Country Living Simple Country Wisdom: 501 Old-Fashioned Ideas to Simplify Your Life

By Susan Waggoner

Has life become a bundle of stress and mess? Top-selling author Susan Waggoner has the solution.

This ingenious, fun-to-read illustrated guide--newly in paperback--offers tried-and-true household hints and practical solutions to everyday problems, from the “A-to-Z Guide to Food” to “The Tao of Laundry.”  Whether its a no-scrub trick to make bathroom faucets gleam or surefire advice on keeping your house harmonious with as little fuss as possible, Country Living Simple Country Wisdom is the key to creating a home thats cheerful, welcoming, and warm.
 

Practicing the domestic arts—housekeeping, baking, and tending the garden—allows us to create a warm and welcoming home and to achieve a profound sense of contentment. Now Simple Country Wisdom offers a treasure trove of advice for slowing down and keeping house the old-fashioned way, whether you live in the city, suburbs, or a rural community. Common sense suggestions handed down over generations are gathered in one place, all grounded in the do-it-yourself spirit of traditional country living.
 

Making windows sparkle, giving floors a beautiful polish, and tidying up clutter aren’t chores; they are the age-old rituals that help us create a home that’s comfortable and charming. Simple Country Wisdom offers countless ideas for creating rooms that feel fresh, from big-picture cleaning to the little things that add a special touch, such as bed sheets hung to dry in the sun to acquire a fragrant outdoor scent. Tips such as how to season a cast-iron pan (even the one you inherited from your mom needs occasional re-seasoning) or prepare a guest room for the holidays are loving presented.
 

The A-to-Z of Food offers invaluable information, like the secrets to whipping up the very best mashed potatoes and ripening a green tomato, while the baking chapter’s rustic tips will inspire you to discover the joy of making the perfect pie or a creamy cheesecake.
 

What could be more tranquil than puttering in the garden? Here you’ll find wise advice for cultivating a thriving oasis that will attract birds and butterflies, perfect for reading, daydreaming, and entertaining outdoors.

It’s all designed to hand you the ideas you need to care for your home with as little fuss as possible.

 Country LivingSimple Country Wisdom will help you simplify your home and still have the time to enjoy it to the fullest.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hearst
• Release date: Sep 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781588169167

Susan Waggoner

Susan Waggoner was born in Iowa, grew up in the Minneapolis suburbs, and received degrees from the University of Iowa. She now lives and writes in New York City. Although she often dreams of Minnesota, writing this book has cured her of longing for a large home on the edge of a lake. She would, however, enjoy an extra bedroom in Manhattan.