From Publishers Weekly
Jhung's credo is, "If I can control the mess around me, I can find serenity within." To this end, the author of How to Avoid Housework and Guests Without Grief spells out her philosophy of LIFE: Lighten up, Invest in comfort, Forget perfection and Enhance flow. Realizing that many readers feel "clobbered by clutter," Jhung advises them to "lighten up" by cutting back on clothing, books and paper by trading or borrowing clothes, using the library more and reading newspapers online. "Investing in comfort" means installing high-quality storage units and creating serene places around the house to rest and meditate. "Forgetting perfection" involves using more print fabrics, which don't show wear and tear, and learning how to do the "twelve-minute two-step," a quick tidy-up that results in a home that is "not exactly House Beautiful" but "looks good enough to kick back in without feeling guilty." Finally, "enhancing flow" advocates paying attention to environmental mood lifters, like fragrance, soft pillows and gentle lighting. Jhung's strategies for "taking the mess out of domestic and the irk out of work" are fun to read and easy to implement. By keeping some very simple goals in mind—a low-maintenance home, greater everyday comfort, more peace of mind—she provides motivation for readers to tackle their spring cleaning with gusto. (May) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Book Description
"The most thorough, fun-to-read book to show you the path to organization, simplicity, comfort and peace of mind."
- Phyllis Diller
"I highly recommend this bright and powerful book for clearing clutter and bringing joy to our lives."
-Alexandra Stoddard, Things I Want My Daughters to Know
"This delightful book brims with clever ideas and fun-to-use tips."
-Harriet Schechter, Let Go of Clutter
Are you stressed by a mess? Do drifts of paper cover your desk? Has a toxic landfill consumed what your kid calls a closet? Is your home a pain to maintain? Take heart. Interior designer Paula Jhung takes the mess out of domestic so you can clear a path to a clean, serene and beautiful home. Not your average guide to dusting faster or scrubbing deeper, these playful and practical tips for outwitting the dirty work will free your time, lift your spirit and guide you to a Promise Land of balance, freedom and well-being.
With her unique LIFE plan: Lighten Up, Invest in Comfort, Forget Perfection and Enhance Flow, she'll show you elegant, inexpensive ways to create a stay-clean home so you spend more time enjoying it than maintaining it.
She also dishes the dirt on: Recognizing and curing TMS – Too Much Stuff Syndrome A Procrastinator’s Guide to Purging The 7 Secrets of Highly Effective Closets The Kama Sutra of Cleaning Your Astrological Cleaning Style The Art of Hiding a Mess Creating a Private Retreat Giving a Home Heart and Soul
With wit and warmth, Cleaning and the Meaning of Life opens the door to a harmonious home and a fulfilling life.
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