Home and Garden

You know how some folks get carried away with tomato plants every spring? That’s me with mint. Now, we all know the usual suspects—peppermint, spearmint… maybe even that lanky store-bought mint that wilts before you get home from the grocery store. But there’s a whole mint universe out there beyond what most of us grew up with. And let me tell you, it’s weird, it’s wonderful, and yes, I’m a little obsessed. So if your garden could use a bit of charm, some good smells, or just something new to fuss over this season, let’s talk mint. Here are 9 …

Because nothing says “summer” like a crisp white shirt that actually looks white You know how it goes. The sun’s out, the air’s warm, and suddenly it’s white linen season again. There’s just something about white clothes in the summer—easy, breezy, and oh-so-fresh. But let’s be honest… pulling last year’s white tee out of the closet only to find it looking more “eggshell sadness” than “brilliant white”? Yeah, not the vibe. And don’t even get me started on the risk of wearing white around, well, anything. Coffee drips. Popsicle splashes. A rogue splash of salad dressing. One moment you’re glowing …

Mold.Ugh, even the word gives me the ick. You see a little smudge in the corner of the shower or under the window, and suddenly you’re spiraling—“Is this the start of a full-blown science experiment?”Been there. More than once, honestly. I’ve sprayed, scrubbed, lit candles to hide the smell—you name it. And every time, the mold would come back like it owned the place. Until one day, my Nana (who never needed more than a bottle of vinegar and a good stare-down to clean anything) handed me the secret weapon. Hydrogen peroxide. That’s it. Not bleach. Not some overpriced mold …

Alright, let’s be real for a sec. You ever walk into the living room, spot a white ring on your wooden coffee table, and immediately think, “Oh no… was that from my iced tea last night?” (Or worse — from your husband’s sweaty soda can that you explicitly asked him to put on a coaster?) Yeah. Me too. And it doesn’t matter if the rest of the room is clean as a whistle — that little ghostly ring makes the whole piece look kinda…sad. Well guess what? You don’t need some miracle furniture cream or a call to your cousin …

Here’s the thing: pillows will turn yellow over time. It’s not because you’re gross — it’s just life. We sweat in our sleep, we drool (hey, no judgment), and our skin and hair leave behind oils. Toss in a few nights of humid summer weather and poof — yellow stains. But the good news? You don’t have to live with it. You definitely don’t have to toss them out. What you need is a little old-fashioned laundry alchemy. Nana’s No-Fail Pillow Whitening Recipe I swear, this mixture has brought more pillows back from the dead than I can count. All …

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 …