Non-Toxic Living Books

great tips. I can't wait to start cleaning green. The one thing that would be great is if the book had a list that summerized the cleaning supplies that were needed to clean each room. How many spray bottles do I need and what is in each bottle? I have started to go through the book again and write down my own list, but it is a bit scattered. Does anyone have their own list?

If I could only own one book on keeping a greener home, this would be it. There are tips on everything from opening a clogged drain to homemade beauty products. This book is never out of reach at my house now!!

Buy this book!!! Seriously a must have for any household. From basic household and personal organization to step by step guidance on how to make your home an organic and chemical free one!!! Plus her writing style is fun to read, I want to be her friend.

I was so excited about the changes brought about in my house by using the tips in this book, that I ordered a three pack of the Dutch Rubber Broom she describes in the text (a garage broom, a kitchen broom, and a hand broom for the car, for 9.99 plus S&H). The company overcharged me (19.99 instead of 9.99), and then messed up my order (just gave me the garage broom). When I confronted them with this, they first stated that they didn't have a three broom offer, then when I forwarded them their own web page, they still refused to correct the error, stating that the error was on my part, because that isn't what is reflected on the order.

The gal on the email and phone argued with me rudely. She admitted that others have had the same issue, but it was because they were, like myself, incapable of reading a web page correctly. I have been reading since the age of three, and I'm a computer programmer, so I think I have a firm grasp of how to navigate a web page.

My option, at this point, is to pay to ship the garage broom back to them unused and get my twenty dollars back (roughly the price of shipping), or to give them another $20 and have them graciously ship me the rest of my order. Their adamant claim, of course, is that they had fulfilled my order, and it isn't their issue in the first place to even address this. The route to speak with someone higher on the food chain was short-circuited by this same rude person. Just a warning, in case you wanted to give that broom a try. The book: fabulous! The broom company: leaves much to be desired. I wish I'd never bothered.

UPDATE: I was fortunate enough to be able to contact the book's author (WOW), and she actually fixed the problem with the company. Can you believe it? I couldn't have even dreamed of a better response from an author. It's unfathomable to me. For the fact that she really cares enough to go the extra mile for a complete stranger who is willing to listen to her advice, I'm profoundly grateful, and would give her more than the five stars her writing has earned her, if it were possible. Neat! If you're deliberating whether you'll buy this or not, just do it for the sake of giving your greenbacks to a real person with real compassion and real action in her intentions. I'm floored and am ready to check out her gardening books, just for this reason!

I found a lot of helpful tips for cleaning one's home in a less enviromentally destructive (and often less expensive) way. There was also a lot of not so useful material in there, but it was easy enough to find what applied and skip over the rest.

I think that the point of the book is to make changes wherever you can; if everyone did just that, the environment would be in a much better place.

As a professional eco-friendly interior designer, I find Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet by Norma Lehmeier Hartie to be an indispensable tool for my work.

This book started the "green part" of my career. The sections on green living and green products for the home, along with the hundreds of resources, taught me everything I need to know--and where to purchase--green products for the home. There is also a chapter on organic and healthy food and eco-friendly personal care products and on cleaning supplies.

I utilize the tips on organizing and de-cluttering for my clients, too. (For those clients that simply can't get rid of stuff or organize, I give them the book as a gift! It works!)

The sections on Feng Shui are fantastic. Hartie makes difficult concepts easy to understand and execute. I also appreciate the fact that she takes Feng Shui into the 21st century and advises based on Western culture what makes sense. Superstitions based on eastern culture from 1000's of years ago are replaced with down-to-earth and timely advice.

As an interior designer, color is a big part of my job. Hartie incorporates the psychology of color into decorating and this works really well. For example, cool colors like purples and blues work best in rooms that need quiet--like bedrooms--because they will decrease your blood pressure and allow you to rest.

The book has tons of information, but it is easily understood and includes a good index for future reference.

Harmonious Environment is a must-have!

Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify & Energize Your Life, Your Home & Your Planet, by Norma Lehmeier Hartie, is an indispensable reference book for anyone who cares about their health and well being and for the future of the planet.

Hartie concisely covers a wide range of subjects and includes a comprehensive listing of advisory organizations, product and service resources. Part I of the book, "Banish the Ugly from Your Life," is a blueprint for green, sustainable living. Discover how to replace toxic and unsustainable products from household cleaners to food (including recipes) to furniture to personal care products with safe, eco-friendly ones. Hartie is the tough but motivational Life Coach in her approach to cleaning, removing clutter and on organizing the home or office.

Part II, "Bring in the Beautiful to Create a Harmonious Environment and Self," includes a chapter on Earth-based spirituality and a fascinating look at the Four Elements (Earth, Fire, Air and Water) and the Medicine Wheel. The core of Hartie's philosophy blossoms in Chapter Seven, "Applying Harmonious Adjustments(tm): Using Feng Shui and Other Techniques for Powerful Results." Unlike other Feng Shui authors, Hartie has experience as a designer and her skills are apparent in this chapter and the following two. She has combined principles of Feng Shui, the Four Elements, color, energy, Vastu, creative visualization, and good design principles that create a unique and eclectic approach to home decorating. Finally, Hartie provides guidance on how to manifest personal or professional desires.

In Part III, "Putting the Pieces Together," Hartie skillfully integrates the many subjects of the book into a unified and cohesive whole.

At its cover price of $19.95, Harmonious Environment is a value alone for the comprehensive green living product suppliers in the Resources section.

What makes this book so truly ambitious, however, is what lies beneath the surface. In a sense, this book is only marginally about decorating ones home per se; it is a tome about personal transformation and about saving the earth. A theme that runs throughout the book is that all beings on earth are interconnected energetically. It is empowering to read that each person has the ability to manipulate their homes and self to both raise the collective energy and to manifest their own desires. Motivational, enlightening and well organized, Harmonious Environment is one remarkable book.

The most impressive aspect of Harmonious Environment is the cover of the book. I found the information to be very basic, idealistic, or common sense. If someone has lived in total chaos and now wants to morph into harmony, this is the book for you! If, however, you're already seeking harmony in your home, I would not recommend this book to you. Harmonious Environment is a primer and only for beginners.

This book has a little bit of everything - feng shui, zodiac signs, dowsing, recipes, and organizational tips. It's so full of information it can be a little overwhelming, but she does organize the book very well. I enjoyed the food recipes and the recipes for natural cleaning solutions. The author also states that dogs prefer positive energy and that cats prefer negative energy, which I have long suspected.

The book has too much of a mystical hoopla vibe for me, though. I stopped when she got to the section about the negative effects of tampons on my spiritual energy or whatever.

This is a great book for both the beginner and those working on clearing their environment. A very interesting read.

The material opens your eyes to the toxicity of today's world, but I just don't think I can afford to keep up with the suggestions of this book in their extremity.