MAKING HOME YOUR HAPPY PLACE: Book Review and Giveaway

I am a life-long stacker—not a hoarder, just a stacker. I have stacks of notes, towers of books, and a pile of holiday décor to pack away. But, it’s what’s crammed inside the closets and the attic that weighs most heavily on me. So, when given the opportunity to review the book, MAKING HOME YOUR HAPPY PLACE: A Real-Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm, I grabbed it.

If you have tried to declutter your house before by using baskets, bins, or a system you couldn’t maintain, then this book is for you.

The  Author

Katy Joy Wells is a decluttering expert and the host of the podcast The Maximized Minimalist. She’s a repeat guest on NBC News Daily and has been featured in Real Simple, Martha Stewart Living, Southern Living, and more. Katy has helped over 250,000 families take control of their homes.

She lives in Asheville, NC, with her husband and their two boys. You can learn more at KatyJoyWells.com.

“I can teach you how to stop spending every weekend picking up
and finally enjoy a home that doesn’t drain you.”    -Katy Joy Wells.

About MAKING HOME YOUR HAPPY PLACE

What stands out in this book is its fullness of grace. It does not contain shame, judgment, or checklists. It is not intended to be a one-size-fits-all book, but rather a guide for a personalized journey.

First, the author helps us decide what is considered the messes of everyday life and what is the clutter that needs addressing. She discourages creating perfect homes and encourages you to determine what is good enough for this season in your life.

She takes a holistic approach to decluttering. Step by step, she asks readers to go beyond surface cleaning and search deeper into the emotional and psychological reasons behind our clutter.

This approach helps us identify which habits and mindsets we may need to tweak. We want to avoid an overwhelming and depressing cycle.

Published by W Publishing Group, this is a 222-page paperback containing real-life examples of clutter issues, along with practical steps and encouragement.

The Contents of MAKING HOME YOUR HAPPY PLACE

I could really identify with the chapters on scarcity clutter (a.k.a. I may need this one day) and sentimental clutter (I have the flour sack my MawMaw rolled biscuit dough on).

The helpful tips throughout the book and the tools in chapter fourteen are proving to be effective for me.

Chapter 1  Less Managing, More Living

Chapter 2  Your Stuff Story

Chapter 3  The Good Enough Home

Chapter 4  Superficial Clutter

Chapter 5  Scarcity Clutter

Chapter 6  Sentimental Clutter

Chapter 7  Identity Clutter

Chapter 8  How to Get and Stay Motivated

Chapter 9  Systems That Do the Heavy Lifting

Chapter 10 Onboarding the Adults in Your Home

Chapter 11 Helping Kids Take Ownership

Chapter 12 Break the Shopping-and-Clutter Cycle

Chapter 13 No More Burnout: Tools That Keep You Going

Chapter 14 From Clutter to Claritry: The Life That’s Waiting for You

Recommendation

I highly recommend this book. It makes sense, and it’s doable. The author is an expert in the topic and the tone. She helps you right where you are and cheers you on throughout the book as you create space for a happy home.

The funny thing is, I had just turned down several book review requests because I felt a bit overwhelmed by everything I needed to do in my home. But, taking time out to read and implement some of the helpful tips in this book has given me more freedom to do the things I love—one of which is encouraging you.

Giveaway

We will select a name from this blog’s email subscriber list on April 24, 2026, as the winner of this book. Just in time for spring cleaning!

After receiving an email from this website, the winner will have 2 weeks to reply to accept the book. If no reply is sent, we take that as a nod to select another winner. As always, the winner pays nothing. We cover the shipping costs.

Winners must be residents of the contiguous United States. Make sure you’ve entered your email address in the sidebar to get in on all of our giveaways and gain free admittance into the Library of Printables. And verify us in your email contacts so the good stuff doesn’t end up in your spam folder!

While we wait, tell us in the comments section below one area where you struggle with clutter.

CONGRATULATIONS to Laura L. of New Orleans, whose name was drawn from our list of email subscribers. Yay! You won this book! Look for an email from me from this website.

I received a FREE copy of this product for my honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC Regulations.

Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications, including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.