Reviews (11)

Some good ideas, but some bad ones, too.
She has some good chore charts that are organized by the age of the child. Some very good room ideas too, but they're not always easy to find in the chapters.
Why didn't I think of that?
I'm one of those moms who found it easier and faster to do all the housework myself. Now with teens in the house who won't lift a finger, I wish I'd read this book 10 years ago! A Gift to all Moms. . .
Thank you, Tara Aronson!As the mother of a four-year-old, who is on the cusp of being able to do so many things for himself -- but who doesn't -- your book was immensely empowering for me to take control of the situation.It gave me the tools to teach my child how to take reponsibility for himself and help keep this house running smoothly.Your book is so easy to read and spells things out succintly -- and with wit.Your book is now my new gift to all my mommy friends. Thank you! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Family & Relationships    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home Management    6. Home economics    7. Parenting - General    8. Family & Relationships / Parenting   

Reviews (4)

Too Much Stuff is Right!!
Too Much Stuff is a great way to take the first steps toward clearing the mind, heart and house off all the crap we've stored over the years. Porter's "down home" approach to getting rid of the stuff of accumulated years and generations may seem hard to take at first, but anyone who is serious about doing more than "clearing a path" around their home and their heart could really benefit from this book.
What I needed...
This book gave me the motivation I needed to finally get the decluttering done! She also gets to the root of why we become pack rats and gives us permission to throw things away...yes, even sentimental things. This book is a must read for anyone who struggles with clutter of any kind.

Moments of recognition
Read this!I would've said about Kathryn's mom "I can't believe she's gone."I worked at the same place & knew her mom! It was so very sad when we learned she had passed and we all knew of her "too much stuff" cubicle at work and that she was a lovely person. Your book had many ah-ha moments for me as I have been on my own de-cluttering venture & have already done what was mentioned in some chapters and have one room to go.The un-obtrusive scriptural references touched my heart. I will write your questions in my journal before sharing the book with others. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - Christian Life - General    3. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    4. House & Home    5. Materialism    6. Religion    7. Religious aspects    8. Stewardship, Christian    9. Wealth   

Reviews (3)

Worth Every Penny!
What can I say, the chapter on setting up your jointer is worth the price of the book by itself. The pictures and the diagrams are great, easy to understand, and the text is informative and easy to read. This book makes you a better woodworker, because your tools will be correctly set up, which also makes them more fun to use and much safer.
Excellent resource
This is an outstanding book.It is well written, well organized, has excellent graphics and pictures, and serves a much needed role in most woodshops.White would have been a great engineer.His jigs and measurement techniques are clever, well documented, and easy to make and use.I found myself smiling several times at the ingenuity of his low-cost (and effective!) solutionsto high-cost measurement tools.I have a middle-of-the-road chinese knock off table saw that wasn't cutting well (burns and lots of resistance).I made the jigs and went through the tune up procedure in an evening, and the saw performs much better afterwards. Great book for tool tune-ups and alignment
I've been having some problems getting my jointer tables aligned properly, and happened upon this book by accident. What luck! This book is full of great info on tune-ups and alignment. John White goes in depth into the set up and alignment of primary power tools (jointer, planer, table saw, bandsaw, router table, drill press and miter saw). His writing is clear, easy to understand and follow, with plenty of very descriptive pictures. The book is very complete on each of the tools covered. I truly appreciated that he used many shop-built jigs and common tools to get things done. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Crafts & Hobbies    3. Hobbies/Crafts    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Machine-shop practice    6. Maintenance and repair    7. Power Tools    8. Repair    9. Tools    10. Woodwork - General    11. Crafts & Hobbies / Woodwork    12. Woodworking   

Reviews (16)

Love it!
Finally an organizing book that focuses on the real 'how to' of getting your home organized.I have other books on this subject but, this is my favorite.It makes it do-able room by room.

ok if you don't have many problems
I bought this book at the recommendation of my favorite magazine...Good thing I used a gift certificate and didn't waste my own money.I gave it 2 stars, but maybe it's worth 2.5 stars-just for the effort. It does have some good ideas, but for the people like me, who love to organize but just don't have the space, it's not that useful. I was expecting more ideas about how to use the space I have. Unfortunately, I usually have better and more creative ideas than the author. Another major "-" is that the book talks a lot about throwing stuff away; well, what I have to say to that is that I periodically do that anyway, and I still am space challenged. That's not the solution to every problem!

Organization Made Easy
The book is easy to read and make use of in everyday life for relieving clutter and learning how to remove it from your life. It is divided into sections that coordinate with the home.I found the book very enlightening and gave me some great "new" ideas for cleaning up the clutter in my life.Overall:A very good book for both unorganized and the organized alike. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Orderliness    6. Storage in the home    7. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking    8. Household hints   

Reviews (12)

A delightful, helpful book
After reading the widely disparate reviews, I got a copy from the library. I found the book to be delightful and helpful, and I have ordered a copy to own. I lead a complex life, producing beautiful, organized work but leaving debris around me as drafts, printouts, and other papers accumulate. The author is very understanding of the thought processes and problems of Accumulators and Paper Pilers. Her humor makes the task of organizing and disposing less of a chore. As a person with some ADD difficulties, often overwhelmed by distractions, I find her methods of working on little parts of a problem a big help.

Take it bit by bit
Clutter is often a result of having a busy life. Hence, it wouldn't make sense for a book intended to help you clear clutter to involve a lot of your time. The book is designed of short but extremely helpful tips, so that you can read only a little bit and take 15 minutes to fight clutter. In other words, it helps you keep from being overwhelmed by the daunting task of clearing your stuff. I've always been. and always will be, a packrat, but I'm a more organized packrat now.

Stands Well Above Others Like It
This book really changed my ideas about decluttering my life.It has great mix of psychological motivation and practical how-tos.After reading it front to back, I go back and pick it up to read specific sections every now and then. This book is practical, a fun read and helped me change my home for the better. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Decorating - General    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. House cleaning    7. Storage in the home    8. Home & House Maintenance    9. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking    10. Interior design   

Reviews (6)

Lots of expensive storage ideas
"301 Stylish Storage Ideas" is part of the Better Homes and Gardens collection of books.I purchased it hoping for some novel storage ideas for my new home.Overall, the book is fairly well done; however, as other reviewers have noted, most of the tips involve pricey permanent storage, such as built-in bookcases, bathroom cabinets, and kitchen islands.If you plan on having high-end built-in storage added to your home, then this book might be useful.
Not so original..
When I first bought this book, I was hoping to find new ideas for my new walk-in closet.. unfortunately the book wasn't all that.. It didn't seem to have "301" ideas.. all it seemed to show are normal photos of everyday closets and storage places..
Not what I expected
I thought this would be a book on novel ways to stash your stuff.It was... but I was looking for ideas on cool containers and other low-budget ways to fit more storage space in my one-bedroom apartment.It instead is a book on good ideas (with great photos) if you're already tearing out a wall in your house, as in great for long term construction plans, but not so helpful for those with a more transient, non-house-owning lifestyle.If I had my own house, I would have given 4 stars.Apartment dwellers, look elsewhere. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. Design & Construction    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House & Home    7. Interior decoration    8. Storage in the home    9. DIY    10. House & Home / Decorating    11. storage   

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. Storage in the home   

Reviews (4)

don't wasteyour money
Nothing new here and the pictures are not really that good.
Curb Appeal
I was so excited when I flipped through this book that I bought 4 for gifts.Generally I only browse through magazines, where I can clip great ideas and toss the rest.Most books on this topic have a few good ideas and the rest is noninspirational.
Loved Curb Appeal!
Great ideas for all styles of homes. Gets your immagination working to view your own home with a new sense of creativity, whether inspired to use the complete redo or a partial version thereof.Depicts realistic "before" photos, as well as the "after" photos. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Do-It-Yourself - General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Landscape    7. Remodeling & Renovation - General    8. Repair   

Editorial Review

This book is subtitled "Hidden Storage and Rescued Space in the Garage, Attic, or Basement" and that about sums it up! You may be a little short on closet space and think you have no more room for stuff in your home, but this book will likely prove you wrong. I've always though of myself as pretty creative in this department, but I came away with more great ideas for storing things and may never have to do another garage sale ever again! The trick is to store things so that you can find them again, and this small book is packed with ideas. You never knew you had so much space! ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Lot of good ideas
This book has a lot of good ideas on ways to store things. The drawingsare pretty basic however and you'll need to figure out how to constructmany of the projects on your own.If you have a lot of clutter and can'tseem to find place to keep everything, you'll benefit from this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cabinetwork    2. Carpentry    3. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    4. Do-It-Yourself    5. Do-It-Yourself - Carpentry    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. House & Home    8. Residential Construction    9. Shelving (Furniture)    10. Storage in the home    11. Woodwork - Furniture/Cabinetry    12. Furniture & furnishings manufacture    13. House maintenance   

Reviews (2)

Helps keep everything straight
This book is awesome for any busy homeowner. There are suggestions for keeping organized as you do all types of renovations--everything from from painting to dry wall to new appliances. I love having one single place to keep all our paint chips, swatches, etc. It's so much easier than a blank notebook because they have lines for everything you need to record.
You probably don't need this book.
I read about this book in a magazine and was eager to get it. Being a first time home buyer/owner, I really thought it would be a useful tool. When it arrived I was very disappointed. 1/3 of the book is devoted to dreams and plans for your house (I already have a notebook for that) and the rest is for writing down information about appliances, paint, repairs, etc. I returned the book and will be starting a notebook. A 3-ring binder will suffice for me. However, for an unorganized person this book might be great. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Blank Books / Diaries / Memory Books    2. Blank Books/Journals    3. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    4. Non-Classifiable    5. DIY    6. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking   

Reviews (14)

Reads Well, but working out is something else
This little book does have some really helpful "little secrets" but I seem to have a problem implementing them.I have mixed feelings on this work, but each individual must make their own determination.

Wish there were more books like this!!!!
I bought this book to get a few "new" tips on this age old problem.I read this book from cover to cover, unable to put it down.Am I a neat freak?? No way, but each page is so chock full of easy, useful tips and information I couldn't stop reading.They've been a welcome addition to my shower gifts, and I"ve purchased several for Christmas gifts!I wish I would have read this book before we redid our kitchen ---great info on "how to" clean the newer surfaces on the market today.Great no nonsense fact-filled book that is fun and easy to read!

Disappointing
I found this book disappointing, especially after reading the description and the glowing reviews posted here.I thought I would get a lot more tips on how to clean quickly and efficiently, but I only found one tip I felt would make a difference.I also thought the book would give a better plan of attack for cleaning the whole house, but the plan was scattered throughout the book.I would have liked to have seen that plan presented in a single place (perhaps as a review at the end of the book.)
Read more

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    3. Family/Marriage    4. Handbooks, manuals, etc    5. Home-based Businesses    6. House & Home    7. House cleaning   

Reviews (5)

Not what I had hoped for.
I had hoped for a lot more detailed information in this book.Everything from the price range of advertising to were to look for information was generic and broad.You mean I can go to my library and look things up??!!! Gee thanks for that one! I don't want to be to harsh this book could be so much better with the amount of experience the author claims to have.Didn't get to much of a personal feel like she promised in the very begining of the book.

Thanks!
Thanks! We loved this book! Not your typical boring biz book. Ok, but missing a lot of info!
Overall this book was ok.Nothing special about it.I am a cleaning business owner and noticed that the book was flawed.I would like the author to please show me where a person can get 1 million dollars worth of insurance for $250-$400 as the book states.Most people can not even get insured for that amount in any state until they have been in business for 3 years.The author left out a lot of information and I would not recommend this book to anyone who is serious about starting a cleaning business.The only thing decent in the book is the appendix, but even that is not detailed enough.I give it two stars for effort and because I am a nice person. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Building cleaning industry    2. Business & Economics    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Business/Economics    5. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    6. Home-based Businesses    7. Management    8. New business enterprises    9. Small Business - General    10. United States    11. Business & Economics / Home-Based Businesses   

Reviews (6)

Nostalgia
"The simple act of picking clean, wet clothes out of a wicker basket, shaking them out, and hanging them up makes me slow down, giving me time to compose the rest of my day."
A little treasure
This is a real glimpse of another era, but one not so intangible as we might think....we can definitely enjoy it, too.Some of the sweetest things in life are the simplest pleasures, and a sniff of our bedsheets after drying in the sun, or drying off with a towel that did the same is a perfect example.Since our olfactory sense is the one most tied to memories, this book would be a great one for those new to housekeeping or new mothers.I can remember running through the sheets on my mother's clothesline, smelling my clean clothes as we brought them in and folded them.I do the same for my family when I have the time, and my 78 year-old mother recently expressed a desire to start hanging out her wash again.So since April 19th (yes, it's a Monday--traditional washday for years and years and years in our country) is National Hang Out Your Wash Day; I got the book for my mom and will pair it with a clothesline and clothespins.It's a wonderful little book, and even has a recipe for lye soap that we used to make as kids.It was pretty gross but those farm women were strong and even though I'll bet it took the skin right off their hands, they used it. We could learn a thing or two from them, I'm sure.

Very fun
I like books full of nostalgia and simpler ideas.Like the other reviewers I found it a good walk through memory lane.We never had a clothesline since we grew up in the city, but I remember seeing them on movies and the like.Its definitly a piece of Americana.I picked this up mainly because of the stress of the current war on terrorism, I needed something simple and nice.This made me feel some more trust and confidence in our values and the core of what is America.I really needed a break from all the crud books coming out on politics from former hippies trying to make a buck (sorry Mr. Bob Woodward).I like knowing that at our heart America is the home of the free, brave, and simple folks doing normal things.Thanks for an easy, stress free, good book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    3. Family/Marriage    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Laundry    7. Art Forms, Treatments & Subjects    8. House & Home / General   

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. General    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. House & Home    6. Reference    7. Repair    8. House & Home / General   

Reviews (7)

To each their own...
Ah, I see much criticism of this lovely book -- folks want something new and exciting.This book clearly isn't an information about soapmaking book -- it is actually a bit more and a bit less than that.
Average at Best
I had the same problem many had with this book.The soap recipes are just one recipe with simple changes in EOs and Fillers.Ho..Hummm.What filled 52 pages should have taken maybe 6. What? Is there nothing new in soap making?
If you own SandyMaine's books "The Soap Book" and "Soothing Soaps" do not waste your money on this one. Everything in the other two books is in this one "word for word". There are a few new receipes but not enough to make it worth your money to purchase this one if you already own the others. I was disappointed. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Do-It-Yourself    3. Home Improvement / Construction    4. House & Home    5. House cleaning    6. Natural products    7. Recipes    8. Soap    9. Cosmetics, make-up & skin care    10. House maintenance   

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home Management    6. House & Home    7. House cleaning    8. Home & House Maintenance    9. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (1)

Every room in every home could benefit from the ideas and advice that comprise Elaine Petrowski's Design Ideas For Home Storage
Every room in every home could benefit from the ideas and advice that comprise Elaine Petrowski's Design Ideas For Home Storage. Enhanced with 350 color photographs, this thoroughly "user friendly" instructional reference includes professional tips for organizing, storing, and otherwise making the most of the available space in any given room; ideas on effectively and efficiently organizing closets and other closed storage spaces; tips for clearing clutter room by room; advice on archival storage (safekeeping important documents and photographs); handling and preserving heirloom be they fabric, china, flatware or glass; and where to find seasonal and "bonus" storage space. Each individual chapter has a special focus, be it day to day storage, display, built-ins, movable pieces, closets, special storage, or long-term storage. Whether you need to organize a kitchen, a closet, a kid's room, a bathroom, an attic, a basement, an office, or any other room in the house, give a careful reading to what Elaine Petrowski has to recommend in the pages of Design Ideas For Home Storage!
Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Decorating    3. Decorating - General    4. House & Home    5. Home furnishing & decoration    6. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (3)

Fantastic, a true home reference book
This book is fantastic.It provides guidance on just about everyhome/housekeeping problem, from how to fold a fitted sheet to how to removesmoke odors from a room to how to restore wood furniture and paint a room. It makes practical recommendations (like purchasing cleaning products froma janitorial supply company) and is very easy to read.I recentlypurchased another housekeeping reference book, Home Comforts, and wasdisappointed because, in my opinion, there was no way I could meet all theexpectations discussed in the book for keeping my house clean.MaryEllen's book, on the other hand, is very realistic and makes suggestionsthat anyone can accomplish --how to maintain your house without constantlydoing housework.It even has a whole chapter of recommendations on how toquickly prepare your home to sell it.I plan to send this book to peopleas a housewarming present.

A book everyone needs!
This is truly an encyclopedic collection of housekeeping hints.Mary Ellen Pinkham has done her research.If you love to read, then most likely you don't want to spend hours just cleaning your home.Once you learn someof her quick and easy solutions to everyday problems, you will have moretime to spend on yourself. Tremendous resource!
I received this book as a wedding gift, and have found it to be an invaluable reference tool in my life as a homemaker.Any question about how to clean ANYTHING can be answered with this book.The author includes recipes for homemade cleaning solutions that REALLY work, as well as tipsfor "frugal" living and ecological conservation.Illustrateddrawings help teach how to "fix" things that the husband keepspromising he will and never seems to get around to doing.Everyone shouldhave a copy of this book in their home! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    3. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    4. Dwellings    5. Family/Marriage    6. Home Improvement / Construction    7. Home economics    8. House & Home    9. House cleaning    10. Maintenance and repair    11. Personal & Practical Guides    12. Reference / Personal & Practical Guides   

Reviews (1)

** RE-TITLING OF A PREVIOUS BOOK **
I want people to be aware that this book was previously released as, "Lose 200 Pounds This Weekend:It's Time to DeClutter Your Life."I find that practive a tad deceptive.For more reviews & a better price, see the other book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    3. Do-It-Yourself    4. Home Improvement / Construction    5. Home Management    6. House & Home    7. House cleaning    8. Home & House Maintenance    9. Self-Help & Practical Interests   

Reviews (1)

great household tips!This book won't get dusty!
This book lists fabulous ideas and how to fix some of life's everyday problems.From removing toilet bowl rings, to fixing facial blemishes, keeping pets off furniture, and even stopping hiccups!Listed in the backare great recipes that use lemons. This book is well organized & iteven gives a brief "history" on the lemon.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Beauty & Grooming - General    2. Cleaning & Caretaking - General    3. Cleaning & Caretaking - Household Hints    4. Cooking    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. Home economics    7. House & Home    8. House cleaning    9. Lemon    10. Lemon juice    11. House & Home / Cleaning & Caretaking    12. Household hints