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Post by shabbychic on Aug 8, 2012 20:48:06 GMT -5
Well baloney! Amazon wants $4.61, and Barnes and Noble, while offering it for free, wants my credit card number to create an account. I actually have a copy of Messies Manual. It's older than at least one of my kids, and is, well, pretty messy. but i can get it out and use it. i remember her method being useful, although with two little ones it seemed like i spent every waking moment keeping the house maintained and that isn't how I wanted to live. Seems like also she was the opposite of Flylady in her methods, although it's been so long I may be wrong about that. It seems like one would have to choose one method or the other. I liked her Mt. Vernon method. It worked pretty well for me for a while. I'll have to get that out.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2012 3:33:44 GMT -5
Thanks for the heads up sparkle.
I got it free on Amazon UK. (I'm already registered on Amazon so they have my card details).
I managed to order it just before midnight UK time yesterday. If there was a time limit (sparkle mentioned it, but I didn't see a notice on the Amazon site) maybe that explains the charge.
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Post by Ally on Aug 9, 2012 4:56:06 GMT -5
I have an amazon account, and they did have it for free early in the day yesterday, but later I did check and it had gone up to $4.61. Maybe they were only giving away so many copies for free. It was the first time I had ever downloaded a book through amazon.
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Post by fluffernut - now Jannie on Aug 9, 2012 7:06:47 GMT -5
I went on Amazon and it is $4.61. Guess I logged on too late! I've seen no free Ebooks on my Amazon account, the lowest was 99 cents. But I have plans to go to my local librsary today. Everything is free there, as long as you return it on time.
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Post by sunshineshouse on Aug 9, 2012 7:45:50 GMT -5
Yes, I didn't want to give B & N my credit card info either, but was able to get it through amazon. Yes, Felton's Mount Vernon Method was good and also some of her lingo which I need to refresh in my brain.
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Aug 9, 2012 8:49:52 GMT -5
FYI, the book was previously published in 2005 as The Messie's Manual. I actually have a copy of Messies Manual. It's older than at least one of my kids, and is, well, pretty messy. but i can get it out and use it. i remember her method being useful, although with two little ones it seemed like i spent every waking moment keeping the house maintained and that isn't how I wanted to live. Seems like also she was the opposite of Flylady in her methods, although it's been so long I may be wrong about that. It seems like one would have to choose one method or the other. I liked her Mt. Vernon method. It worked pretty well for me for a while. I'll have to get that out. Yes, Felton's Mount Vernon Method was good and also some of her lingo which I need to refresh in my brain. Mount Vernon MethodA phrase coined by Sandra Felton, author of the "Messies Manual", which refers to how the current maid/janitorial staff maintain the museum that is "Mount Vernon" (the home that belonged to George Washington). It's copyright, so I'll just give the link to Sandra's own description: www.messies.com/index.php/mt-vernon-methodHere is a paraphrased description: getorganizedwithbridges.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/five-boxes-a-bag-a-list-and-the-mt-vernon-method-of-organizing/ Mount Vesuvius MethodA specific method of emergency cleaning described here by Sandra Felton: www.messies.com/index.php/mt-vesuvius-method
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2012 10:01:22 GMT -5
I have read the book. It's quite a quick and easy read. I'm glad it was free as I think I would have felt sorry to have spent any money on it.
What she says is all good and sensible. But it's much the same as Flylady and Don Aslett and the Slob Sisters (Pam and Peggy). And for me they said it better with more helpful detail.
Maybe I would have felt differently if I had come across her first. I don't know if she predated them or not. I first read Don Aslett way back in the early 80's. He was really helpful and FlyLady doesn't say anything much different but for me it was the way she said it that got me really going to another level.
I think the difference is that Don A seems to be a BO while FlyLady is one of us.
I know some people people here aren't FlyLady fans, it seems you either love her or hate her.
I think what I felt with Sandra Felton's book was that although it was all very sensible, I think I would have found it hard to get motivated to put into practice. I mean, if her Mount Vernon method was that easy we'd all be doing it wouldn't we?
Whereas starting with shining your sink seems a lot more attainable at first.
What do others think?
ETA I have just seen shabbychic's post saying the Mount Vernon method worked well for her. When I started my problems weren't primarily clutter or hoarding, but just keeping things clean on a day to day basis. Especially kitchen, bathrooms, dusting and so on.
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Post by sparkle on Aug 10, 2012 13:12:04 GMT -5
I'm so sorry some of you had trouble with Amazon going back to regular price. I received the email about this offer at 0643 MDT but it was sent by a friend, not Amazon or Barnes Noble. I don't know if it's worth the time to deal with Amazon Customer Service but I do think they are in the wrong here. There was nothing said about "while supplies last". Again, my sincere apologies. Last thing I want to do is bring more frustration into our lives. Thanks for the thanks to those who were able to get it.
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Post by PaperGrace on Aug 10, 2012 13:47:12 GMT -5
I have read the book. It's quite a quick and easy read. I'm glad it was free as I think I would have felt sorry to have spent any money on it. I'm about 1/2 way through and feeling the same way. The editing was terrible in some places, and I don't know if that was from transferring it to an e-format or not (Words left off the ends of sentences etc...). I have issues with most 'self improvement' style books trying to take on a conversational tone. Sometimes it works, sometimes it makes me feel like I'm being talked at like a small child or a pet. This book (so far) falls in the middle. I like that she talks about her own experiences, and relief at gathering a group of messies and finding they all have certain things in common. I can imagine having coffee with this woman. On the other hand: I don't want to be a princess. I don't need to be reassured that I'm a creative free spirit, and that's its a good thing! Sometimes when she's talking in this vein it seems sort of trite. So far I've read a lot of things that I've heard before, (some of it here on the site) and wondered if her messie manual had been the source of some of it going way back. In fairness I'm just getting to the solutions part of the book, and it may pick up from here. Current rating: 3 out of 5 stars, with great hopes for making it a 4 by the time I finish!
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Post by sparkle on Aug 10, 2012 14:10:59 GMT -5
Thanks for the reviews, guys. I've not been a fan either because of the princess thing but it was free and I sort of thought it was a new take on things. I'll maybe add a review, too, when I've had a chance to read it.
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Post by hiding on Aug 10, 2012 14:47:22 GMT -5
Don Aslett irritates me to no end. At least the 1st edition his book Clutter's Last Stand does. I think he added too much of his own attitude to the book. He seemed to have a condemning, condescending attitude towards clutterers. He stopped just short of calling all of us fat, ***, and morally weak. Putting down a person is not the way to support him or her in changing behavior. Now I have a problem throwing away books in good condition but that one went in the trash. I didn't even want to give it away.
To be fair, his Is There Life After Housework? book was good in dealing just with cleaning techniques while leaving the preaching out. Maybe he has mellowed some over the years. I think he published Clutter's Last Stand in the 80s.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2012 15:00:15 GMT -5
'Is There Life After Housework' is the one I have. I haven't read any of his others.
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Aug 10, 2012 17:01:25 GMT -5
FYI, the book was previously published in 2005 as The Messie's Manual. Here's a review of the 1983 edition of the Messies Manual. " The Messies Manual: The Procrastinator's Guide to Good Housekeeping." by Sandra Felton. Reviewed by Pigpen, owner of the SqualorSurvivors website.www.squalorsurvivors.com/resources/messies-manual-review.shtml
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Post by CourageouslyLion SeeksSerenity on Aug 10, 2012 17:08:55 GMT -5
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Post by hiding on Aug 10, 2012 18:16:55 GMT -5
My understanding is that Aslett removed the most offensive text for the 2005 edition. I don't like the guy. If he would stick to the matter at hand, fine. I think he did that much more so in Is There Life After Housework?
I don't like the guy. He pushes every button I have and not in a good way. I know if we met in person, we would go toe to toe on everything. Clutter would be only the start. I don't often instantly dislike a person. I'm usually calm and fair minded. But this guy makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck.
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