Lemons and Lavender: The Eco Guide to Better Homekeeping Hot

This is one cool little book and a timely reminder that the old virtues of thrift and sharing have a very big upside for our families, our communities and the planet. Like a New Age Mrs. Beeton, Billee Sharp has pulled together an eclectic but interesting collection of tips and ideas for living lighter and more healthily on the planet.

I think most people reading this will agree that "stuff" doesn't make you happy, but it does accumulate so what can you do with it? Well how about a garage sale or Free-cycling, or having a Naked Lady party! How do you clean your house without exposing yourself,your family and the environment to toxic chemicals? Billee has recipes that she developed in her home cleaning business. How do you clean up when you break one of those very toxic compact fluorescent bulbs? Very carefully, and Billee tells you how.

There's a lot about urban gardening, from a pot in the kitchen to a plot on the sidewalk, and about the use of herbs and kitchen remedies. A big recipe section on food demystifies things like making yogurt and pickling sauerkraut, but he real point of the food section is to encourage the reader to make family meals that are easy, nutritious and economical, and to use family mealtimes for sharing and bonding.

The book is fun to just dip into and it has lots of useful resources to check out. I think we all have a bit of nostalgia for the old virtues, and this book could be just the reminder we need that it is time to dust them off and restore them to a place of honor in our lives.