Best Method for establishing routines

This book has three strong points which make it a worthy purchase:
1. Her method for establishing and keeping home routines running smoothly is simple and effective. There is not a better method on the market that I am aware of (and I collect home management books).
2. Online support is available for those who wish to use her program and methods. You will be e-mailed several times a day with assignments and "encouragement" (see note 1 under weaknesses).
3. Her method assumes a very low starting point (cluttered home, sink full of dishes) and encourages steady, gradual improvement. (She refers to her method as "baby steps".) This is in sharp contrast to the massive whirlwind cleaning efforts that most people try on their own.

The book, like most also has some weaknesses.
1. The author mixes a pseudo-Christianity and eastern mysticism (feng shui) to create her own little religion which she preaches throughout the book. This was a HUGE turn-off for me.
2. The author's focus is getting rid of extra clutter. She gives very little direction on organizing and maintaining what is left. I highly recommend "Organizing from the Inside Out" by Julia Morgenstern and/or "Confessions of a Happily Organized Homemaker" (especially if you have school-aged children) in conjunction with this book.
3. Like every other organizational author that has pulled herself/themselves out of a horrificly dirty and cluttered home, she has a set of quirky "rules" that she feels are essential. Take these with a grain of salt. I feel no compulsion to shine my sink to a mirror-like finish, set out my outfit the night before, or even throw away 27 items at regular intervals. Other authors have equally bizarre rules that dealt with their specific trouble areas but are far from mainstream home management skills.

This book is worth the purchase price simply for the method she uses to establish and maintain household routines. Anything else you gain from it is gravy.

I liked it!

I have been to the web site and have been receiving numerous emails a day about my sink, my shoes, my laundry and finally when I should go to bed. I was just about to scream, when a neigbor suggested I read this book. And finally, I get it. Life should not be difficult, we should treat our famlies, our homes better then how we treat company. So much of this book is common sense, but when you see it in black and white it puts everything in perspective. This is a very good book, and reminds me a little of every woman I have ever met. So much so I have bought one for my mother. My mother has spent 50+ years running around like a chicken with her head off, and I think it is time for her to let go of the chaos.

Mildly useful

Ok, I am clearly in the minority here because of all the "FlyBabies" making the reviews, but here it goes...
The Sink reflections is 223 pages long and what is contained on those pages is this:
48 pages of letters from FlyBabies
7 completely empty pages
3 pages with instructions about how to shine your kitchen sink
4 pages about importance of picking your clothes evening before and wearing shoes even inside a house
7 pages about how chaos is the consequence of perfectionism
15 pages about what clutter is and that you can't organize it. Suggested ways of dealing with it are:
* 27 fling boogie (go through the house and pick 27 items to throw away)
* hot spot fire drill (unclutter the most cluttered spot in the room)
* 15 min de-clutter sessions (go into a room and spend 15 minutes tidying it up)
8 pages about the importance of taking care of yourself (doing "just for you" rituals regularly)
8 pages on how to get the rest of the family to help
2 pages about the author's definition of a good marriage
6 pages about doing the laundry - well not actually about doing it, rather about the importance of not letting it pile up
8 pages about organizing your paper clutter
4 pages about planning the menu for a week
9 pages about what to do if you are going on a vacation
16 pages about how to plan and what to do if you are moving
5 pages of her closing thoughts
So, when you do the math, it leaves exactly 73 pages that I couldn't categorize. Don't raise your hopes that there is something more than mildly useful on any of them.