Most people will recognise Dilly Carter as the straight talking organiser from BBC’s hit decluttering show Sort Your Life Out with Stacey Solomon. This is how Dilly first appeared on my radar and it was mentioned in the intro that not only did she have a successful organising business but she had also written a book about it too. As soon as I heard this I immediately messaged my mam and asked for a copy for my Christmas present! Once opened, I read it in just a few days.
Create Space: Declutter Your Home To Clear Your Mind
Create Space: Declutter Your Home To Clear Your Mind begins with what Dilly calls the ‘trail of destruction’ which takes you on a journey from waking up to reaching the office in a world of chaos- one we can all relate to- where nothing is in its place and everything is an effort as a result. Slowly but surely, Dilly demonstrates how something as simple as organising one space at a time can set the tone for your day and your life.
She takes each room in turn and breaks it down into subsections consisting of your vision for the space, how to edit it and how to clean it up with a handy checklist at the end of each chapter to help you recap on your reasons and execution of the tidy up. Dilly guides you through the most common pitfalls in each room and how to overcome them so you won’t fall into the same traps once you are finished.
There are Dolly Dashes throughout the book too which are small changes you can make if you are time poor but still want to get something done so it’s pitched at anyone whatever your circumstances.
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Each section is designed to help you reclaim your space by lessening the physical load and subsequently the mental load too. So many issues can be linked to having too much stuff and mental health is one of the most widely affected, making the phrase a ‘tidy home, tidy mind’ all the more poignant for today’s society. Consumerism is at the highest it’s ever been as we have ironically entered into a throw away culture.
Dilly encourages you to buy well instead of buying more and invest in timeless pieces for your wardrobe and your home so you will treasure these items for a lifetime. The less respect you have for your possessions, the greater the flow of things that come into your space and sadly, few of these actually leave.
I have to admit the chapter on kids resonated with me the most, as since having children, I find the number of items coming into my home has significantly increased and on a more regular basis. The extra things are not only from me and my husband but from grandparents and friends because everyone likes to buy for babies and toddlers! I have found this side of having little ones very overwhelming and Dilly’s no nonsense approach to toys and children’s clutter has helped me to view things differently. Being a mum herself, she knows first hand the struggles that parents face when another member of the family is born. By adopting organising solutions and paring down, your kid’s things need not be such a source of stress.
Create Space is easy to read and flows beautifully so you can declutter your home in an order that makes complete sense. Dilly eases you in to help you gain the momentum you need to continue once you’ve finished reading.
The perfect book for fans of Sort Your Life Out and one of the most positive things you can do for yourself in 2022 is to read this book and then create space in your home.
Thanks for the great read Dilly! X
Tagged in Stacey Solomon