Author: Raleigh Briggs
Publisher: Microcosm Publishing
Genre: DIY
Pages: 124
Retail Price: $7
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This little book packs a lot of info on health/first aid, housecleaning, and gardening, focusing on how to use herbs and other natural ingredients in place of your everyday toxic chemicals.

Some of the tips are super easy – simple recipes for natural bleach and other cleaning materials should be considered by all, as is using dried herbs to repel bugs and pests. (Aside: bay leaves work great against pantry moths!) Other stuff I don’t quite see myself doing, like making my own toothpaste and shampoo. But there’s useful information here for any DIY’er, including lazybones like me.

Make Your Place is done zine-style, so expect lots of neat handwriting with flourishes and illustrations by the author. The writing style, like the illustrations, is cute rather than cutesy, mixing fun with facts without seeming hippy-dippy. I also have to commend the author for ensuring readers’ safety with warnings on allergies and side effects.

Bottom Line: Great fun-to-read resource on keeping a toxin-free home.
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