Home and Garden

Okay, look.I love wearing white. I really do.But between coffee dribbles, tomato sauce explosions, and whatever ends up on me when I’m wrangling dinner or grandkids—stains happen. It’s like they wait for me to wear something cute. But lemme tell you a little secret: I stopped crying over stains the day my Aunt Carol shared her magic laundry mix. It’s not fancy. It doesn’t smell like a fresh meadow. But by golly, it works—and it takes 15 minutes. Tops. So if you’ve got a shirt you love with a blotch that’s threatening to ruin your day, stop what you’re doing. …

There was a time—not that long ago—when having a top sheet was as non-negotiable as Sunday supper. My mama had a matching set for every season, folded crisp with hospital corners. You didn’t mess with that routine. But now? Folks are tossing that middle layer out the window faster than leftover fruitcake in January. And honestly? I get it. If you’ve ever woken up tangled like a burrito in a sheet you didn’t ask for, or spent an extra ten minutes every morning smoothing out wrinkles from a layer you barely used, you’re probably wondering the same thing a lot …

Let me tell you—there are few things more frustrating than reaching for what should be a fresh, fluffy towel… only to be smacked in the face with that sour, musty smell. You know the one. Like something crawled in and decided to live there. It doesn’t matter how many times you wash ’em or how much detergent you throw in—sometimes that smell just hangs on for dear life. And for the longest time, I thought I was the only one. Like maybe it was just me with stinky towels hiding in my linen closet. But nope—turns out, this is a …

If you’ve ever taught through a chaotic Monday morning or wrangled a classroom full of sugar-charged kids after a birthday party, you know—being a teacher means juggling a lot. Lesson plans, behavior charts, parent emails, surprise fire drills… and somewhere in the middle of it all, you’re just trying to keep your classroom clean, calm, and vaguely functional. So, when I tell you that keeping baby wipes in your classroom fridge is one of the smartest little hacks out there, I’m not being dramatic. It’s simple, budget-friendly, and solves more problems than you’d expect. Think of it as a teacher’s …

Let’s talk about something not-so-glamorous but very real: soap scum. If you’ve ever stood in your shower and thought, “When did my glass door turn into frosted glass?”—you’re not alone. That hazy, filmy gunk on your tiles and tub? That’s soap scum. And it’s stubborn. Like, “you-scrub-for-20-minutes-and-it’s-still-there” stubborn. Now, before you reach for that overpriced cleaner with 14 warnings on the label—hang on. I’ve got a little trick from my Nana that’s saved me hours of scrubbing and a small fortune in cleaning products. And it works like magic. No elbow grease required. Ready? Let’s get into it. Why Soap …

Look, stains happen. One minute you’re minding your business, enjoying your favorite spaghetti, and the next—boom. A big ol’ splotch of tomato sauce right on your light-colored shirt. Or maybe you’re wrangling the kids, chasing the dog, carrying your iced coffee, and somehow… all three end up on your pants. It’s life. Messy, beautiful, stain-prone life. And let me tell you—before I learned this little trick from my Aunt Margie (she’s one of those women who always knows what to do and somehow manages to fold fitted sheets like a wizard), I used to panic. Scrubbing, soaking, Googling “how to …

You know that feeling when the back-to-school season hits? It’s like… one minute it’s July 4th, and the next thing you know, you’re hunting down a glue stick in aisle nine while wondering if last year’s backpack still smells like spilled yogurt. Trust me, I’ve been there—year after year. There’s always a checklist: new shoes, labeled folders, lunchbox snacks that won’t get traded away by Thursday. But there’s one thing that’s been on my list for the past few years that might not be on yours yet: peppermint oil. Yep. That tiny bottle of tingly magic? I drop it right …

You ever look around your house and just feel… defeated? Like the dishwasher’s full again, the dog tracked in something again, and why—why—does the microwave look like it hosted a spaghetti explosion from 2004? Yeah. Me too. Cleaning isn’t exactly my idea of a good time, but I’ll tell you what—it feels real good once it’s done. Like, “light a candle and walk around admiring your work” kind of good. Over the years, I’ve picked up some tricks. Not the kind that require fancy sprays or color-coded cloths (no shade if that’s your thing), but the kind that get the …

Let me tell you a little story. Years ago, I bought this giant jug of vinegar at Costco thinking I’d use it for pickles and maybe the occasional salad dressing. Fast forward to now—and I’m buying it in bulk because I use it for everything. Cleaning. Laundry. Even a little beauty TLC. And the best part? It actually works. Like, better-than-the-stuff-you-pay-too-much-for kind of works. If you’ve only been using vinegar to make coleslaw or clean your coffee pot once a year, oh honey—you’re missing out. So today, I’m sharing my go-to vinegar hacks. These are the real-life, tried-it-myself tricks that …

You know how some things just live in your kitchen drawer without a second thought? Like aluminum foil. It’s always there — quietly helping you cover leftovers or line a baking tray. But one lazy Saturday morning, after fighting with static cling and realizing my scissors were dull again, I started wondering what else that shiny roll could do. Well, turns out, quite a lot. Aluminum foil is like that unassuming friend who shows up with a casserole and a toolbox — reliable, multipurpose, and surprisingly clever. It’s lightweight, safe around food, can handle heat like a champ, and it …