Are you constantly struggling to organize your time? Do you sit amidst clutter? Is the top of your desk spilling over? Do you have a hard time finding things in your house? If you answered yes to any of these questions, All in Good Time might be a good book for you. It's your own personal home organizer in a book. (I imagine the book is much less expensive than a personal home organizer!)

Written with the work-at-home mom in mind, there are many references to organizing your "work time" and "office things." But I found many of those principles just as important to a homeschooling mom. We too need to organize our things (including school things) and maintain a level of personal time.

The book doesn't just cover office organization, though. You'll find detailed instructions for dealing with clutter, organizing any area of the home, maintaining a newly organized area, handling the ever-growing pile of paperwork, and managing your time. The author writes from a Christian viewpoint, so she also includes ideas for how to have a servant's heart on top of everything else in our schedules.

Of course, one of the main themes of the book is how to balance all of the responsibilities of work and home while also being a great mom. There were many references to getting the children off to school and organizing the hustle-bustle of homework, lunches, and activities. Even so, I was able to look past much of this and focus on how I can apply the principles in my busy home. There are days that I need to have clothes organized and lunches packed and be out the door by 8:00 too!

The author is a professional organizer who admits that her focus wasn't always on God. She gives a personal testimony of turning herself and her business over to Him and tells of the difference that has made. She admits that staying organized is sometimes difficult even for a professional organizer. I appreciated knowing that! She doesn't simply rely on her own knowledge in the book, because at the end of each chapter there are tips and resources from other organizers. At the end of the book, there is a whole chapter listing other resources (books, catalogs, organization solutions, etc.) and some of the author's favorite products.

My favorite chapter is titled "Take Control of the Chaos." In it Mrs. Williams talks about how to practically prioritize, delegate, limit interruptions, consolidate tasks, and use blocks of time. She encourages the reader to think critically about what sorts of interruptions are causing time management problems and to decide on a method to control that interruption. Of course, suggestions are given. She also takes you through a list of the biggest time wasters in your day and what to do to rid yourself of them.

As I've already mentioned, this book was not written with the homeschool mom in mind. It was written, however, with the busy Christian mom in mind; and I do fit that category, even if I don't officially have a work-at-home job. Most of the information in this book was easily adaptable to my situation as a homeschooler. The author does a very thorough job explaining home and time organization, and I do recommend the book--especially if you feel like you're drowning in your home on a daily basis.

Product review by Cindy West, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, February 2008