Saw this on a list of funny steamy reads and snagged it because it was only $.99 on Kindle. All the crazy beard-wearing families in the Washington wilderness reminded me of Alaska. And it was both funny and streamy.

This was not my favorite in the series. Yay for the main characters getting together, but that moment was underwhelming. Also, thanks to the antagonist, the language in this one got a LOT worse.

I REALLY liked this book and I liked the advice he gave. He talked about how simplifying our kids’ environments, rhythms, schedules, and filtering out the adult world can help kids, who can easily become too stressed, anxious, and over-stimulated. I liked the suggestions and examples he gave of ways to incorporate more rhythm and consistency into busy schedules and also how to create “pressure valve” moments to help kids release emotional tension throughout the day.

Maybe I’ve been spoiled by other books in this genre, but I didn’t warm to the main character in this one.

I loved this pretty hard. It’s nice getting advice from a recovering slob, since I am a slob myself. Her “formula” for decluttering acknowledges that you don’t always have a lot of time, interruptions happen, and it can be really discouraging when things initially look worse as you try to declutter. So her method focuses on making sure things start looking better immediately. (No dumping all your clothes in the middle of the floor. Sorry, Marie Kondo.)

Her order for tackling a space is to start in a highly visible area and do the easy stuff first:
1. Trash
2. Easy stuff (stuff that belongs somewhere else—put each item away immediately)
3. “Duhs” (stuff you already know you want to donate)

Then you can start making decisions about the stuff that is left, now that you see how much space & how many items you have to work with. Because you can’t keep more than the space (or shelf, or container) can hold.

Now, some readers complain of redundancy, saying that she just goes to different areas of the house and applies the exact same steps. But I thought that especially when she is talking about kitchens and storage areas and clothing, there needed to be a specific discussion because those spaces have unique challenges.

I also appreciated her suggestions about how to be an effective, non-jerk helper when you’re dealing with someone else’s clutter. (Like with your own kids, or if someone asks you to help them, or if a relative passes away or moves into assisted living.)

A bit torn on this one. Very evocative of time and place, but I was hoping for a less bleak ending.