In the tradition of Erma Bombeck and Peg Bracken, author Lisa QuinnEmmy Award-winning television host and recovering Marthaholicgets real on the follies of housekeeping. Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets is a crash course in Slacker Chic 101 that will have over-extended women everywhere laughing out loud and throwing in the towelthe dishtowel, that is. Full of shortcuts and tricks for cleaning, decor, and entertaining,such as: the top 10 things you have to clean if you have company coming in 30 minutes; interior finishes that hide the most dirt; 17 meals made from a deli chicken; and much more, this wickedly funny guide helps women create the life they want without all the hard laborand without compromising style.
Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets
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About the Author
Lisa Quinn is an Emmy Award-winning TV host, set dresser, author, and busy mom of two kids. She lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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More About the Author
Lisa Quinn is an Emmy award-winning TV host, set dresser, author, and busy mom of Scarlett Elizabeth and Silas Cash. She is a contributor to Better Homes and Gardens, Redbook, Life, and PARADE magazines; has appeared on Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, HGTV, and Oprah; designed sets for the National Geographic Society and the Discovery Channel; and starred in her own one-hour special for the Fine Living Network. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
People tend to lend credibility to "knowledge" which comes from books -- this may have once been somewhat justified but it's no longer necessarily true.
This work falls into the "a little of this and a little of that" domestic category -- a sort of self-help book. If you read it, you'll encounter some good advice... and also some questionable advice. So the problem here, especially for younger people, is how to separate the two.
Author Lisa Quinn paints with a broad brush when she speaks of certain groups of people (e.g., men) and that was my second red flag. But my first alert came on quickly as this book is poorly-written. Quinn has adopted the street vernacular, frequently employing needless mild vulgarities, instead of taking the time to write with quality. It's much easier to come off sounding tough (the supposed voice of experience) but I wasn't fooled in the least. I viewed a lot of this nonsense as personal guidance by attempted intimidation. Many of us can recall assertive elderly aunts of this ilk who are renowned within the extended family for speaking their minds.
The author describes herself as a reformed perfectionist, especially where homemaking was concerned, (and yes, I agree that this is a big problem); she now views herself as much more practical in her approach to domestic and personal bliss. I think she has about four more stages to evolve through before becoming self-actualized.
Many Type-A personalities feel qualified to assert advice for others at each stage of their tumultuous lives -- at the time, such perspectives just seem right but in retrospect, they rarely do. A central theme of the author seems to be to forget all about what others think of you and enjoy your life. That's okay advice if you don't want many friends. I'm not at all a perfectionist (such people drive me crazy) but I do enjoy actually making my true friends feel special when they visit. Quinn seems to have had her fill of this attitude.
My home is far from perfect in terms of cleanliness and decorating but, to the degree that I can reasonably do so, making things better for my family and guests remains a priority. But Quinn's approach seems to be a bit extreme: she has apparently evolved from being Kathie Lee Gifford to being Kathy Griffin. The subtitle of this book is: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation." I hardly think so.
The best feature of the book is the recipes -- they're fairly easy to pull off and I think that they'll work for lots of families. But this is but a small facet of the larger work. In the end, I'd say to resolve any personal issues that are bugging you with a professional counselor and if you love to cook easy, great-tasting recipes get a cheap copy of Mr. Food Cooks Like Mama in which there is not a single marginal recipe.
Or if you feel like your life is a domestic mess, and you don't mind strong direction, then you can go online with the Fly Lady and she'll tell you how to fix things.
I'm usually pretty liberal on handing out high-star ratings but I cannot, in good conscience, do it this time -- not recommended.
This work falls into the "a little of this and a little of that" domestic category -- a sort of self-help book. If you read it, you'll encounter some good advice... and also some questionable advice. So the problem here, especially for younger people, is how to separate the two.
Author Lisa Quinn paints with a broad brush when she speaks of certain groups of people (e.g., men) and that was my second red flag. But my first alert came on quickly as this book is poorly-written. Quinn has adopted the street vernacular, frequently employing needless mild vulgarities, instead of taking the time to write with quality. It's much easier to come off sounding tough (the supposed voice of experience) but I wasn't fooled in the least. I viewed a lot of this nonsense as personal guidance by attempted intimidation. Many of us can recall assertive elderly aunts of this ilk who are renowned within the extended family for speaking their minds.
The author describes herself as a reformed perfectionist, especially where homemaking was concerned, (and yes, I agree that this is a big problem); she now views herself as much more practical in her approach to domestic and personal bliss. I think she has about four more stages to evolve through before becoming self-actualized.
Many Type-A personalities feel qualified to assert advice for others at each stage of their tumultuous lives -- at the time, such perspectives just seem right but in retrospect, they rarely do. A central theme of the author seems to be to forget all about what others think of you and enjoy your life. That's okay advice if you don't want many friends. I'm not at all a perfectionist (such people drive me crazy) but I do enjoy actually making my true friends feel special when they visit. Quinn seems to have had her fill of this attitude.
My home is far from perfect in terms of cleanliness and decorating but, to the degree that I can reasonably do so, making things better for my family and guests remains a priority. But Quinn's approach seems to be a bit extreme: she has apparently evolved from being Kathie Lee Gifford to being Kathy Griffin. The subtitle of this book is: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation." I hardly think so.
The best feature of the book is the recipes -- they're fairly easy to pull off and I think that they'll work for lots of families. But this is but a small facet of the larger work. In the end, I'd say to resolve any personal issues that are bugging you with a professional counselor and if you love to cook easy, great-tasting recipes get a cheap copy of Mr. Food Cooks Like Mama in which there is not a single marginal recipe.
Or if you feel like your life is a domestic mess, and you don't mind strong direction, then you can go online with the Fly Lady and she'll tell you how to fix things.
I'm usually pretty liberal on handing out high-star ratings but I cannot, in good conscience, do it this time -- not recommended.
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
The impulse to overdo it in the housekeeping department has never been one I've shared, but I'm always ready to chuckle at people who fold fitted sheets and I'm always open to new ideas for managing to look marginally competent as a homemaker while leaving the bulk of my time free for other things. As a result, I've read more than a few books that boast one or the other: homemaking mockery or housekeeping tips. It's a difficult balancing act, trying to do both at one time, and this book leans way over the edge into the practical. While some parts of it were laugh-out-loud funny, the majority of it was - like the recipes for deli chicken - not really engineered to amuse. If you're primarily looking for laughs, you might want to move to another book. This is better for those who want somebody to tell them in a friendly and non-condescending way how to hide the scratches in the hardwoods with a relatively inexpensive method that doesn't require a degree in art or chemistry. (Hint: it requires crayons.)
It's a good book, but at 160 pages (sans index) it's pretty trim. It's got some new and interesting advice, but some tips I've seen before. Your satisfaction with it might depend on the ratio of new-to-old material for you. It might also depend on your disposable income. In my opinion, the full jacket price of the hardback is a bit high, given the brevity of the book. I didn't "dock" it for that, though. If the price is comfortably in your book budget or you get it on sale, it's not likely to hamper your satisfaction. But if the book seems pricey to you, you'll want to take its length into account before purchasing.
It's a good book, but at 160 pages (sans index) it's pretty trim. It's got some new and interesting advice, but some tips I've seen before. Your satisfaction with it might depend on the ratio of new-to-old material for you. It might also depend on your disposable income. In my opinion, the full jacket price of the hardback is a bit high, given the brevity of the book. I didn't "dock" it for that, though. If the price is comfortably in your book budget or you get it on sale, it's not likely to hamper your satisfaction. But if the book seems pricey to you, you'll want to take its length into account before purchasing.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Vine™ Review
(What's this?)
Lisa Quinn, recovering Martha Stewart addict has written a funny yet touching book about....balance. Sure, Ms. Quinn writes about housework, children, cooking and relationships but it really is about balance. About being relaxed and comfortable with yourself and enjoying life. She's very funny ( finally! someone else admits their attempts to fold fitted sheets resembles a large turban, as mine do!!) Provides very sound advice regarding furnishings and finishes - which look good and don't take too long to keep looking that way. And interestingly, 17 recipes using deli chicken! I loved the top 10 things to clean if company is coming in 30 minutes. Mostly Ms. Quinn lovingly reminds us that life is short, make time for yourself, to have fun and to enjoy your family. If you're that hung up on cleaning - hire a service!!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Fun book with some useful advice
From the description of this book, I thought it would be a little more humorous than I actually found it. However, it does have a lot of good advice. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Alexis Coxon
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great for Lisa Quinn fans
I'm a Lisa Quinn fan. Her program is out of production and in re-runs, so I got the book. She explains in it how she used to be a Martha Stewart junkie, how she woke up to real... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Sandra Miller
5.0 out of 5 stars
Life's Too Short to Not Make This Book a Priority
This is a fairly quick read and well worth your time! Domestic liberation is the subtitle, and I love it. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mom of Four Sons
2.0 out of 5 stars
Vaguely humorous, completely useless
This is a book about housekeeping written by a woman who hates keeping house. And she apparently hates Martha Stewart (after trying to be just like her and failing), who she blames... Read more
Published 11 months ago by J. Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars
I love this book! Great gift for a stressed-out friend
I love this book. And I doubt I'm the target audience. I'm more likely to be at a Tampa Bay Buccaneers game than a Bed Bath and Beyond. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Tierno
3.0 out of 5 stars
The title is clever.....
...But I didn't feel like the attempt to carry it over into the body of work was successful. There were some good ideas but a lot of this book was about how to maneuver through... Read more
Published 15 months ago by R. Phillips
3.0 out of 5 stars
Thangs that'll make you say... humph!
I was a little taken off guard by this author. There is some advice that is noteworthy, but how she delivers it is a bit volital for my taste. Read more
Published 15 months ago by The Lunar Staff
3.0 out of 5 stars
Almost Good Advice
I almost loved this book. Really. It is funny and clever. It has lots of great housekeeping, decorating, and entertaining tips. Then she added some recipes. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Lindsey
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best one yet!
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. In fact, I first checked it out of the library and liked it so much, ordered a copy to keep. It's entertaining, informative and spot on.
Published 16 months ago by Marsha Engle
4.0 out of 5 stars
The antidote for the overachiever homemaker
This book is for everyone who has shared the author's experience of living a Martha Stewart-style hyper-existence for years and has finally realized the absurdity and outright... Read more
Published on April 21, 2011 by W. Maite
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