The Ultimate Accidental Housewife: Your Guide to a Clean-Enough House Review

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(More customer reviews)The Ultimate Accidental Housewife was absolutely fabulous. Thank goodness I read this book! I am a busy woman and cleaning is not one of my favorite things to do. I learned many helpful and simple tasks that can make my house look cleaner and more organized in minutes. The author even included products and techniques to be more eco-friendly, which is certainly a bonus. She was definitely thinking about mothers when she wrote this book. There are solutions to everyday jobs included in the text that my children can help me with. They don't even know they're cleaning! I would recommend this book to any housewife, accidental or not.

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Bestselling author Julie Edelman returns with an essential guide about how to get your house clean--or, even better, just clean enough!Accessible, easy to read, and entertaining, The Ultimate Accidental Housewife(tm) gives you fun, simple solutions to all kinds of common household problems, from scrubbing the stove to spotting those stubborn laundry stains. With plenty of useful tips and tricks for cleaning your house just enough, this accidentally domestic diva offers practical advice you'll use every day--without ever spoiling your manicure.
Find out how to:
Limit your daily workload with defensive cleaning and organizing
Handle "toxic zones" like the bathroom and kitchen
"Fix" problems until the repairman comes
Remove aggressive stains

This must-have little volume splits housekeeping into two categories: Toxic Zones include the bathrooms and kitchen, since they have the greatest chance of housing living organisms that multiply or smell. Not So Toxic Zones include the bedrooms, living room, and family rooms, where dust bunnies are your biggest foe. In addition, helpful sections like I Never Knew You Could Do That! include myriad uses for ordinary household products, and The United Stains Across America, an Accidental favorite, is the most patriotic stain guide you'll ever see.
With Julie's trademark inventiveness and good humor, The Ultimate Accidental Housewife is a sanity-saver for overextended women everywhere.

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The Home Owner's Journal, Fifth Edition Review

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(More customer reviews)I ordered this one and the Home Owner's Diary, intending to keep one for myself and give the other as a present. They are both the same price, and from the amazon descriptions I couldn't tell which one would be better. Both are good, but I like the way the Journal is organized better, it gives you more room to add additional notes etc. on each page in an extra column. Also it has cute little quotes on some pages. I ended up giving the journal as a present and returning the Diary ... I will re-order the journal for myself. If you can't make up your mind either - maybe this will help you.

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This book will help you keep track of renovations and repairs to your home. Now in its Fifth Edition, The Home Owner's Journal has been published since 1986 and has sold over 500,000 copies. Have you ever forgotten the last time you had something cleaned, serviced or repaired? Have you ever purchased too little or too much paint because you didn't record how much you used the first time? Have you lost track of warranties or vendor contact information? This all-new Fifth Edition Journal is your solution. It contains a chapter for every part of your home, inside and out. Keep receipts and warranties in two handy pocket pages. The Home Owner's Journal is a great gift for housewarmings, weddings, closing gifts and for you.

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Gorgeously Green: 8 Simple Steps to an Earth-Friendly Life Review

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(More customer reviews)I tried really hard to love this book. While I truly admire Sophie Uliano's enthusiasm and witty tone, there are few "buts" that were quite annoying. What's worse, these nasty "buts" made me question whether the advice given in the book is authentic, useful, and genuine.
1. Do yourself a favour and skip the beauty section of the book. Ms Uliano had to spend more time researching before writing a segment on green beauty. Many of "organic" and "green" products she recommends are loaded with potentially toxic substances such as synthetic preservatives and fragrances. Consistency is key. Poorly researched tips in one section undermine author's credibility in other areas, and in general undermine reader's trust in the whole green living thing.
2. While the book is very informative and packed with easy tips, most chapters look like a link exchange section of a website. Too many links to websites - and some aren't that relevant. What's more irritating, the author blatantly promotes her own website on every page. It may be fun once or twice, but not in every chapter.Sometimes it feels like the author didn't really care about adding more information to the book - why bother if you can easily upload all the articles online?
Speaking of online: most of the tips can be easily found online FOR FREE.
3. Too many typos. It's "Herbatint", not "Hebatint", mind you. And this hair dye is so chemically loaded, you shouldn't really mention it in a green living guide. When I found ten typos, I stopped counting, and I wasn't even in the middle of the book. I know, it's not the author's fault, it's the publisher's lack of effort, but still. Such things don't support the idea of importance of green living.
In general, the book is an easy uplifting read that may convert few babyboomers into "green girls".

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Are you confused by all the advice you hear and see daily on how to "go green"? Do you want to incorporate earth-friendly practices into your life, but you don't know where to start? Don't stress! Green guru Sophie Uliano has sorted through all the eco-info out there and put everything you need to know about living a green lifestyle right at your fingertips.

In Gorgeously Green, Sophie offers a simple eight-step program that is an easy and fun way to begin living an earth-friendly life. Each chapter covers topics from beauty to fitness, shopping to your kitchen—even your transportation. Whether it's finding the right lipstick, making dinner, buying gifts, or picking out a hot new outfit, finally, there is a book that tackles your daily eco-challenges with a take-charge plan. Just consider Sophie your go-to girl with all the eco-solutions. Find out how to:

Green your entire beauty regime
Detoxify your home
Indulge in guilt-free shopping
Adopt a home fitness routine
Prepare eco-licious treats
Give your kitchen a green makeover
Become more aware of your impact on the earth

The book's dozens and dozens of eco-friendly tips, products, and practices combine to form a treasure trove of practical advice for every possible way to become stylishly green. Your questions about dressing, makeup, eating, shopping, cleaning, travel, and more are all answered right here.

Adopting a green lifestyle is among the most positive, forward-thinking, and personally fulfilling choices that anyone can make—and Gorgeously Green shows that it doesn't have to be tedious, time-consuming, or glamourless!
--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

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The 4-1-1 on Life Skills: Essential Tips on: Home & Money Management; Personal Care & Safety; and More (Volume 1) Review

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(More customer reviews)I think this book is filled with wonderful information! I wish I had a copy of it when I ventured out into the "Real World"! This book contains some very useful information on how to clean your house, how to do your laundry, when your food is spoiled, etc. and etc.! This book would make a great gift for a college freshman just leaving home for the first time! However I am 31 and I actually learned quite a bit from this book! It's a very good book to have in your library for those moments that you need some guidance!

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This is a book about the basic life skills that are not always taught in school or at home. Did you ever wonder when you were getting ready to leave home for the first time, if your parents had taught you everything you needed to know to survive on your own?Did you know how to do laundry; clean a home; balance a checkbook or cook a meal? Were you aware of the different types of deposits required to either rent or buy a home?If the answers were 'yes" - good for the role models that you had! Thank them every chance you get! If the answers were 'no" to most of these questions - don't be discouraged - there is help on the way! It is my hope that this book will help those who need it and will be shared with others who can benefit from it. This is not a 'be all, end all" book and it is not intended to replace knowledge received from professionals trained in certain areas. As a Registered Nurse, Life Skills Expert and a mother, I want to be able to help out the young adults of today and the next generation to come.

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Leaving Your Home-Alone: A Do-It-Yourself Step by Step Guide to Leaving Your Investment Empty for Months at a Time Review

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(More customer reviews)I have the fortune of having Mark on the scene at my Port Orange Florida home when I am in Massachusetts and not lucky enough to ship him to Medway Massachusetts when we are in Florida. Mark's book is the absolute layman's handbook to protecting that which is only 2nd in importance to protecting your loved ones and the family dog. The mistakes I personally made prior to reading Leaving Your Home Alone (in Massachusetts) cost us over $5,000 in repairs to systems I screwed up by not knowing how to park them. So BEFORE you think about leaving the castle you need to click the buy it button. I have never had a single issue in Florida and we left that in Marks hands since the day we bought it.
Worst thing is coming home and making certain you have room in the driveway for the service trucks!

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Finally, an easy to follow guide for prepping that seasonal vacation property for the off-season. This do-it-yourself guide is written by an expert who manages personal properties every day- and sees the problems!! Now he shares the secrets so you can avoid the heartaches and headaches when you leave your beautiful summer home, home For Sale, or part time only residence behind.

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How to Avoid Housework: Tips, Hints, and Secrets on How to Have a Spotless Home Review

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(More customer reviews)This is a great book if you are planning to move, build a new home or purchase new furniture. It gives hints on everything to the type of flooring that is easiest to keep clean to which furniture would be best to stay looking nice with little upkeep. Also good for ideas on how to organize and keep clutter to a minimum as to spend less time doing housework. I read it cover to cover and used a highlighter on points to refer back to. I loved this book so much that as a real estate agent, I give this to clients before they move and they have all loved it too!

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Homes That Heal (and those that don't) : How Your Home Could be Harming Your Family's Health Review

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(More customer reviews)This is such a GREAT book !!! Everything you ever wanted to know about everything in your house and how it might affect your and your children's health. The book is easy to read, entertaining and yet shock full of important facts. Did you know that some sandbox playsand contains known human carcinogens like crystalline silica and asbestos? or that microwaving a mother's breast milk will cause it to lose its infection-fighting properties ? Or that some bamboo floors contain nasty adhesives and formaldehyde ? Much research has gone into this book and yet the author uses simple stories to illustrate a variety of situations and provide solutions. The first few chapters cover the basics (Healthy vs Unhealthy Homes, Conventionally Built Home, Remodeled Older Home, and New Healthy Home) then each chapter covers a room and the hazards specific to that room (bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, home office, garage) then on to pets, cleaning, home maintenance, yards, plants, etc ... and a comprehensive Healthy Home Quiz. Lots of little known facts about things like bedding, dry cleaning, smoke detectors, diapers, air fresheners, mold, radon, attached garages, even gives simple ways to check for electro-magnetic fields ... This book is VERY comprehensive and far superior to the many others I have read on this topic. It is quickly becoming my bible !

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Media reports focus increasingly on the declining health of children in industrialized countries. Asthma, autism, learning and behavior problems, and cancer are all on the rise. At the same time, there is consistent news about poor indoor air quality, mold and how buildings can make people sick.

Homes that Heal addresses both of these developments, revealing that our own homes can contribute to many of these health problems. A passionate examination of our built environment and the alarming impact today's chemically polluted world is having on the health of present and future generations, Homes That Heal is easy-to-read, solutions-oriented and humorous, full of stories and advice that empower families to take back their health on a daily basis. Topics covered include:

a Healthy Home Quiz that enables readers to evaluate the health of their own home and identify many of the common home health hazardsfactors impacting indoor air qualitya room-by-room examination of typical problems and solutionstoxic materials used in building a new home or remodelingcleaning products and other consumer hazards found in the homean easy-to-understand introduction to the science of Bau-biologie (Building Biology), an internationally recognized approach to healthy construction.

Packed with useful information and resources, Homes That Heal is written to be easily understood by busy mothers and will appeal to anyone interested in the health of his or her family. Designed for the family coffee table, it is equally suitable for doctors' offices and home improvement stores.

Athena Thompson is an award-winning entrepreneur specializing in environmental medicine and is an advocate for children's health. A natural health specialist for 18 years and a certified bau-biologist (building biologist), she is cofounder/owner of Humabuilt Healthy Building Systems and lives in Lake Oswego, Oregon.

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Designing Your Dream Home: Every Question to Ask, Every Detail to Consider, and Everything to Know Before You Build or Remodel Review

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(More customer reviews)Designing Your Dream Home is a must have for anyone thinking about or in the process of designing or remodeling a home. As I remodeled my kitchen this book kept me from making some very costly mistakes. The biggest mistake I avoided was having custom cabinets made that were not deep enough to hold my oversized dinner plates. Fortunately, I read the kitchen section of this book just in time to call the cabinet makers and have my cabinet dimensions changed to accomodate my plates. By reading this book you will avoid many inconveniences or daily annoyances that could have been avoided. You will not be disappointed!

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Designing Your Dream Home gives you every question to ask, every detail to consider, and everything to check out before you design and build your dream home.

Designing and building a home can be stressful and expensive, but knowing what to consider ahead of time will save you stress, time, and money. Beginning with the questions to ask before you purchase land all the way through your final punch list, this guide addresses the entire process. With this step-by-step and room-by-room guide, the design process will come together in the most efficient way possible. Features include detailed checklists for every room, common mistakes to avoid, design details that pay big dividends, and unique "lifestyle questions" that reveal what you really need and want from your new home. Remodelers and renovators will also find value in these tips and suggestions. Also provided is such vital information as terms, symbols, abbreviations, measures, and dimensions that are often unfamiliar to the layperson.

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Haley's Cleaning Hints Review

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(More customer reviews)"Haley's Cleaning Hints" is a follow-up to the original "Haley's Hints" which sold over 400,000 copies. The most popular section of the original book was the one on cleaning. As a result the Haleys compiled "Haley's Cleaning Hints".
This book contains thorough instructions for cleaning just about anything you might encounter. From specific stains like fruit juice and ink to specific products like chewing gum, to specific items like garden tools or barbeque grills, it covers just about any cleaning problem. Best of all, most of the procedures involve using ordinary household items like baking soda, ammonia, and vinegar. "Haley's Cleaning Hints" is a highly recommended purchase for anyone seeking a reference book on cleaning anything quickly and easily with common household products.

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In paperback for the first time - the authors of thebestselling Haley's Hints tackle household grime, goo, andgarbage... Readers will be amazed at how much money they cansave by not having to buy those expensive cleaners, deodorizers and"wonder" products. In these pages, they'll get the inside scoop on theamazing multiple cleaning properties of their very own "HouseholdHeroes," like shaving cream, toothpaste, vinegar, mayonnaise, bakingsoda, salt, hand cleaner, panty hose and many more. Over1,000 clever, inexpensive solutions help readers clean, deodorize,unclutter and organize their homes - from kitchen to bathroom,furniture to floors, windows to walls. Terrific tips on stain removal,laundry, space-saving, and even outdoor clean-up turn everyday choresinto dirt-busting adventures.

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Green Housekeeping Review

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(More customer reviews)The first washing machine inside the door of the laundromat I used to go to in Berkeley was named Cleanliness. The one right next to it was Godliness. I always tried to use those two to make sure my bets were covered both in this life and the next, but I never realized what an ungodly toxic proposition the pursuit of cleanliness is until I read Organic Housekeeping, by the practical organic ecologist, Ellen Sandbeck. The author's wry wit, thorough research, and empirical use of herself, her home, her family, her pets, and her own charming illustrations to demonstrate her eminently sane and healthful approach to housekeeping are solvents tough enough to cut through the greasy buildup of a million commercials for synthetic cleaning products that, as this book shows, not only fail to get things cleaner but slowly kill us while they're doing it. Most of the time, we learn, vinegar, baking soda, and a shot of vodka will do the trick. Full of tips on everything from reducing clutter to cleaning the air you breathe, Organic Housekeeping will dissolve your guilt over never getting things clean or organized enough and save you from having to clip coupons for all kinds of stuff you don't need.

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