Home-Ec Guest Ivy says: Ah, depression. It strikes at predictable times, it strikes at totally unpredictable times. Sure, you can go to the doctor and get some Zoloft for that, and if you really do have a chemical imbalance, it might be a good thing to get some Zoloft. But if you’re like me, it doesn’t really …
Ivy says: Let me first gross you out by saying we carry around approximately 3 pounds of bacteria in our guts every day. It’s good bacteria, the kind we need. But how nasty is that? Ewww. There’s a huge debate out there about whether we should wipe out as many germs as possible (the germophobe …
Ivy says: On one hand, I hate cleaning toilets because it’s gross (especially with 2 boys and a grown up man in the house). On the other hand, they always clean up so nicely and I’m pleased when I’m finished. So, no, I wouldn’t say cleaning toilets is the worst household chore. It is something …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Help! I need a system for bills. I need to get them paid on time and not lose them once they enter my home! Signed, In the dark Ivy says: Paying bills is a pain in the behind, but it’s even worse if you don’t have a good system. For years, there …
Ivy says: We like to hear from you guys! You’re a smart, savvy bunch (hey, you are smart enough to be one of our readers, right?) so we’ll toss out discussion questions from time to time. Hey, we don’t have all the answers…just most of them. So here’s the question du jour, it’s a two …
Dear Home-Ec 101, Ok, so I don’t know if I’ve just noticed it, or if it is getting darker (is this what aging does to you?!?), but suddenly, I’m noticing fine but dark hair growing on my face. What do I do?! I don’t want to nair it, because that upsets my skin. Can I …
Dear Home-Ec101, I live in an apartment and my mini-blinds are covered with the funk of thousands of tenants. Can you please tell me the best way to clean these? Signed, Dusty Shades Ivy says: I hate mini-blinds. My cats break the ends off of them because they MUST sit in the window and they …
Ivy says: Sometimes you have guests coming over unexpectedly and you don’t have time for the full cleaning route. And sometimes you just don’t feel like cleaning like a madman when there are guests coming over. So what are the most important parts of your house to hit to make your house look decent? Following …
Ivy says: There is nothing in this world that tastes more like “home” than monkey bread. My Auntie used to make it- though she called it “sticky buns”- and she never told anyone her recipe. We’d ask and she’d change the subject. We’d try to at least get an idea of how she made them …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I’m gearing myself up to finally tackling the scary fridge. It hasn’t been cleaned since the dawn of refrigeration, so there’s a ton of ultra-scary-ew-nasty-what-is-that-gunk in the fridge. But, I don’t want to use any harsh chemicals, as I’m concerned about the smell/taste of it transferring over to the food once I’m …