I have been waiting for this book for so long. I lived what had become a more-hectic-than- I-could -cope-with lifestyle: often starting work at 6 a.m, sometimes only getting home in time for a quick pot noodle dinner and then falling asleep, totally exhausted. The business of living (and paperwork, and laundry, and tidying up) usually had to wait until the weekend, if it got done at all. Unsurprisingly, leading this kind of a lifestyle was making me completely miserable. This book helped to put the sanity back in my life. It amazes me that one book can cover so many different aspects of one's life, with simple, straightforward advice on how to do things better and in the process, get more out of life. It was never an option for me to quit work, or to adopt a different lifestyle. Rather, this book helped to show me how I could get more out of my day, with simple, inspirational tips to get on top of things.
It's beautifully illustrated, in a way that encourages one to get organised - with great ideas for dealing with the clutter in one's life, and even information on where to find the storage solutions in question. It is also very readable - subdivided into chapters that one can easily dip into whenever one has the time. And it deals with absolutely everything! I now know how to organise my wardrobe, isolating the clothes that I wear most often and to think about what it is that makes these clothes so wearable. No more impulse buys - I know what I want and what suits me now! I now start my days with wonderfully pampering power showers, no longer dreading early mornings and actually looking forward to the commute, thanks to Dawna Walter's '10 things to do on public transport'. I have just sorted out all my paperwork into easily accessible files and have also taken the book's advice and ordered all the presents for the upcoming birthdays of friends on the internet, saving myself a huge amount of time in the process. Thanks to this book's advice on daily, weekly, monthly and six-monthly chores, I now find housework immensely more manageable. I haven't yet dipped into the chapters on indulging at home or dinner parties, but look forward to treating myself soon - now that I finally have time. It's the little things that add to the quality of life, and Dawna Walters' New leaf, New life is a celebration of that - much more than just another 'how to get organised' book. The difference is that this one is actually fun to read - a wonderful treat deserved by anyone who thinks they are too busy to give themselves any time (and who are going mad in the process).
