FROM A HOUSE TO A HOME: Simple Ideas and Projects to Enrich Everyday Family Life - Hardcover

Mills, Jemima

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1855858002 ISBN 13: 9781855858008

Publisher: Collins & Brown, 2000

Synopsis

This book celebrates family life and presents dozens of ideas for activities that embrace the generational mix the extended family offers. Each chapter takes a different strand of family life and looks at ways of making ordinary days special.

About this title

Review

Jemima Mills is a freelance art director and stylist and she has written a book from her own experiences covering family life. It deals with creating home comforts for children and adults alike and is divided into three main sections: Family Home, Family Food and Family Playtime. A useful index at the end shows that the book covers most things, from airing cupboards to washing up, with notes on painted egg cups, growing mustard and cress and making a dressing-up box.

Beautifully illustrated, the book gives a highly personalised view of creating a balanced family environment. All aspects are included--household chores, cosy or minimal living, creating a "poorly bed" and remedies for childhood ailments. There are hints for furnishing rooms for children of different ages, making music together and building dens and hideaways in the garden. The food section includes suggestions for after-school tea and recipes for apple pie and pumpkin soup (served, of course, in a hollowed-out pumpkin) with further ideas for family suppers and dealing with picky eaters. That old-time favourite, eggy bread and a rich, hot chocolate recipe alone make it worth buying.

This is a book that a pregnant mum would love to browse through because it gives, perhaps, an idealised view of what family life could be like. There is no mention of temper tantrums here. --Judith Spelman

Edition details

• Publisher: Collins & Brown
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1855858002
• ISBN 13: 9781855858008
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 159