Ivy says: If you’re anything like me (and hey, you might not be, I’m strange), you have too many books. Go on, admit it, you have more books than you really need. Go through them. Keep the ones you want to read over and over, and keep the ones you plan on reading in the … Read more
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 … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101: I have several faux wood white blinds that I have stored in the garage. I want to use these now and they have -needless to say- their share of spider webs, dust and other weird things on them. What is the best way to clean them? Thanks! ~Dust in the Windows … Read more
Dear Household Goddesses, My nearly 2 year old daughter is many things. She is a clever, fearless, climbing artist who uses the world as her canvas. As hard as we try to keep any and all writing instruments away from her, she seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to finding stray pens … Read more
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 … Read more
Please help me, ladies! We’ve been in our new townhouse for about eight months. We have neutral-colored wall-to-wall style carpet in our living room. There are a couple of stains from who knows what – beer spillage, chocolate drool from a friend’s happy baby, etc. I spot-treated them (the stains, not the babies) and sometimes … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, How do you get chewed up plastic off the carpet? My puppy and my big dog chew everything! When I had hardwood it was easy. . . carpet, not so much. Also, I have trained the puppy for the most part to pee outside, except for one area of the house. She … Read more
Dear Home Ec 101: Any helpful hints on cleaning wood floors? I can get them clean and I can get them shiny, but not at the same time without doing two rounds. First with water/vinegar, then going over it with Orange Glo wood floor cleaner. But who has time for that? And another thing about … Read more