Ivy says: I don’t know about y’all, but it’s HOT here. It got up to 110 degrees today. It’s ridiculous. My air conditioner can’t keep up. I’ve been taking about 100 showers a day (okay, I took three today), loading up on water and lemonade slushes, and sitting in front of a fan. Here’s a … Read more
Heather says: The current heatwave has done a number on my allergies and the grass pollen has wreaked havoc with my eyes. One way I cope is to use teabags as compresses. When I brew a batch of tea, I store the bags in the fridge. When the itching gets out of hand, they are … Read more
Ivy says: Heather and I were talking last night about how I’m eating about 90% vegetarian nowadays. She suggested I post recipes for y’all, and I laughed, since my cooking is rather haphazard. However, I thought I’d give you guys a primer on how I’m moving from meatatarianism (as my daughter calls it) to vegetarianism. … Read more
Ivy says: I’ve been stressed like you wouldn’t believe lately (well, it’s a step up from being depressed, anyway) so I decided to take a luxurious bath tonight. When I was at Kroger stressing over the cost of milk, I decided to take a look at all the “relaxing bath salts” stuff they had on … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, To save money, I have started incorporating a lot of dried beans into my diet. Unfortunately, I’ve been experiencing lots of, um, gastrointestinal distress. To put it bluntly, my gas is very embarrassing. I don’t want to take beano, are there any other ways to combat this? Thanks, Gina in Gaston Ivy … Read more
Ivy says: Ah, depression. It strikes at predictable times, it strikes at totally unpredictable times. Sure, you can go to the doctor and get some Zoloft for that, and if you really do have a chemical imbalance, it might be a good thing to get some Zoloft. But if you’re like me, it doesn’t really … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, I know Ivy’s a total hottie. I’d like to know how she manages to have such fab hair and makeup when she claims to be so po’. Signed, Ivy fan Ivy says: Aww, shucks. This would have been so much better if I hadn’t written the question myself because I wanted to … Read more
Dear Home-Ec 101, How do you guys “encourage” your husband to help out around the house? I know some guys just help out, but mine is not one of them. Do you have any tips? I promise I will not tell him where they came from. 😉 Signed, Nagging doesn’t work Ivy says: I started … Read more
Ivy says: Those of you who have ever remodeled your home can totally relate to the title of this post. It’s living life on the edge of sanity, a strange half-life where you have entire useless rooms that you have to keep the kids out of and attempt to find time to work on the … Read more
Heather says: No person can be “on” all the time. Whether you’re a college student, a parent of young children, or a work-a-holic, a person must take some time to replenish themselves. Life, in all of its wonder and aggravation takes a toll that must be paid. Aside from adequate nutrition and rest, the mind … Read more