Tucson Morning Blend segment Books!
How to Love Your Books AND Keep Them Organized
It’s Festival of Books week here in Tucson and I’m happy to share with you my latest Tucson Morning Blend segment – all about books (with a saucy nod to International Women’s Day, of course!)
I can’t tell you how many clients say to me, “NOOOOOO, I could never get rid of a book!” Being a book lover myself, I can relate! We love them because they teach us things and because the stories and the characters have touched our lives. And they’re just so pretty to look at!
There are basically just a few reasons we keep books:
- We might read it again (or for the first time)
- We might need the information
- As trophies of how smart we are (or how smart we WISH we were)
- We don’t think anyone else will love that book the way we love that book
We might have to tackle our book issues because:
- They are one of the TOP sources of visual clutter in homes and offices (true thing!)
- They simply take up too much prime real estate
- You’re moving
- You’re redecorating and your bookshelves look like they’re from college (because they are)
Deciding what to keep and what to let go of:
Well, there’s NO REASON to keep your kid’s high school algebra book – none! And you may have some non-negotiables. For me, it’s food porn a.k.a. cookbooks. For everything else, here’s a nifty little flow chart to help you along.
Honestly, there’s not much. You can be pretty sure that most medical and professional information will be quickly out of date. All of that plus DIY, crafts, recipes (gasp!), and more are available online – exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.Making books part of our décor:
So, we’ve trimmed down our collection and organized them by topic, alpha, or even by color. Now what? Books are beautiful so get artistic! Showcase the books themselves, arrange them vertically and stack horizontally, intersperse with art & pretty stuff. PAINT those ugly shelves or invest in new ones. Check out Pinterest for tons of ideas.Where can I take those books I’m letting go of?
In Tucson: Bookmans to sell or Friends Book Barn (Pima County Library). Everywhere: Nonprofits & Thrift Stores, Book Drop-Off Boxes, Literacy Programs, Children’s Books on Wheels, Head Start, School Libraries, Prison Programs.
Finally, if you really love books and it’s time to trim down the library, let that book go on to touch another life – like it’s touched yours.
Got clutter, chaos, or just soul-depleting home/office blech?
