House & Home

According to the Trends Research Institute, simplicity will be the social movement of the next ten years. Sure to benefit from this is the holiday season, which is more stressful than satisfying for many people. In her fourth Simple Pleasures book, author Susannah Seton shows how to find true satisfaction in the holidays by making them less expensive, less frantic, and more meaningful. Simple Pleasures for the Holidays takes an expansive approach, covering Halloween, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, Hanukkah, the Mexican Day of the Dead, and Irish and Islamic holidays. The premise is that shared experience is what people value most, and the book itself a collage of inspirational stories from people around the world along with recipes, crafts, and suggestions for communal fun embodies this.

"Home," writes Susannah Seton. "There are few words that carry such potent feelings. It's the place where we can let down our hair, loosen our clothes, put our feet up. It's where those we love most share in the ordinariness and extraordinariness of our days. It's the place many of us spend lifetimes trying to get back to. As the proverb goes, it's where our hearts are. Simple Pleasures of the Home is for everyone who has the nesting impulse from passionate and accomplished home decorators to anyone who simply enjoys domestic downtime. Organized room by room, the book includes dozens of simple activities for bringing the family together, creative ideas for pampering yourself and loved ones, easy-to-follow instructions for making aromatherapy products, tips for candlemaking, and comfortfood recipes As the proverb goes, it's where our hearts are."