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Most people like me are disorganized because there is too much information!!! This handy SIMPLE book gave me tips in a SIMPLE format, which is what I needed to get myself organized. I refer to the book from time to time, reinforcing the organizational tools needed to simply my life.

This book has 500 tips for getting your life in order and most of them take a lot longer than one minute. I'll let you do the math on that. But each of the tips is pretty quick to read about, and that's mostly what I do. I keep this book on my bedside table so that when I need something light to wind me down, I can pick it up, read a tip or two, like " . . . create standard packing checklists for volunteer meetings, children's overnights, or family camping trips," and think to myself, who lives this way? If I did all the things this books suggests, my family would have me at the psychiatrist's office getting me diagnosed. So I don't really do any of it. I just find crazy books like this highly entertaining. I think you will, too.
Lucy Adams, author of If Mama Don't Laugh, It Ain't Funny

I liked this book. The author gives a plethora of tips on how to get organized in any part of the house. It is nice that she focuses on many different areas such as clutter control, paper management, family tips, and work tips. My only complaint about this book is that while it is an organization book, it didn't seem very organized and jumped around a bit.

I am a professional organizer in Honolulu, HI [...], and there are certainly tips in here that are effective and useful, and that I would use in my business.

If you are like me (and you just might be if you are reading reviews about this book) you have a tendency toward clutter, but have never given up the fight. If that sounds like you, I urge you to get this book. Each page has one or two bullet points in large print - advice and tips on how to get organized.

One of the best sections in the book for me was on paper clutter. I seem to drown in papers. Until I read this book, I had struggled for years with how to organize my files. In just a few bullet points of advice, I was able to understand for the first time how to file. I am still in the process of switching over the headings of my files, but what I have done so far makes paperwork a breeze. Taxes this year were a cinch because of how I had my tax paperwork filed.

Based on this book by Donna Smallin, I look forward to reading her other books.

This is a very useful little book filled with tips on keeping yourself organized. I found many great ideas in the book and it covered just what I was looking for.

The book is organized into two parts:

Getting organized (getting started, clearing clutter, paper stuff, spaces & things)
Staying organized (everyday strategies, clutter control, home management, schedules & to-do's)

I found so many of the tips useful (perhaps more useful tips than other similar books). Putting small items in zippered bags in your purse helps to cut down on clutter and makes finding things much faster. (I did this with my makeup and now finding my lipstick is a snap and I don't have to worry about the lid coming off in my purse!). Stapling product receipts to the manual is also a great idea. The author warns about keeping your will in a safe-deposit box because it will be sealed at your death - an important piece of information!

I also really like the format of this book. You can read it from front to back or just open to any page and start, which makes it easy to read in small bytes before going to bed or for a minute or two while your coffee is brewing in the morning. The typeface on the pages sorts the information visually: lists are easy to read, important words are bolded or printed in a different typeset. This probably sounds unimportant, but it helps you to read the book very fast and get lots of ideas in a short amount of time. The author also includes little sentences to encourage you in your organizing (like: "Remember nothing worth doing is easy").

This book is full of ideas you can really use and is so easy to read. A great reference for anyone and would also make a nice gift!

Lynn's knowledge about quilting and her ability to explain and share this knowledge to a wantabe quilter is superior. This book will become your quilting bible.

The machine as a labor saving device is never so perfectly illustrated as the advent of the sewing machine and the making of a quilt. A hardcover, hidden-spiral bound, 'user friendly' instruction manual, "Machine Quilting: The Basics & Beyond" by quilting expert Lynn Witzenburg offers the novice machine stitch quilter with a complete, step-by-step, visually illustrated guide to successfully creating quilts with the assistance of a sewing machine. As fun as it is informative, "Machine Quilting: The Basics & Beyond" includes twelve do-it-yourself projects complete with full-size patterns, as well as favorite and original quilting designs that even the most novice of needlecrafters can employ to good effect. Such issues as choosing a stencil design, working with quilting paper, adapting motifs to fill spaces, making border designs fit, even the creation of 'feathers' in round, square, triangular, and free form. From the needed equipment and supplies, preparing to machine quilt, to free-motion stitching techniques, and so much more, "Machine Quilting: The Basics & Beyond" will prove to be an invaluable reference and a popular addition to personal and community library Needlecraft reference collections.

The latest in the Basics & Beyond series by Landauer Books once again shows why they have become staples in every quilter's library. Before you read the first word - and believe me, you will read every single one - you will appreciate the attention to detail incorporated into each book.

It is a hardback with a hidden-spiral so the pages will lay flat next to your sewing machine. And, there are over 200 pictures and illustrations so you can visually view the process - every step of the way. Whether you would like to machine quilt a small project - or a queen size quilt - Lynn will walk you through the process, step by step. She has been quilting and teaching her techniques for years so she's incorporated her no-fail techniques into each and every page. Lynn Witzenburg is truly an expert!

Let's face it, many of us love to applique and piece projects but when it comes to actually finishing them, we turn them over to the experts - and send them out to a machine quilter. But, what if YOU were the expert? That means you would no longer have to wait in line to complete your quilts. In our area, many of the machine quilters are booked six months in advance! And, the money that you would spend on quilting could be used to finance the materials for your next project.

Think about it. You could buy everything Lynn recommends to get started - including her book - for the price of sending out one quilt! So, why not give it a try?

The Tricks of the Trade

Lynn includes tips and helpful hints on almost every page. And, frankly, I looked at the pictures and read the tips during my first sitting. But, she drew me in. In the middle of a blizzard, I got a cup of coffee, snuggled in a quilt, and sat down to savor every word.

I have always been intimidated by machine quilting. I've even tried it a few times - but with less than stellar results. But Lynn went into such detail that she gave me solutions to the problems I encountered - and instructions and tips that stopped me from trying anything bigger than a placemat!

And Then Move on to the "Beyond"

After you have mastered the basics, Lynn explores more advanced techniques such as trapunto, bobbin-quilting, and free-form feathers. She even explains how to design original borders. So this book is a must have for all machine quilters - even those of you who are more experienced.

Lynn has also included several projects with the machine quilting designs included. If you are a shop owner, why not consider teaching a series of classes using the same book. Start them off with the basics and move on to the more advanced techniques. Trapunto, bobbin-quilting and free-form feathers could all be demonstrated with white on white fabrics to make an assortment of pillows.

Your students will be able to finish it in class - and will learn how to adjust the bobbin tension (without shuddering); use water soluble thread; and quilt larger projects.

This book covers it all - and explains it in such simple terms that you will refer to it again and again. I shared it with all of my favorite machine quilters - and they gave it a five star "must read". But, don't stop here. Check out the other books in the series - Applique the Basics and Beyond: The Complete Guide to Successful Machine and Hand Techniques with Dozens of Designs to Mix and Match and Knit Book: The Basics & Beyond. You'll be glad you did.

This book is lovely with beautiful photographs and wonderful recipes (wish there were a few more). It is well written. I collect books of this kind and this is definitely one of the better ones and a personal favorite.

Absolutely Fabulous!!! It's really difficult to choose what I love the most, the tablescapes or the recipes. A must have for anyone who loves to cook or entertain.

Highly recommended if you love china and setting the table. I find myself pulling this one out of the bookshelf whether I'm planning a dinner party or not...

I purchased this book after reading reviews of it on amazon.com and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS BOOK. It is everything previously said and more. First, her dinnerware is beautiful - from the simple to the extravagant. All of her table arrangements are fresh and new ideas - not the same old stuff seen in other tabletop books I own. And, even though she may use expensive things (not all are), her ideas and design can easily be duplicated with what you may own. I am a dish fanatic not a cook. But, I was even interested in checking out the recipes and the beautifully displayed food. Then, near the end of the book, she has added beautiful and quaint drawings of the different types of dinnerware, explaining what each piece/shape is used for, e.g. cream soup cup and saucer...bouillon cup and saucer...luncheon plate...fruit saucer, etc. The next bonus is a section on artful flowers - again, designs that can easily be imitated/duplicated. Everything in the book has that "welcoming" feeling - even the formal table settings. If you are a dinnerware aficionado, you must have this book. I love it and know I will reference it frequently.

I have been collecting books for many years about table settings and have a modest but respectable collection of this genre in my personal library. I have reviewed several table setting books of recent publication and nothing compares with the style, taste and elegance this book has! Mrs. Hoffman knows table setting basics and adds her own classy twist to her table tops. I am very impressed and would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about the art of table setting or to those who already know how to properly set a table but are seeking new ideas.

Mrs. Hoffman has set the finest example on how to set the table, and her's is the one to follow, and not those that are featured on television who gaudy up their tables with unnecessary clutter and junk.

I'm proud to own this book and have it grace my library table.

This book has some excellent ideas and design concepts for landscaping those hills of yours. For me, the diversity of colorful photos provided some wonderful ideas when working with my landscape architect. This book has a good section on erosion control and drainage, but probably not detailed enough for more severe grades - in which case you should probably consult a professional. We already hired a landscape architect, but having this book has given us some great ideas and direction for what we want to do with our hillside.

The other reason you may want a professional is that the last section which recommends plants to use for erosion control is not all that useful. In fact, I knocked a few stars from my review because they specifically recommended Hedera (English Ivy) and Hypericum (St. Johnswort) on their Ground Cover list. Both of these species are quite invasive and extremely bad selections, especially in the Pacific Northwest. In fact, Hedera is on our state's Noxious plants list and eradication of Ivy is a high priority. Additionally, some studies have shown that Ivy has little effect on erosion control. It is better to consult with your local nursery or landscape architect on best erosion control plants to use in your specific location as these can differ significantly by zone.

So many visual ideas in this book with practical "how to" advice as well! Full of color photo's of beautiful landscaping along with clear instructions on how to do things like stonework, steps, paving, walls, etc. I've just purchased some land on a mountain in a rural location and I'm very glad to have this book. Highly recommended.

This is a good book for anyone trying to help elderly parents. I found the style of writing, relating all things to old tv shows, sometimes distracting and confusing but the information in the book was so worth the read. It gave me strength and focus on dealing with my Mom. I am still continuing to find resources through this book and it is really a valuable tool.

This book was recommeded to me by someone who know I was careing for an elder parent. Lucky for me my father doesn't experience the rages the writers does. While my father doesn't experience rages he does have some of the other issues the writer deals with. Her experinces can be discribed as maddening but she tells her story and relates her experiences with a touch of humor; although I'm positive they were funny at the time.

If you are starting to deal with an aging parent I highly recommend this book.

This is a great book for anyone dealing with parents with dementia or alzheimer's disease. Although my dad does not experience the rage that Jackie's did, this book helped me understand that there are many of us going through the same stuff and we can help each other! This book is easy to read, FUNNY, frightening, and engaging. The tips for dealing with her parents are very helpful and the resources section at the end is great. Thanks for writing this book!

The situation is one that many of us just beginning to think about enjoying retirement find ourselves in. We work years and years and just when we think it is our time to rest a bit, wham, our parents get this awful disease. This book is riveting. I would put it down because I was so angry with Jake, then just a minute later pick it up again. I have to admit that I really ended up hating Jake and I blame Mariel for not protecting her children from this maniac. The author forgives, but I don't think that I would be as gracious or as good a person and be able to forgive. And I'm just talking about the behaviors prior to the onset of the disease.

The part of the book I didn't like was the writing style. The author lapsed into movie or song dialog or variations on a title. It was nearly every other sentence and became quite distracting early on. I suppose this is due to her involvement in the entertainment industry, but yes we got that the first 10 pages.

There are some very good resources and specific question and answers at the end of the book. It provides a good starting point for those just now entering this crazy world of eldercare.

I wish to extend a huge thank you to Jacqueline for writing this book! My mother-in-law had been diagnosed with dementia and had progressed to point where we felt it was no longer safe to allow her to continue to live alone. Our problem was that she was fighting us "tooth and nail" at every turn. She did not realize the scope of her problem. She felt she merely could not remember things once in awhile. Reality was, she was no longer cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, or bathing. We were having to keep her stocked with foods to eat that did not require being cooked, or even warmed up, because she no longer knew how to do that. Her home looked "neat" (other than the knick-knacks that she would constantly move from place to place throughout), but when one of us would go and actually clean - it was shocking the amount of dirt that we would take out of there! Yet, any mention of moving her to somewhere that could provide her with meals, laundry, cleaning, etc would result in her flying into a rage at the person suggesting it! We didn't know what to do.
Long story short, Jacqueline's book ELDER RAGE came up on a link on a website for dementia. I decided to read the book. First of all, her book is quite engaging and entertaining. Jacqueline's sense of humor and story-telling keeps the reader interested. I felt compelled to read it just to find out how things turned out! But also, throughout the book, Jacqueline tells of all the different things that she tried to do to help her parents. Just that, alone, was valuable - because she not only tells what worked, but also what DIDN'T work. The end of her book is a wealth of information for anyone caring for a loved one with dementia. It sure helped our family! My mother-in-law is now being cared for in an assisted living facility that specializes in memory care. The road to get her there was a bumpy one at times, but Jacqueline's book helped us realize that it was what we needed to do, and it helped us to know how to do it! If you have a loved one with dementia you MUST read this book!

I really liked this book. It has many design ideas and great instructions. The pictures make it nice to see the finished project. I would recommend this book.

This is a good book if you are looking at remodeling a craftman type home or if you are planning to build one. I did like some of the idea's and the pictures.

If you are planning any kind work where you are going using allot of wood this is a great book, it is full of ideas. The photos have great detail. One of best books I have on Craftsman/Arts& Crafts interiors.

So you've bought a bungalow--now, what do you do with it? Maybe it's a fixer-upper; maybe it's too small, or doesn't have enough storage space; maybe you're just not sure what kind of furniture to get. This book is a great start toward deciding where to go next. Illustrated with hundreds of full-color photographs, it shows not only many of the features by which you can tell an Arts & Crafts house when you see it (I was surprised to learn that the big old foursquares such as my grandparents lived in for 40 years are included in this classification), but gives actual ideas carried out by other homeowners, even unto before-and-after floor plans. The author's advice is thoughtful and well suited to the houses she writes about, too. And if you just like to look at pictures of vintage American homes, this would be a good volume to add to your collection.

My wife and I appreciated this detailed book and incorporated many ideas we found in our new (old) residence

I was very excited to get this book as we plan to incorporate some craftsman style elements into the 1970s bungalo we're buying. The interiors in the photos were not terribly attractive and leaned towards kitschy. Unless you want to turn you house into a museum to 20th century cheasiness, don't buy this book.

This is only the second Bukowski book I've read, the first being Post Office. I liked Post Office much better, maybe cuz I ran a Rual Route as a letter carrier and I could relate to his struggle. There were a couple of short stories in Tales I found interesting, but the writing style makes for a confusing read. I found myself sometimes re-reading parts to follow where he was going. Either I didn't have e-nuff tall beers in me or maybe, I'm a little too upper middle class. It wasn't that bad but, wasn't that great....

Charles Bukowski, brutally honest, as usual. This book was pretty good but not as good as his poetry.

While the stories aren't all together linked, the big picture is clear. Charles Bukowski may very well be writing from the mouth of madness. He uses this book to paint pictures of the lives he sees, and often times lives. If you're looking for a good starter book that doesn't hold back, I recommend this one. My first and still my favorite of his works.

Congrats Mr. Bukowski! You win the prize for being the first-ever book that I just couldn't make it through. 60 pages. That's all I could read before I threw it in the trash.

Such filth (and I'm in construction, should hear MY mouth) and pointless drivel. Completely disjointed - and not the stories to each other, but within each story. How in the world did this guy ever get to be published?

Buy something else. Anything else. Just DON'T READ THIS BOOK!

I may run contrary to the other reviewers here, but I really didn't like tales. The book, first of all, doesn't even read like a Bukowski book. The writing style is totally different from any of the novels or short story books, especially Hot Water Music and South of No North. I really don't believe that Bukowski wrote this book, sorry. I think it was some kind of posthumous ghost writer, and not a very good one. Second of all, the stories are terrible. They don't make any sense. Things happen in the book and you're not sure what's going on. The plots have no sort of logical flow to them. So even if Bukowski DID write this book, which he didn't, it still wouldn't be worth reading.

If you are like most new parents or parents of pre-school aged children, you are wondering if public school is the right choice for your child. More and more families are choosing for one parent to stay home and educate the children at least through third grade. With so many books available on the subject, choosing has become a chore. As a homeschool mother of 5, I found this book for be a great basic tool that answers many of a parents questions and makes decision making so much easier. I highly recommend this no only for parents of young children , but also for libraries and churches. Also recommended by The Education Garden and many homeschool groups.

I'm completing my second reading of this most helpful book. I was beginning to have doubts -- 3 months into our first year -- about homeschooling my 7th Grader; however, Linda Dobson's description of the decompression process gives me courage to move ahead! Thanks so much.

We ordered this book when it became obvious that in our area, homeschooling wasn't just the best choice; it was (for us) the ONLY choice. "The First Year of Homeschooling Your Child" covered a great deal, mostly from the advice-to-parents angle (as opposed to covering curriculum/testing requirements). We learned about the emotional/logistical hurdles we would be likely to face, and how to clear them with ease. Overall, the book covers the objections, concerns, fears and difficulties a novice homeschooler will face, and offers concrete suggestions, reassurance and encouragement. Don't expect Pollyanna; expect real, helpful advice from other parents who have been where you now are.

This book has become my new Bible of sorts. I am new to homeschooling and have read and re-read this book at least a dozen times. So many questions and fears and situations that I have had have been addressed in this book. you come away feeling so much more comfortable and confident in your decision. Thank you! Thank you for this book!!!

This is a great book for deciding if homeschooling is right for you. It makes all the arguments for homeschooling and uses great examples of others who have chosen to homeschool vs. public shool. It demonstrates personaly the results of that decision. Plus gives lots of info of the different methods used ect. A great read for anyone contenplating home education! An easy read for those hungry for all the basic ingriedients of getting started! I highly recomend this for those (like me)just entering into the world of homshooling!

This is such a pleasant book. I have never been a housekeeper, but the tv show and this book have really helped me begin to clean and to enjoy it. The tips are great and the use of natural cleaners is fun and inspiring. I love to go try them out.

Kim and Aggie are able to either put us to shame or inspire us to clean out the cupboard under the kitchen sink. Their show in the UK and on BBC America is inspiring in a weird, lemony fresh kind of way. Kim takes no nonsense from anyone and Aggie's scientific approach always produces scary results on the germ count. But at the end of the day these ladies know what it means to keep a clean house. A home does not need to have the latest or most expensive furniture or the trendiest accessories but it should be clean if the occupants hope to maintain health and well being (and many episodes of their show prove this).

Their book gives sound and complete advice, peppered with naughty, tongue in cheek British humor, on how to clean each room. Many of the cleaning products can be created at home with little cost and even less effort. Baking soda, white vinegar, lemon juice and a few drops of lavender essntial oil, is almost all that's needed, resulting in a clean and fragrant home. Lovely.

Love the show, glad that there are easy, helpful hints that aren't that expensive. A great workout though!

I can't fault this book but I can't say I love it either. It has all the tips you need from the tv show but it just hasn't inspired me like the programs did. It would benefit from before and after pictures or something to make a person want to pick up the duster. It is a useful source of information on how to keep you home hygienic but thats about it.

After watching many episodes of the show on BBC (the homes they clean are really gross), I purchased the book. The book is filled with wonderful, safe, super economical and great cleaning methods. Their methods are a good way to get into the green movement and learn why the methods work. It is also a fun read and I highly recommend the book.