It’s out! And I’m off!

My new book–Flanagan’s Smart Home: The 98 Essentials for Starting Out, Starting Over, Scaling Back–has just hit the bookstores, and I can already see what my next book should be. Flanagan’s Smart Book Tour: Packing for 10 Cities in 10 Days.

Starting on Monday I’ll be traveling light and fast while hitting as many TV stations as possible between Bethlehem, PA and LA during the crazy pre-and-post election, pre-Xmas, mid-bust days of November. That means packing no-wrinkle tops in solid jewel tones, sensible shoes, non-reflective jewelry, and make-up enough to look alert at 6AM next to a glam TV host.

So instead of Halloween partying tonight, I’m putting together my new look as the on-air Barbara, and shopping for nutritionally perfect energy bars I can scarf on the tarmac.

Leanest and lightest of all my gear is the message I’m taking out on the road. It’s good news for a change. I’m going to convince you that you need very little–far less than you think–to make a happy, handsome, affordable household. I’ll tell which things–98 of them –they ought to be and why. If my choices sound impassioned and heavily opinionated, well, that’s because I think this stuff is really important—not only for Americans, but also for their habitat.

Cincinnati, for example. Come out and visit me there on Nov. 10. A schedule of the book tour will be posted and updated on this blog.

If you can’t make it to Cincy, write to me at this address.

And welcome to my very Smart Home!