5 comments about Clean House Clean Planet.

1. I must say I truly enjoyed this book :)
   
   "Clean House, Clean Planet" is colorfully written...very down to earth but offers no-nonsense information... I even liked the comedic moments {the anti-roach treatment 'Catch Em and Cook em', and the kids who visited the authors home and she put them to work..and they were eyeing the spray bottles and happy to clean LOL) and family-story-spliced tidbits--{and I am NOT by far the cooing-gushing baby-babbling type at ALL}while Karen advises on cleaning thru her own experiences and life lessons..which I related to as a young family-oriented woman. I enjoyed her easy, simple recipes, cleaning effectiveness ratings, and price comparisons The ingredients are easy to find. ~It really made you think about how dangerous household chemicals are, and how we think aabout cleaning products because of commercial advertising.
   
   I read it over a year ago and I still browse parts. In fact I just put it down,as I plan~for the umpteenth time~ to purchase two essential oils to make 'Earth Scrub and Paste', 'Scented Vinegars,' 'Mama's Earth Mop' and the Borax for the toilet I am now more interested in cleaning :) as I also plan a bathroom makeover. This book offers fun, helpful and interesting techniques and non toxic cleaning recipes to try in my everyday cleaning-which I dislike doing~esp. the toilet-but thanks to Karen sharing her views on cleaning and her cute, light-hearted antidotes, Im quitting my immature cleaning procrastination. I make it a goal to get-it-done!
   
   Although I have only tried the Vinegar-Mop, and Vinegar as a Plastics Odor Remover, and the Olive Oil on cleaning fixtures...I will update this review when I try the other cleaners. I believe they will work fine..like the other ideas I tried, since it is true that most of these commercial cleaning formulas are too strong and contain hazardous chemicals, for cleaning things that can be cleaned with regular dish detergent or soap! Something I learned as a teenager whenever I stained a white uniform shirt...I used Dawn or sum dish detergent as a treatment b/c it lifted the stains the best.



2. I like this book a lot. I have used some of the recipes, but vinegar and plain baking soda alone are my preferred cleaning ingredients. It's very motivating and a great rescource for various 'green' cleaning needs
   However, her website, no longer exists. The 818 telephone number has also been disconnected. I wanted to check out some of her products. Does any one know where I can find her company?



3. I've read just about all of the "natural cleaning" books out nowadays, and I feel this one is still the best. Not only are these recipes safe, but they WORK. From one who hates cleaning and tries to avoid it as much as possible, I actually have found myself enjoying working with peppermint-scented bathroom cleaners, just as an example.
   
   Oh, and finding the various bottles needed isn't all that hard using the internet. :)



4. I love this little book. I have tried several of the recipes for cleaners and find that they work very well. It is unfortunate that the author can't be reached. She made a point of stating in the book that she was available ..had special bottles for the products etc. But , as it has been several years since the book was written, she seems to have dropped out of sight. I have been able to find adequate containers...and have begun to switch to using mostly these products for cleaning. I purchased a few basic essential oils...the price for them was quite reasonable..and Dr Bronners soaps are wonderful. It is pleasure to clean with products that don't make you gasp for breath...and knowing that I am doing something to help save the earth is a really good thing.



5. While the writer has great ideas of cleaning products that are harmful to use in the house and what they have in them, she uses old concepts that my grandmother used 50 years ago. This book is not really all that useful in my opinion when just basic baking soda and white vinegar have been a cleaning substance for many years. This book is not original at all.

4 comments about Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills, Third Edition (Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills).

1. The book is a lot like the old, only with updated information, and more things have been added to it.



2. This is simply the best reference book for self sufficient country living ever, bar none. From building to growing to conserving to preserving to raising animals to cooking... recreation, knitting, herbs, knots, quilting, cider, canoeing, candle making, soaps, blacksmithing, not to mention beer and wine making; and everything in between and extending from both ends - this book has it all. The table of contents only touches on what's contained. If you can think of it, this book probably has it. It is *the* encyclopedia of living the "basics."
   
   At the end of the movie adaptation of H.G.Wells classic "The Time Machine", the main character escapes to the future where humanity has forgotten all basic knowledge and skills. The friends that he leaves behind discover that he has taken only three books with him, and we're left to wonderingly consider which three - and which three we might bring. This book would be one of my three. After all, what culture could survive long without beer, smoked meats, cheese and wine?



3. This book was published twice by Reader's Digest when there wasn't much demand for it. Skyhorse Publishing took it over and made enough "significant changes" to establish their own copyright over it. But the changes are just different pictures and rearranged pages!
   
   This book is just about to come into its own due to the demise of oil and the Dollar. These are skills the general population must relearn. But the pre-oil generations are all gone.



4. Well maybe not exactly nigh, and maybe not exactly the end...but certainly some changes are lurching our way as the current economic meltdown rains on our way-complicated, stressed-out, nature-deficient parade. Skyhorse called it right by calling this book back into print--and under editor Abigail Gehring's guiding hand the book has been enriched with new graphics and some new content (including internet referrals to information sources.)
   Reading this book opens a window into a lifestyle that you've been missing at the core of your being...and opens the door to get you into it.

5 comments about The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live.

1. I was expecting her projects to downsize to ~1000 square feet. It felt like she was reducing large McMansions to smaller McMansions. Good photographs though!



2. This book was absolutely awesome. Beautifully illustrated, excellent content, and I totally agree with the idea that McMansions are not the way to go. I'd much rather have a smaller home that has been personalized to me and made beautiful than some big, cold half-empty McMansion.



3. The Not So Big House was given me by a craftsman friend who had used it building his new, wonderful home.
   I kept this book through my new addition / remodel project of 7 months, using it as the reference for my decisions.
   The ideas are sound; easy to understand and implement. I recommend The Not So Big House to anyone embarking on a home building project who loves good design and is on a budget.



4. First of all, I bought this book used and it was not in very good condition. A page that I really wanted to read was missing, for one thing. Unfortunately, I can't recall the seller's name now but I left a bad review when I received no response to my concern.
   
   But anyway, the book itself was very good. My husband and I are remodeling a house built in 1949 which used every nook and cranny for some function. It doesn't fit the modern concept of lots of empty space, so we are working on creating a little more empty space while using some of Susanka's ideas for making certain areas more compact. We are expanding our kitchen into a porch, but the ceiling in the porch is lower and this book gave us the idea to just keep it as it is because lowered ceilings add character and are something Frank Lloyd Wright used. I also like her recommendations for wood trim and moulding to warm up rooms and use many windows to bring the outside in. As my title implies, some of the details are pretty outdated such as any picture involving a computer and the kitchen chairs, but that can be overlooked since the overall ideas are still very usable.



5. I ordered this book after reading great reviews since I was in the middle of trying to work out the purchase of a turn of the century home where space was the size of just that, turn of the century. The Amazon review picked all the best photo's in the book and the only pages worth reading in it, so I bought it. I was extremely disappointed to receive a book that had too many 1980 - 1990's dated, uninspiring interiors and not so much in the way of smart architectural choices to think about, as was advertised.

5 comments about Eliminate Chaos: The 10-Step Process to Organize Your Home and Life.

1. I bought this book for help in decluttering my garage (my car is parked outside and we had one too many ice storms this year). I identified with the case study. What hit home was the cost of disorganization (my windshield cracked under the ice when I was defrosting it. If it had been in the garage I would have saved both time and money). I now am aware of other examples of the cost of disorganization in my life. This concept helped me get to the point of prioritizing organization and setting time aside for it.
   
   I have followed the 10 steps for some lesser projects and they work like a charm! Once it warms up and I have my staging area outside on the lawn, I will tackle the garage. In fact, I am looking forward to it (how weird is that?)
   
   My 83 year old mom is downsizing and asked for me to visit for a week and help. I sent her the book and marked the case study about the older woman downsizing. She liked the book too.



2. After reading a number of books, websites and magazine articles on organization over the years, Elimate Chaos finally offers a real solution. Laura's personal story in the preface is important as it starts you thinking about your own experiences with clutter. Included are fresh, new lists-in more detail- to get you started. The author breaks projects into supplies, physical space, steps in the process, stories of real projects and the clients needs. After organizing and sorting, Laura provides a shopping list and reasonable budget.
   If you are not a born organizer, I recommend Eliminate Chaos. Laura learned organization and takes it to the reader. This is absolutely not just another "get organized" self help book.



3. I've read a ton of organizing books. Most have a "process" to get organized that seems reasonable when I read it, but I can never seem to remember the process or to apply it in real life.
   
   In "Eliminate Chaos", Laura Leist, author & genius, sets out her 10-step process and then takes us through seven real-life rooms that she applied it to. She tells us each room owner's "story" and makes the room alive - and then the process come to life in the room as she capably demonstrates with words and lots of fantastic before and after photos.
   
   I know now EXACTLY how to apply this system to my life and can't wait to do it. This is the best book you'll find to help you declutter and organize your home!



4. Laura Leist writes a very easy to use book. She calls upon her professional experience helping messy people like me--giving several examples for each point she is trying to make. I must admit I had thought of or realized most of the observations she writes about--the difference is I now realize I wasn't completely goofy...an expert and I agree on several organizing stratagies! But the depth and breadth of her insight and perspective are well worth twice the price of this book. If I had the opportunity and more income, I would hire Ms. Leist to come into my home and school me a little further. That should tell you how much I appreciate her work. Thank you to the author, and if you're thinking this book might help you, I say, "go for it."



5. It's advertised as a methodical approach to organizing every room of your house. What it turned out to be is mostly examples of the author organizing other people's rooms, none of which are particularly usable in my own situation. She even admits when covering one particularly unusual closet that the readers will probably not be able to use the related chapter.
   
   The one worthwhile thing was a suggestion from her method that you decide on the purpose of the room and what will belong in it before buying any organizing products - I'm guilty of buying organizers in search of a solution. And I got a few ideas from the products used, but actually I could have gotten everything I did from this book by browsing a catalog somewhere.

5 comments about Easy Green Living: The Ultimate Guide to Simple, Eco-Friendly Choices for You and Your Home.

1. "Easy Green Living" is an absolutely wonderful book that shows you how to live green. I have learned so much from this book and have recommended it to family and friends. Everyone should use this as a guide. It's packed with very important information. Renee is very knowledgeable and tells it like it is.



2. Greening your life seems to be a process. It's not something that you can do in one day. It's taken me a few years to slowly get rid of the things that weren't good for me, especially cleansers, beauty products, and food. Not only will using green products help you and your body, but they can help the earth as well!
   This woman really did her homework. She not only stated where she received the abundance of information she wrote about, but she gave tons of resources as well!!
   Even if you don't want to give up your everyday products, like: fabric softener, oven cleaner, and makeup, you don't have to!! There are many more natural and healthy substitutes you can use, by buying better products, or making them yourself!!
   Greening your life is not as hard as you would think!
   Recommended!



3. I have a few green living books, and this one is by far the best (and makes some other popular green guides look like trendy, puff pieces).
   
   It's informative, well set out and very practical. Everything you need to know to go green is in this book!
   
   An excellent investment.



4. This is the most comprehensive, easy to use, guide for eco-friendly living that I have seen in years. I strongly recommend that you consider purchasing this book and using it as a handy reference for everything from personal care products to paint to household items. I have purchased several of these from Amazon after reading it cover to cover from the local library and I will be giving them as Christmas gifts this year. The book will quite simply change your life for the better.



5. EASY GREEN LIVING arrived before expected and brand new as promised. I loved it, it was a real blessing for me and my family as we try to green our lives. Thanks

5 comments about Sink Reflections.

1. A hoot - but seriously...
   This book have a few veiled religious references, but they're not obtrusive and don't smack you in the face. It's well thought out, humorous, and I can see it working for people just like me - slobs! I've lived for years in the certain knowledge that I'll live in CHAOs (Can't Have Anyone Over syndrome) for my entire life. This book is going to change that. She's down to earth, simple to follow and has carved out a plan she frankly says rescued her from lived in clutter and depression. She works with a known behavioral truth - habits take about 27 days to create - or break. So, she puts that forward as the core of her approach to shaping up your home. She starts you out with one simple chore. Shine your sink. I loved that. Like she says, I can do that! For the terminally disordered this book might be the way back to a clean house and an ordered life. I like the book, only received it about a week ago and plan to use it for at least 27 days. I have faith...



2. Recomend 100% I love this book and use it and refer back to it often. Wonderful



3. This book is great for starting anad maintaining a personalized housekeeping routine because you can start with "baby steps"; it also allows for flexibility to fit anyone's circumstances and lifestyle.Sink Reflections



4. I have really struggled with clutter. When we were married and my husband was deployed, in the apartment I had a narrow walkway from the door to the bedroom, and I kept stacking the dirty dishes to make room for more, everything else was lined with clutter. When we moved to a four bedroom home, one room and two closets were so filled, we could never use the stuff. Now, we are divorced, and I had a two bedroom apartment stuffed with boxes from the four bedroom home. Again with the walkways. I checked this book out from the library, kept re-reading the parts about what clutter does to our lives, then my former in-laws came to visit and I was mortified to admit, face to face, how I am raising our daughter in this mess. There it was, thrown open, no hiding, how I am living. So, I put the book in action, and with our daughter's help, within three days, the living room and kitchen were clean and clear. Now, we may sit down! And I may find the pet supplies, tools, towels, markers, shoes, and coats, right where they ought to be, right when I need them. It is so nice, and like Martha Cilley says, peaceful at home. I make a goal for this summer to clear the last untamed terrain of my own bedroom. All boxes, just a walkway. I have 6 weeks. Martha Cilley tells of a room she cleaned by giving away, throwing away, or putting away two items per day, until. I HIGHLY recommend "Sink Reflections".



5. In this book Marla Cilley explains in full detail how she recaptured
   her life....she is an expert at helping others "get a grip" on housework &
   decluttering your home and your life! Chapter by chapter she takes you
   in baby steps so as not to overwhelm you...as housework can tend to be
   very overwhelming......not with Marla...believe me, if you will just
   give this book a chance - read a chapter each day - you will be amazed.
   I had tried everything!!! I didn't even know about the book until a
   friend referred me to www.flylady.net....I can assure you that if you
   read this book, you will NEVER have to do spring housecleaning again.

5 comments about One Year to an Organized Life: From Your Closets to Your Finances, the Week-by-Week Guide to Getting Completely Organized for Good.

1. On page 24, Regina Leeds says just about everything that needs to be said on the subject: "Everything you do needs to be scheduled". This happens to be the same message David Allen delivers much more effectively in his "Getting Things Done".
   
   Of course, saying it is a lot easier than doing it, which is why people like Leeds and Allen can count on their books selling year after year.
   
   Leeds takes the approach of teaching you how to organize your life over the course of a year, with new projects every month. For me, the approach simply doesn't work. Too much territory is covered. For example, I'm not going to be moving into a new home, so that chapter - and the month's project - is wasted on me.
   
   Also, Leeds is a bit too "New Age" for my personal taste. Tidbits like an "affirmation" for the month strike me as treacly. August, for instance, tells you: "I am guided with ease to my new home. I embrace the life waiting for me. I also bless and thank my current home. I release it to the new occupants. I am thankful for all the participants in this transition."
   
   Regina Leeds has quite a following, apparently, but I don't think I'll be joining it.
   
   Jerry



2. As a home and garden author myself, I love Regina's new book and I've read them all! (It didn't make the New York Times Bestseller List for nothing!) Her friendly tone, combined with her "real world humor" and room by room how-to tips will help the overwhelmed and organizationally challenged person break their challenges down into realistic organizing projects. A great organizing tool!



3. This is the first book by Regina Leeds for me.
   So far, so good!
   At first I was worried that I bought it in May and not in January - "oh no!! I'm already behind!!"
   But after reading the forward (and you must) my fears were put to rest. You don't have to DO the month IN the month.
   What has worked for me so far is this: I did January first because it deals with alot of why, etc. Now I've moved on to managing paper.
   I enjoy hearing the personal side from the author. I, too, have a golden retriever. Enough said!
   I even emailed her with a question, never expecting a personal or quick response. I got both the former and the latter!!
   I say: Enjoy the ride, it is definitely worth the price of admission!



4. This book has great ideas. It gives good examples of how to organize certain spaces. You don't have to start organizing on January 1st. You can jump in any day of the year. It's a nice motivating tool.



5. This author really knows her stuff. As a long-time sufferer of adult ADD, I am always interested in tools to keep my household organized, not to mention my life. The monthly projects are great, not too overwhelming. The only problem is...I read the book 3 months ago and it is still on my nightstand because I like the way it looks there!

5 comments about Clear Your Clutter With Feng Shui.

1. Gets at the heart of what's causing clutteritis, and then eases one into the traumatic process of parting with classic junque-stuff. The title is a fair precis of what the book is about.



2. I bought this book a year or so ago. It is really helpful and it is small and easy to read. Nice to have all the used copies now for many people. I bought it new. I like the way things are explained in the book. I did not realize how clutter can actually paralyze people. Now I do my best to keep the clutter under control. It gives you so much more energy to have the things you need, some items you enjoy and call it good.
   
   [...]



3. I am a professional interior designer and the clutter I've seen in my client's homes...! Clear Your Clutter with Feng Shui taught me a lot about the psychology of why people surround themselves with too much stuff. the book has been very helpful in enabling me to get my clients to get rid of their junk. Those that are in really bad shape I give a copy to. It really helps.
   
   However, other than the discussion on energy (which is very important,) this book lacks information on Feng Shui. I recommend Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet, to fill that gap AND give you great information on greening your home.
   
   If clutter is your problem, buy this book!



4. I find the author to be an excellent motivator. After reading a few chapters, I easily embarked upon a long-considered but ever-postponed clearing of numerous, dense pockets of accumulated items throughout my house. I've gleefully filled so many boxes and bags in the last 3 days that my yellow Lab is showing signs of anxiety usually reserved for moving. So my husband and I have been doing our best to reassure her that the pack is staying put. And there's more house purging to come.
   
   What I found especially liberating was the section on dismantling the "keep it just in case" myth. I realized that I was holding incompatible belief systems in my mind: knowing deep down that the universe always provides for me and having constant evidence to prove it; yet offering up doubt in the form of holding on to items that were certainly useful in theory, but not in use in my home. When the "Maybe I should keep this" line reared its ugly head several times during the clear-out, I was able to challenge it successfully and allow the items to enter the "donate" box without stress or thoughts of future need of it. The mental clutter-clearing is a great benefit of the whole process, and it's been such a valuable opportunity to get in touch with the myths I've been carrying around regarding these objects. None of my previous justifications for keeping these items can hold up in my mind anymore. The sense of freedom in this is immense.
   
   Of course, with a stirring up of long-dormant objects comes a release of stuck energy. While I was expecting and looking forward to the increase in money flow, physical energy, business and creativity; there were some postponed decisions that suddenly required action NOW. Things came to a head, so to speak. All within a matter of hours of tossing and sorting. Be prepared for what I can best describe as a healing crisis of your whole life. Whatever has been on hold will surface and require attention; whether it's speaking your mind concerning something you've long been shy or silent about, dealing directly with a difficult friend or even culling superfluous animals from your farm.
   
   The interesting and amazing thing about all this, is that with the sudden surfacing of these issues is a fresh and clear viewpoint on the subject, as well as exactly the right words with which to articulate difficult feelings. At least that's been my experience. Whatever it is that requires addressing will present itself with clarity and urgency, if you really dig deeply and allow yourself to release the objects that have gripped you emotionally. Just tossing a pile of last week's newspapers will not yield this effect, but get them in the recycling pile anyway.
   
   While I've used feng shui for years with great results, this is not a book for someone hoping to learn the basics on the subject. Feng shui is mentioned throughout the book as far as how clutter affects the various areas of the bagua. That said, any attempt to "feng shui" a living space must be accompanied by clutter clearing to be truly successful. So it is an excellent companion volume to a primer on the basics. I haven't yet read her other book, but will put it in my cart today.
   
   If you're ready to take an honest look at what you've accumulated and why, and are willing to encounter whatever temporary fallout may ensue as a result; you'll find this little book invaluable.



5. I found this little book to be inspirational, useful and fun to read. It did get me started on the decluttering of 15+ years of accumulation. I now have more questions on Feng Shui and will be reading more on that subject however, this little book at least has sent me off into a flurry of much needed activity. It will be interesting to note what changes may come about in my life once the "clutter clearing" is done.

5 comments about Martha Stewart's Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home.

1. This book has everything and every home should have one. Its a great reference guide and also teaching tool for young brides. Would make an excellent shower gift.



2. Being that I now own my own home, after apartment living for so long, when it comes to home care I'm a little clueless in many areas. I've got the basics down like doing laundry, washing dishes etc. but there's always this nagging feeling that there are tricks I'm missing that would make taking care of my home so much easier. This book answered many questions, especially in the laundry chapter, and brought forward many things I never thought of like how to better organize my crazy sock drawer. Some of the ideas in this book bother me a bit in that I can't believe I'm really reading sections titled "How to clean a sink" or "How to fold a sweater". BUT after I read those sections I find that I've found some new ways to do things and I think "Why didn't I think of that?". Great book for anyone who wants to care for their home in a more organized and simpler way. Also this is, in my opinion, a great book for new home owners and young newlyweds.



3. Martha's simplistic and realistic approach to caring for your home, shines through in this wonderful book. It is stuffed with useful and informative solutions to homekeeping. This book would make the perfect house warming or newly wed gift or tell-all reference guide for the bachelor too!
   
   I purchased this book for recently married friends who are renovating a historic home in upstate New York. Along with this book, I also purchased Your Home A Living Canvas: Create Stunning Faux Finishes & Murals with Paint, by Curtis Heuser, which follows the author/artist's historic home creative re-birth. Where Martha's book guides the reader to keeping up the household, Heuser's shares the how-to secrets to reinventing the interior of your home with unique faux finishes and mural detailing. My friends loved the combination of these books, as they offer simple solutions, that can be easily introduced to any household. If you are looking for a gift to be remembered and referred back to again and again as Martha's HOMEKEEPING...is the only home reference volume you will probably ever need and Heuser's YOUR HOME...will offer you continual creative inspiration- then I highly reccommended these titles! In my opinion, the diverse domestic combination and value here, can't be beat!



4. I would rate description, value and customer service as excellent. I wish this book had been available to me many years ago. I bought two, one for a bride and groom who were registered with Amazon for it and one for myself. The transaction went as I hoped it would and as a wedding gift it was a success. I've purchased from Amazon in the past and will again.



5. A very helpful book to have for the house. I use the cleaning mixtures in my home. They work great. The book has taught me organization. Everyone should have this book.

5 comments about It's All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff.

1. Everyone should read this book! Very helpful for all areas of you life. I recommend this book almost daily.



2. I have bought alot of organizing books to only have them sit on the shelf and become part of the clutter. I got the audio of this book to avoid that and it has so motiviated me to get rid of things I don't use or should of gotten rid of years ago. Peter Walsh does it with humor and compassion but the bottom line is... you are not living if you are managing your clutter. If you can't have friends over until you clean your house you will never do that ever...YOU are a slave to your clutter is that really what you want to be?



3. This is the best book I have ever read. My husband is a hoarder, so we read it together. This book will help you systimatically go through your home and eliminate everything that you no longer use or need. I feel so free now, and my home is more peaceful and relaxing. It's a great life when you free yourself of the junk that keeps you from enjoying it.



4. This book was eye opening. I actually checked it out from the library a couple times and decided I just needed to buy it for reference and share it with friends and family. It is a very useful guide to organizing, downsizing and training your habits on your stuff. Definite must read for anyone with clutter or hoarding issues!!



5. I have read a myriad of books about space clearing and getting organized, but none hit the spot like Peter Walsh's philosophy of getting (and staying) organized.
   
   Even Walsh admits that much of what he does is good ol' common sense, and it is. He puts his educational psychology degree to excellent and practical use in his career. He's one person who deserves all the positive publicity he gets.
   
   It was refreshing to see another person say lots of the things I had been thinking about regarding hoarding stuff. I'm not a hard-core hoarder like some folks, but I did need that extra push to not only get rid of the things that had been clogging my space for years, but not feel bad or want it again when it's gone.
   
   Although I have been able to let go of much stuff in the past, Peter Walsh's book enabled me to keep in mind not to continue to buy while cleaning out and to be extremely mindful when buying more things in the future.
   
   If Walsh's advice were taken by more Americans, no doubt there would be less debt, less fat, and less needless stuff floating around. Highly recommended! - Donna Di Giacomo