The Accidental Housewife

HOUSEKEEPING 101

Accidental Housewife(n): an individual who manages the household unexpectedly, unintentionally, by default, or by chance, with minimal skills, a glass of wine, and little interest in mastering her/his domain.

Once upon a time lived the 1950s housewife who joyfully followed her domestic duties. Today's housewife is anything but traditional, yet some things never change: mounting laundry, accumulating dust, looming clutter, and the refrain, "What's for dinner?" Now Julie Edelman, the go-to gal for entertaining and practical household tips and trends, turns these mundane chores into fun and easy tasks. Offering real life advice and simple solutions, Julie helps you

• tidy up with the faucet to floor facelift: a stress-free way to clean with minimum effort to achieve maximum effect, as you dance with dust bunnies and indulge in a bit of pampering along the way
• conquer PMS (Pretty Manageable Stains): learn how to painlessly deal with the most common stains using everything from industrial products to everyday items such as hairspray, shaving cream, and ice cubes
• practice feng shui my way: harmonize chaos and clutter and get chi (energized) in the process, courtesy of coffee
• follow a food and mood planner: uncover innovative ways to balance your family's nutritional needs with your desire to let them eat cake

Inside, you'll also find Burn This: Housewifely Calorie Counter (you can lose weight vacuuming and lifting loads of laundry) and HI Q (Housewife Intelligence Quotient) tests to measure your housewifely expertise. So drop that mop and grab a latte . . . hassle-free help is at your fingertips!

Visit the author's website at www.theaccidentalhousewife.com

From the Trade Paperback edition.