Whether your home is a city apartment, country cottage or large and rambling house, it is your space and should be well cared for. The secret is managing the upkeep without feeling overwhelmed. As a hotelier, Francis Brennan has gathered unparalleled expertise in home maintenance and care, and this year, once again, he has compiled his Homekeeper's Diary to help you manage household tasks month by month. From getting organised to gardening, cookery and a whole host of useful tips, it's a practical bible which you can delve into daily to discover all the information you need to keep your home looking its best.

Bicarbonate of soda is far more than a baking ingredient - it can be used in all manner of household tasks including cleaning, laundry, animal care, and health and beauty. This is the essential guide to maximizing the potential of this cheap, environmentally-friendly and multi-purpose product. Tips range from removing baked-on food from pans to making your own facial scrub, from getting stubborn stains out of your clothes to shampooing your dog. "Bicarbonate of Soda" also gets the kids involved, with some fun science experiments and sweet treats, as well as providing culinary tips and a few tasty recipes for breads, cakes and cookies.

Discover NIFTY (TM) tips and tricks for keeping every inch of your home neat and tidy. These innovative hacks will transform your space-and your life-in no time. Brought to you by BuzzFeed's insanely popular NIFTY (TM). It's time to get organized! From straightening out your kitchen drawers and maximizing closet space to keeping your home clean and tidy, the tips, tricks, and hacks in NIFTY (TM): Clean & Organized will take your space to the next level in no time. From the popular BuzzFeed lifestyle destination NIFTY (TM), this home organization guide is perfect for anyone who wants to bring a little order to whatever space they call home. It includes helpful advice on how to clean and organize every room in the house, making life easier, more organized, and less stressful than ever before. With money-saving tips, fun DIYs, and inventive ideas for maximizing space, this book is the ultimate cleaning resource. Whether it's tackling the chaos of the bedroom closet or making the most out of the limited space in your tiny bathroom, NIFTY (TM): Clean & Organized makes tidying up and staying organized easier than ever. NIFTY (TM) is the popular vertical of BuzzFeed.

Martin Holladay has been making weekly postings to his 'Musings of an Energy Nerd' blog on Green Building Advisor since January 2009. Along the way, he has gathered a devoted following of energy nerds who await his weekly musings with rapt anticipation. For the first time, the 50 most popular postings have been assembled in book form to give homeowners a great opportunity to live a more energy-efficient life in their homes. The book begins with an overview of energy priorities, and a discussion of what we mean by terms like green and sustainable. Martin presents several options for energy upgrades for an existing house (from replacing windows to adding superinsulation) before looking at ways to improve the energy efficiency of a new house. Separate chapters follow on HVAC, domestic hot water, appliances and renewable energy, before the book wraps up with an eye-opening chapter on useless products, scams and myths.

Perhaps the first celebrity chef, Alexis Soyer (1810-58) was a flamboyant, larger-than-life character who nonetheless took his profession very seriously. As the chef of London's Reform Club, he modernised its kitchens, installing refrigerators and gas cookers. They became something of a showpiece, even opening for tours. In contrast, Soyer also organised soup kitchens during the Great Famine in Ireland and volunteered his services in the Crimea in 1855 to improve military catering. He was also a prolific inventor of kitchen gadgets, notably promoting the Magic Stove, used for cooking food at the table. This work, first published in 1849, was aimed at the middle classes. Conceived as a dialogue between two housewives, it contains hundreds of recipes and tips, giving modern readers a rich insight into household management of the time. Also reissued in this series are Soyer's Gastronomic Regenerator (1846) and Culinary Campaign (1857).

Sustainable Home is a stylish, inspirational and practical guidebook to maintaining a more environmentally friendly household. Sustainable lifestyle blogger and professional Christine Liu takes you on a tour through the rooms of your home - the living area, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom - offering tips, tricks and 18 step-by-step projects designed to help you lead a more low-impact lifestyle. From guidance on decluttering and living minimally to advice about plant-based foods to tips on repairing old clothes, this book touches every aspect of home life. Whether its by making your own toothpaste, converting to renewable energy sources, reducing your consumption of plastic, growing your own herb garden or upcycling old pieces of furniture, the projects in this book offer numerous ways - both big and small - to make a difference. With environmental issues at the forefront of global politics, the desire to make small changes on an individual level is on the rise; this book will guide anyone hoping to make a difference, but who perhaps don't know where to begin.

Jane Ellen Panton (1847 1923) was the second daughter of the artist William Powell Frith, and a journalist and author on domestic issues. First published in 1887, this is the revised 1893 edition of her guide for young married couples on how to set up their first home. In it she draws on twenty-three years' experience of living in London to advise on everything from choosing a house and internal decoration to budgeting effectively and entertaining friends. Updated extensively, the book contains a thorough index, a selection of illustrations, and new information on many of the topics discussed. The author devotes each chapter to a different part of the house, and concludes by advising her readers to let 'love, beauty, carefulness and economy' rule their lives. Providing revealing insight into domestic middle-class life in late nineteenth-century England, this book remains of interest to historians and sociologists.

Jane Ellen Panton (1847 1923) was the second daughter of the artist William Powell Frith, and a journalist and author on domestic issues. First published in 1890, this was one of a series of advice guides written by Panton on life and work in the middle-class home. With each chapter focusing on a different area of the house, the book offers advice to young married couples on how to make their homes 'tasteful without undue expense' by devoting time and effort to renovation and furnishing, and by choosing decorative styles that would not date. The author encourages her readers to become 'house proud', and to this end suggests that men should learn basic carpentry and refurbishment skills, while women should become proficient in needlework, as opposed to 'dawdling' over 'mere society flutter'. Providing a revealing snapshot of life in late nineteenth-century England, this book will appeal to historians and sociologists.

The Scent of Lemon and Rosemary is a fabulous book of magical spells, crafts, and recipes for your house and home. Based on the powerful energy and mythos of the goddess Hestia, the magical activities and workings in this book can be practiced by anyone, regardless of spiritual orientation. Magic themes and techniques abound for each room of your home love and transformation in the kitchen, communication and friendship in the living room, purification and health in the bathroom, prosperity and sleep in the bedroom, and protection in the threshold. You will discover recipes for food magic as well as tips for creating your own green cleaning supplies and tying your cleaning tasks to the lunar phase. Author Raechel Henderson also includes hands-on exercises for connecting with Hestia as a deity of bodily autonomy, racial equity, and social justice. Creating a harmonious environment that fosters feelings of acceptance, safety, and abundance is possible. With tools like visualization, centring, grounding, and raising power as well as crystals, essential oils, meditations, and rituals, this book guides you in balancing the energy of each room and turning your entire home into a sacred space.

Grow your own vegetables and herbs, indoors in containers or outside in a garden. Raise chickens or goats. Build a beehive. Make your own nontoxic cleaning sprays. And more! Gehring's books on country living have sold more than 500,000 copies. In this book, she offers a guide to homesteading skills that is as charming as it is practical. Full of sweet illustrations and gorgeous photographs, step-by-step instructions for essential skills such as building a chicken coop are interspersed with country lore and old-fashioned tips and tricks. Readers will learn how to: Container garden Raise chickens Churn butter Grow vegetables Can tomatoes Brew kombucha Make shampoo Repel garden pests Milk a goat Improve garden soil Make strawberry-rhubarb jelly Ferment vegetables Make yogurt Sprout grains And more! The Essential Guide to Self-Sufficient Living combines the know-how of Back to Basics with the charm of The Farmer's Almanac. This is the perfect gift for anyone interested in a more self-sufficient, greener, country lifestyle.

An authoritative guide to reducing household exposure to hazardous chemicals

Thousands of household products contain toxic ingredients. Today, more and more people are seeking more natural cleaning methods to reduce their exposure to harsh chemicals. From the kitchen and bath to the living room and laundry, "Green Cleaning For Dummies" provides readers with green solutions to every common cleaning chore. Focusing on organic, nontoxic, sustainable alternatives to conventional cleaning products, it's packed with suggestions and tips for effective cleaning, and even offers green solutions for sprucing up patios, garages, vehicles, and the exterior of a house.

A follow-up to Black Dog's bestselling "Country Wisdom and Know-How," the "Country Wisdom Almanac" provides hundreds of ideas and methods for living the good and simple life, plus information on weather, gardening, buying produce and cooking by season, holidays, frost dates, moon phases, and more.
Divided into the four seasons and then organized into 373 individual tips, the "Country Wisdom Almanac" presents a wide variety of ways to live a simpler, more self-sustained life year round. Each season offers home-improvement ideas (wallpaper a room in the Fall or build a stone wall in the Spring), crafts (create gorgeous homemade decorations for Christmas, Halloween, or the Fourth of July), recipes (use seasonal produce to create fresh, healthy meals), gardening advice (what and when to plant in order to get the maximum results from your land), and more.
Also included is year-round advice on caring for pets, creating your own health and beauty remedies, canning and preserving food, and more. Each season opens with a list of holidays and a guide to in-season produce. Appendices cover average weather by city and month, frost dates, and moon phases.

How to Weed Your Attic: Getting Rid of Junk without Destroying History provides answers to the question: when someone dies or it's time to move --- or just clean out the attic, garage, or basement, what papers and other things should we save for the sake of history and what can we safely toss? After reading this clearly written book by a retired archivist and a retired museum curator, you can comfortably clean out your attic - or office, garage, basement, cupboards - with confidence that you're not tossing out historically valuable (or invaluable) things, and that you will not ask your local museum to take things that really belong in a thrift store, junk yard, or recycle center. The book first describes how to identify historically important documents and artifacts. The authors explain a few simple rules: 1) a complete or long collection has more value than a partial one; 2) emotive material provides a richer picture than factual material; 3) unique usually has more value than mass produced; 4) documents and objects carry more information than they intend to; and 5) a 25-year rule exists without our consciously recognizing it. They then apply the rules and assess the probable historical value of four different types of materials: mass produced (from books to vehicles), individually created (from art work to toys), business materials (from governance documents to uniforms), and commemorative materials (from awards to wedding dresses). The book includes a brief description of the basics for preserving materials the reader wants to keep and references sources for more detail. It also recognizes that the reader may not want to keep stuff that clearly has historical value. For those readers, the authors describe how to donate materials to a cultural repository. In broad strokes, they explain how repositories differ, what the repository will want to know about the stuff you're offering, where an appraiser and/or tax advisor fits into the process, and what the reader can expect the repository to do and not do. Finally, the book addresses unexpected issues that may arise around questions of legal ownership and privacy. Throughout the book, the authors illustrate their points using photographs and vignettes.

Bring your home out of the mess it's in-and learn how to keep it under control! Housekeeping expert Dana K. White shares reality-based cleaning and organizing techniques that will help you learn what really works. Do you experience heart palpitations at the sound of an unexpected doorbell? Do you stare in bewilderment at your messy home, wondering how in the world it got this way again? You're not alone. But there is hope for you and your home. Managing your home isn't an all-or-nothing approach, and Dana has broken down the most critical things that you'll need to do to keep up with the housework. With understanding, honesty, and her trademark humor, Dana shares her field-tested strategies including: Exactly where to start to tame the chaos Which habits deserve your focus and will make the most impact How to gain traction in your quest for a manageable home Practical tips you can implement and immediately to declutter huge amount of stuff with minimal emotional drama Cleaning your house is not a one-time project-it's a series of ongoing and daily decisions. Start learning Dana's reality-based cleaning and organizing techniques-and see how they really work! Praise from Readers: "This book lays out the hard truths of a clean house but in a way that doesn't make me feel silly for not having embraced them before." "Dana leads you step-by-step with the heart of a woman who has been there and struggled with the same issues you are currently struggling with. Really, this is a must read for anyone who wants to learn the secrets that all those organized types seem to know." "I felt like a failure already. Did I really need to read yet another book full of tips and tricks that would leave me feeling worse? From the first page, I was put at ease." Get ready to say goodbye to the stacks of dirty dishes crowding your kitchen counters, conquer the never-ending piles of laundry, and stop tripping over clutter on your living room floor as Dana helps you discover what works for you, for your unique personality, and in your unique home.

Emily Henson explores the elements that come together to create this eclectic, colourful and contemporary look and draws inspiration from an array of real-life Bohemian Modern homes. The Bohemian Modern home is a place where creativity, individuality and a bold mix of colour and pattern meet in a modern environment. Whitewashed walls and polished concrete floors are brought to life by vibrant rugs and wall hangings; a cosy rattan chair suspended from the ceiling, and a jungle of house plants - clustered in pots, hanging from the ceiling or even growing on the walls. The style gives a nod to '70s chic, with its use of shagpile rugs, Swiss cheese plants, and macrame, but it stands firmly in the present day by boldly contrasting those elements with sleek modern art and polished concrete worksurfaces. Emily starts by taking a look at the different facets of the look: pattern and colour, textiles, handmade pieces, living with houseplants, and collections and display. She offers up styling tricks to use at home and timely ideas for recycling and reuse. Next, a series of case studies take a closer look at free-spirited and creative homes and the people who live in them. From a restored barn on the coast of Morocco to a former parking garage in the Netherlands that's been converted into a flexible family live/work space, Emily shows that any home can have Bohemian Modern style. Bohemian Modern is a fantastic new edition of the previously published title of the same name.

Clean smarter, not harder! That's Donna Smallin's cleaning motto, and now she shows readers how to do it in just minutes a day. "The One-Minute Cleaner Plain & Simple" is the perfect handbook for busy people who might never find the time for a top-to-bottom household scrub, but do want to keep their living areas clean, sanitary, and clutter-free.
Two broad sections, Ready, Set, Clean! and Challenges Inside and Out, cover every cleaning situation the reader is likely to face. Room by room, challenge by challenge, Smallin's handy tips keep dirt and grime at bay. A few minutes each day is such a small price to pay!

Everyone has baking soda on hand to help cookies rise and keep the pantry smelling fresh. But this simple compound also has dozens of other applications for health, cleaning, gardening and even crafting. In The Baking Soda Companion, Suzy Scherr explains just how useful this all-natural pantry staple can be. Make extra-fluffy scrambled eggs, clean the coffee pot, soothe bug bites, mix up toothpaste and shampoo, remove stubborn grass stains, repel garden pests, and more. This is a straightforward, informative guide for anyone who wants to incorporate simple, affordable and natural solutions into their day-to-day routine.

Can we get a feeling of spaciousness and well-being in an apartment when the available space is very limited? This book shows that not only is it possible, but often the solutions turn the house itself into a unique and singular space. These types of projects are also a challenge for architects, since they require bringing into play all their ingenuity, technique, and talent.

A handy, practical resource that makes it easy to keep track of your essential homeowner information for future reference As a home buyers, you have a million things to deal with. Unfortunately, it's all too easy to overlook some. By prompting you with the right questions, providing fill-in-the-blank spots, and addressing everything from foundation to roof, this helpful journal takes the hassle out of organizing your house files. It offers a single, go-to source for recording everything. From up in the attic to down in the basement, this book highlights more than 25 different areas, making it easy to record information about any size or type of home. Each chapter focuses on a separate room and includes prompts like model number and warranty info on appliances, type and color code of paint, and year and make of roofing materials. Also included are handy sidebars with tips, tricks, and reminders for keeping information up to date and performing regular maintenance. Perfect as a housewarming gift or just as a way to stay organized, New Home Journal is a valuable resource for homeowners who want to take care of their home for years to come.

Professional organiser and YouTube sensation Nikki Boyd (creator of At Home With Nikki) is back with an all-new guide, The Beautifully Organised Home Planner: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide to Organizsng Your Home Life, helping you to put her advice into practice with worksheets, tools, timelines, and charts, all designed to guide you to home organisation success! In her best-selling home organisation book Beautifully Organised , Nikki Boyd shares her best advice for how to create an organized, beautiful, and welcoming home. In this companion book she walks with you through your home and provides you with the tools you need to make your space both beautiful and organised. The Beautifully Organized Home Planner includes: - Exercises to help you pinpoint areas of frustration in your home - Home Management Essentials to keep your home running smoothly - Daily and Weekly Cleaning Checklists to stay on top of household chores - Home Maintenance Schedules with seasonal to-do lists to keep your home looking its best - Room-by-Room Organization Strategies to efficiently tackle the clutter in your home - Labels for pantry, laundry room, the home office, and beyond - And so much more!

Today's environmental concerns have led to a new generation of high-tech stoves, designed to burn cleaner and more efficiently than ever before.
"The New Woodburner's Handbook"is the essential layman's guide to both the latest improvements and the age-old wisdom of heating with wood. Chimney sweep Stephen Bushway presents first-time and long-time woodburners with all the information necessary to heat a home economically and safely, while safeguarding the environment for ourselves and our children. Topics discussed include: selecting the right home for your home and your lifestyle; tips for insulating and conserving energy at home; installing a woodstove safely, catalytic, noncatalytic, and pellet stoves -- pros and cons; masonry heaters -- an ancient and unsurpassed way of warming.
New federal regulations and air-quality laws make it more important than ever that woodburners know about all of the options available to them. "The New Woodburner's Handbook "helps you apply the latest developments in the industry to your specific situation and decide for yourself how heating with wood makes sense in your own home.

Go back to basics-compost, raising chickens, water and irrigation, dealing with pests, and much more-with this unique, full color bestseller (over 400,000 sold). Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family's food on just a quarter acre-and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require. Even if you have never been a farmer or a gardener, this book covers everything you need to know to get started: Buying and saving seeds Starting seedlings Establishing raised beds Soil fertility practices Composting Dealing with pest and disease problems Crop rotation Selling your produce arm planning, and much more. Because self-sufficiency is the objective, subjects such as raising backyard chickens and home canning are also covered along with numerous methods for keeping costs down and production high. Materials, tools, and techniques are detailed with photographs, tables, diagrams, and illustrations.

Cleanliness is next to enlightenment. In this Japanese bestseller a Buddhist monk explains the traditional meditative techniques that will help cleanse not only your house - but your soul. Live clean. Feel calm. Be happy. We remove dust to sweep away our worldly cares. We live simply and take time to contemplate the self, mindfully living each moment. It's not just monks that need to live this way. Everyone in today's busy world needs it. In Japan, cleanliness is next to enlightenment. This bestselling guide by a Zen Buddhist monk draws on ancient traditions to show you how a few simple changes to your daily habits - from your early morning routine to preparingfood, from respecting the objects around you to working together as a team -will not only make your home calmer and cleaner, but will leave you feeling refreshed, happier and more fulfilled.

This title highlights 250 practical uses in the home health; healing; beauty; homecare; and, cooking. Discover the amazing powers of vinegar and over 250 practical ways in which it can be used in the medicine chest, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and garden. This title includes a fascinating look at the history, production and fermentation of vinegar, followed by a directory that describes and examines each type. It offers natural remedies, treatments and preparations, including digestive tonics, first aid applications, body washes and hair treatments. It provides expert advice on how to use vinegar in the home to clean, remove odours, care for your pet, restore furniture and utensils and improve your laundry. It presents recipes, hints and tips for using all types of vinegar in the kitchen, from dressings and chutneys to sauces, baking, and drinks. Everything has been shown step-by-step with more than 380 colour photographs throughout. Vinegar has been used for centuries for an infinite range of purposes. In this practical book, the introduction covers the history, folklore and science of vinegar, followed by a comprehensive directory to its many varieties. Find out how to treat bruises, sore throats and other common ailments, then discover how to care for your skin and hair before learning how to mix your own natural pesticides, limescale removers and furniture restorers. Blend relishes and vinaigrettes and create classic salads and pasta dishes with 30 simple recipes. Colour photographs throughout illustrate the versatility and benefits of this magical ingredient.