In the late nineteenth century, general housework in the British home was so labour intensive that it required an army of servants to undertake it. Since then, the ways in which we look after our homes may have changed dramatically but the best and simplest of methods from that time still work for us today. From floor to ceiling, and leaving no awkward corner untouched, here are the tricks and techniques that generations once took for granted, distilled for modern use: how to get rid of water marks or heat rings on polished wood; the antibacterial qualities of simple vinegar; the damp cloth versus the dry duster; and using lemon juice to clear limescale. Combining fascinating 'below-stairs' social history with startling facts and useful tips, Lucy Lethbridge restores fast-disappearing skills to keep at bay dust, rust, mildew, stains and pests. Here, beautifully illustrated and entertainingly presented, are a bygone era's keys to a clean house.

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.

From ancient Greece to the Victorian era and into modern times oils have been used for an infinite variety of purposes. This book explores the seemingly endless applications of this wondrous substance, looking at its fascinating properties, the vast range of types available and its use as a valued ingredient in recipes, medicinal treatments, cleansers, beauty treatment and aromatherapy. It combines in-depth advice with easy-to-follow recipes and instructions.

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.

A practical back-to-basics guide to achieving food security and financial independence. What if you could really raise or grow all the food your family needs? In this fully illustrated book, you'll learn to create an autonomous, diversified, and sustainable garden and to cultivate and maintain it following the main principles of permaculture. If you want to move towards greater food autonomy and you have sufficient space, you can also grow grains, keep chickens, and have a few beehives. Design and grow a prolific organic vegetable garden Learn how to save seeds from one year to the next Discover techniques for collecting water Read about beekeeping tools and how to use them Learn about chicken breeds and how to keep your birds healthy and happy Gaining food autonomy means depending less on grocery stores and food supply chains. But it is also offers the pleasure of eating healthy and delicious products straight from your land, while respecting the environment.

From ancient Greece to the Victorian era and into modern times, vinegar and oil have been used for an infinite variety of purposes. This book explores the many varied applications of these wondrous substances, looking at their distinct properties, the range of types available and their uses as valued ingredients in medicinal treatments, household cleaners, beauty treatments, aromatherapy, as well as 130 irresistible culinary recipes for sauces, marinades, soups and desserts and everything in between. Illustrated with more than 700 beautiful photographs, this wonderful compendium explores the amazing versatility and health and household benefits of these magical everyday ingredients.

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.

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.

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.

Forget the aesthetics of mainstream minimalism and discover a life of authenticity and intention with this practical guide to living with less...your way. When Christine Platt set out on her journey to live with less, she never intended to become The Afrominimalist. She just wanted to tame the chaos in her closet! But after struggling with the austerity and whiteness of mainstream minimalism, Christine realized why minimalism often seems unattainable for so many: the emphasis on all-white, barren aesthetics distracts from the practice of living with intention. And so, she decided to do things her way by curating a life of less influenced by the African diaspora. In The Afrominimalist's Guide to Living With Less, Christine gets right to the heart of how childhood experiences and expectations manifest in adulthood, the delicate dance between needs and wants, and the complicated weight of familial and societal pressures. A far cry from Konmaried closets, capsule wardrobes, and conspicuous consumption, Christine's brand of "living with less" is more than a decluttering regimen. Inspired by her personal journey, Christine presents a radical revisioning of minimalism, one that celebrates the importance of history and heritage, and gives you permission to make space for what really matters...your way. Beautifully illustrated with original black-and-white prints and line drawings, The Afrominimalist's Guide to Living With Less is a testament to the idea that anyone can be a minimalist and a warm invitation to a life curated with intention, perfect for readers of Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus (The Minimalists), Marie Kondo, Joshua Becker, and Courtney Carver.

Go Green in Every Part of Your Life with This Huge Collection of Easy, All-Natural Products Kick toxic, synthetic skin care products and cleaners out the door and bring the healing joy of nature into your life with these simple, customizable projects. In this new and expanded edition of 101 Easy Homemade Products for Your Skin, Health & Home, Jan Berry adds 50 brand new recipes for a total of 151 in all, making this beloved book a complete and versatile resource. You'll learn how to make your own skin care and hair care products, health remedies and household cleaners, such as: - Honey, Rose & Oat Face Cleanser - Triple Sunshine Body Butter - Sleepy Time Bath Bombs - Wildflower Shower Scrub Bars - Lip Gloss Pots - Cucumber Mint Soap - Lemon Balm & Ginger Sore Throat Drops - Lemon & Rosemary All-Purpose Cleaning Spray - Lavender Laundry Detergent - And so much more! All of the projects are easy to make and use commonly found herbs, flowers, oils and other natural ingredients. No fancy equipment or previous experience required! The new edition is packed with even more basic formulas, so you can make your own one-of-a-kind creations. Going green has never been easier or more affordable. With this book, you can use local, natural ingredients to make something beautiful, effective and good for you and your family.

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.

Do you aspire to live a green or zero-waste life, but just don't know where to begin? Green Living is here to guide you to an eco-friendly lifestyle through approachable, easy-to-implement strategies. Authored by the successful GreenMatters.com website, which is dedicated to making news and topics across sustainability and innovation accessible to everyone, this indispensable resource is packed with suggestions and ideas to implement sustainable living in all areas of your life and home. You'll be inspired to dive deeper into green living and feel empowered by your choice to help the environment and create a healthier household. Learn not just the "why" of going green, but the "how," with quick-and-easy tips to substitute unsustainable and unhealthy products with greener options. Each chapter has Seed, Sprout, and Tree steps to help meet you where you're at and develop your green practices in a way that works with your lifestyle. With additional micro-actions and tips throughout as well as definitions for commonly used green terminology, this book is for people just getting started or those looking to learn more eco-friendly hacks. Save money (and the planet) with easy steps like switching to single-use alternatives like reusable straws and cloth shopping totes. Also, find resources to help you get creative and reuse materials you already have for a new purpose, from DIY pet toys to home decor, minimizing what you buy and preventing materials from going into the landfill. Other topics covered: Recycling and composting Eco-friendly cleaning Minimalist organizing Green beauty Sustainable fashion This comprehensive guide to green will take a permanent place on your bookshelf as you return to it again and again on your journey to sustainability.

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.

'(Gaff Goddess) should be taught in schools. It's genuinely, hands-on empowering! After four paragraphs I am fully convinced I could build my own house and go on Grand Designs!' - Marian Keyes

Laura de Barra is quite simply a Gaff Goddess. Expanding on her popular online home hacks, Laura will teach you how to handle the problems we all encounter in our homes.

Straight-talking and hilarious and packed with Laura’s stunning illustrations, her step-by-step guides will prepare you to handle the most common household emergencies with style. From dripping taps to hanging a frame, how best to look after your white goods, how to treat moths, mould and everything in between, and with invaluable design ideas to improve the living spaces in your home, this book is for everyone who has ever wanted to tackle a bit of She-IY without really knowing how.

Ingenious and sure to be an instant household must-have, Gaff Goddess will empower you to make those repairs and rediscover your space saving you time, money and stress in the process.

Created by an assembly of leading designers, architects, and bloggers, these 57 unique and innovative designs will show you the limits of what is possible. All of the designs include beautiful full-colour photos along with floor plans and building tips; 15 of them include flushed-out concept sketches; and five include step-by-step building plans. You'll also find guidelines on building with recycled and salvaged materials, plus techniques for making your small space comfortable and easy to inhabit.

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.

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.

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.

Celebrate each season with styling inspiration and simple DIY projects for a festive and cozy home every month of the year.

Join Steffy Degreff as she invites you on a year-long tour of her thoughtfully designed living spaces—an A-frame cabin in the Catskill Mountains and a Cape style home in Long Beach, New York. You’ll learn how to use decorative elements to create a home that feels warm and inviting.

For each month, Steffy shares styling tips to reflect the seasonal changes and showcase your personal aesthetic, from the addition of whimsical vintage pieces to a spring table setting or mini pumpkins placed around a room in creative ways for fall.

Enhance both the interior and exterior of your home with:

• 50 tips on styling your space with coordinating colors, textures, patterns, and more
• 25 DIY projects including everything from hanging flowers to cabinet wreaths
• 12 months of ideas showcasing fun ways to swap out your home décor
• 8 different holidays to decorate for, from Valentine’s Day to Christmas
• 5 seasonal recipes to make something special for your party guests to enjoy
• Plus outfit inspiration to complement every season

Whether you live in a cabin in the woods, a high-rise in the city, or a duplex in the burbs, A Home for Every Season provides inspiration and guidance for making your space festive year-round. Welcome home.

Hints on difficult decorating decisions and a quick reference for repairs, cooking techniques and sewing skills.

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.

The urban homesteading movement is spreading rapidly across the nation. "Urban Homesteading" is the perfect "back-to-the-land" guide for urbanites who want to reduce their impact on the environment. Full of practical information, as well as inspiring stories from people already living the urban homesteading life, this colorful guide is an approachable guide to learning to live more ecologically in the city. The book embraces the core concepts of localization (providing our basic needs close to where we live), self-reliance (re-learning that food comes from the ground, not the grocery store; learning to do things ourselves), and sustainability (giving back at least as much as we take). Readers will find concise how-to information that they can immediately set into practice, from making solar cookers to growing tomatoes in a barrel to raising chickens in small spaces to maintaining mental serenity in the fast-paced city environment. Full of beautiful full-color photographs and illustrations, and plenty of step-by-step instructions, this is a must-have handbook for city folk with a passion for the simple life.