Homemaking with Babs: Tips and Tricks for Making a House a Home

by Barbara Costello

From the New York Times bestselling author of Every Day with Babs, comes Babs’ life-tested advice and tricks for setting up, cleaning, and maintaining an organized, happy, and healthy home. Everyone’s favorite grandma is back with a comprehensive guide to caring for the home, whether you live in a house or apartment. Through their decades of experience as homeowners, Babs and her husband—aka Mr. Babs—have figured out the most efficient way to manage a home with ease. From daily routines to seasonal cleaning, organizing, and home maintenance, Babs shares her innovative methods and family traditions that make homemaking simple and enjoyable. Perfect for renters and homeowners alike, Homemaking with Babs also includes DIY solutions for natural cleaning and pest control, making it a valuable resource for anyone looking to create a peaceful and well-maintained home. With more than 150 full-color photographs, this book offers advice and tips Clean in 15: Practical routines for morning and nighttime that you can do in no time, along with daily, weekly, and monthly reminders to keep the home running smoothly. Seasonal cleaning and Detailed checklists and tips for spring, summer, fall, and winter, including specific tasks for each area of the home. Home Guidance on maintaining home systems, planning for repairs, and creating a home maintenance fund. Natural DIY recipes for natural cleaners, pest deterrents, and seasonal simmer pots to keep the home fresh and healthy. Get everyone Tips for getting everyone in the household involved in homemaking tasks, from kids to adults. With more than 100 easy home hacks, practical tips, and seasonal checklists to help readers manage their homes with ease, Homemaking with Babs makes managing the home feel, well, manageable!

Genres: Nonfiction, Design

272 pages, Hardcover

Published September 1, 2026

Reviews

[Liv]

So many great recipes and organizations tips. I’ve been following babs on Instagram for years and it was really cool to see all of her life advice compiled into one book. We have been following the methods she teaches and I’ve found it’s been so much easier to keep the house clean! Her natural mosquito repellent recipe was also a life safe during August!

[Jen Osborn]

Nesting got me bad this week. Nice to see a cleaning plan and tips all in one place - I’ll take my favorite ideas and leave the rest. Beautiful illustrations as well.

[Janelle]

Such a beautiful book!

[Jenna Hetmansperger]

I love Babs! This book is so full of practical tips of all kinds. I especially appreciated the last chapter that had lots of things young adults might not know or think about, but her and her husband wanted to pass down their experience and be "honorary grandparents" to help us out.

[Laura]

Beautiful photos, excellent tips. There are several recipes in here for natural cleaning products, and the tea bombs are excellent. I hoped for a few more things like that in here, but this is a perfect gift for a new home owner.

[Jennifer]

Wonderfully written book by Babs, so many great ideas and recipes.

[Jennifer Kidwell]

Love BABS!

[Aleesia]

I’m a sucker for Babs and I loved this ❤️