives me crazy to see it all there but I don’t know where to store it.

  252. Sara

    my biggest challenge is the kids’ clothes–I have a designated space for them but actually developing a system of getting them into that space, clean and folded, is a challenge for me

  255. Jessica

    My biggest challenge is my kitchen. It is where we spend most of time and it collects a lot of “stuff!”

  258. christy schlegel

    Having a small house and three children. Making sure that we each limit what we have and do not get loaded down with material things!

  262. Linda

    My biggest organizational challenge is the area around the front door. We have 5 people in our family, with no mud room or closets by the front door. Figuring out how to get the coats, shoes, and stuff that comes through the front door to their proper places is a challenge!

  264. Cindy

    Can I say my house? Well, the biggest problem is my office. I never know what to do with all of the paperwork that comes into the house that I end up with huge stacks, and then there is all of my teaching papers, and now the kids homeschool work….

  265. Joy C.

    My biggest challenge is that though I like being organized, I’m LAZY and since I’m NOT organized, getting organized takes me twice as long as it would if I were already there. It’s a vicious cycle that ends with me not adding to my clutter and dirty floors.

  268. Jaynee

    My biggest challenge is my 6 yr old daughter’s room. She’s great about keeping her books organized and categorized, but everything else….not so much. I need to work on teaching/showing her a bin organization system for the rest of her stuff.

  271. Nichole

    My biggest challenge has to be paper clutter and trying to create homeschool portfolios throughout the YEAR for the kids rather than in the LAST MONTH of school for the kids.

  273. Emily C

    My biggest organizational challenge is getting my husband’s stuff into the spots we’ve decided it should go. It takes a team, I suppose.

  275. Julie

    For me, it’s balancing the immediate needs of little ones with the need/desire to organize; sometimes I just can’t put something back in it’s proper place b/c a nose needs to be wiped, an argument needs to be refereed, or a pot is boiling over.

  277. Karrie

    Currently my biggest challenge is organizing the photos I have taken over the years. It is something that keeps piling but I always push to the end of my list because it is not a must.

  278. Kristy

    I would say I need the most improvement in laundry and taking care of banking (e.g balancing statements, putting in receipts in a more timely manner etc…)
    Kristy’s latest post: Attitude

  280. CASSIE

    That by the time I get my house organized to the way I want it its time to move again. Being a Military family we move a lot (14 times in 8 years) and each house is different in terms of setup.

  283. Janna

    Keeping the bathrooms clean and the upstairs bedrooms picked up . . . as in able to walk across the floor without stepping on something. Writing that, it sounds so pathetic, but with 5 kiddos I constantly feel drowning–I try to keep the downstairs clutter free, but upstairs, it’s a free-for-all.
    Janna’s latest post: Day 7

  289. Jess

    I think it has to be laundry. I feel like I’ve finally made a difference in it, then there is a whole new basket waiting to be washed. How does it breed so quickly?

  292. jessica

    I have trouble getting rid of the excess toys, knowing what they really play with. And the clothes seem to multiply every time the closet gets opened.

  295. Michele

    Right now it’s my office area – it’s piled high with things of my son’s to sell, other stuff to sell, stuff to craft, etc. It’s like a big pile of procrastination.

  298. KAYLEE HENINGER

    My biggest problem? Hard to say. I guess it boils down to the problem of too much. Too much stuff in my house, too much to do in my life, too high expectations of my kids, my husband, and myself, too much guilt over how I should be…

  304. Amanda Anderson

    My biggest challenge continues to be the children’s “things.” They are, all three, collectors, and as much as my husband and I have simplified, they love their “things”…and they wind up everywhere, in spite of having their own places to live!

  306. jen T

    My biggest challenge right now is children’s clothes. With only 18 months between my kids, I have feel I am constantly moving things from drawer to box to drawer! And I have lots of stuff from cousins that they will “grow into”!

  308. susan

    Toys, toys and more toys. With twins their toys are everywhere and they don’t want to give up anything.

  312. SueZ-Q

    My biggest challenge right now is my entire house! My pregnancy with our fourth child was hard and the recovery was long. Now that I’m feeling back to normal I face the huge job of getting my house under control.

  313. Lindsey

    My biggest organizational challenge right now is mail/bills/important papers! I have little piles all over my kitchen and it drives me crazy!

  317. Kiasa

    We just moved apartments and I’m still trying to figure out what else to get rid of in order to fit well into our current tiny living space. But my biggest challenge right now is not having a good space for clothes for my 4 year old daughter and 3rd baby who is due any day. I’d prefer not to buy any new furniture (for cost and space reasons). But I am not sure what else to do.

  321. Becky

    My biggest organization challenge… humm, that would be the closets in our 2 bedroom apt. We are planning to start homeschooling in the next year and we will have to keep all the supplies in our boys closet, since that is where their table is. It is oddly built and has two doors instead of one and has a wall section in the middle of those two doors, so one side is for clothes, and the other teeny tiny spot is for ALL of our homeschool stuff!! This book would help I’m sure
    Becky’s latest post: Howdy Ho!

  322. Kelly

    My biggest stumbling block to organization is my wonderful husband! He wants to be organized, but it’s just not part of his makeup. So much so that it affects my ability to keep us organized. One day though…
    Kelly’s latest post: Something to Think About

  323. Sarah

    My biggest challenge is definitely my daughters’ toys. Even when the rest of the house is looking good, their room is never organized.

  329. dawn

    My husband recently graduated from seminary and as we look for a job we’ve been living in his parents basement. I’ve been trying desperately to live in their space with my things, some stacked in corners and the rest in three different garages for storage!

  330. Janice

    Probably biggest organizational challenge is my time!!!! Making the most efficient use of it without feeling like a droid or a drill sergeant! Trying to do all the basic things that need to be done when raising a family with seven children. Even paring things down to the basics like cooking and a laundry load and picking up daily clutter takes up so much time (and mental energy). Trying to make schooling blend in without feeling like “school” adds to the challenge.
    Aside from the time issue — it’s my desk! Everyone uses it as their dumping ground and it drives me nuts! I’ve even created spaces for other people to use for THEIR stuff, but somehow my desk has become the magnet!!! Grrrr ….

  331. Roxy

    My biggest organizational challenge is keeping up with my organizing! I think I have everything all planned out on paper and then I can’t keep up! I can’t figure out if we have too much stuff, or I’m too slow to keep up or if I just have too high of expectations of what we can or should be accomplishing in a day.
    Roxy’s latest post: this moment

  334. Alisa

    We have a small house and very little storage space. My biggest challenge is our desk area and all of the arts and crafts stuff…

  336. Pam

    My biggest organizational challenge is children’s books! I have so many and I don’t like for them all to be available at one time to the kids. I prefer to rotate them to keep them fresh. However, I haven’t yet found a system that works.

  342. Holly Grantham

    My biggest challenge is trying to stay committed to touching paperwork only once. If not, it becomes a pile that morphs into another pile that spills into another pile… I think you get the picture. I’ve started missing bills that were due which is really not cool.
    Holly Grantham’s latest post: Multitudes on Monday

  347. Kristy

    A toss up between keeping the homeschooling supplies organized, keeping the sewing room organized, and actually caring when it is almost time to start packing for the move and I know I am going to make a huge mess anyways!
    Kristy’s latest post: More Than A To Do List

  348. Fiona

    My biggest challenge is probably kids’ clothes – we only have a small house with children sharing small bedrooms and not much storage space.

  351. Donaca

    My biggest challenge is our small office. Everything gets shoved in there with the hopes of organizing it later. Unfortunately with 4 children under the age of 6, (one of them a 3mo old nursing infant) I have little or no time to tackle the space. – I would love to read this new book, “Organized Simplicity”.

  354. Leah Schroeder

    I would have to say that my biggest organizational challenge is a toss up between my laundry, which seems to take over my life, and my office/school room. Both of these seem daunting to me on a regular basis.

  355. Linda Raditz

    Oh, so many challenges. I’d say that staying on top of the filing is one challenge that I know I can master. If only I’d muster the energy to start 🙂

  356. Rose

    My biggest organizational challenge is my kitchen. The food storage cabinets are the worst, followed by glasses and pots and pans. I don’t have much at all, but it always seems to be a mess.

  357. Lisa

    i know our biggest organizing disappointment is our office (a small cabinet that holds the computer, bills and supplies). It’s always a disaster – I think it’s due to the fact that it doesn’t have a fool proof system! Luckily, the cabinet doors hide our shame!!!

  358. Debbie

    Right now it’s our basement! We are quite regular about purging the upper two floors but the basement gets the brunt of ” stuff” that has no regular home or isn’t organized as such… But… we have made progress…boxes and misc, items are staged and ready for sorting, tossing or donating… I would love a peek at anything to do with better organizing.
    Thanks for this give away!
    Debbie’s latest post: Alphabet Dice Game

  360. Kristie A.

    My biggest organization challenge is toys and baby stuff! We live in a very small house and have three children and a dog. I try to keep things de-cluttered but it seems stuff is always growing! 🙂

  364. lolo

    my biggest organizing blooper is laying awake at night with my plan for the next day evolving into others ideas…culminating in so many projects and new ideas from the original that I cant seem to know where to start, so either i stay awake longer, or I end up doing nothing at all because I’m so overwelmed I cant see the beginning from the end!

  365. Betsy

    Stacks and stacks of paper are shoved under my bed because I think I may need them one day! I just can’t seem to get a handle on this area of home management. It’s a problem, and I need help. Tsh’s book sounds fantastic. Thanks for the opportunity, Jamie. 🙂

  368. Sharon

    My biggest organization challenge is the volume of paper that enters and circulates around our house! Between mail and artistic creations and school work, I am constantly behind in filing and things end up in piles until I can sort through it.
    Sharon’s latest post: A Wonderful Holiday GIVEAWAY!

  372. Joni

    My biggest challenge is kids’ toys. How many is too many? How best to organize them so they are within reach? What to do with ALL THESE STUFFED ANIMALS???

    And I love Tsh’s blog!

  373. Christina

    My biggest challenge right now is EVERYTHING! We’re in the middle of moving and I have a HUGE itch to start living greener and more simply! I reeeeeally want to own this book! I hope I win!

  377. nopinkhere

    My kids’ clothing. I need to just get rid of so much of the outgrown stuff, but I am lazy about prepping it to sell at a consignment sale.

  380. KARI

    We just downsized our to a smaller home, so everywhere has felt a bit like an organizational challenge. I would have to say the garage and the office are top bidding since I’m not in them as often.

  381. Mother of Pearl

    My biggest continual problem is filing – what to keep and what to toss, finding time to file or shred, etc.

  383. Jenn

    I am struggling to figure out a good system for diaper bags, my purse, hubby’s lunchbox, etc. Those things that we use on a regular basis…I don’t have a mudroom. We walk straight into the kitchen…I want a good system and I’m not sure what that looks like.

  386. erin

    Biggest organizational challenge–has to be keeping off-season clothing organized and accessible. We have 4 kids of both genders with 7 year age difference. I try to be a good steward of our clothes and hand things down to the younger ones so we don’t have to buy so much new stuff every season, but it is HARD to keep things in order!

  390. Sandi

    My biggest challenge would be organizing photos and staying on top of all those everyday papers (mail, to do lists, school stuff, etc) that seem to clutter our counters and table.

  392. Susie M

    Looks like a book I could use! My biggest organizational challenge is keeping the house clutter free while homeschooling…three boys, two parents, animals…so much stuff! Yowza…I can barely make headway let alone keep up!

  398. Sarah

    My biggest challenge is that we live in a small rental with tiny closets. I know I should be able to whittle down our belongings, but it is hard…oh, and we have 3 little boys, one of which is 2 years old and likes to dump things…everywhere (but he’s 2, so we forgive him and remind him)

  400. Sharon M.

    My biggest challenge is taking the time to think first how things should be organized and what needs to be thrown away instead of holding onto it till the next garage sale Which could be in another YEAR!!

  402. Patty

    We’ve moved 3 times in 4 years so our storage area is CRAZY. I’m pretty sure there’s boxes in there that haven’t been unpacked since 2006.

  404. andi

    I would love a copy of Tsh’s book! My biggest organizational challenge is definitely organizing my time. My lack of time management has always been a struggle, but even more so this year as I am homeschooling for the first time.

  406. Cat

    Finding the time and space to organise all the baby clothes still to grow into, and those already grown out of.

  409. Jennifer

    I dont know where to begin. Getting everything done in time to have a consistent bedtime. Juggling work and home. Keeping the cupboards stocked – finding time for shopping. I could go on. Sometimes I am a walking disaster!

  412. Jacqueline

    My biggest organizational challenge is time management. I struggle to make every minute count!

  414. Melanie

    Its so hard to pick the biggest organizational challenge! um, the whole house 🙂 Okay, really its got to be paperwork. All kinds, kids projects, bills, paystubs, mail, my projects. I’m currently sitting in the middle of 3 bins to be sorted, a pile behind the computer that we use all the time, hanging wall files overstuffed with papers. Its all organized, I swear it 😉

  417. Emmalina

    I am currently obsessed with the need to declutter and simplify my life but am feeling a little overwhelmed. This looks like the perfect solution! Great giveaway.
    Emmalina’s latest post: Night Lights

  422. jennifer

    We just have too much stuff and my husband won’t throw anything away. Including the Halloween pumpkin that is slowly being nibbled away by some sort of critter.

  423. Terri

    I’m still sifting and sorting all the stuff I inherited when my mother died. My mom was a serious accumulater of pretty and interesting things and a packrat who saved everything imaginable. Sifting the treasures from the trash is taking some time.

  425. Esther

    Our biggest organizational challenge is TOO MUCH STUFF! The soundtrack from my childhood has this recurring phrase, “If you get rid of it today, you’ll find a use for it tomorrow,” the voice continues “…even if you’ve had it for fifteen years and never used it, it’s true!” You see why I tend to keep stuff!?!

    I’d love to check out this book!

  427. alison chino

    My biggest challenge is keeping the kid stuff straight. Or keeping it organized in a way that THEY can keep it straight.

    books, legos, cars, trains, little darts…ALL. OVER. THE. PLACE.

  428. Tina

    My biggest challenge is paper. We live in a small place and it seems the paper monster is always about to overtake me–mail, art projects, and I don’t know what is the two huge piles spilling on my desk and onto the floor.

  430. Angela Herrera

    My child is a write/create-aholic. The overabundance of papers and crafts is always an issue for us. How much should we rotate hanging up? What to throw v. what to keep?

  431. Angela Herrera

    I’m a subscriber and I really do check in daily. I’ve taken away so many lovely ideas and inspirations. Thank you!

  432. Tanya

    I have two drawing fanatics and lots of papers floating about….what to do with them all?? Keep vs. throw, scrapbook vs. once a year clean out….etc.
    Thanks for the giveaway~ this book has been on my to be read list since it came out 🙂
    Tanya’s latest post: In a rush daybookWednesday

  437. foxbrooken

    I, myself, am my biggest organizational challenge. I wasn’t ‘born organized’, and dh & I come from a long line of pack-rats.:)

  438. Jessica

    We’ve moved 5 times in the last 5 years that DH and I have been married. Neither of us thought to get rid of any of our stuff before we got married and now we have 2 kids to add and everything of theirs to add to the mix. We have never been completely unpacked in any of our homes and I have a difficult time keeping a schedule to boot. I would love some help!!!

  439. Nomad

    I feel like my whole house is a clutter factory right now except it’s not my house. We are temporarily living in someone else’s house and so I feel stuck since it’s not my stuff.

  440. Valerie

    It’s a toss up between the kitchen and our bedroom. I’d like to set up the kitchen to make it easier for my kids to do more things for themselves (like get their own water or help set the table). Our bedroom has become the dumping ground for anything in the house that we don’t know where to put when we are cleaning/organizing the rest of the house!

  441. Ashlee

    my biggest organizational challenge is the kids’ room. my three share a room, which is also their toy/play space (it is a very large room). I can’t even go up there anymore without having heart palpitations!

  442. Belinda

    My biggest challenge is clothing. I know i have too much, but i can’t just throw it out! My mom would be so angry.

  444. Celia

    My biggest organizational challenge is… me. Sigh. I keep trying but the habits fall off when I get busy. Definitely improved, but still a work in progress.

  446. Crystal

    Anything PAPER seems to always be my biggest challenge. Whether it’s mail, arts & crafts, pictures, etc. I can never seem to get a handle on it.

  450. Dana

    My biggest organizational challenge is managing the 3 or 4 (or 10) pieces of artwork/paper my children give me everyday…. Tied with that is teaching my children how to develop organizational habits.

  453. Sarah

    My biggest organization challenge is getting things to the point where strong organizational habits become instinctual. Perhaps I’m over thinking things and need a more simple system.

  454. Rippy

    My two beautiful, young, happy children turn our little house into their play theater and create little scenes that seem to involve removing the contents of our entire house from the shelves and cupboards and putting them on the tables, floors, chairs, everywhere really. My biggest organizational challenge is to find a way to come to peace with my children’s current form of creativity and still find a way to ‘reset’ the house every evening.

  456. Daniela

    all that paperwork that comes with homeschooling and keeping lists about everything – paper is slowly overflowing my house…

  458. Jenn @ Beautiful Calling

    Well, I actually have the book – and love it. I’m planning to go through it (and my house!) in January. I’ll be in the second trimester with baby #3 and looking for my energy burst 🙂
    I’m entering the giveaway because a friend at church would LOVE to have a copy and her and I could go through it together next month.

    jennifer @ beautifulcalling.ca
    Jenn @ Beautiful Calling’s latest post: Ottawa Cloth Diapers Giveaway

  462. Lauren

    My biggest organization challenge is that when my husband went from storing all his work tools in a truck, to in our APARTMENT, they are just everywhere, his toolbox is taking up our bedroom closet and its just driving me crazy!

  466. Brooke Phillips

    Leaving my first comment on blog…in my first year of homeschooling needing lots of help and prayer, maybe the new book can help :-/

    My biggest organizational challenge is the TOY issue…four children all under 9, just how do you manage that beast??

  474. Annie

    My biggest organizational challenge is finding a place to put all the STUFF we have with four kids and a smallish house. Or the time to get rid of it without being overwhelmed.

  482. Roseann

    my biggest organizing nightmare is my 4 year old son’s toys. i use bins to separaste types of toys, but he insists on mixing the sets all the time. should i just settle for being happy if the toys are in a bin, even if its not the “right” one?

  485. sarah

    time and priorities. i really feel like the comic strip frame where someone says, “I try to take it one day at a time but recently several days have attacked at once.”

  486. Heather

    My biggest organizational challenge is finding space for all of our clothes (me and my 3 kids) and making them easy to access but still tidy.

  487. Lisa Yarbrough

    My biggest organizational challenge is finding a place for all of our toys and arts and crafts – my 6 children range in age from 5 to 16 and finding a place for their age appropriate things and everything in between is hard.

  494. kerri

    The biggest challenge is letting go of stuff. I am pretty awesome at creating “give-away” boxes and bags, but I let them pile up and occasionally open them and take stuff out.

    I joined freecycle, which forces me to hand it over to a real-life person who needs it, and that helps.
    kerri’s latest post: Why I choose to winter walk

  495. Amy Snyder

    My biggest challenge would have to be PAPER!! I don’t know where it all comes from, to be honest, but it’s everywhere! And I’m one of those people that if it’s out of sight it’s out of mind. So I feel like I need to have a bunch of important papers laying around in plain sight. 🙁

  497. Celeste

    My biggest organizational challenge is probably paperwork! You know those hot spots that just accumulate “stuff”? There are several hot spots in my house. Piles of mail, assignments, papers from who knows where just show up! Multiply that by the 6 people that live in our home–Help!

  498. Joanna

    I would love a copy of the book. My biggest challenge is children’s/educational books piling up in my home, almost entirely second hand ones, I might add. I homeschool and love kid’s books, and am now having a hard time finding shelf space, so I know it is time to pass them on to others, but it’s like parting with old friends! I did not start out being a collector, and could certainly use help with “simplifying” my living space.
    -Love the blog 🙂

  499. Bethany

    My biggest challenge is my dining room–we eat in here, do schoolwork, craft projects and just about everything else in here!

  502. Christie

    My biggest challenges to simplifying are that we recently moved and had our fourth baby ! I just want a clean and uncluttered home, yet know that I must be gracious with myself in this season too.

  503. abbie

    sorting paper. With everything that goes on here at business-central home, it is like paper piles up like trees are going out of style. What a wonderful giveaway! Thanks!

  505. April@M3RH

    Phew! I snuck this entry in at the last second, didn’t I? I could really use this book’s helpful words of wisdom. I bought your book, Jamie, and gleaned much from it that I use in our daily life.