Review of Simple Pleasures of the Home: Cozy Comforts and Old-Fashioned Crafts for Every Room in the House (Hardcover)

I loved this book from the very first page.The author writes in an easy, conversational style that made me feel she was talking to me over a cup of tea.

Susannah Seton gives such motivation to discover the joys of simpleliving and tranquility within one's home.For those of us with that strongnesting instinct and sense of home as sanctuary, this book is anaffirmation to living peacefully, beautifully and joyfully.For those whowish they had less stress in their lives, this is a place to start.

Setongives many practical ideas for enhancing simple pleasures by way of foods,decorating and crafts as well as mindset. This is a beautiful book!

Product Description
"Home," writes Susannah Seton. "There are few words that carry such potent feelings. It's the place where we can let down our hair, loosen our clothes, put our feet up. It's where those we love most share in the ordinariness and extraordinariness of our days. It's the place many of us spend lifetimes trying to get back to. As the proverb goes, it's where our hearts are.Simple Pleasures of the Home is for everyone who has the nesting impulse - from passionate and accomplished home decorators to anyone who simply enjoys domestic downtime. Organized room by room, the book includes dozens of simple activities for bringing the family together, creative ideas for pampering yourself and loved ones, easy-to-follow instructions for making aromatherapy products, tips for candlemaking, and comfort-food recipes.

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Review of Laundry: The Home Comforts Book of Caring for Clothes and Linens (Hardcover)

"Home Comforts" has been so helpful and authoritative that I preordered "Laundry" as soon as it was announced.I was very disappointed to find that it consisted almost entirely of material taken from her previous book.If Cheryl Mendelson feels that she needs to revise "Home Comforts", she should go over the entire book and bring out a second edition.

If you already have "Home Comforts", you don't need to buy "Laundry"; and if you don't have "Home Comforts", you need to buy it.But I see little reason to buy "Laundry".I am returning my copy.

Product Description
For Cheryl Mendelson laundering is the best part of housekeeping. It's full of physical pleasures -- the look of favorite clothes restored to freshness and beauty, the tactile satisfaction of crisp linens in beautifully folded stacks. Good laundering preserves things you love and protects your pocket book. It doesn't take much time or effort. What it takes is knowledge, and Laundry is the comprehensive, entertaining, and inspiring new book on the art of laundering.

Culled from the bestselling Home Comforts, with revised and updated information and a new introduction, Laundry is an indispensable guide to caring for all the cloth in one's home: from kitchen rags to bedding, hand-washables, and baby clothes to vintage linens. Mendelson offers detailed guidance on when to disregard labels, removing stains, making environmentally informed choices, sewing, and storing clothing and fabrics. A much-needed antidote to the standard-issue how-to manual, Laundry celebrates the satisfactions of ironing, folding, and caring for clothes and linens. Both pragmatic and eloquent, Mendelson provides beginning and veteran homemakers with a seamless combination of reliable instruction, time-tested advice, and fascinating personal narrative.

As a farm girl in Pennsylvania, Mendelson -- who is a philosopher, lawyer, and professor, as well as a homemaker, wife, and mother -- received a classic domestic education from her grandmothers, aunts, and mother. Laundry combines the best of the traditional lore they taught her with the latest in technical and scientific information. Writing with infectious love and respect for her subject, Mendelson is sure to instill in readers a newfound affection and appreciation for the art of laundering.

About the Author
Cheryl Mendelson is a Harvard Law School graduate, a sometime philosophy professor, a novelist (Morningside Heights and Love, Work, Children), and a homemaker by choice. Born into a rural family in Greene County, Pennsylvania, she now lives in New York City with her husband and son.



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