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Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets
In the tradition of Erma Bombeck and Peg Bracken, author Lisa Quinn--Emmy Award-winning television host and recovering Marthaholic--gets 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 towel--the dish towel, that is. Full of shortcuts and tricks for cleaning, decor, and entertaining, such 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 labor--and without compromising style.
168 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
23 people are currently reading
376 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Quinn
8 booksLisa Quinn is a recovering Martha-holic, Emmy Award winning TV host, mother of two, and author.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
April 7, 2019
"Hello, my name is Lisa Quinn, and I am a recovering Martha Stewart junkie." pg 7, ebook
Do you have a job, children, spouse, house, or none of those things and just want everything to look perfect all the time? Want to be the consummate host or hostess without working and stressing throughout the event? Are you wondering how they get it to look so perfect in the magazines?
Lisa Quinn, the author of this book, confesses to wanting it all. But she came to the realization that it is an impossible goal and she was losing her mind in the chase. This humorous self-help book is about embracing reality and understanding that it's ok, really, to not be perfect.
"It's my assertion that the real key to happiness is getting rid of your inner control freak, redefining what's real and important in your life, and then lowering your standards for everything else."
I think that's solid advice. I, like many, used to demand more of myself than I could give in my housework, from my family, from everybody really. It made me a little bit crazy for a time. But then, I realized, it wasn't worth it. The effort, the cost — both in time and emotions — and everything else, led to these moments that were forgettable once they were done.
I realized I would much rather dwell in the imperfect moment than forever be chasing the unattainable gem of a perfect moment. Because it never really comes, does it.
This book embraces the idea that no one is perfect. And it's a lot kinder to realize that your life doesn't have to look perfect to be incredibly enjoyable.
Quinn gives easy-to-follow tips on how to decorate, host parties, clean, cook and more. My favorite tip being to spray a good smelling cleaner near the door of your home before an event. You may not have hit every surface in the house but it will smell like you have. Genius really.
"House Keeping Myths Debunked... Myth #1: You must fold your fitted sheets. The real definition of insanity is folding a fitted sheet the same way over and over again and expecting it to result in anything other than a migraine and a huge turban. Quit stressing about it. Just wad it up the best you can, and shove it in the closet. pg 39, ebook
She keeps it real with the mega-popular topic of decluttering, pointing out that the easiest way to control the mess is to think about everything you bring into your home.
"Resist the temptation to buy little knickknacks, pillows, throws, and paintings just because you like them. That is not reason enough. Each item you bring into your home should be special. It should have a purpose and a specific place in your home." pg 64, ebook
I also enjoyed her variations of recipes that can be done with a deli-cooked chicken. Talk about easy...
"Listen, if I'm able to convince just one other mom out there to take herself a little less seriously a little more often, then I've succeeded at what I set out to do." pg 108, ebook
This book isn't just for moms. It's for everyone who needs to cut themselves some slack and just shove those dumb sheets in the closet. I won't tell.
Do you have a job, children, spouse, house, or none of those things and just want everything to look perfect all the time? Want to be the consummate host or hostess without working and stressing throughout the event? Are you wondering how they get it to look so perfect in the magazines?
Lisa Quinn, the author of this book, confesses to wanting it all. But she came to the realization that it is an impossible goal and she was losing her mind in the chase. This humorous self-help book is about embracing reality and understanding that it's ok, really, to not be perfect.
"It's my assertion that the real key to happiness is getting rid of your inner control freak, redefining what's real and important in your life, and then lowering your standards for everything else."
I think that's solid advice. I, like many, used to demand more of myself than I could give in my housework, from my family, from everybody really. It made me a little bit crazy for a time. But then, I realized, it wasn't worth it. The effort, the cost — both in time and emotions — and everything else, led to these moments that were forgettable once they were done.
I realized I would much rather dwell in the imperfect moment than forever be chasing the unattainable gem of a perfect moment. Because it never really comes, does it.
This book embraces the idea that no one is perfect. And it's a lot kinder to realize that your life doesn't have to look perfect to be incredibly enjoyable.
Quinn gives easy-to-follow tips on how to decorate, host parties, clean, cook and more. My favorite tip being to spray a good smelling cleaner near the door of your home before an event. You may not have hit every surface in the house but it will smell like you have. Genius really.
"House Keeping Myths Debunked... Myth #1: You must fold your fitted sheets. The real definition of insanity is folding a fitted sheet the same way over and over again and expecting it to result in anything other than a migraine and a huge turban. Quit stressing about it. Just wad it up the best you can, and shove it in the closet. pg 39, ebook
She keeps it real with the mega-popular topic of decluttering, pointing out that the easiest way to control the mess is to think about everything you bring into your home.
"Resist the temptation to buy little knickknacks, pillows, throws, and paintings just because you like them. That is not reason enough. Each item you bring into your home should be special. It should have a purpose and a specific place in your home." pg 64, ebook
I also enjoyed her variations of recipes that can be done with a deli-cooked chicken. Talk about easy...
"Listen, if I'm able to convince just one other mom out there to take herself a little less seriously a little more often, then I've succeeded at what I set out to do." pg 108, ebook
This book isn't just for moms. It's for everyone who needs to cut themselves some slack and just shove those dumb sheets in the closet. I won't tell.
July 28, 2010
I pride myself on "having the organizational skills of a mother and the domestic skills of a Stepford wife" but even I need to take a few shortcuts every now and then... I, like many women who came of age when Martha Stewart was folding paper napkins into chandeliers, believed I had to not only butcher the pig, but fry it up while balancing a baby on my hip. Yeah, right, life's too short for all of that...
And Lisa Quinn's new book, Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation, is the perfect manual for showing all of us overachieving women how to maintain a neat house and serve perfect but not~quite~homemade meals (the book includes 17 recipes made from deli chicken!) all while maintaining our sanity. Sprinkled with self~deprecating humor, common sense and practical information, this book will have you laughing and wondering Why didn't I think of that? One of my favorite tips comes from the section called "Not~So~Good Housekeeping", where Lisa lists the top 10 things you have to clean if company is coming over in 30 minutes. Among the common sense ones, like cleaning the toilet and mirrors, she offers this little gem:
"Spray a fine mist of nontoxic spray cleaner in the air right by the front door. You didn't really clean anything, but it smells like you did. Remember, perception is reality."
LOL All this time I've been spraying air freshener! Oops.
Lisa Quinn is an Emmy award~winning TV host, set dresser, author, wife and mom of two, so she knows of what she speaks. She has appeared on the Early Show, HGTV and The Oprah Winfrey Show and designed sets for the National Geographic Society and the Discovery Channel. This lady has done it all and she lived to tell us how to do it the easy way!
Disclosure: The book that I reviewed as well as the copy that I'm giving away were provided to me free of charge courtesy of The Mom Renewal Project and Jill Daniel of Pasta Queen Public Relations in exchange for a review. This does not in any way compromise my review.
And Lisa Quinn's new book, Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation, is the perfect manual for showing all of us overachieving women how to maintain a neat house and serve perfect but not~quite~homemade meals (the book includes 17 recipes made from deli chicken!) all while maintaining our sanity. Sprinkled with self~deprecating humor, common sense and practical information, this book will have you laughing and wondering Why didn't I think of that? One of my favorite tips comes from the section called "Not~So~Good Housekeeping", where Lisa lists the top 10 things you have to clean if company is coming over in 30 minutes. Among the common sense ones, like cleaning the toilet and mirrors, she offers this little gem:
"Spray a fine mist of nontoxic spray cleaner in the air right by the front door. You didn't really clean anything, but it smells like you did. Remember, perception is reality."
LOL All this time I've been spraying air freshener! Oops.
Lisa Quinn is an Emmy award~winning TV host, set dresser, author, wife and mom of two, so she knows of what she speaks. She has appeared on the Early Show, HGTV and The Oprah Winfrey Show and designed sets for the National Geographic Society and the Discovery Channel. This lady has done it all and she lived to tell us how to do it the easy way!
Disclosure: The book that I reviewed as well as the copy that I'm giving away were provided to me free of charge courtesy of The Mom Renewal Project and Jill Daniel of Pasta Queen Public Relations in exchange for a review. This does not in any way compromise my review.
February 25, 2016
Lisa Quinn is refreshingly funny, reassuring, and down-to-earth in this how-to manual. I love her honesty! FINALLY someone is willing to say that, while painting is a quick way to dramatically alter a living space, it is also a total pain! (I learned that the hard way. It took me three years to repaint a tall wall that I bravely painted dark purple.)
She covers very basic topics like housekeeping, decorating, and entertaining, but she does so while offering new or interesting tips, tricks, and advice. A few of my favorites:
*** When decorating, don't assume random purchases will just fit together in a room. Just because you love every piece doesn't mean they will all mesh well.
*** You may need to scale down your ideal design style. If you are married with kids and pets, work, and occasionally eat dinner in front of the TV, your design style is "rustic," whether you want it to be or not. Put away the delicate Asian antiques.
*** Easy entertaining is not tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off. (Though they can be fun if you are willing to put in the time.) Easy entertaining is beer and pizza.
*** If you want to "hide" an unattractive item in a room (such as ugly, tan carpet), blend similar tones of the offending object throughout the room.
Really, a funny, great read all around. Definitely a book I will reference again and again in the future.
She covers very basic topics like housekeeping, decorating, and entertaining, but she does so while offering new or interesting tips, tricks, and advice. A few of my favorites:
*** When decorating, don't assume random purchases will just fit together in a room. Just because you love every piece doesn't mean they will all mesh well.
*** You may need to scale down your ideal design style. If you are married with kids and pets, work, and occasionally eat dinner in front of the TV, your design style is "rustic," whether you want it to be or not. Put away the delicate Asian antiques.
*** Easy entertaining is not tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off. (Though they can be fun if you are willing to put in the time.) Easy entertaining is beer and pizza.
*** If you want to "hide" an unattractive item in a room (such as ugly, tan carpet), blend similar tones of the offending object throughout the room.
Really, a funny, great read all around. Definitely a book I will reference again and again in the future.
October 25, 2010
Quinn says her book is a Martha Stewart addict rehabilitation. I really enjoyed it a lot, not that I've ever seen a full episode or purchased anything intentionally from Martha. It's frank, concise, and an entertaining read for anyone attached to the domestic life. I enjoyed the books format, style, and type as well. It made the book flow. This book contains sections on housework, decorating, a brief one on cooking, and entertaining. I, personally, don't entertain much but still found that section interesting.
Humorous but does contain mild profanity.
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"A wise man once said that if you want to ensure hell in your life, worry about what other people think. They key to shaking off the haters is rediscovering your self esteem. You've always had it; it just may be buried under a few layers of rude comments and media overload."
I also copied some stain removers onto a 3x5 card and some recipes (all based on store bought rotisserie/deli chicken) into my recipe file).
Humorous but does contain mild profanity.
--------------------------------------------------
"A wise man once said that if you want to ensure hell in your life, worry about what other people think. They key to shaking off the haters is rediscovering your self esteem. You've always had it; it just may be buried under a few layers of rude comments and media overload."
I also copied some stain removers onto a 3x5 card and some recipes (all based on store bought rotisserie/deli chicken) into my recipe file).
December 14, 2017
Not exactly what I was expecting. It's more entertaining than funny, and there are actually some good tips included. Nothing groundbreaking, no, but presented well and good for a quick reference or refresher now and then. In a Martha Stewart and Pinterest world, it's nice to find an acceptable standard that is less than over the top perfection.
January 31, 2020
A how-to guide to clean and decorate your house with less stress and without the goal of perfection in mind. Also includes info about hosting people for dinner and weekends. A good general info book regarding one’s house and all that showing hospitality may involve.
Some points were reiterated in other sections. Overall a fairly common sense guidebook.
Some points were reiterated in other sections. Overall a fairly common sense guidebook.
December 1, 2018
Its was a good read with some useful tips, perhaps better suited to someone who spends so much time cleaning and putting on a show so to speak, that they dont end up enjoying life as much as they could.
July 2, 2023
'Life's Too Short To Fold Fitted Sheets" by Lisa Quinn is a good shortcut for a lot of household chores that women dread.
September 14, 2011
Meh. A fine fun read -- found it while searching the MCPL catalog for "The Dirt on Clean". As everyone says, yeah, the deli chicken recipes were good, but I probably liked best the 10 things you absolutely have to clean if companies coming over. #1 is the toilet, and the other 9 mostly are like shove stuff away and clean up the gross stuff in your refrigerator. Yep! It smacked, unsuprisingly of housewifery tips, a la the Real Simple that I am currently subscribed to. On one hand, I totally like learning about, say, different kinds of lighting and paint and what tone they set in a house -- this is stuff that er, kinda matters because you live with it everyday, and one sometimes feels clueless and overwhelmed by when standing in the Target aisles. On the other hand, so much of it is, indeed common sense, like don't have a ton of stuff that you can't use, please don't put 14 pillows on your bed, etc.
Of its genre, I thought it was pretty decent. As an actual book to read, I thought it was not nearly snarky and bold enough. Relatedly, I cannot wait until my Real Simple subscription runs out, it embarrasses me every month. Although the food pictures (and the accompanying real simple recipes) are kind of the bomb.
Of its genre, I thought it was pretty decent. As an actual book to read, I thought it was not nearly snarky and bold enough. Relatedly, I cannot wait until my Real Simple subscription runs out, it embarrasses me every month. Although the food pictures (and the accompanying real simple recipes) are kind of the bomb.
August 10, 2016
I was alerted to this via BookBub. Bought and downloaded it directly from the B&N store on my Nook. UGHHH!
The description given is sorely mistaken. No humor here. Like Erma Bombeck? Not even close. Who writes these blurbs? Practical tips combined with some chicken soup for the soul but humor? NO. LOL funny? Certainly not.
Not actually a bad book if you are not expecting a humorous take on housekeeping (which I was) but the E-edition I got on my Nook HD was seriously flawed. The text was tiny with no way to enlarge it and thus totally unreadable. This book somehow does not play by the rules of the Nook's e-reader and every other book I have downloaded that allows me to change text size and font, etc...
I had to resort to reading it in my browser via B&N and that was horrid. I could not wait to get to the end of this book simpy because it was such an unpleasant experience trying to read it.
This book could have been a 3-star (nothing particularly good or bad about it, just an average read) but I have reduced it to only 2-stars because the blurb isn't accurate and the E-edition is seriously flawed.
The description given is sorely mistaken. No humor here. Like Erma Bombeck? Not even close. Who writes these blurbs? Practical tips combined with some chicken soup for the soul but humor? NO. LOL funny? Certainly not.
Not actually a bad book if you are not expecting a humorous take on housekeeping (which I was) but the E-edition I got on my Nook HD was seriously flawed. The text was tiny with no way to enlarge it and thus totally unreadable. This book somehow does not play by the rules of the Nook's e-reader and every other book I have downloaded that allows me to change text size and font, etc...
I had to resort to reading it in my browser via B&N and that was horrid. I could not wait to get to the end of this book simpy because it was such an unpleasant experience trying to read it.
This book could have been a 3-star (nothing particularly good or bad about it, just an average read) but I have reduced it to only 2-stars because the blurb isn't accurate and the E-edition is seriously flawed.
July 28, 2010
In Life's too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets we have the ultimate guide to domestic liberation. I am so OCD about my home that I drive myself crazy. I mean we can not have everything picture perfect all the time. Well not if we actually live in the house along with our kids, pets and husbands. So we have to have some secrets that help us master the code to housework. My fav lil secret that I do is I don't fold sheets at all. Nope.....not one. Instead I take the sheets and stuff them all in the matching pillow case. Now I can just grab the ones I want and the whole set is there. All in there own lil bags. Whoot! Time saved. I do plenty of giveaways but this was the hardest book to pry out of my lil OCD hands. So go find one and save yourself some time, worry and energy.
February 9, 2012
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. Her week night recipes were all pretty awful. I can't imagine serving some of those things to my family. No, thank you. Her entertaining recipes and short cut tips are far from short cuts! Her "easy" pantry list is miles long and so complicated. Caviar as a pantry staple? Really? You're gonna stand by that one? Her cheats for entertaining were way more than I ever do or would even consider. Her ideas for catering events are much more complicated than my from scratch home cooked meal. I'd hate to see her before she embraced the "good enough" life.
March 24, 2011
I got seventeen recipes that use a deli chicken out of this book and that is about it. Her language is abominable the whole time (yes, like, swearing) and intentionally or not, she makes herself sound like an alcoholic. She contradicts herself by saying "stop caring abou what other people think" and then giving tip after tip to put on the facade of being on top of things when you aren't. If us supermoms out there are going to cure our craziness, the only way is to allow the other moms in our self-appointed Mommy Competition see us without our hair done, with dirty dishes in the sink every once in a while. Stop the facade! Author Lisa Quinn made me promises she, ultimately, did't keep.
October 6, 2010
I was only going to give this book 2 stars because its really not that great a book, she has all this random stuff- most of it not that helpful or different from anything I've read before in women's magazines- HOWEVER- She had one tip where you can get ink off a painted wall with a magic eraser and I had a wall where SOMEBODY had written the word No. in ink and I had figured the only way to get it off would be to repaint- but the Magic Eraser did the job!- and for that reason alone, I give the book 3 stars. Thank you Ms.Quinn and magic eraser!
March 21, 2012
Quick read, though I skimmed some parts. I pretty much agree with most of the reviews that I saw about this one. No big surprises or really great tips that I haven't heard or tried before. The book is coming at a good time for me though, with trying to clear out clutter, and affirming that just because women "can have it all!" doesn't mean that we should. but I've been "half-assing it" for years...I didn't really need a book to tell me how to do it. :)
June 25, 2011
I really enjoyed this book. I didn't laugh out loud but her writting style is really fun and like talking to a good friend rather than a lecture. The book is layed out in different sections which is helpful for getting to the parts you really care about. I adored the "decor" section (and took notes like a nerd) but skipped the kids parties section all together. Great book for anyone who feels bad about their less than perfect life.
March 14, 2017
This book was wonderful. Full of great homekeeping tips. Like these:
- to remove build up from the iron, iron a piece of tinfoil
- use tin foil to sharpen scissors
- Worcestershire sauce will remove a white ring from furniture
- use paintbrushes to dust nooks and crannies
- use salt to clean silver: first line casserole dish with aluminum foil, will with warm water and baking soda and salt - will be clean in a few minutes
- to remove build up from the iron, iron a piece of tinfoil
- use tin foil to sharpen scissors
- Worcestershire sauce will remove a white ring from furniture
- use paintbrushes to dust nooks and crannies
- use salt to clean silver: first line casserole dish with aluminum foil, will with warm water and baking soda and salt - will be clean in a few minutes
June 20, 2014
I liked a lot of her advice, she does make you feel like life is too short to fold fitted sheets. But some of the things she gets upset at could be fun to others. Yes it may take time to make little sandwiches in shapes for a party, but what if you want to make those shapes? I felt like she just assumed you would be tired of certain homemaking techniques. Maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind when reading the book, but I did feel like I was getting harped on for caring too much at times.
August 26, 2014
I have read so many books on this subject that I didn't find many tips that were new to me. Nevertheless, it is a good book for a person who is just venturing into this way of approaching the daily chores of life. I DO fold my fitted sheets so they will fit into my linen closet, but there are other ideas within the book that are nifty. I especially loved the tips for entertaining. I will refer back to those later. It was worth my time and money, just not a lot of new information.
May 30, 2010
Fun book that read like a reality check on the Martha Stewart culture. The introduction is entitled "Confessions of a Disullusioned Domestic Diva" gives an idea of what the reader is in for. A very easy and funny read. The author (a former HGTV host), gives some great and easy tricks about housekeeping, decorating and hostessing without all of the work work and stress. A lot of fun.
April 6, 2011
Another book that wasn't what I was expecting. I should do more reading on a book before I actually read it! I saw an article by this author in Real Simple (I think) and thought it sounded interesting. If you are looking for tips on how to clean quickly, entertain easily (but not inexpensively), check out this book. I didn't learn a ton from it and thought it was OK. Quick read.
October 30, 2010
A quick, light read. No earth-shattering insights here, but a likeable voice and definitely some good tips. The author takes the very reasonable approach of someone who cares about her home's cleanliness and decor, etc, but isn't willing to be a slave to it. In that vein, she gives ideas for quick-cleaning, suggestions for low maintenance elements for your home, domestic shortcuts, and more.
January 7, 2011
While there were lots of fun ideas for decorating and entertaining I think the appeal of this book is the author's message - don't be a control freak. I'm sure lots of ladies can recognize themselves in some of the stories Lisa tells about herself. I probably would have enjoyed it more with less "tips and tricks" and more inspiration on how to "do less and enjoy more" :)
July 30, 2012
I'm a sucker for books on organization. This one was touted as "your ultimate guide to domestic liberation" and I do truly hate to fold fitted sheets, but I got put off by the over use of the word "half-assed" and didn't really find anything new. However, that might be because I do enjoy books on organization.
September 12, 2010
This book is a good reminder of what is important in our lives and has great household shortcut tips. It made me smile a few times. It's dedicated to all the unbalanced mothers... isn't that all of us?
July 25, 2010
A slim little thing on giving up your inner perfectionist, and how to go about being good enough, as it comes to homemaking, party-throwing, and so forth.
A few interesting tips, and written in a pleasant enough style, but nothing new here.
A few interesting tips, and written in a pleasant enough style, but nothing new here.
November 8, 2010
Lisa has a handle on how NOT to stress out being Mrs. Perfect. Where was she when I was a newlywed? She's pretty funny and insightfull. Every new bride should get this book for her shower. And take it seriously. And I hate folding fitted sheets, too!
August 2, 2011
A manifesto on focusing on what it is really important about the home arts and time spent with family and friends. Several good tips on saving time and handy uses for things. The tone is quirky and irreverent, which might offend certain reading demographics. Worth a quick flip through.
September 21, 2011
This book is witty, honest and anecdotal. it basically gives moms/wives everywhere permission to be imperfect- whether it's in housework, decorating or entertaining. I totally agree- I know a few people who could benefit by taking things down a notch and enjoying life a little more.
March 28, 2012
The first few pages implied the book was going to be quite humorous so I think I was let down after the first chapter. However, it did have some very good tips on housekeeping & decorating which were generally rooted in the realistic expectations of our hectic lives.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews