Real Simple, Real Life.

I'm a big fan of the simple, uncluttered lifestyle espoused by Real Simple magazine, so I was happy to get a sneak peek at TLC's new show, Real Simple, Real Life (the first episode airs tonight). For some reason I was expecting a beautifully photographed, visual magazine show like The Martha Stewart Show.

Surprise one: the two couldn't be more different. The Martha Stewart Show is almost like fantasy (this is what a perfect ganache looks like! see the fantastically carved pumpkin!) while Real Simple, Real Life is hard reality. Host Kit Hoover and a team of experts (beauty, fashion, organization, finance, fitness, design, motivation, food) go into busy women's homes and give their chaotic lives a makeover.

Surprise two: The woman in the first episode is ME. Seriously! Okay, her name is Emily and she lives in Pasadena, but otherwise she's me. She's an MBA turned SAHM, former product manager, has an older girl and twin boys 2.5 years apart, a pack rat, loves to shop for bargains, blogs. See? SHE. IS. ME.



So it's no surprise that I loved this first episode. I can totally relate to the feeling of overwhelming helplessness in that horrible (yes, horrible!) first year of the twins' life. Man, I reeelly could have used that Real Simple team of experts four years ago. They cleaned out her garage, organized her home office, streamlined her closet and gave her a makeover. The experts do a great job -- the "Before" and "After" shots were quite dramatic -- and also share useful tips with viewers (I like the idea of keeping only current items in your closet and packing away out-of-season items). Go watch this show!