Making a Home

by Linda Hallam

First portion of the book teaches how to maintain a home and its contents, the second portion offers advice on improving home life through better organization, etiquette, and time management.Up-to-date, reliable information collected from universities, trade associations, federal agencies, and acknowledged experts on everything from pets, and home office equipment to home legal issues and environmental safety.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Self Help, Home Improvement

Hardcover

Published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although some parts of this book are outdated, (VHS tapes and cassette tapes are mentioned! haha!)
most of it was full of good advice and interesting ideas for organizing and maintaining a home.
I really liked how each section is very detailed, and goes into how to buy an item, what quality to look for, how to care for it, clean it, and use it. Sound advice and very helpful!

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

There was a whole section about how to tell a washcloth from a bathsheet. There was also a recommendation to put out upside down duct tape to catch crickets, which I think is sick.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blurb doesn't do it justice. The edition I discovered in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin, is in a binder much like the classic Betty Crocker cookbooks. There's plenty of room to add your own pages of notes as you learn advice that applies to your situation. But will you need to? Maybe not, because the advice here covers a *lot* of different categories, and is offered in varieties depending on whether you are single, parenting, with pets, etc.*

No gimmicks like the books that promised Easier or Speedier cleaning; this gets to the same point by starting with the reminders to keep on top of clutter & to use doormats, to do small tasks as you go along, and therefore to save tons of time & money in the long run because that's how a well-run home works.

If I'd discovered it when young, I would have been saved a lot of trouble over the decades, even though I was well raised. It would still make a good gift for a young person starting out, esp. if they weren't taught so well. I even recommend that every one of you take a look at it if you can. Even if you are as experienced as I & could teach an extension class on the subject, it's great to see this many ideas laid out so thoroughly & to see reminders.

*The edition I read does not address electronics much and I would definitely insert pages about how to reset WiFi, set up a printer, etc. if it were my own book. I would also insert a few pages with the phone numbers of all the local utilities, names and numbers of neighbors, directions to the nearest urgent care and ER, contact information and account numbers for insurance companies, etc.

[raccoon reader · Rating 1 out of 5]

oh wow... This book was tough to get through. Not only was it just too much information (it should have been done like an encyclopedia) but they talk to you like you're an idiot half the time. The rest of the time they shove too much information (some of it for idiots, some for not so idiots) and try to cater to the poor of us and the rich. Pick a section of the public and cater to them. Trying to include everything for everybody just made this book a bore. I made myself skim through the last bit believing there might be something of use. The format needs to be changed to make it enjoyable (they did try having sidebars but they seemed just as boring and tiresome). Maybe I've just read my max of these type of books and cant stomach one more... I don't know what I was expecting, maybe something about nesting and how to make a home homey... not an encyclopedia of every word every associated with a house. And omg I thought if I made a drinking game out of every time she pointed out the obvious "organize things by putting them into containers and boxes!!!!" I'd have liver damage by now.

[Joy]

From maximizing closet space and choosing the right kind of cookware to setting the table and observing proper etiquette, no task is too big or too small for the experts at Better Homes and Gardens. Let them steer you in the right direction with this practical and colorful ring-bound guide to the domestic arts.

[Sheila · Rating 2 out of 5]

Informative, but not what I was looking for.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book about basics for the home. I use it when I do my spring cleaning--lots of household tips.

[Therese · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this to try and organize my house. Great ideas...if only I could put them into practice!

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent resource for all kinds of things: cleaning how-tos, organizing, manners.

[CR Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

Now, does it help me sew a button?

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book for those just starting out on their own or as a first time home buyer. It covers everything from linens, to cleaning, to entertaining and household repairs.