Ivy says: Awhile back, a commenter requested a granny square tutorial. Right on! I love granny squares. They’re versatile and fast, and you can make one with virtually no thought or counting, so you can watch television while crocheting. Now, this tutorial assumes you know three basic crochet stitches: double crochet, chain stitch, and slip …
Ivy says: I knew last week was going to be so busy I wouldn’t be able to get any projects done, so I didn’t do one . This week looks to be better, though, so here’s what I’m working on: culling my books. Now, I know my fellow book lovers are saying, “Wait, there is …
Retro Saturday is a chance to see a blast from the Home Ec 101 past and gives Ivy and I a chance to relax. Heather says: I searched high and low. I tried at least a dozen recipes people swear were from Grandma and now I have it. This is the one I recommend to …
Ivy says: Recently, I saw a discussion about bottled water in a frugality community. Some people were saying it is not frugal at all to buy bottled water, since tap water is (essentially) free. Others explained that the water where they lived was just bad and they needed bottled water. I’m in the “my water …
Heather says: I’m home from our surprise getaway and although I’m still twitching from sudden Internet withdrawal, I have been assured it is harmless and will eventually stop. So, what does one do when they find themselves with a vacation that has not been budgeted for? Well, if there is a refrigerator, bring along the …
This post was updated and expanded on April 22, 2022. Let’s talk about setting a pretty table. One of the things we like best in this world is to sit down at a table with a crisp tablecloth. We have an acquaintance who puts placemats on top of her tablecloth to keep it clean but, …
Ivy says: This is only marginally on topic, and for that, I apologize. But I think this is really important, so here goes. The internet was boring, so I went a-stumbling. I ran into this post, a tribute to Mr. Rogers. I nearly broke down into tears, because lately I’ve been feeling pretty hateful toward …
Ivy says: My cousin is coming to town sometime in the next 2 months and wanted to know what she should see and do in Nashville. She especially wantd to know if the Country Music Hall of Fame was worth the $18 admission fee. When I told her I had never been to the Country …
Dear Home Ec 101, Where I live we have to pay for trash disposal. The trash disposal company we use gives us great big trash cans that most of us around here call dumpsters. Today, I was so embarassed when I got this note from the trash disposal guys: “Could you please clean out your …
Heather says: Mr. Heather and I are going to be taking a short trip in the near future. Rather than pester our neighbors, I thought I would see how difficult it was to place a hold on the mail. I remember my mother having to head down to the post office, stand in line, and …