Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized by Laurie Palau (VNBtM, guest post, excerpt, and GIVEAWAY)

It is my pleasure to share a guest post from author Laurie Palau who answers my question...




ELF: What was the most difficult thing to overcome on your path to becoming a published author and how did you conquer it?

LP: People often ask, “What made you decide to write a book?”  I’m sure that I get lots of eye rolls when I answer honestly by saying that it was something I always knew I was meant to do.  Now here’s the tricky part, believing that this is something you are supposed to do, verses the fear of actually putting yourself out there and doing it, are two different things.

For years I struggled with insecurity and doubt.  Those emotions led to months of procrastination, which is why it took five years (off and on) to write HOT MESS.

I was the biggest obstacle along the way.

It wasn’t that I didn’t have anything to write; it was the FEAR that no one would care what I had to say that held me back. Shutting off my inner voice of doubt was crucial in allowing me to buckle down and prioritize finishing the first draft of my book.  Once I came to the realization that I could not only do this, but that there was value in the message I was sharing, I was able to forge ahead. 

Thankfully, by the time I did, I had aligned with an amazing editor who helped navigate me through the process, otherwise I can assure you that my manuscript would still be in a word document on my computer!

Now that my book is published, I am cognizant about NOT checking my analytics every five minutes. YES, I want to sell books, heck, I’d love to be on the best sellers list, but whether I sell 100 books or 1,000,000 books, I am equally as proud of my work, and the value it brings to my readers.

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Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized

by Laurie Palau

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GENRE:   Lifestyle

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BLURB:

Most of us have too much stuff and not enough places to put it. Combine that with our hectic modern lives, and you’ve got a recipe for clutter catastrophe. Luckily, help is at hand. Hot Mess: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized can show you how to simplify your life—and get control of your stuff.

In this new guide to streamlining and organizing your belongings, your house, and your life, author and expert Laurie Palau gives you all the strategies you need to clear your clutter once and for all. This comprehensive book offers clever storage ideas and decorating tips, but more importantly, it shows you where your clutter comes from and how to change your approach. This makes it the definitive how-to for dropping all the dead weight that’s been keeping you stressed and anxious. Just follow the hacks, tips, and strategies Palau clearly outlines, and you’ll soon be sipping a vodka martini in your beautifully tidy living room.

Whether you’re naturally neat or a total chaos magnet, this informative and amusing guide takes an approach to organizing that’s as unique as you are. Let this witty little handbook be your new secret weapon in the war on disorder!

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EXCERPT

Before we get too far, I think it’s important that we all get on the same page. For most people, the word clutter conjures up scenes from Hoarders, or Grey Gardens with its mazes of magazines lining the hallways. You may even imagine feral cats, rodent droppings, and indistinguishable mounds of who-knows-what.

I’ll be honest; I can count on one hand (with three fingers to spare) how many times I’ve encountered a true hoarder. Yup, twice—you guessed it! It was very early in my career as a professional organizer, and it didn’t take me long to realize it wasn’t the right fit for me. It’s not so much that I was in over my head (no pun intended); the reality is that their struggles go deeper than piles of paper, overflowing loads of laundry, and rooms filled with toys. I am not a licensed psychologist, although I often like to think of myself as one, and the level of help they need is beyond what I can offer.

The majority of my clients are like you and me. Their days are spent running between work, school, PTA meetings, soccer practice, dance lessons, grocery shopping, overseeing homework, making dinner, looking after ailing parents, and whatever else we can fit into our days.

The result of all this life-madness is often a cluttered home, and with that, I can help.

Amazon

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Laurie Palau is the founder of simply B organized, host of the weekly podcast, This ORGANIZED Life, and author of the book HOT MESS: A Practical Guide to Getting Organized available in paperback and kindle on amazon or Barnes & Noble.

She is a go-to Organizing Expert whose advice has been featured in The New York Times Parenting Section, Family Circle, and Home + Table Magazine.  Laurie can also be seen sharing tips on the CBS Philadelphia’s Morning Show & WFMZ in Allentown, PA. Whether speaking or working with clients Laurie is authentic, relatable, inspiring, and highly entertaining.

When not organizing the world, Laurie can be found at home in Bucks County, PA with her husband Josh, 2 girls (Zoe and Logan) and 2 dogs (Jeter and Oliver).  She loves coffee and Tito’s Vodka (not together), and in her spare time she is actively involved with The St. Baldrick’s Foundation, which raises money for Pediatric Cancer Research.

Visit www.simplyBorganized.com for a complete list of service offerings including free organizing checklists, links to her podcast, blog and social media.

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GIVEAWAY


a Rafflecopter giveaway

The tour dates can be found here