Book Review: Make Your Place Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills

This is another small, but mighty book up for review.  Make Your Place is a book written and illustrated by Raleigh Briggs.  This book was a birthday gift from my husband shortly after we were married.  I cherish it and have read it over and over again because it is filled with so many hands-on recipes and daily information.

Make Your Place is divided up into three sections: Health & First Aid, Non-Toxic Cleaning & Body Care, and Gardening.  Each page is filled with darling illustrations and easy to read verbiage.  It is very clear that Raleigh Briggs knows what she is talking about.  In her introduction she mentions that she has spent time trying different cleaning, gardening and first aid methods to make sure that she has presented only the best results in this book.  

Before I dive into her section on Gardening (which is wonderful), I'd love to give you my favorite of her recipes in the Non-Toxic Cleaning & Body Care sections.  This is the best drain opener that I have ever used and the best part is that you have all of these things probably in your kitchen right now.  I use this recipe for our shower drains and it works like magic every time!

"DIY Drain Opener (Raleigh Briggs, pg 54)

Pour 1 cup each salt and baking soda, plus 1/2 cup vinegar down the drain.

Let it sit for 15 minutes, and then flush the drain with 2-3 quarts of boiling water."

I am so excited to be able to use the Gardening chapter over and over again this spring and summer.  You will find everything in this section from plant anatomy, when to plant, making raised beds, improving the soil, compost for beginners, staking and trellising, pest control and garden layout.  Garden layout has my favorite chart in it called Buddy System.  This has a chart of common grown fruits and vegetables with information on what grows well next to each other and what plants to keep far away from each other.  Who knew that carrots and lettuce like to be planted side-by-side?

Check out Make Your Place Affordable, Sustainable Nesting Skills for more great information.  You can buy your own copy here.