Unstuffed by Ruth Soukup

Stuff has become a part of our culture.

Lives revolve around the accumulation and/or removing of stuff from our lives. Tv Shows have popped up on both extremes from Hoarders to Tiny House Hunters thriving of our fascination with things.

But for many people, there would be contentment just to find some balance and purpose in the stuff and that's where Ruth Soukup's newest book Unstuffed enters the picture.

Ruth is no newcomer to the battle on stuff. Already widely recognized from her blog LivingwellSpendingless.com, In Unstuffed Ruth takes readers through three areas - home, mind, and soul - exploring the mentality and reasoning behind unstuffing with practical tips and guidelines scattered throughout the text.

I really enjoyed how Ruth approaches the topic of clutter with a holistic outlook - examining physical, mental and soul causes.  So many books on the topic only address one failing to spot how interconnected the issue can be or become. Many of her points are wrapped in stories from her own experiences giving the instruction a more conversational feel rather than instruction.

I also appreciated all the additional support posted online that is mentioned throughout the text, providing extra support for those who require it. Decluttering and unstuffing can be a paralyzing task for some and just naturally flows out of some personalities better than others. These extra supports really help level the playing field.

That said, I appreciated Ruth's honesty how each family is going to be and look different when it comes to stuff. There is no one size fits all. Although I love an uncluttered look in our home the reality is that our son needs some of his extra "toys" because they're actually therapy items related to his autism. Though I don't recall Ruth directly saying there was an implied acceptance of different needs rather than a simple "your house isn't clean enough" (which I've seen in other material).

This book may not be for everyone, some may feel that Ruth does tend to some extremes at times (which I occassionaly had to check myself against as I slipped into that mentality as well), however, Unstuffed serves as a great launching point into  what seems to be a never ending battle here in North America.


4 out of 5 stars
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.