Review: Partners in Crime

I read a lot, and one of my favorite genres is romance. I also love Christmas, and I've been binging lately on Christmas-themed romances which seem to be in abundance at my local library. One story,  Partners In Crime by Cait London, is about a professional organizer who gets involved with a undercover cop on vacation and a string of burglaries of Christmas presents in her small town. It was a cute story, but the way the author portrayed her main character, Cecilia Lattimer, as a fairly OCD person who thrust her unwanted organizational solutions on everyone from business owners to the hunky cop-who-she-thinks-is-a-drifter was a little off-putting.

I suppose I'm overly sensitive, being a professional organizer in real life, but it was hard to see her try to give advice to everyone about how their lives could be organized better. I would never presume to do that, since part of being a professional organizer is being non-judgmental about people's situations and stuff. By offering to "fix" their space for them, the character in the book is implying that there is something wrong with them, which is not only presumputous, but insulting and it doesn't get her very far with any of these characters, anyway. 

So, the takeaway for me is that even though it was neat to see the main character in a short novel share my profession, it made me wonder how others see the job I've chosen. I certainly hope they don't think I'm a nosy person who wants to fix their space whether they like it or not!

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Clutter-free gifts: Romantic

The next category in the clutter-free gifts series is meant specifically for your significant other. There can be extra pressure at the holidays to come up with a particularly brilliant or meaningful gift for your romantic partner. Instead of fretting over jewelry or clothes they might not like or need, show how much you just want to spend quality time with them with a thoughtful but clutter-free gift.

• Have an "in-town vacation" by getting a hotel room in your immediate area for a night or two
• Consumables like sweets, chocolates, wine and champagne chosen just for them
• Ballroom dance lessons for the two of you
• Flowers, cut
• Massage certificate/couples massage session
• Massage oil/lotion
• A surprise trip to somewhere they have always wanted to go
• Wine tasting trip or event
• Movie night: you provide the tickets, candy, popcorn
• Go on a tour of significant places, such as your first date spot, your first apartment together, etc.
• Condoms

Creative Commons photo posted to Flickr by gary j wood
Lelah Baker-Rabe is a Los Angeles-based professional organizer. To discuss your organizing needs, call her at 818.269.6671 or email lelah@lelahwithanh.com