Ivy says: If you haven’t done this already, this weekend would be a great time to go through all the kids’ toys and get rid of anything broken, anything they don’t play with, anything they just have too much of (my daughter had approximately 1,493 stuffed animals before we cleaned out her room), and anything …
Dear Home-Ec 101, I’m curious to know what’s the best vacuum for someone with long hair and a cat that has short hair. I’ve got a nice Kenmore canister vac, but my hair bogs up the roller constantly. And I ain’t cuttin’ my hair. Signed, Lovely With Long Hair Ivy says: Back when I had …
Dear Home-Ec 101, What is the best way to clean infant toys? Signed, Stink, Rattle & Roll Ivy says: When cleaning toys that are going to go into a baby’s mouth (which is everything baby gets her hands on), you want to go with cleaning products that are both natural and safe. I have two …
Hello ladies! I’ve asked my mom, I’ve asked my friends, and I don’t know why I didn’t ask you two first. Here’s the skinny: we bought our first new furniture early last year; a couch and a recliner. My husband works in a kitchen, so he comes home sweaty and covered with kitchen grease and …
Ivy says: I remember when I was in college, I didn’t feel like I had time or energy to deal with cleaning, so my house was constantly messy. My mom was constantly on me about making sure my house was clean. I’d get depressed for long stretches of time, and she told me if I’d …
Ivy says: My husband usually does the laundry in my household. However, that wasn’t working out for us, and since he had surgery last month, I’ve been taking over the laundry responsibilities. I’ve learned many amusing things while doing the laundry, but the overwhelming thing I have learned is just the fact that we have …
. Ivy says: Every once in awhile you come up with an idea that is so simple, you wonder why you didn’t think of it before. I was trying on outfits and hating most of them. The shirts were too short, the pants caused camel toe, nothing was right. And then I thought, “Why in …
Ivy says: Since the weather is finally changing from hot to cold, now’s a good time to go through all your kids’ clothing and get rid of the stuff that doesn’t fit or just generally looks like crap. I use two methods to do this: at the source (drawers and closets) and during laundry time. …
Dear Home Ec 101: My dishwasher just isn’t doing as great a job anymore. I haven’t changed anything: same soap, I scrape the plates, I still use a rinsing agent. What could be going on? Signed, My Dishwasher is a Dud Heather says: Did you know your dishwasher requires regular maintenance to provide consistently clean …
Dear Home Ec 101:My husband and I both grew up in homes where the father worked, and the mother largely stayed home and attended to all of the household duties. We both work and sometimes have a hard time agreeing on who should be doing which chores, how often, and how well. I tend to …