Heather says: The scope of this week’s challenge will depend on your time and energy level. Today, starting with your own closet hang everything in it neatly. This sounds simple, but as you go through and hang items, immediately put those you no longer need or want in your donation box (from week 1). If … Read more
Heather says This week’s organizational challenge will tie neatly into the next couple of weeks. We’re getting started on clothing and laundry. I usually see it recommended to start by putting all of the clean laundry away. In my experience, clean laundry generally piles up because it feels like there isn’t a good place for … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, I have a serious problem with the old lady, musty laundry smell. I keep my sleeping bag, electric blanket and my baby blanket in a chest at the foot of my bed. Since these are all seasonal items, they quickly get musty in my chest (which isn’t cedar). I’ve tried potpourri, … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101, I need a strong person to help me resolve to get rid of old shoes, belts, purses and scarves, even though I don’t use any of them. Some of the scarves and bags are really nice ones (if a little bit old lady-ish) inherited from my m-i-l. Some I bought in … Read more
Ivy says: Every single morning there is drama in my household. See, we keep our shoes in the hall closet but apparently the closet monster comes to my house every night and either mixes the shoes up and makes them hard to find, or if we’re really lucky the shoe monster comes and hides the … Read more
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 … Read more
. 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 … Read more
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. … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, My son’s shoes stink so badly it is smelling up my entire house. How do you get rid of the smell that is coming from his room? Signed, Need to breathe in Texas Ivy says: Conveniently, one part of this question has already been answered. Have your son try some of the … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, How do you get the foot-stink out of shoes? Specifically, leather shoes, since those make your feet sweat like a fat guy chasing after an ice cream truck in August? Signed, Ron Ivy says: Stinky shoes are no laughing matter, and neither are fat guys and ice cream trucks. We on the … Read more