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

by Barbara Costello

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the beloved 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!

272 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2026

Reviews

[MEM · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely, motherly book of good advice. I would immediately gift this book to newlyweds/new homeowners; there is a treasure trove of tips in here, ranging from nontoxic cleaning recipes to decluttering methods to unclogging drains to understanding home insurance. Babs offers gentle advice on caring for your home in every aspect; I wish I’d had this book when setting up my first home as a newlywed. Reading it made me miss my grandmothers, both of whom cared so intentionally for their households and families.
As a bonus, the photography is this book is absolutely charming, especially the photos of Babs with her beautiful grandchildren!

[Kelly Knits · Rating 3 out of 5]

I grabbed some of her home recipes for cleaning solutions. Some reminders about those things we forget about. We do daily cleaning as part of our routine. Living in Florida, I don’t get four seasons so some house stuff doesn’t really apply. Good tips for home first aid kits, tools, etc. A good idea for young person/couple just starting out as a nice house warming gift combined with a cookbook and basic home repair book to build their home reference collection. She’s got a wonderful voice in all of her material; builds trust with readers/viewers.

[Gail · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

I think it would be useful for someone who has not maintained a house for decades already. It was well organized.