Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Housekeeping    6. Reference    7. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking   

Editorial Review

Drawing on the success of her first book, Read more

Reviews (167)

Inspring to the Nth degree!!!
GREAT BOOK! Oh my gosh! I have been tearing apart closets and rooms. It inspired me to get rid of so much stuff that we never use. We are turning my old studio/ office/ junk room/ closet into a den. We took an entire Volvo full to Goodwill. Even if you are Nancy Neat, I would recommend this book! It is positively fabulous and inspiring.

Changed my life
I have had the same experience as several of my friends who listened to these tapes.Went home and started clutter clearing and haven't stopped.
Feng Shui
Wow!What an inspiration to literally clean up your space and your act!A must read for ANYONE! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Conduct of life    3. Divination - General    4. Feng Shui    5. General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House cleaning    8. Miscellanea    9. Self-Help    10. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (4)

Bogus! (well, at least for the reviews)
This may be a good book (maybe even a great one) but don't judge it from the 3 reviews before mine, they are blatantly fake.
Motivating
Feeling tired of how my house looked, this book was just what I needed! Perfect if you are looking for simple changes or a complete room makeover.The effortless, yet dramatic, changes she suggests in her book were so easy to follow.The photos were a great visual; and motivated me to organize as well! Your home really can effect your mood and your life. This book helps to give each room a pick-me-up!

Design Made Simple
This book is terrific. It really lays out design ideas in a beautiful and engaging way, whether you are just rearranging a room, or completely redecorating it! The book is SO easy to follow. Beautiful design! I just love all the great, inspirational photos. It's such a simple concept. Who knew it could make this much difference?!? Thank you! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Decorating - General    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Interior Design - General    7. Interior decoration    8. Reference    9. Remodeling & Renovation - General    10. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (10)

Less is most definitely more
In this astonishing book, which is filled with wonderful ideas, as well as being a beautiful coffee table book, we are granted an inside look at a truly new concept in home design in our age of teardowns and mega-mansions, a concept that smaller can be more satisfying than larger, if properly done. Here we are presented with something seldom viewed these days, how to make a house a home. There is something for every taste herein, and it is even multi-cultural, with oriental viewpoints as well on both furniture and flow of the home. Spend some time with this excellent book to see how every size home can be made more personal and beautiful, no matter what the budget.

Great as always!
Sarah books are a staple in my books of design collection. I refer to them frequently. She has a wonderful sense of design as it relates to organization, usefullness,and asthetically pleasing. I wish more designers and architects would use her sensibility and we would not be over run with all the hideous, vapid,mac mansions everywhere. I would reccommend all of her books without hesitation.

Inside the Not So Big House
I love this book and read through it often.It's a wonderful coffee table book but also has real concepts you can apply to your own remodel or decorating.It has given us our inspiration for remodeling our family room.Check out her other books as well. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architectural Detail    2. Architecture    3. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    4. Design & Construction    5. Details    6. Do-It-Yourself    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. House & Home    9. Interior Design    10. Interior Design - General    11. Interior architecture    12. Room layout (Dwellings)    13. Small houses    14. DIY    15. Home furnishing & decoration    16. House & Home / Design & Construction   

Reviews (278)

THE SECRET TO DECLUTTERING YOUR LIFE
I've been a subscriber to FlyLady's yahoo group for nearly a year, yet I felt like I wanted to really know what got her started. This book was great for giving me a a behind-the-scenes peek.
Wonderful if you're paralyzed by perfection, but...
Sink Reflections is a fun, lighthearted read that will inspire anyone to take better care of herself and her home. The get-organized program she recommends is perfect for people who are paralyzed by perfection, (e.g. you never clean because you don't have time to do it "the right way").
Change your life.Have peace in your home.
This book isn't for everyone. It only works if you are a sidetracked homemaker.Born organized people don't get it.My house is cleaner than it has ever been, bills are paid ahead, Papers are filed or thrown away, I only work on the house an hour a day or less, and it is very liveable. I work 50 hours a week and don't have a lot of time for housework.No one's house is too cluttered or dirty for this system not to work.[..] ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. House cleaning    3. Inspirational    4. Motivational & Inspirational    5. Personal Growth - General    6. Self-Help    7. Self-Help / General   

Editorial Review

When describing a favorite room in the house, do you find yourself using terms such as "expansive," "formal," and "spacious"--a marble foyer or a formal dining room perhaps? Or do the words "cozy," "intimate," and "warm" come to mind--a cheery little breakfast nook or a window seat complete with plenty of pillows and a breathtaking view? More than likely, you--like thousands of other homeowners--are drawn to the more personal spaces in your home, where comfort, beauty, and efficiency meet. In Read more

Reviews (121)

Quality over quantity
This book is a great resource for anyone wanting a home that places quality over size. There are numerous tips on how to make smaller spaces work smarter and for adding quality touches in simple yet elegant ways as well as hundreds of inspiring photos. In our effort to design a reasonably-sized log home that truly reflects and enhances our lifestyle, this book has given us many ideas for making small spaces work. In the age of 3000+ sq. ft. homes, it is refreshing to see a return to the principles of the Arts & Crafts movement. In fact, you will notice many of the houses pictured have many Arts & Crafts influences. That made the book all the more relevant to us as we plan to incorporate some of those elements in our design.
this book is about HUGE, non-urban custom houses in the rural midWest -book is irrelevant to small urban homeowners
I am puzzled by the title and the contents.
The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live
Fascinating book, I am reading it from cover to cover. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture, Domestic    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    3. Design & Construction    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. House Plans    8. Interior Design - General    9. Interior architecture    10. Psychological aspects    11. Repair    12. Space (Architecture)    13. Home furnishing & decoration    14. House & Home / General    15. House maintenance    16. Housing & property for the individual   

Reviews (78)

Excellent and flexible system
After trying FlyLady twice, I realized that it would never work for me.Instead of having more time, I felt like I was always supposed to be doing a little here and a little there, but was never done.Being nagged by email only made it worse.And the final straw was the fact that FlyLady's "inspirational" messages were increasingly just annoyances -- either a reminder to purchase some product of hers, or a lot of Christian-oriented jargon.What I took from this system was:work in small segments, plan a day for each task, jump in wherever you are, and do a little, even if you don't finish the job.Since most of this was taken from the SHE sisters, I decided to investigate the SHE system.I found this system works better for me.Being able to move a card into the "done" section and seeing the pile of tasks that were left worked much better as a reminder for me than emails, which I often didn't get to read until well after they were due.And when the cards are gone, I'm done!As the daughter of a cleaning-impaired mother, I also appreciate the SHE system's instructions on what to clean and how often to clean it.The SHE sisters are not at all preachy, just "regular folks" trying to get their acts together and sharing a bit about themselves.It works for me.

Even better than FlyLady!
This book changed my life.
GREAT!!!
I have struggled with my house for years.Finally, I am getting it straigten out and feel comfortable having guests again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home economics    6. House & Home    7. Housewives    8. Self-Help    9. Time Management    10. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking    11. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (11)

Nothing new.....
I was a bit disappointed, same old stuff rehashed.AND, not full of do it yourself cleaners/remedies like one would suppose.Not nearly as 'Organic' as germ o'phobe...pages and pages on microscopic blah blah....I clean my home with organic products as much as possible,75%,and feed my family organic food...was hoping for a better mix of NEWER info, as there is A LOT of it, just surf the web!

An excellent resource for environmentally-minded people
Ellen Sandbeck's book, Organic Housekeeping, has joined The Joy of Cooking on my bookshelf as a reference standard. It is packed full of practical ideas, written concisely and with humor. When it comes to housecleaning, I need all three.
Good, practical info and fun to boot!
Ellen Sandbeck's latest is a truly practical guide to getting things clean without killing yourself. Some of the tips are oldies, but goodies that our grandparents used, but there's plenty of new, and quite clever, suggestions as well. I also really appreciate that she encourages the reader to find their own comfort level with what they think is "clean." Instead of dropping twenty or thirty bucks on cleaning products that really do more harm than good, buy this book and leave the world a better place! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Environmental aspects    4. Healthy Living    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Home Maintenance And Repair    7. Home Management    8. House & Home    9. House cleaning    10. Natural products    11. Repair    12. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking   

Reviews (5)

Belongs in every household
"Green Clean" is a treasure for every household. Even if you do not care about the environment or about your health, this book is definitely worth its money. It contains not only the expected environmentally sound advice but also strategies for keeping your home clean and orderly. There are also great do-it-yourself recipies for cleaning products (my favourite: DIY air freshener, it smells exactly the way I want it), and countless invaluable little tips on how to make life easier, e.g. how to load your dishwasher most efficiently, how to organize your kitchen appliances.
Great book - quick & easy use
You don't have to read this cover to cover (although that's nice too) to begin benefiting from its content. It's great for quick reference. I've used several of the "recipes" for cleaning products and have been pleased with the results. The format of the book is user friendly and I love its stain-resistant, washable pages. Lots of good info. about having a green household! I highly recommend it if you're thinking about making some positive changes for your home and the planet!

Everyone should read this book
This book tells you how to clean just about anything without harsh toxic chemicals so common today.Your body and environment will thank you for all the fresh air and your house will be green clean. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Cooking / Wine    3. Courses & Dishes - Cakes    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Environmental aspects    6. Home Maintenance And Repair    7. House & Home    8. House cleaning    9. Natural products    10. Cooking / Cakes    11. Home & House Maintenance   

Reviews (20)

For the plain and simple
This book is 'oragnized' into sections - Getting Started, Organizing Room by Room, Organizing Finances, Organizing Time, Organizing Home Life, and Organizing Transitions.
First found this book in the library, started reading it then I had to buy it
I really like this book. I keep it in my home office as a reference. I love the way it's organized by room and topic. This book contains great time saving ideas and quick do-it-yourself projects to save money on organizing systems.
AWESOME!!!
I love it!!! What wonderful ideas.I know that I will never part with this.I can re-read it at anytime.I suggest it if you need to organize anything in your home or life!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. Home economics    5. House & Home    6. Organization    7. Storage in the home    8. Time management    9. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking   

Reviews (20)

Childish, Simplistic, Boring
I bought this book hoping to discover psychologically why we keep too many things and how to change the behavior. Also some tips on keeping spaces "things" free. Instead what I found was over-simplified cliches about Gary Keepitall or Lisa Hummingbirdbrain (I swear these are actual names she gives people in the book). There is a LOT of repitition, and really, who needs to know that to keep track of your schedule you could get - guess what, bet you never heard of it! - a day planner! Really? I could?
Very good book
This book is very interesting. It looks to clutter fromthe psychology point of view. I really recommend it.

An amazing book!
If you find your missing car keys in the fridge or run the washer without first loading the clothes, this is the book for you!In fact, I would highly recommend it to anyone who has tried traditional organizing methods but met with little success.Glovinsky will help you find new insight into why your relationship with your possessions is so difficult and will then guide you in developing individualized organizing methods that will actually work for you.After years of dealing with ADD, I can honestly say this is the first book that's ever truly helped me in this area. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. General    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House cleaning    5. Orderliness    6. Personal Growth - General    7. Self-Help   

Reviews (14)

Author's biases obvious throughout, arguments extreme, unconvincing
I am surprised by all the good reviews this book has received.
No More Resentment Over Household Chores
I'm sold on the idea of getting household help, but many of my friends say they would rather do it on their own.Rather clean toilets than play golf?Rather mop the floor than spend time with their families?Hey, get your priorities straight.
Selfless plugs
This "author", and I use that term loosely, has the nerve to write several "customer reviews" (as opposed to editorial reviews, which she is obviously not qualified to do) on several ground breaking amd creative books regarding social and economic conditions. For what reason? To shamelessly promote her own book. This is a pathetic attempt to plug her own work, and its a disgrace to legitimate authors. She ought to be ashamed of herself, not only for her comments, but for this pathetic literary attempt. Shame on you Kathy Sherman. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Domestics    3. Family & Relationships    4. Family/Marriage    5. General    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Housekeeping    8. Recruiting    9. United States   

Reviews (7)

Easy Read; Great Book - Perfect Gift
As a REALTOR, I found this book to be a great gift to my clients purchasing a new home.It's also a great gift for a new client who's just decided to sell their home to help me talk to them about organizing their home for sale.Thanks for the excellent book!

Fabulous book!!
This is the best book I have ever seen (and I have seen many) on household organizing.Beautifully presented with clear instructions and photos on folding fitted sheets and towels, organizing children's rooms, information on how long you can safely freeze foods and keep foods on the pantry shelf, cleaning products and tools, and many other tips on how to make life run more smoothly.I liked it so much I ordered one for my daughter as she moves into a new home -- off to the right start. A wonderful resource for any home.

Houseworks needs to be shared with the world!
Tell your neighbor, your mother, anyone that might be sending a gift to a bridal shower or home or apartment warming. Houseworks is a comprehensive and yet concise look at running a household.
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Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home Management    6. House & Home    7. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking   

Reviews (3)

Organizing made easy!
Organizing doesn't have to be all that difficult or
vincent
There are a lot of good suggestions.The book is quite disorganized, however and jumps around. I didn't like the snippits of information. It left me with the impression that I need to devote days towards cleaning up and organizing and many hours to maintaning the organized status

what a great help!
I picked this up at a school book fair, needing to find something to buy, figuring it would not make a real difference for me.Boy, I was wrong!I found her approach of taking small amounts of time to incorporate little ideas very useful in my hectic life.I don't have days to set aside for an all-at-once overhaul, being a mom dealing with an out-of-house job, kids' sports on weekends, etc., but I can find a little time each day to incorporate one or two of the 500 ideas into my system.I read through with sticky note tabs in hand to mark ideas I wanted to incorporate, and one by one they are making a real difference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home economics    6. Personal Growth - General    7. Reference - General    8. Storage in the home    9. Time management    10. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking    11. Household hints   

Reviews (2)

Good book!
I appreciated the real-life stories behind the organization tips--made it more interesting.A motivating, helpful read.Gave numerous ideas for different situations.

A completely "user friendly" instruction manual for organizing the home through an easy to apply ten step process
Eliminate Chaos: The Ten-Step Process To Organize Your Home And Life by Laura Leist is an incredibly useful collection of ideals and innovations for properly organizing an efficient and space-friendly home environment. Drawing upon organizational skills developed through Laura's many years of professional experience, Eliminate Chaos provides readers with a thorough understanding of the procedures for making organization a key priority in the general lifestyle, establishing a home-organization "staging-area", making valid decisions about stuff, categorizing what is kept, making the most of space, and maintaining the new life of cleanliness. Eliminate Chaos is to be given high praise and recommendation as a completely "user friendly" instruction manual for organizing the home through an easy to apply ten step process.
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Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. House & Home    4. Home & House Maintenance    5. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking    6. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (15)

Very informative although difficult at times to follow
I've had this book for quite awhile, actually for a year now and find that it is an excellent reference for green cleaning. Annie provides not only home-made recipes but recommendations for ready-made green products that you can find either online or at your health food store; as well as references to ingredients and resources for additional reading.This was actually the first book that I read about green cleaning and it spurred me on to seek more information and change my house-keeping and cleaning products and habits entirely. For the beginner, though, I would recommend "Clean House, Clean Planet" as it is more instructional as to how to properly mix the ingredients to get the best results.
Info for M. Windsor and others who don't know
Grape seed oil is a good source of vitamin E. Both vitamin C and E are used as preservatives because they are anti-oxidants (prevents oxidation or rotting). Check out the labels on the organic or high end "natural" pet foods and you will clearly see them used as preservatives. Sodium chloride (salt) is a preservative (think bacon) and causes water retention and that's why chefs typically use unsalted butter and then add sea salt as needed. So the author of this book was correct.

Not very happy withthe book
I purchased this book yesterday and when I began reading it today, the pages fell out as I turned the pages. In addition, it says Vitamin E is a preservative. It is NOT. Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant (keeps oils from rancidity). If you make a product that mostly consists of water with added "food" for bacteria which include tea or herbal infusions, than it either needs to be refrigerated, or preserved with a REAL preservative or you could run the risk of growing bacteria and mold in the very product you are hoping is good for your home. Not to mention getting the contaminated home made product on an open cut or wound and ending up with a bacterial blood infection, or worse. Also Grapefruit seed extract is not a preservative either. It is preserved with a preservative which makes people assume it works. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Environmental aspects    4. Fiction    5. General    6. Home Maintenance And Repair    7. House & Home    8. House cleaning    9. Life Sciences - Ecology    10. Natural products    11. Nature    12. Non-Fiction   

Reviews (55)

Green Cleaning Tips That Work!
I just purchased Clean House, Clean Planet and I simply love it!Written in a straight forward, clear manner, this book provides simple, home-made recipes to keep your house clean without the need for toxic chemicals.The tub and tile cleaner recipe called EarthScrub is phenomenal and rinses clean.It's a shame that her website is no longer available.But her book is still as current as ever and her ratings of the recipes and clear instructions on proper mixing and containers is great.I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for alternatives to commercial cleaners as well as anyone looking to save money on the green products now more widely available (which can be expensive in their own right, although worth it in comparison to their commercial, and oftentimes toxic competitors).The time spent making these home-made recipes is worth the results and the savings!

This is the best make them youself cleaning book
I have read some make your own cleaner books that call for mail order only items and I like this book since it calls for mainly easily found items. I have found most of the cleaners work 100% for me. The leather cleaner did not work for me but I have not found a commercially prepared cleaner that worked either! (I tried to clean a mint leather chair my MIL gave me that my children got dirty and nothing works!) I especially like the diluted vinegar essential oil spray for cleaning wood floors - it works so much better than what you can buy ready made!

Great Reference
Clean House Clean Planet by Karen Logan
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Subjects:  1. Citizen participation    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    3. Environmental protection    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House cleaning    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Reference    8. Repair    9. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking    10. House maintenance   

Reviews (17)

Kudos To The Naturally Clean Home!
I just purchased the Naturally Clean Home and like many of the other reviewers, immediately was curious to begin making my own homemade recipes.I must say that I am impressed with the results: The Lavender Soft Scrubber was easy to make and even easier to use in the bathroom, leaving my toilet, bidet, tub and sinks spotless with little effort in scrubbing and rinsing.I also made the Liquid Laundry Detergent and was pleasantly surprised by how clean and soft it left towels, sheets and even my husband's smelly and dirty golf clothes.I noted that another reviewer said that this liquid laundry detergent recipe didn't work for her but my experience was different:I substituted borax for the baking soda in the recipe and found that this worked just fine.The resulting liquid laundry detergent has to be shaken before use and doesn't suds up like other brands of detergent.But do not be fooled by the lack of suds:it works just fine and leaves no residue on clothes that can cause skin reactions and depending upon the essential oil you choose (I used a combination of cedarwood and patchouli), the fragrance left on clothes is subtle and not overwhelming; just a fresh clean scent and softness.You may find that you don't even need a fabric softener with that particular recipe although I am curious to try her fabric softener recipe next.
Great Book
Naturally Clean Home by Karyn Siegel-Maier
Very interesting book for the beginning green cleaner
I really enjoyed this book far more than I like cleaning! The recipes are great and really work! The bonus is your choice of essential oil scents in the products. I would definitely recommend this book! I stil hate to clean but find myself spraying more often because I love the way it smells and my home thanks me for it ;-) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. House cleaning    7. Household supplies    8. DIY    9. Household hints   

Reviews (40)

Great book, great ideas
I own this book for several years now, and reading it really help me to get more organized. I reorganized my kitchen and I love it this way - cooking and backing became more fun. The chapter about how to organize the kids room was very helpful, as with three kids inevitably a lot of toys/puzzles/lego pieces are accumulated - and - by the way - that's exactly how I store kids puzzles, and yes, kids DO the puzzles more then once! Thank you, Deniece, for sharing your ideas with us!

Well written and very useful for the disorganized at home
I had always been very organized at work.As a accountant I had no choice.I had to be able to respond to federal inquiries or IRS audits quickly.My home was another story completely.To be honest, my home was a disaster.I just didn't treat my home like my career.This book taught me to use the same strategies I employed at work to my home.Darned if they didn't work like a charm.
Ridiculous!
I skimmed through the pages and found a description by the author of how to keep track of large jigsaw puzzles (paraphrased here):Put the puzzle together, then flip it over and number each piece.Then store it in a large Ziploc, along with a photo cut out from the box.Then cut out a small photo from the box and put it in a three-ring binder....etc.
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Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Handbooks & Manuals    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. Home Management    5. Home economics    6. Homemakers    7. Housewives    8. Reference    9. Time management    10. Household hints   

Reviews (7)

Great source for insperation
Great collectionto make you think and to inspire you to "build out of the box".

Lots of quality photos
Very nice book, lots of great looking boxes. Great for new ideas (woodworker) or if you are looking for something special. Only downfall, is most do not offer a picture of the inside of box.

Thinking outside the box!
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Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Hobbies/Crafts    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. Wooden boxes    5. Woodwork    6. Woodworking    7. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    8. Handicrafts    9. LITERATURE - LIT CLASSICS TRD PB