House of Havoc

January 25, 2010
While domestic gurus like Martha Stewart promote a fantasy of spotless homes and decorating genius, syndicated home columnist Jameson (The House Always Wins) brings a down-to-earth, humorous approach to maintaining a household that's based in the real world of clutter, kids, pets, crowded schedules, and limited budgets. From "Slip Covers as Divine Intervention" to "The Science of Housekeeping," Jameson makes home improvement advice fun as well as practical, stacking each chapter with tips gleaned from her own life and from experts, including interior designers and professional home organizers; Part Four, for example, details the six Secrets of Great Design (restraint is key in "Managing the Snowball Effect of Decorating"), while Part Six tackles "specialty spaces" like home offices and guest rooms. Whether considering a fresh coat of paint in the living room, purchasing new towels, or removing a stain, Jameson provides succinct trouble-shooting tips ("Buy it once, buy it right") as well as more general guidelines, found in personal mantras like "Every house needs bling," and "Every room needs some life: flowers, a goldfish, a pet."

March 1, 2010
Jameson ("The House Always Wins: America's Most Trusted Home Columnist's Guide to Creating Your (Almost) Perfect Dream House") promotes realistic home organization with a sense of humor. There are no illustrations, but the book offers lots of great lists from professionals, covering everything from how best to organize your kitchen to easy interior design, sandwiched between Jameson's amusing personal tales of woe. This fun book will appeal to fans of Erma Bombeck; however, Regina Leeds's "One Year to an Organized Life" is a more helpful title.

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