While I consider myself an organized person in general, there are certain moments that make me feel like a hopelessly hot mess. Cleaning for Passover is always one of those moments! Every single year, without fail, I find myself wasting an unbelievable amount of time sorting through mountains of stuff. Between couponing and blogging, I acquire so many things for free, I literally can’t use half of it. Sure, I donate some, but a lot gets boxed/bagged and tucked away, totally forgotten.

Instead of tackling the problem annually, I’m trying to be more mindful of clutter on a regular basis. Something that really helped was reading Unstuffed: Decluttering Your Home, Mind & Soul. In this book, author Ruth Soukup shares her own story of conspicuous consumption and what fueled her obsession (childhood abuse, severe depression, and multiple suicide attempts created such horrible feelings of worthlessness, she tried to ignore it by surrounding herself with useless things).

I had known there was an emotional component to shopping, but for some folks, it’s all-consuming and stuff becomes a replacement for relationships. Possessions not only live in our homes, but in our hearts/heads as well. How can you tell the difference between healthy habits and obsession? Take the Unstuffed checklist:

• Do you ever find yourself frustrated that even when you do manage to get your house cleaned up, it never seems to stay that way?
• Have you ever found yourself buying more storage containers to organize stuff you probably should have just gotten rid of?
• Do you sometimes feel like you can’t keep up with all the activities and obligations you have committed to?
• Do you ever struggle to find an important piece of paper because there are just too many pieces of paper to keep track of?
• Have you ever felt guilty for getting rid of something that was a gift, or held on to something you didn’t really like because someone gave it to you?
• Do you feel like there are people in your life who simply suck the life out of you?

Most of us would admit to doing those things (buying extra storage really struck a chord with me. So silly but so true!). Once we acknowledge the problem, we can attack the clutter monster. Ruth suggests doing a weekend challenge. Starting on Friday and finishing up Sunday night, there are step-by-step instructions in the book that help make this doable. While I didn’t follow it exactly, it was a much-needed jumpstart and I certainly felt less stressed after paring down—hence the mind/soul part of the title.

There are some free Unstuffed resources to begin with if you want to test the waters, but I don’t think anyone would regret purchasing the book. A balanced life is worth every penny!

“If it doesn’t add to your life, it doesn’t belong in your life.” That engaging quote, along with many others and a treasure trove of helpful advice are included in Alli Worthington’s new book Breaking Busy: How to Find Peace and Purpose in a World of Crazy.

Most women I know—me, definitely—struggle with having way too much to do and a lack of time/energy to get everything done. As a busy blogger/entrepreneur and mom of 5, Alli relates. In a book that’s part memoir, part self-help, she relays her own experiences of becoming extremely burnt out and how she was able to turn things around.

Each chapter of Breaking Busy deals with topics that are relevant to most of our hectic lives:

• Capacity
• Relationships
• Calling
• Editing
• Traditions
• Time
• Thoughts
• Decisions
• Communication
• Worth

Out of a sense of guilt, obligation, and often shame, most of us take on commitments we don’t even want, trying to be all things to all people and losing our sense of peace/purpose in the process. That is not living our best lives in any possible way! Implementing some of her ideas like a Time Diary and a Stop-Do List can help cut down on the uncertainty.

I think this book will truly benefit married mothers who can lean on family and have a built-in support system. Because of her background, the author doesn’t have much practical advice to offer singles or those who must be crazy-busy just to survive. The whole “focus on your passions only” bit is for those have that luxury. She has a stay-at-home husband and household help which affords her opportunities most women can’t even dream of.

While none of her advice is anything we haven’t heard before, it’s laid out in an easy to understand way that’s also encouraging which makes for an enjoyable and productive read.

When you mention the name Hillary Clinton, people tend to have an immediate, gut reaction: They either adore her or despise her, with very little in between. Personally, I am not a fan of her politics and disagree with many of her ideas, but I find her fascinating nonetheless.

Joanne Cronrath Bamberger tackles this subject in her new book, Love Her, Love Her Not: The Hillary Paradox. She did an excellent job editing a compilation of 28 essays that range from the silly (“Worshipping Hillary’s Pantsuits”) to the thought-provoking (“The Responsibility of Privilege”). Each essay is short, making this a quick read for those who have small snippets of time like me. {I read a few chapters here and there, waiting at the doctor’s office, while using the treadmill, etc. I like essays because each stands on its own and you don’t have to worry about continuity.}

While Love Her, Love Her Not is definitely argued from a liberal point of view, not all of the writers are die-hard fans and there is some balance and criticism regarding her perceived phoniness and flip-flopping on key positions. Contributors include one of her neighbors in Chappaqua, a fellow Wellesley college alum, a young Millennial, a Southern writer that’s known her forever, and a Conservative who wants to hate her but can’t.

Bottom Line: Regardless of how you feel about Hillary, she is a force of nature in American politics and clearly will influence women for decades to come. I won’t be voting for her, but I’m very glad to see that a female candidate can succeed at the highest level and possibly become the President of our great country.