Ivy says: This week I only have one goal, and that’s to get through this week. Every once in awhile, we all have weeks like this. Overscheduled, too much to do, not enough time for it all. I keep my schedule on my MacBook’s iCal program, and I’ve been watching this week loom for the …
Dear Home Ec 101, We bought our older house six years ago, and knew then that the backyard had a bit of an ant problem. Fast forward to this year, when I’ve decided that I can’t stand it anymore! What is a good, non-toxic way to get rid of a majority of ant hills? So …
Dear Home Ec 101,I admit I wanted one of those – a bagless vacuum cleaner! What an amazing idea! No thought was given to what I was going to do with the container full of dust and debris. I’ve figured out that dumping out the junk is fairly easy – although many people including myself …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I got this set of cast iron pans last year for my birthday and I know that you have to do something with them before you can use them. I “googled” it but I find soooo many different things I don’t even know where to start. I figured you ladies would be …
Heather says: Many thanks to Stephanie of Stop the Ride for letting us host this week’s Make It From Scratch Carnival . It’s a round up for those who are sharing things they have made from scratch. Do you ever wonder where that term came from? A quick Google search suggested it was first used …
Ivy says: Anyone who has ever emailed me knows- I’m very haphazard about whether or not I’ll reply. It’s not that I don’t want to reply or anything, I just am extremely disorganized when it comes to email. I’ve been using the email program that comes with my Mac OSX software lately, and I’ve been …
Ivy and Heather say: I hope you all have a safe and happy Fourth of July! Heather’s taking her kids to see a local fireworks display, and I’ll be at a BBQ at my mom’s. Here in Nashville we have a 70% chance of rain, so I’m not too cheery at the moment. We bought …
Dear Home Ec 101, No matter what I do, the hardwater spots on my shower and tub keep coming back? What am I doing wrong? Signed, Speckled in Spencerton Heather says: Well there are a couple of options. You could invest in a water softener or be super diligent and use a squeegee after every …
Dear Home Ec 101, How do you get stuck on hairspray off walls and a cheap linoleum bathroom floor? Signed, Tacky in Texas Heather says: Oh it’s the dreaded hairspray overspray! The answer is deceptively simple. You’ll need hot water and elbow grease. Use an old rag and water as hot as you can stand …
Ivy says: Last night, there were several dishes left over after starting the dishwasher. This happens with some frequency, we use a heck of a lot of dishes in our house. Normally, I would just rinse them and set them in the sink to run the dishwasher this morning, but it occurred to me that …