Lemons and Lavender: The Eco Guide to Better Homekeeping

by Billee Sharp

Bursting with ways to downshift, simplifiy, preserve resources, and honor the planet, Lemons and Lavender will give you tools to reclaim a purer, tastier, healthier and less expensive way of life. Sharp shares her radical common sense and revolutionary "freeconomics" approach to budgeting in this step-by-step guide to the good life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Reference, How To, Unfinished

288 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2012

Reviews

[Damla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Lemons and Lavender, the eco guide to better home-keeping by Billee Sharp. I was very interested in reading this book, as I strive to be as kind to the environment as possible, and I prefer to avoid the use of chemicals whenever I can.
I was surprised by the number of useful tips that author Billee Sharp offers in this useful book! I loved that the tips were not limited to cleaning; I additionally found many useful recipes and home remedies within the pages of Lemons and Lavender.
This book would be ideal for someone who is interested in learning more about living a greener life, but needs a little help to steer them in the right direction. As more people begin to understand the dangers to overall health and the environment that are associated with many popular cleaning products, eco-friendly home keeping is gaining popularity. Lemons and Lavender is a good choice to use as a guide for beginning your environmentally friendly home keeping project!
With the summer wedding season quickly approaching, Lemons and Lavender would make a nice addition to any gift that you might give to a newly married couple. Not only will they enjoy the money saving, environmentally friendly tips this book offers, but also the recipes and words of wisdom from the author.
I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to a green lifestyle, is looking to create less waste and reduce the negative impact that their life has on the environment. Overall the book was an entertaining and interesting. I believe I will reference the tips and recipes included in Lemons and Lavender many times over the years!

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[Lotty · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one irritated the hair off me. She pitches at an audience that I think is wealthier, more educated, more wasteful, or SOMETHING more, than my background. So instead of being able to read and think "ok, that's useful" i found myself thinking snarkily "everyone knows that" or "how stupid!" Not a pretty response. Looks like most other people enjoyed this one. I'm returning it to the library immediately for someone else's enjoyment.

[Baley Whary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lemons and Lavender was an interesting read, and I appreciated the tips for using herbs and essential oils for health and for using everyday household ingredients for cleaning. I thought the book was organized a bit strangely; I want to be able to find all of the herbal/essential oil remedies and recipes in one place, but they're scattered throughout and the contents at the beginning aren't very detailed (and therefore not helpful in finding the recipes). Another problem with the book is that half of it at least just isn't for me. It's a bit too "crunchy" with recommendations that I think are a bit on the extreme side. I was kind of looking for a slightly more mainstream approach to eco-friendly homekeeping, but ideas such as dumpster diving and putting a clove of garlic in my ear for an earache just don't appeal to me. I'll keep the book as a reference for cleaner recipes, tips for growing and using herbs, and home remedies for sicknesses, but I'll have to add flags to the pages that have those things so I can easily find them again.

[Joanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I actually added a few recipes to my recipe box but would recommend this book more to young home makers who are just discovering there is more to life than Walmart. As previously converted post-consumptionist working hard on becoming an Urban Homesteader, much of the information in the book, although well told and relevant, was nothing new. I rate it a Perfect Primer for those beginning a better life.

[Trish · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a lot of tips. It is just not the book for me.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have this book in my kitchen & I finally gave it a read. It’s a comprehensive overview of a lot of the tasks it takes to run a household with an environmentally friendly approach. I love any book that covers the basics & I definitely found helpful tips to add into my cleaning routines & household management. There are a couple of recipes within so I’m going to test run a couple for fun and see how they turn out!

[Brianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was overall fairly good. There were some tips or ideas that weren't groundbreaking, and some of the tips felt like they would be unrealistic to try if you didn't live in certain areas. I did like a few of her household products recipes, so I'll probably try them.

If you're interested in this subject, it wouldn't hurt to skim this.

[Helen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought this. Gave it away when decluttering. Found it to be too much like other books

[Kim McCoy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a helpful resource on living a more frugal and environmentally-friendly life. Would be a handy reference guide to have.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

many of these recommendations i already know or use.

[Orbs n Rings · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learn how easy it can be for you to live a more fulfilling lifestyle.

More than just a guide, Lemons and Lavender gives you much more than just quick solutions. Instead, it teaches you with easy to remember ideas that actually are inspiring and make you want to jump right in there “now.” There is one problem I have with guides. It is that as soon as I am done reading a few ideas I want to implement, if I don’t do them right away, I usually lose interest. I didn’t have this happen with this book and the author Sharp encourages the reader on how to use resources differently, which is quite refreshing. By instilling a sense of pride that only comes when one chooses to use those resources wisely, even if it does take a little more time to do them. One great example of that in the book is the starter sourdough recipe, although it sounds like a daunting process the rewards are so worth it. Especially if you are looking to get in the habit of learning and implementing things in your life that are fulfilling in the long run. As these are the things that make life worth living, slowing time down and helping parents teach children to slow down in this fast paced world.

Basically, this book is about living the simple life and feeling good about it. You will find a little bit of everything from budgeting to gardening and Sharp goes into such great detail I am surprised she was able to fit all this into this little book. Lets just say she is thrifty, even with her writing. Although I have many, my favorite part of this book is the gardening chapter. I found all the different types of gardening and composting interesting and I like that Sharp honestly tells her readers that her garden contains weeds just like mine.

What makes Lemons and Lavender highly addicting is that Sharp has written this information in a simple and easy to read format. It reads like you are spending time and receiving this information from your very own best friend. Sharp does not make herself out to be something she is not. Everything she has in her book she has done herself or highly researched and the reader does not feel shorted on details. Sharp is an artist turned writer and I could really relate to her when she explains why she felt disappointed with the art world because they make you feel like a price tag should be attached to your art, as I struggle with the same feelings.

My Lemons and Lavender is full of sticky notes and I am so excited and can’t wait to implement many things from this book including some of the great recipes Sharp has included. I would highly reccomend this book to those who would like to add simple and rewarding things to their life and take it one page at a time.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book would be a touch more inspirational than it was. However, I had just read a book prior that really spoke to me regarding house keeping & crafting. I will say this was a great resource to learn about eco friendly housekeeping. I have been trying to get away from artifical "stuff" regarless of what it is & this is your guide for sure! She explains the natural goodness of everything from lemon to your basic essential oils. Many of the recipes in here sound delicious too. They are all free of processed foods & are budget friendly. I recommend reading it if you are into budget/eco friendly house keeping.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books of this type, and they usually have the same old, same old advice... this book had some things that were new to me and very interesting! A great salt scrub recipe that I am for sure going to try, and a reference to "reallyreallyfree.org" -- which I checked out and found is even in Seattle on the first Saturday of each month. Nothing people bring is for sale, trade or barter -- all free. I like this idea of giving things away better than taking them to a thrift store! I may have to check this out...

[Agaucu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Though it is clear that Sharp comes from a privileged place, this book contains ample useful information for everyone. The advice within ranges from recommendations for simple items to always have on hand, to how to sustain yourself inexpensively - even freely. I would definitely recommend this book as a starting point and a reference guide. Plus, it's an enjoyable read!

[Suzanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was inspiring and also made me want to nap. It's a great overall view of cleaner, healthier living and would be a helpful tool to anyone who doesn't know where to start. I found myself wanting more detail with each chapter, but that would have made the book 10,000 pages long.

[Mina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Got to the part where it says "do what you love and the money will follow." What kind of monied, privileged garbage is this? I'm so tired of fake people writiing books about getting by like they have any clue what that's like.

[joy *the clean-reader extraordinaire* · Rating 2 out of 5]

less practical and more political than expected. did remind me that i want to start sough dough bread...

[Julie]

This wasn't at all what I expected. Somehow I thought it was about green cleaning your home, and there may be a chapter about that, but it's more about a complete lifestyle change.

[A · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book simply wasn't helpful. The suggestions offered didn't apply for me and the information I was looking for wasn't there.

[L · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful tips and advice. Also, rather charming and inspiring.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful tips and recipes for greener living. Greast points on reducing everything, not just your footprint.

[Deyara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of tips, gets quite political but not too bad. Covers the basics well.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read with plenty of thought-provoking statements and inspiring ideas. The major drawback for me was how... "hippie" a lot of her lifestyle is.

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

I stole this from my mom to read and i finished it in a day. Some great ideas on budgeting, great recipes, and tips on home remedies. If you like eco-friendly living, check out this book.

[T. · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are certainly some useful things here. better as a reference and a small step up from basic skills.

[Summer Donnelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice resource. some good recipes to try.