Making a Home : Housekeeping for Real Life by Better Homes and Gardens Books, Linda Hallam

Living Mind
Home Improvement

Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating

Making a Home : Housekeeping for Real Life
by Better Homes and Gardens Books (Editor), Linda Hallam (Editor)

Ring-bound: 384 pages ; Dimensions (in inches): 2.26 x 10.32 x 8.74
Publisher: Meredith Books; Ringbound edition (September 2001)
ISBN: 069621203X

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Book Description: Learn to organize, furnish, clean, and enjoy your home by following the timesaving tips and down-to-earth advice in the new book Making a Home: Housekeeping for Real Life, from Better Homes and Gardens®.

Inside Flap Copy: The publisher of Better Homes and Gardens® New Cook Book presents the complete guide to creating a clean, safe, peaceful home. Save time and money as you learn how to organize, furnish, clean, and enjoy your home -- from stocking the pantry to no-stress entertaining.

About the Author: If it has to do with homes or decorating, Linda Hallam has the answers. As editor of decorating and design books for Better Homes and Gardens ® Books since 1996, she has written and edited 17 decorating, design, and remodeling books.

Before joining Better Homes and Gardens® Books, Linda was an editor at Southern Living magazine for 12 years, where she wrote a popular Home Tips column, as well as feature articles on interiors and architecture. Even her earliest writing, as a real estate reporter for The Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi, was home centered. She produced an award-winning weekly real estate section for the paper, emphasizing consumer news and architecture. Throughout her writing career, Linda has been able to stay in touch with the needs of readers.

Meanwhile, Linda put to personal use what she was researching and writing. She and her husband, Steve, raised two sons and owned four older homes, each needing TLC to make it a home. Plus, being a working mother meant streamlining tasks to fit everything into doable routines. Linda's suggestions, observations, and real-life experiences shine through the pages of this and her other books.

Linda's books have been highlighted in major newspapers and magazines throughout the country, and she has appeared on national television cable shows, including Christopher Lowell (Discovery) and Home Matters (Discovery).

Some of Linda Hallam's books:
• Better Homes and Gardens® Making a Home: Housekeeping for Real Life (published 9/15/01)
• Better Homes and Gardens® Decorating Basics: Styles, Colors, Furnishings (8/15/01)
• Better Homes and Gardens® Painted Furniture: Decorating Ideas and Projects (8/15/01)
• Better Homes and Gardens® Real Life Decorating
• Better Homes and Gardens® Garden Style Decorating

Excerpted from Making a Home: Housekeeping for Real Life by Better Homes and Gardens.

From the Introduction: I've often thought about what makes a home. I've concluded that the true measure of home is not about the past or the future. Home is about making the most of your life and your family's life every day. In the midst of finishing this book and starting others, I often think of the hard lessons I've learned through the years as my family and I make our home. The most important one I've learned is to create a home and a life that you and your family enjoy. I think of planning, organizing, cleaning, cooking, and maintaining as the tools to making the home we want.

I've researched and written Making a Home because home is the most important place in the world. My premise for the book is as simple as the tabbed, ringbound format -- a well-organized, clean, and safe home creates a peaceful, comfortable environment for you and your family. My goal for Making a Home is to provide accurate, current, concise information to help you safely and economically organize, furnish, clean, maintain, and enjoy your home.
...
I hope Making a Home will be useful to you and your life at home. And I hope that the information, advice, and sources in Making a Home will help you save time and money and create a safe and comfortable haven of calm and order in your life. You can make the home you want for yourself and your family. Making a home isn't the easiest thing you'll ever do, but I promise it is the most worthwhile.

Table of Contents
Introduction: Making Your Home
Chapter 1: Organization
Chapter 2: Cleaning Routines
Chapter 3: Surface Care
Chapter 4: Furnishings Care
Chapter 5: Kitchen Keeping
Chapter 6: Living & Dining Rooms
Chapter 7: Bedrooms & Baths
Chapter 8: Linens & Laundry
Chapter 9: House Systems
Chapter 10: Home Environment
Chapter 11: Entertaining
Chapter 12: Etiquette
Chapter 13: Records & References
Chapter 14: Resources
Chapter 15: Index

Customer Reviews
Great for young people setting up their first home, January 6, 2003
Reviewer: Shana Norris from North Carolina, United States
I bought this book before our first home was finished being built and read over it, eager to apply the tips offered in this book to my own home. I keep my copy in the kitchen with my cookbooks so I can have easy access to it as I refer to it pretty often. There are a lot of useful tips and information that people may not realize they need to know until they are in a situation that calls for it. This book would make a great gift for young newlyweds or young people moving into their own home for the first time.

A book that works!, December 2, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Holtville, CA USA
I've been a wife and mother for nine years now. I just got this book and it has made my life easier! The tips and suggestions are great and easy to use. It basically tells you how to stay up on your housekeeping routine so everyday isn't a cleaning day. If you know someone who is getting married, buy them this book! A great guide on how to declutter your everyday life!!

Good gift idea, July 26, 2002
Reviewer: Amy Shellhase from McKinleyville, CA USA
Giving books as gifts is a favorite of mine. This book would be perfect as a wedding shower gift or for a housewarming -- man or woman.

As for context, this book covers just about every topic a young person needs to set up a new home or apartment. From organizing your 'stuff' to cleaning all kinds of surfaces, you'll find it here.

There are sections about entertaining, safety, manners, and trouble-shooting your furnace, water heater, and other systems.

Scattered on the left and right page edges are tips -- time savers, budget stretchers, household lessons, smart ideas, and more. They are included in the very extensive index.

The five-ring format allows you to remove and take pages to the hardware or paint store. It also lets you add any tips or hints you may find elsewhere.

If you are an experienced homemaker this book will be a little too basic for your needs. A better choice, if you're deep into the subject, would be "Home Comforts" by Cheryl Mendelson.

Excellent Housewarming gift!, May 10, 2002
Reviewer: Wendy Somerlot-Bittel from Reynoldsburg, OH United States
I really enjoyed this book. It provides sound simple advice for care of household items and developing organization. It is probably too simple for the super housekeeper but it would make a great gift for someone moving into their first house or apartment or even a bridal shower gift.

Well Organized and Helpful, May 3, 2002
Reviewer: mimser from Santa Monica, CA
I would recommend this "book" to anyone just starting out, especially out of college. I put book in quotes because it's more like a reference manual. It's organized with tabs indicating topics (mostly by room type) and held inside a binder so you can make your own pages with a hole puncher.

The author isn't ever condescending as with some other household tip books and gives a lot of tips on organization and cleaning. I think my apartment is not only a lot cleaner and organized but the book has helped me keep it that way. There are suggestions for usual house routines such as cleaning, as well as wonderful pictures of tools used in the house with good descriptions (everything from cleaning supplies to kitchenware, to storage devices). It even has a section on houseguests/etiquette and common house repair/safety.

I also like how she separates the different needs houses have depending on who is living in it. So right now I may be concentrating on the advice on single person homes but I know I will still be able to use the book when my household grows to include children and pets.

This has everything I need, March 21, 2002
Reviewer: Mary Beth Pasteur from Vermont
I really like this book. It's not exactly "sexy" or fun, but it has everything I need for quick reference. I know it's the kind of book I'll refer back to again and again. Sort of like calling Mom without calling Mom. I really like the binder because it lays flat when I open to a page. I read some other reviews about the binder not working, but I haven't had that problem with this book or with its "cousin," my Better Homes red plaid cookbook. I love them both. I agree that this is a good gift book too. It's perfect for showers, weddings, housewarmings.

It looks good, January 9, 2002
Reviewer: A reader from Caldwell, ID United States
The book looked terrific but the binder form of presentation was not satisfactory. The binder did not close completely and everytime I opened or closed the book the pages went every which direction. I returned the book, only because of the faulty binder and not it's contents. I would still love to own the book.

Comprehensive, organized, and to the point, December 6, 2001
Reviewer: M. Pass from Mpls.
Now this is a book we can use. My husband and I both "keep house," and we both need help. This book is so well organized that I've already learned I can quickly turn to whatever I need. The book is blissfully brief also as the information is boiled down into clear but simple tips. I expected lots of cleaning and care information, which the book includes, but I was pleasantly surprised with the bonus information on buying furnishings or appliances, setting the table, writing a thank-you note. I liked the section on organizing and storage too. My only complaint is that the book came shrink-wrapped, so I couldn't see what I was getting (and how complete this book is) until I paid for it and opened it up. I bought it on faith because it was done by the Better Homes and Gardens people, and I'm glad I did. This book is solving one other problem for me----what to give friends for birthdays or what to take to wedding showers. It's a great gift book.

Really useful, well organized, easy to use, November 15, 2001
Reviewer: M.D. Roettger from Clayton, MO
I noticed an earlier review that compares this book to Comforts Of Home. I disagree about which book is better. THIS book--Making A Home--is far better than Comforts Of Home, because this is so easy to use. I like the looseleaf binder style with its tabs (just like my favorite cookbook). I haven't begun to use this whole book yet, but I know I will. (Regarding Comforts Of Home, I received Comforts Of Home as a gift, and I have found that book to be very hard to use. It's so wordy and is like a hard to read and hard to use textbook. In contrast, Making a Home is really useful. I can find the info I want quickly, and the writing is concise and to the point. I hate to sound like some sort of an ad, but Making A Home winds, hands down.)

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