UPDATED: This contest is closed. Congratulations to our winner, Joanne Schultz!!
This is not my kitchen:
And this is not my family room:
But I wish they were. I have never gotten a good handle on decorating or design, and so I was thrilled to hear about Debbie Wiener’s book Slob Proof! Real-Life Design Solutions.
Slob Proof. Yep, I think she wrote this book for my family.
Meet Debbie:
Debbie Wiener a strong advocate for the cleaning-impaired and the decorating-challenged and the owner of Designing Solutions, a full-service interior design firm specializing in durable, cleanable family-friendly interiors with personality, comfort, value. Debbie is the the anti-luxury interior designer, writing about comfort, convenience and value instead of high end indulgence. And, unlike other interior designers who write books, Slob Proof! Real-Life Design Solutions is actually affordable. You can find Debbie’s blog at www.debbiewiener.com, on Facebook, and she’s DebbieWiener on twitter. For a fun video of Debbie (that will get you laughing, I’m sure!) visit SlobProof.com.
In Slob-Proof, Debbie shares how to:
• Decorate for the way you really live. (No one can really live in a show house.)
• Get the biggest bang for each decorating dollar you spend.
• Make color your new BFF.
• Use good lighting to make even modest rooms look impressive.
• Use simple household items to quickly correct everyday damage.
• Keep bathroom floors “spot free” (even if you have boys).
My favorite tip in the book was “Color is camouflage and your best tool in protecting your home from the people who live in it.” I also loved her tips on what kind of window coverings are appropriate for the way rooms are utilized (and whether they are inhabited by kids or pets!). Debbie’s writing was down-to-earth and relateable. There’s no way that a typical design book could have held my attention because, honestly, it’s a different language to me. Luckily, Debbie seems to speak my language. Now, if only I had some extra cash lying around to beautify my house. I could even invite Debbie over for some help–she’s local!
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Of course, Debbie was gracious enough to offer to send one of my readers a book, too!
To enter, simply tell me what area of your house needs the most help.
For extra entries, you may do any of the following (please leave a separate comment for each entry):
- Follow me and Debbie on twitter and tweet about this giveaway (once per day) (hint: to make it easy, click the tweet button at the bottom of this post)
- Visit Debbie’s website and tell me one design tip that you learned (hint: Check out her printable tip sheets)
- Check out her book on Amazon and tell me what looks interesting about it (hint: Under the image of the book there’s a link to browse inside the book!)
- Subscribe to my blog.
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*This giveaway will end on Friday, February 12 at midnight EST, and winner will be notified by email.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of Slob Proof to review. The thoughts and opinions about the book are my own.
© 2010, Food Fun Family. All rights reserved.
Design tip: For family-friendly family rooms, you can’t beat leather.
I follow both and tweeted – https://twitter.com/choochoo428/status/9041558634
My bedrooms need the most help! Ugh to the bedrooms!
My kitchen needs the most help.
My office needs a lot of help.
Our living room needs the most help, and it’s the first thing people see, so it’s especially scary!
My dining room needs the most help, everything gets thrown in there!
.-= Sheila Hickmon´s last blog ..Featured Blogger Friday #1! =-.
My livingroom it is an odd shape and has high cielings and is the most used room in the house.
the family room
I would have to say my kitchen.
I thought it was interesting that it was only five chapters, each dealing with another aspect or location.
I learned ‘multicolor patterns hide unavoidable spills .’
I subscribe to your blog’s feed via google reader.
i follow you and Debbie on twitter – js22222222 .
tweet: https://twitter.com/js22222222/status/8986531006
uh, the inside of the house! My house is small, and the only closets are in the bedrooms- tough to find room for everything !
Thanks for the giveaway!
The den!
Our bedroom needs the most help. It’s just so full of furniture. I feel like I have to crawl over the bed to get to the closet. :(
kirbycolby at gmail dot com
My bedroom and kitchen especially
My living room is a disaster and I need clues what to do!
nik_har at yahoo dot com
In my house, the bedroom needs the most help. Thanks.
president(dot)peaches(at)hotmail(dot)com
ummm every area but my office is the worst
My den needs the most help.
bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com
Our living room! Can’t figure out what to do with it. Always trying to keep it clean and never succeeding.
.-= Gale´s last blog ..CafePress Giveaway =-.
we just moved so every room could use some work!!! but the kitchen especially because it tends to become a dumping ground and my husband hates that!
FOLLOWING BOTH OF U ON TWEETER AND TWEETED
https://twitter.com/jmahurin40/status/8803339688
GOOGLE FRIEND FOLLOWER
MY LIVING ROOM NEEDS LOTS OF ATTENTION AND TLC.
The living area looks like a war zone at times. People just stomp, drop & move on through.
My kitchen and bedroom or actually the WHOLE house… I seem to get cleaned up and 5 minutes later it’s ugh…
I visited Debbie’s site and learned that it’s best to stay away from beige or neutral flooring because it’s very unforgiving when it comes to dirt and stains. Never would have thought about that before. :)
.-= zeemaid´s last blog ..I really shouldn’t but I just can stay away =-.
I’m a follower!
.-= zeemaid´s last blog ..I really shouldn’t but I just can stay away =-.
following Debbie on Twitter
.-= zeemaid´s last blog ..I really shouldn’t but I just can stay away =-.
following on twitter
.-= zeemaid´s last blog ..I really shouldn’t but I just can stay away =-.
the room that most needs help is my family room/dining room. They run into one another and with three kids under 6 and a zillion toys underfoot it’s hard to come up with a look that not only is functional but attractive at the same time.
.-= zeemaid´s last blog ..I really shouldn’t but I just can stay away =-.
I subscribe via e-mail
jjak2003 at gmail dot com
Our bedroom really needs some help. We have people over pretty frequently, and I don’t want the common areas looking bad for guests, so whenever I don’t know where to put something it gets stuck in the bedroom!
Right now my office really needs some serious help.
.-= Robin G´s last blog ..Swanky Aprons Review & Giveaway =-.
My “romper room” as I like to call it needs the most help. It is a giant great room that serves as the media room, home office, playroom, game room and craft room. It always looks like it has been hit by a tornado. I need ideas!
Our bedroom needs the most work right now! It’s not organized at ALL :-(
.-= Maya´s last blog ..Lessons Lived, Lessons Learned =-.
There seems to be a vast wealth of information hidden between the two covers of this book. After reading the Printable tip sheets, I’m seriously planning to add lighting to any cubicle I ever find myself working in as well as limit my personal affects. I also really like the tip to use white out on grout. Never would of thought of it! I have been using the magic eraser which is fabulous but doesn’t get everything! Thanks Debbie!
Looks like a great book. I could probably get some good ideas for my Clutterbugs posts from there. I like her Decorate for how you actually live section.
Oh, boy. My house needs help. I don’t think there’s one area more than the others, though my own bedroom is probably the worst. I’m a slob of epic proportions.
.-= Tara @ Feels Like Home´s last blog ..Grace Did Not Enjoy Playing in the Snow =-.
Looking at her book, I love how she uses so many patterns!
.-= Chandra´s last blog ..Bombay =-.
I liked the idea of using an extra fitted sheet to cover the box springs in the kids’ bedrooms, instead of a bed skirt.
.-= Chandra´s last blog ..Bombay =-.
I’m a subscriber.
.-= Chandra´s last blog ..Bombay =-.
I tweeted!
.-= Chandra´s last blog ..Bombay =-.
The kids room. I just can’t seem to figure out how to organize all the “stuff”.
I really need help in my kitchen. One of the tips I loved on her site was to use White Out for touch ups on trim from scuff marks or whatever.
What a realistic creative book. I like the concept that comfort comes first in a family room.
the great room mverno@roadrunner.com
In my house the office and the guest room the most attention right now. There isn’t any order to them
My laundry room and master bedroom need help.
I re-tweeted your tweet about this yesterday and I am following Debbie on twitter!
.-= Brandie´s last blog ..Two Ways to Help Haiti =-.
my living room, of course! it’s the most lived in and the most neglected.
oh, wait, the most neglected would be my bedroom…hmmm.
That sounds like such a great book! I’ve always said my design style was functional :) I only like pretty stuff that does stuff, instead of just sitting there being pretty!
.-= Jill @ Two of a Kind´s last blog ..You Capture: Faces =-.
Okay, I need this book! I’ve lived in our house almost 3 years and I’ve only painted 2 rooms and a hallway! Decorating scares me! My house has an open floor plan so I’m scared to pick wall colors that flow well together.
.-= Jess´s last blog ..Blog awards =-.
I follow
.-= AngieB´s last blog ..Five Things That Made Me Happy This Week – Feel Good Friday =-.
The worst are my boys’ rooms – I don’t even want to look inside anymore.
suscribe to email
hippopurplemonkey at yahoo dot com
My whole house needs help! but the WORST is the kids room and the laundry room!
hippopurplemonkey at yahoo dot com
I follow both you and Debbie on Twitter!
.-= Kristina´s last blog ..Five Question Friday =-.
And I was already a follower, but I also now subscribe by Google Reader. Honestly, I thought it was the same thing, but I guess not???
Can you tell I totally want to win this book!!! :-)
.-= Cop Mama´s last blog ..Bees!!! =-.
Went on Amazon and checked out her book. I like the idea of having a small patterned run in the kitchen and then using the same tiles on the backsplash!
.-= Cop Mama´s last blog ..Bees!!! =-.
Went to Debbie’s website and clicked on the “Comfort comes first” tab. She talks about the sofa being the place to start.
.-= Cop Mama´s last blog ..Bees!!! =-.
I already follow you and now I follow Debbie! @TheCopMama
.-= Cop Mama´s last blog ..Bees!!! =-.
Our living room is totally boring and baby proofed. We need HELP! Plus, I love the idea behind this book. Even if I don’t win it, I might just try to find it myself!
I really need this book desperately and I keep trying all the different “give aways” for it…lol.
My entire house needs help….but the worst area is the master bedroom…we have flooring stored there, along with a miter saw that’s blocking access to the dresser….I haven’t been able to use the master bathroom shower in 10 years…now “stuff” is stored in the shower…it’s really bad. The things I’ve mentioned are only the tip of the iceberg…
I’m following both you and Debbie on Twitter, the tip I really liked from Debbie’s website is the suggestion to use witeout for dings in white trim…great idea.
The thing that really caught my attention about the book is the front cover and the words “SLOB PROOF”. I just told my husband I was trying to win a book to help me slob proof our home. He answered me with, “I thought you were against divorce”.
I’ve also subscribed to your blog. I think that’s everything. Luck, please be with me.
Definitely the kitchen!
My Laundry room & my living room need the most work! My living room looks like a day care!
my first instinct is to say “all of it”…but I’m assuming that’s not allowed. So I will narrow it down to either the living room, or the bedroom.
.-= thepsychobabble´s last blog ..Cheesy Gushy Post =-.
This is a giveaway I can get behind. I am decorating challenged for sure!! Luckily I love color and painting is one thing I know I can do so I will do my best to win this one but don’t use random.org it hates me haha!!
.-= Brandie´s last blog ..Two Ways to Help Haiti =-.