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These days we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it's difficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we are limited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families we cannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So each Wednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parenting guides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!


Are you pregnant or planning a baby? Perhaps you know someone who is?

Chances are, if you're expecting a baby you'd appreciate some sound and down-to-earth advice about what to expect though those nine months and how to adapt to the many changes you'll experience.

This is where Christine Hill's incredibly useful guide comes into play...

A Bit About Christine Hill

A physiotherapist with a postgraduate degree in paediatrics and obstetrics, Christine has worked all her life with mothers and babies. She is one of London's most sought after pregnancy and ante-natal gurus who has attended more than 5000 mothers during her career.

Most importantly she is also a mother, having given birth to three (now grown up) children. Drawing upon her professional and personal experiences she has produced this guide to offer realistic advice for expectant mothers in regard to the subjects we'd really like to know more about!

"This is a book about you"

As Christine states in the introduction:

Unlike other pregnancy books, this book is about you - managing a pregnant life and giving birth - rather than about the miracle of your developing baby.

From the very start, it is apparent that this book is unlikely to be anything like any other pregnancy guide you may have read. Christine gets straight to the point, presenting her advice in a straightforward and easy to understand manner, covering those aspects of pregnancy which we would really like to know about but are often afraid to ask.

Even sensitive subjects such as our natural (and often unexpected) feelings upon discovering we are pregnant and how to deal with haemorrhoids are covered in this guide, alongside practical advice about how we should look after ourselves (both physically and mentally), and where we can turn for support when we need it.

Practical, Reassuring Advice

While reading through this Pregnancy Guide, I virtually felt as though a medically qualified best friend had written this book for me.

This guide is unlike any other pregnancy book I have encountered: it offers the truth about pregnancy, the good and bad aspects of this experience, and through it all this guide manages to reassure us that all we experience through these nine months of change is perfectly normal.

For example, Chapter 3 covers Antenatal Care and (possible) Medical Problems, including details of all tests we may ge given as expectant mothers. At no point does this chapter lapse into unintelligable medical jargon! Throughout the information is provided in a friendly, easily digestible manner which undoubtedly reassures us about all aspects of potential medical issues with our pregnancies.

Those of you who are already mothers may - like me - have felt confused and overwhelmed at times during ante-natal sessions when it seems even the most sympathetic midwives can become tongue tied when explaining medical issues to the uninitiated! I personally learned far more from this book than through either of my pregnancies, because everything explained is so darn easy to understand!

What is Covered in this Guide?

Christine Hill's Pregnancy Guide is divided into 14 chapters, which are organized (as Christine states in the introduction) in "loose chronological order".

Beginning with an overview of immediate issues relevant for anyone who has just discovered they are pregnant, through to an explanation of what to expect during labour and the birth of your baby, these chapters explain everything you need - and want - to know about through the varing stages of pregnancy. However, there are certain issues we like to be aware of early on, such as possible complications and organizing ourselves in plenty of time before baby arrives. These are dealt with in earlier chapters than may be expected, intended to help us prepare for the unexpected while retaining a sense of control through knowledge.

Here is a brief explanation of chapters covered in this guide:

Introduction: I'm pregnant for the first time. Help!

This introductory chapter offers calm and reassuring advice for those who have just discovered their pregnancy and are dealing with emotional issues of their change in physical circumstance.

Chapter 1: Immediate Issues

In this chapter, we are presented with practical advice such as working out for sure when baby is due and making important decisions about the future.

Chapter 2: Birth Issues

Here we are presented with considerations for the birth and antenatal care, some of which need to be acknowledged very early on in our pregnancies.

Chapter 3: Antenatal Care and Medical Problems

This chapter offers an overview of the different types of antenatal care we can consider, plus information about all the different medical tests and possible medical problems we may encounter throuh pregnancy with honest and clear advice.

Chapter 4: Work Issues

Christine understands the issues working women face when discovering they are pregnant. From advice about when to inform superioirs and colleagues of our pregnancy to learning how to dress to accomodate our changing shapes, this section covers anything and everything you may like to know about work when expecting a baby.

Chapter 5: Getting Organized

Making preparations for the new baby is a key aspect of most expectant mother's concerns. In this chapter, we learn about the things we really need to buy for our babies; deciding whether or not to breastfeed, and how to find someone who will look after us (enabling us to concentrate on our new-found duties as a mum).

Chapter 6: Thinking Ahead about Labour

Rather than be blissfully inorant of what to expect during labour, Christine encourages us to consider what will happen, and how we can deal with labour well in advance of the occasion.

Chapter 7: Well Meant Advice (and Dire Warnings!)

As any mother will explain, when pregnant we are offered advice from every corner of our world (friends, family, and even strangers in the supermarket!). This chapter helps dispel unnescessary concerns, and offers clear informed advice about how we should conduct ourselves with regard to health through pregnancy months.

Chapter 8: Muscles and Bones

The most drastic changes to our bodies during pregnancy are to our muscles and pelvic region. Christine offers explanations of these changes, with practical information to ensure our pregnancies are more comfortable (and less physically damaging) such as pelvic floor exercises and safe practise for lifting heavy objects.

Chapter 9: Pregnancy Related Irritations and Changes in Your Body

The physical changes we experience through pregnancy affect us in many ways. From sickness to sleeplessness and everything between, this chapter explains what can happen, why it happens, and how best to deal with the discomforts of pregnancy.

Chapter 10: Last Lap of Pregnancy

Those last few weeks before baby is born are a time when expectant mums feel at their lowest ebb. This chapter acknowledges our feelings, sensations of tiredness and discomfort, and helps us prepare both emotionally and practically for the imminent birth of our babies.

Chapter 11: How Labour Begins

This chapter offers information of what to expect during those first stages of labour, and what we can do at home to soothe and prepare ourselves for the birth.

Chapter 12: Labour Continues... And Possible Pain Relief

Here Christine presents concise information about possible pain relief, including the pros and cons for each of the different methods available to us.

Chapter 13: Second Stage - The Actual Birth

In this chapter we are presented with reassuring advice about both vaginal and caesarean deliveries, including what we can expect and the aftermath of birth.

Chapter 14: Fathers

This chapter is specifically aimed at fathers whose wife or partner is soon to be giving birth, and covers issues such as arranging paternity leave, helping mums through pregnancy and labour, and how to organize the home after the birth.

Conclusion: You as a New Mother

This short final chapter addresses concerns many new mums experience soon after their baby is born, again reassuring mums that their feelings are entirely normal and supplemented with advice to help everything run more smoothly.

What I love most about this book

By presenting advice in a manner which is friendly but straightforward, Christine cuts through the fog of information overload. She is adamant from the start that we should always keep an open mind throughout the course of our pregnancies. Rather than prescribe a course of action and experience every woman should follow, she offers advice and information that enables us to make choices that are particularly relevant for our individual needs.

Facts and figures are quoted often throughout this guide, which was an aspect of reading I did not expect. Unusually, this does not make us feel that we are numbers in a system: contextually these numbers are extremely reassuring. By providing facts in a friendly manner this enables us to feel we are not alone in our experience of issues relating to pregnancy and our experiences of childbirth. Such information provide details of what we would like to know, but may not understand how to ask questions to receive the answers we seek.

I particularly enjoyed reading through Chapter 3 (regarding antenatal care and possible medical conditions) because this section offered clear and easy to digest information which I personally felt was lacking in my experience of both pregnancies. I truly appreciate how Christine deals with issues which many women are frightened or nervous to acknowledge in a friendly yet professional manner.

Final Thoughts on Christine Hill's Pregnancy Guide

When I was first offered Christine Hill's Pregnancy Guide for review, I must admit I was a little apprehensive about my possible enjoyment of this book. I'm already a mum (having experienced two very different pregnancies) and was very curious to find out what this guide could offer that I didn't already know.

Any concerns were dispelled upon reading only the introduction. Christine Hill's tone is more like that of a best friend, one who explains the truth about pregnancy, and who approaches the subject in a manner absent from other pregnancy books I have read: she answers all the questions which are truly relevant for expectant mums!

This is not a book which will explain every detail of the stages of pregnancy and how your baby develops through each month; nor is this a book filled with medical jargon which causes us to have more questions for our midwives than before we had started. Instead, this book could well be the most important and informative guide you could hope to read through your pregnancy, whether you are expecting your first child or your fourth!

Christine Hill's Pregnancy Guide will be published by Vermillion on the 11th of June and is currently available for pre-order from Amazon.co.uk.

Stay tuned for details of a forthcoming competition where you could win your own copy of this excellent and informative book!

These days we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it's difficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we are limited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families we cannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So each Wednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parenting guides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!

Today I shall review a truly exceptional gardening book: The Family Kitchen Garden by Karen Liebreich, Jutta Wagner and Annette Wendland. This title was produced from the authors' experience in working with hundreds of school aged children while restoring the Walled Gardens at Chiswick House in London as a kitchen garden, and is intended to offer advice for families who would like to produce their own foods but have little horticultural experience.

A particularly suitable format when gardening with children.

The Family Kitchen Garden is a 224 pages long, in a large soft-cover format and features a wipe-clean cover and high quality full colour pages throughout. This particular choice of format strikes me as highly functional for it's intended audience: by ensuring the thick pages (and especially the cover) can be wiped clean, we need not be concerned about sticky fingers or splashes of mud ruining this beautifully illustrated book when we allow our children to use it.

Virtually every page of The Family Kitchen Garden features stunning photography of the plants discussed on the page. On most pages, several photographs are offered, enabling us to easily identify the plant, vegetable, weed or problem being discussed on the page. I was particularly impressed by the descriptions and identifiable images of bindweed which - as a somewhat novice gardener - I had not realized was such an invasive weed and allowed to grow freely near the bottom of our garden for the last few years! Unlike most other gardening books I have read, The Family Kitchen Garden explains what this is, offers identifiable images of the problem, and a full explanation of how this can be dealt with. An excellent approach for the novice gardener, in my opinion, and a welcome change to the texts which assume that - even as beginners - we must know the appearance of all such invasive weeds.

The general function of this book is to assist families wishing to start (or better maintain) a kitchen garden - one which can bear foods which both children and adults alike will enjoy growing, harvesting and eating.

As such, the methods, plants and skills discussed are particularly relevant for children: from explanations of the easiest seeds that young children may plant, to illustrated instructions for making a ladybird shelter in the autumn months, for young ones to feel they are nurturing the creatures which help their garden to grow.

The brightly coloured photographs, playful (yet ornamental) garden creations and brightly coloured side notes all contribute towards attracting the interest of children. I particularly enjoyed reading the scattering of quotes from children who had helped develop the Kitchen Garden at Chiswick house, on which the ideas in this book are based.

A Book of Three Parts

The Family Kitchen Garden is divided into three distinct parts:

1. The Basics

This section offers an overview of gardening with children in mind, covering all manner of horticultural subjects from planning the crop to propagation; weeds and pest control. Each aspect is covered in detail, using jargon-free explanations and plenty of images which are perfect for those with no experience of gardening.

I found the sections about weeds and crop protection to be the most useful, as many of our previous attempts to beautify our humble garden were thwarted by pests, insects and unwanted plants invading our space. However, the sections on soil improvement and fertilization were very detailed and enlightening, ensuring that readers are properly informed about how the soil we choose to use can affect the growth and overall crop of the vegetables we plant.

2. Month by Month

I have no doubt that most readers will find this to be the most interesting section of the book. As the section title suggests, this offers a month-by-month analysis of the family's kitchen garden, including:

• What to sow
• What to plant
• Gardening jobs to be completed
• Foods which can be harvested
• Foods to be eaten (including seasonal recipes)
• Ideas for things to create

The information for each month's gardening duties is something I found particularly useful. While we can of course find when to sow, plant our and harvest our creations by other means, I believe having a guide for each month in such an easily accessible format ensures we are always more aware of what to be doing at any particular time.

Each and every month offers a recipe (or two) for seasonal foods which we may have growing in our own kitchen gardens. Overall, I have found the recipes use ingredients which are the easiest vegetables (or fruits) to be growing, and that all of these recipes are child-friendly, meaning that our children can help us prepare the foods and enjoy eating them too.

One of my favourite recipes in this entire book is for "fruit leathers" - essentially, strips of fruit-based sweets which can be produced with ease from whatever fruits we have available for picking at the time. These are just like the "Fruit Winders" you may have seen advertised on TV in recent months, but since this recipe enables us to make them ourselves, we can be sure they are completely organic (though unfortunately not sugar free!).

The monthly ideas for creative fun are especially aimed at children. Month by month, this section will enable you and your children to decorate your garden, from willow wigwams to a hideaway for ladybirds; cute plant labels and lavender sachets for the linen cupboards.

3. A-Z of Plants (plus appendices)

The final third of the book is quite lengthy as it provides detailed guides for dozens of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers ranging from artichokes to zinnias and everything between.

This section is very user friendly, with at least one page to describe each individual plant type. With suggestions for propagation, plant care, feeding, watering and potential problems this A-Z allows us to easily look up information on the plants we may be growing, or are considering adding to our kitchen gardens.

Each plant's description begins with a brief overview including it's ease of cultivation, whether it can be grown in a pot, if it is particularly suitable as a child's project, and any other useful information of relevance.

I found this section to be far more "user friendly" than other books I've consulted about our developing garden, not least because it offers advice in plain English without the jargon associated with texts assuming the reader already knows how to "deadhead" or "pinch out" her plants! We also found a few new plants in this section which we'd like to try growing in the few spaces we have left, such as chard (like spinach, so a potential new favourite for me!), rhubarb (I hadn't realized how easy this plant is to grow) and dahlias - because their photographs depict them as beautiful, and we discovered they can flower well into the winter months

My favourite parts of The Family Kitchen Garden

I must admit that upon first glance at The Family Kitchen Garden, I was unaware of just how much I'd enjoy reading through these pages.Throughout you can find gardening quotes and expressions from the school children taking part in the restoration project of Chiswick House which add deeper meaning to the plants and changing seasons described within the text.

The photography is both explanatory and inspirational, encouraging us to tend more to our gardens and to involve our children in the miracles of watching as plants grow from tiny dry seeds to plants we can harvest, cook and eat together.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book is the scattering of adult humour. This book was certainly written by women who enjoy their craft enough to make light of arduous work in places. For example, when offering advice for dealing with garden pests, we can read of "flying snails": a practise which many regard as "unneighbourly", while the mention of infanticide (with regard to plants, of course!) is guaranteed to make you chuckle.

Who is this book for?

The Family Kitchen Garden is a wonderfully explanatory book aimed at parents (and indeed grandparents) who are curious about gardening with their children. As this book explains, there are many edible plants which can be decorative as well as useful, which helps us nurture a sense of the natural world for our children.

I do also believe that this book would be beneficial for experienced horticulturists who have no experience of gardening with children. When I offered this to my neighbour (a self-sufficient gardener who lives from his allotment) he immediately expressed his interest in buying a copy for himself "to share with his grandchildren": it had made him realise that children are interested in watching things grow, and in learning about the environment.

Methods of growing organically are mentioned throughout, with the odd reference to non-organic practise for those who truly despise garden pests.

Final Thoughts

As a parent developing a vegetable patch for the first time, I found The Family Kitchen Garden to be an exemplary guide. This is like having three books rolled into one: a guide to the basics of horticulture, a month-by-month planner, and a complete guide to edible plants in a simple, easy to reference format.

The ideas for seasonal recipes and creative crafts are wonderful, adding a sense of creativity and inspiration to our gardening chores throughout the year, while the quoted expressions of children's experiences in working in the kitchen garden at Chiswick House helps affirm the sense that this book is a gift for parents to encourage the blessing of garden involvement with their children.

The Family Kitchen Garden is available from Francis Lincoln at £16.99 and can also be purchased from Amazon.co.uk.

Thesedays we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it'sdifficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we arelimited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families wecannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So eachWednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parentingguides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!

Today I will review one of the most important books on frugality I have ever had the benefit of owning: Thrifty Ways for Modern Days, which offers collective wisdom from members of the MoneySavingExpert community and is edited by the money saving expert, Martin Lewis. 


As explained succinctly on the front cover, Thrifty Ways provides "handy hints on living better for less". Essentially, this is a book about living thriftily, offering advice about how to spend less (if at all) on the things we do everyday, from cooking and cleaning to dressing and even entertainment. This wonderful book was written through the success of the Old-Style forum on the MoneySavingExpert site where some of the older MSE's decided to share their thrifty wisdoms with younger generations:

[The Old-Style forum] has swiftly developed into a discussion on living life cheaply, healthily, ethically and thriftily, with all generations together searching for a path to Old-Style bliss.

How Thrifty Ways is organized

Thrifty Ways for Modern Days is organized into chapters which outline the many money-saving tips we can choose to adopt for our everyday lives:

1. Cleaning
2. Shopping - what to buy and how to reuse it
3. Clothes and shoes
4. Home maintenance and DIY
5. The good life: grow your own
6. Presents and home-made gifts
7. Christmas, weddings and other occasions
8. The old-style recipe book

Each of these chapters includes many sub-headings to organize the information even more concisely. Chapter 1 (Cleaning) for example offers a section on the top 5 cleaners, followed by an analysis of the cose effectiveness of natural products compared to branded products. Later on, you can even find step-by-step instructions to clean every room of the house in a frugal and environmentally friendly manner.

(Trust me, I've tried some of these methods and not only do they save money but these can also save time and energy too!)

For me, one of the most interesting aspects of the format is the Preface section (if I may call it that) which offers an introduction to these "Old-Style" ways, complete with a broad overview of what MoneySavingExpert is all about.

The "Do you spend more than you earn..?" section was very enlightening. Here you can find fundamental lessons in debt and money management, complete with tables to help you account for expenditures and budgeting plans, which can help literally anyone find ways to manage their finances better (and even discover they have more money available than previously thought).

I suspect this particular section was written by Martin Lewis himself as the information he provides makes complete sense and cuts through all the fog we tend to associate with our finances, making this an important aspect of learning to deal with any money problems we may have and prevent any wasteful losses of our income.

My favourite chapters

I particularly enjoyed the chapter on cleaning, for while I have used natural (and thrifty) methods to clean our home for some time, I found the sections explaining methods for every room in the house to be particularly enlightening. These sections begin by explaining exactly which products are needed, followed by a run-down of how to clean various aspects of the room, including recipes for home-made cleaning products.

The chapter on shopping proved also very useful. Here you can learn how to make careful choices of what you choose (and choose not) to buy; how to fight the impulse to spend when it's not nescessary, and how to "downshift" in order to make even better savings for your shopping baskets.

This chapter does not only explain how to save money on grocery shopping: almost every aspect of what we choose to buy is covered, from electrical items to beauty and personal treats. Recycling is another important section of this chapter: rather than explain simply how to take your used paper and bottles to the recycling depot, Thrifty Ways offers useful insights of how products may be reused at home - this not only saves on waste, it enables us to save money on expenditure too!

Overview

Although a relatively small format when compared to similar titles, Thrifty Ways for Modern Days is packed from cover to cover (literally - there are tips on the front and back!) with great tips to save money and live within your means. The size of this book is roughly the height of a DVD box, and almost an inch thick making it ideal to stuff in your handbag for light reading on the bus or while waiting in a queue. Being a paperback ensures it's also cost effective - the quality of paper it's printed on is hardly exquisite but since this is a book about frugality, there is no more fitting format for this guide.

As Martin explains in his introduction, "Old-Style" ways are not for everyone; this book offers a "take it or leave it" approach where some tips may be suitable for your means while others may seem too extreme for your liking. For example, I personally prefer not to stock up with free sugar sachets and sauces from fast food restaurants or make gift tags on the computer at home. But on the other hand, the advice about swapping clothes at local parties and investing in my own breadmaker were tips which really worked out well for me.

I sincerely recommend you pick this book up for a read. It's currently only £5.49 from Amazon (the list price is only £7.99) though you're also likely to find this bestseller in your local library or through ReadItSwapIt.co.uk (which was where I sourced mine!). I can tell this book will live for a long time on my desk shelves as I seem to pick it up regularly for thrifty advice on whatever I'm up to.

Buy Thrifty Ways for Modern Days from Amazon.co.uk

Thesedays we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it'sdifficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we arelimited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families wecannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So eachWednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parentingguides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!

Being quite the fan of Anthea Turner's "How to be The Perfect Housewife" series, the book tie-in was one which I looked forward to reading. Or devouring, as it turned out.

Now before I go any further, let me explain one thing: I am by no means a perfect housewife. Cleaning is not a task which comes naturally to me. I am perfectly happy to live in a home resembling ordered chaos and can think of a million more interesting things to do than laundry, ironing and spring cleaning! I chose to buy this book (as a gift to myself, nonetheless) because I wanted a book which would help me learn to take care of our home more efficiently, leaving me more time to spend on the million more interesting things I could think of than ironing a huge pile of my husbands shirts. After a few moments examining the contents in the bookshop, it seemed quite apparent that this would be a suitable book for my needs.

Lessons in the art of household management

How to Be The Perfect Housewife is organized into 19 chapters, each of which deals in a particular "lesson" of household management. These chapters so follow in the order you would expect to learn about the management of your home, beginning with "Decluttering" (as Anthea explains, this is the first step towards a clean and tidy home), through to "Cleaning Room By Room" (chapters 3 and 4); "Kitchen Sense" (chapters 12 and 13) and "Home Safety" (chapter 19).

Anthea's approach is ideal for those who seek a solution for organizing and managing their house, no matter what their circumstances or income. In my opinion, the choice and ordering of these chapters aids in educating the reader in the manner you would expect to learn in a classroom or long-distance course. Essentially, I believe these lessons reflect the learning curve she creates for participants of the TV show (though I would love to get my hands on one of those manuals she presents to each wife as a "crash course" in housewifery!).

Well-presented and easy to digest

Each chapter is broken down into small chunks which make the lessons very easy to digest. Rather than write long (boring) paragraphs, Anthea presents her ideas in short paragraphs, bullet points and lists, enabling the reader to literally dip in at any point in the text. Important tips are highlighted in their own boxes or sections, while each page is somehow decorated with quirky (and mostly feminine) icons which I find makes light of the ardous tasks discussed in the text.

Indeed, this appears to be an extention of Anthea's suggestions that housework could be made enjoyable. In the same way we are encouraged to decant cleaning solutions into pretty bottles to brighten up our maids cupboards, her prose is presented alongside pretty flowers and flirty decorations.

Not quite as many "inside secrets" as I'd hoped

After watching almost every episode of the TV series, I'd hoped to find at least a good scattering of Anthea's recipes for cleaning products, tricks for folding T-shirts and towels, and lists of daily/weekly/monthly chores.

Sadly, these expert tips were few and far between in The Perfect Housewife. While there is a recipe for Anthea's ultimate grime-busting solution (which uses only natural ingredients) and a section on creating a cleaning schedule for your home, I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that the television series revealed far more interesting tips than were offered in the book.

Bossy, but brilliant!

I must admit that Anthea Turner is a woman I would love to hate: like Mary Poppins, she is practically perfect in every way. Her home is a dream house; her cupboards immaculately organized and her souffles always rise. As in the television series, you may well find her lessons of the home come across as rather bossy and unquestionable, yet for me this is the beauty of her advice: when you put these ideas into practice, you can honestly attest that she is right!

So much as I would love to hate Anthea, the fact is I simply cannot. She is - as the cover describes - "The Queen of Clean". She knows exactly how to manage a home, and considering her mansion has two huge kitchens and a menagerie of pets, the management of her own household is testament to her expertise.

Yes, Anthea does outsource some of her cleaning. She does not expect a lone woman to tend to the entire house by herself, and her definition of what the perfect housewife should accomplish offers inspiration for us all:

A beautiful cosy home has very little to do with money or size, but has everything to do with making the best of what you have.

Be sure to read through the introduction to learn about the family in Delhi who made her feel such a welcome guest. For me, this story is the perfect example of what Anthea hopes we can achieve by following her advice.

An ideal home-manual for those who need a kick-start in household management

Overall, The Perfect Housewife is a very useful book for those who need a kick-start in the right direction, or who seek inspirational advice from the self-confessed "Queen of Clean". It's not aimed at those who do actually aspire to be perfect, but instead those who feel they need a helping hand, a little guidance, or a chapter full of useful tricks for removing every stain your family could possibly throw at you.

So if you feel your own home could use a little TLC, or that your organizational skills could use some touching up, be sure to look out for The Perfect Housewife at your local bookstore.

How to be The Perfect Housewife is currently available from Amazon, priced at £9.09.

These days we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it's difficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we are limited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families we cannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So each Wednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parenting guides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!

At this time of year, many of us are considering revamping their weed-infested gardens or taking a shot at becoming more self sufficient by growing their own fruit and vegetables. What better time than this to review one of the books which has literally changed my life?

The Virgin Gardener by Laetitia Maklouf is a fabulous guide for anyone who - like me - has little or no experience in horticulture. When I say "fabulous", this is indeed what I mean about this book: it is in no way a boring representation of frumpy gardeners! A glance at the back cover says it all: glamourous pink heels sitting next to a pair of green wellingtons: yes ladies, you can have a beautiful garden and still maintain those immacuately manicured nails!

A "cookbook" for gardeners

As Laetitia explains in the introductory section, you don't need a lot of space or even much spare time to develop the garden of your dreams. Essentially, The Virgin Gardener is a cookbook of easy to follow "recipes" for gardening success, where one can literally dip in at any page to discover an easy-to-follow and complete project guide.

For instance, as I just opened this book at a random page, I was presented with the "recipe": Pickled Onions for Proper Cocktails. Does this sound like your average gardening guide? Indeed not! Beginning with Laetitia's reflections of her parent's cocktail parties, the page proceeds to explain the "when what and how" of growing your own miniature onions, concluding with an explanation of how to pickle for use in delicious grown-up cocktails.

Easy to follow, green-fingers not required!

All of the "recipes" for plant growth and/or harvesting in The Virgin Gardener are offered in the following format:

• The Lowdown - A brief explanation of what this particular project is about
• The Timing - The best time of year to undertake this project
• You Will Need - The appropriate equipment required for the recipe
• The Method - In plain English (no complicated jargon for newbie gardeners to wade through!)

Last of all, you will find a section offering ideas for what to do with your completed project - in the above example, this explains how to pickle your miniature onions for use in cocktails though others explain how to prepare your plants for consumption, decoration or even as an aphrodisiac...

Irresistibly inspiring

Laetitia's prose is elegant, passionate and utterly inspiring. I defy you to read this book and not immediately visit the garden centre for supplies!

The presentation of this guide is beautiful: on every other page (or so) there is stunning photography which depicts gardening as something quite sensual. Even text-based pages are adorned with watermarks of leaves or flowers, while the overall appearance is more a coffee-table book than a boring reference guide.

I have learned things from The Virgin Gardener which I hadn't thought possible: growing banana plants from seed and pineapple trees from the top of a supermarket fruit; cherry tomatoes on my windowsill and carniverous plants for the boys.

I doubt that Laetitia has much experience gardening with children (though her reference to wigwam runner-beans is pure genius) so while many "recipes" are guided towards sensuality very few are described in a way the family can enjoy. Saying that, as parents we can always adapt our projects for toddlers through to teenagers - no child I know doesn't love to see seeds sprout and grow into full bloom or eat the vegetables they had a hand in growing!

Not especially frugal, but not far off!

The Virgin Gardener is not a book for frugal experienced gardeners. It will not teach you much about saving money when building the garden of your dreams. Instead, this book is intended to inspire a passion for growth, for creating green spaces no matter how little space you have available, and to learn that growing plants can lead to more creative options for use than simple outdoor beauty.

I can't agree much with the cover price. At £20 this seems an expensive purchase for any gardening guide (even in hardback version). You can purchase from Amazon at the current price of £12 though - far better for those watching the pennies, and a reasonable price for such a beautiful and inspiring gift (or even as a hard-earned treat for yourself).

There are sections where saving money is discussed in slight detail: the expense of buying ready-grown babana plants for example, compared to the utter thrift (not to mention self-satisfaction) of growing from seed. Yoghurt pots and old tin cans, it explains, can be used to grow plants just as well as terracotta versions from HomeBase, while wedding and baby-shower gifts are wonderful when home-grown.

In summary, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking a start in the world of gardening, and also those who already have a hand in the growth of plants but who seek inspiration for new things. Personally, I am very happy to own this book. From feeling concerned that all the house plants I've ever owned died tragically, to growing a family vegetable patch and seeing flowers everywhere (that I planted) in full bloom. This book has inspired me to try, and taught me that "plants want to grow". It's not a case of whether we are green-fingered or not. Instead, all we need to do try.

Thesedays we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it'sdifficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we arelimited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families wecannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So eachWednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parentingguides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!
 

The Thrift Book promises to help us "Live well and spend less" and does this job rather well, despite that India Knight is a self-confessed "dedicated consumer and more-is-more child of the 1980's".

Well presented

It's beautifully presented, in hardback form with quirky illustrations in virtually every page and is one of those magical references where you can literally dip in at any page to find tips of worth in cutting down our budget.

My favourite section is that on "Beauty", where you can find sections explaing the best value products (and why they are so good); home-made beauty treatments (the Asprin mask? Inspired!), and "How to look expensive" which offers common sense yet wholly truthful tips on how to look great on the most meagre budget.

The section on "Community" was also quite inspiring and offers ideas for how to entertain oneself by choosing inexpensive interactions close-by. With chapters on Food (and how to grow your own) and a very down-to-earth explanation of the economy, it is overall an enlightening and entertaining read.

Too good to be true?

However, I must admit some reservations about India's "thrifty" advice. As a Northener (Yorkshire born and bred), I find many of the tips and locations mentioned are perhaps more appropriate for the London crowd. Also, this really is a book aimed at those who do have a nice little nest egg to cushion them through this current recession. At heart, I am a truly frugal mummy, and India's advice to "shop daily" or save up for (very) expensive designer clothes which are too pricey for 90% of the population are quite lost on me. I can't help thinking that certain sections were added to fill in gaps, rather than methods India has tried and tested herself, or at least sourced accurate advice about.

The cover price is rather expensive for the hardback version. At £14.99, this is hardly a thrifty price. You can buy The Thrift Book from Amazon at £7.49 for the Hardback version (£5.99 for the paperback) or try to source this from ReadItSwapIt (this is how I got my copy!) for the ultimate in frugality.

While aimed more at those who do have room for financial manouver (with many references particularly suitable for Londeners), I'm sure you'll find The Thrift Book an enjoyable book to read, which will undoubtedlyprovide you with some great tips for saving money in all areas of yourlife.

Thesedays we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it'sdifficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we arelimited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families wecannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So eachWednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parentingguides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!
 
Yummy Mummy's Ultimate Family Survival Guide is a practical and wholly truthful guide to parenting, dosed with a wry sense of humour and a realistic viewpoint only a true mother could achieve!

The truth about motherhood

Unlike many other "yummy mums" who've jumped on the hugely successful bandwagon of writing in this field, Liz Frazer offers us the truth about motherhood and freely admits this is based on her own perspective. So rather than be faced with prescriptive methods of parenting, we are offered advice on a "this is what works for me" basis. Which for me was a pleasant surprise!

Strangely organized

The organization of the book is rather surreal: chapters are labelled as rooms of the house, such as the kitchen and master bedroom chapters. Then each chapter offers advice about the family associations of the room (relationship advice for the master bedroom, culinary tips for the kitchen, and so on).

It's quite fun to read the book in this way, and just in case you need to flick to a particular section for on-the-spot-advice, you can locate this easily enough in the contents section.

There are some true gems of humour in here, which are enough to brighten any gloomy mums day! Even such tricky subjects as infidelity and in-laws are handled with a jovial touch. One thing which I really appreciate about Liz's writing is that she understands the concept of "budgeting": unlike other celebrity mums and their name-dropping advice guides, Liz's advice is real and practical. She explains how to "make do and mend", prepare tasty meals even when the budget is running low, and even how to prepare for a children's party without breaking the bank.

To summarize...

This isn't the best presented advice guide I've ever read, and at over 400 pages it will probably take you a while to wade through it all. Though after reading through this a few times now, I can honestly say that most (if not all) aspects of motherhood and family life are covered here. This will certainly remain on the bookshelf above my desk, which houses the books I refer to often, and I would indeed recommend this to any mother first-time, third time or grandparent!

Thesedays we are awed by the sheer number of books available to us, and it'sdifficult to choose something relevant to our needs. As parents, we arelimited in the time we can spend reading, and as frugal families wecannot afford to spend on books we may later find irrelevant. So eachWednesday, I aim to review a book on a range of subjects from parentingguides to home-making, fashion/beauty and cookbooks which are most relevant for fabulous, frugal mums!

I'm a vigorous reader: my shelves are filled with books I have read, enjoyed and refuse to ever part with. Within this library is a particular shelf I refer to often: my "mummy" books, fabulous reads on various subjects which I believe every yummy mum should read at least once - and probably refer to her friends!

For those who prefer not to buy books outright, why not reserve in your local library or see if there are copies available to swap for free on ReadItSwapIt.co.uk?

Without further ado, here are my top 10 fabulous books for mummies (organized by category, and in no particular order):

Best for... Surviving Parenthood

The Fabulous Mum's Handbook by Grace Saunders

This is one of the more recent "parenting guides" I've read, and has certainly been highly enjoyable. It's really aimed at new mums (or those who are expecting a baby) and offers advice on everything from what your baby really needs to styling your ever adjusting figure.

Several celebrities offer their expert advice on various subjects, from Tanya Byron (from The House of Tiny Tearaways) on getting sleep, to Amanda Smith (former director of style for Elle Decoration) on having a wonderful, stylish and child-friendly home.

What I love most is that each section offers advice tailored to the needs of all mothers, along with "top tips" at the end of each chapter.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

A Spoonful of Sugar by Liz Frazer 

I've currently borrowed a copy of this from the library and have now ordered a copy of my own because I don't want to give this one back!

Now as mothers, I'm sure many of us have turned to our own parents for advice. In this book, Liz Frazer takes it a step further to ask her grandmother for her pearls of wisdom and applies this to modern day mothers. With all our concerns over 21st century dangers, 24 hour TV and fast food, we may have forgotten that the happiest of family lives comes from making things simple. Much of what you will read here is common sense, but it's always good to be reminded of old-fashioned ways!

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Baby-proofing your marriage by Stacie Cockrel et al

A lighthearted look at the impact a baby can have on relationships, this was written by three feisty mothers who seem to have survived the worst of it all!

Including lighthearted anecdotes (and passages which will make you laugh out loud!), Baby-proofing Your Marriage offers friendly advice based on experience: from sex (or the lack of) to in-laws, division of housework and everything between.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Best for... Feeding the Family

How to feed your whole family a healthy balanced diet with very little money... by Gill Holcombe

This book is a lifesaver in terms of cheap healthy recipes which the whole family can enjoy! Gill Holcombe offers us a guide to help us cook for our families from scratch with easy to follow recipes from her delicious "All in one Apple Cake" to "Salmon Pasta Bake" and the super quick "Instant Corned Beef Hash".

If you need a book which can advice you how to cut down on your family food bills or even learn the basics of home cooking, this is certainly something of interest to you.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Saving Dinner by Leanne Ely

The title of this book truly does justice to the content: Saving Dinner offers time and money saving recipes and menu plans to help bring your whole family back to the dinner table.

I first came across this through the FlyLady site when Leanne offered her advice about menu-planning. Her recipes use frugal, seasonal ingredients and take very little time to create. Best of all, you can visit the website to print off your shopping list so you don't have to write them all down or take your book to the supermarket!

Being an American title, some of the ingredients may be bewildering to us Brits; just look up anything you are unsure about (don't forget, "zuccinis" are "courgettes" to us!) and you'll find this a useful addition to your cookery shelf.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Best for... Keeping House

Sink Reflections by Marla Cilley - AKA FlyLady

I can describe this book as nothing more than a Godsend! For mummies whose homes seem to have transformed into bombsites die to the lack of time, energy and motivation, this title will help you get your home (and your life) back in order with seemingly no effort.

Based on the wisdom of FlyLady.net, Sink Reflections offers us an insight into Marla's previously unkempt home and how she learned to transform her house into a haven using "babysteps" to achieve great things over time. From learning how to organize yourself to daily 15 minute plans of achievement, this book will be something you can refer to over and over.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

House Rules by Clare Coulson

Forget trying to be a "perfect housewife": for me, this book would be better termed "The Bible" of housekeeping! From the best way to iron a shirt to foolproof cooking techniques, this covers everything you could possibly want to know about keeoing a haven and not just a home.

Admittedly, the directory section is not wholly appropriate for me (most addresses are based in London, or are very expensive outlets), but the "how to" sections offer clear and concise advice on everything you could possibly need to know about keeping house. This takes pride of place on my bookshelves, and is a title I pick up whenever I have a question about our home.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Best for... Entertaining the kids

I'm Bored by Suzy Barratt, Polly Beard and Sam Holland

This ingenious book offers imaginative ideas for keeping the kids entertained whether you're stuck at home on a rainy day or caught up in a traffic jam.

These ideas do not ask you to buy any expensive equipment; most simply require a little imagination and what you already have at hand. It's beautifully illustrated too, which encourages younger children to look at the pictures and decide what they'd like to play.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Best for... Frugal Living

The Thrift Book by India Knight

Written by a self-confessed "child of the more-is-more 1980s", this book offers insights into how we can reduce our expenditure without expense to our lifestyles.

I've always been a thrifty mummy at heart, but found many new ways of saving in this book (especially the website directories and "community" section). Some of India's insights are amusing, and it's hard to imagine she honestly has tried everything she recommends, but overall this is very enjoyable.

Buy from Amazon | Find on ReadItSwapIt

Thrifty Ways for Modern Days by Martin Lewis

Based on the "Old-Style" forum of MoneySavingExpert.com, this guide offers tried and tested frugal tips to help you save money in almost every aspect of your home. Include tips for growing your own vegetables, eco-cleaning and cheap (yet wonderful) family foods, there's something in here to suit everyone and help save a pretty penny in the process.

Martin Lewis is famed for his expertise on saving money, and has graciously contributed all proceeds of this book to charity since the wisdom is collected from avid members of his infamous site. If you're a fan of MoneySavingExpert.com or even just need a little nudge to save more money around the house, this really is a book you should read at least once!

Buy from Amazom | Find on ReadItSwapIt

What would you add to this list?

These books are my personal favorites: the ones which I have read, and can honestly recommend as useful  reading for mummies!

Do you have any favorites which are not on this list? Please let us know what your favorite books are and why you enjoy them so much by leaving your comments below.