Wives were taught to be water. To bring harmony to the mountain of the home, their husband, and to be the river that nurtures and forever quenches the thirst for reprieve from the darkness of the outside world. While strong husbands have always held the wolves at bay, women have, since time immemorial, held the…

A previous column on fabric softener products struck a chord with thousands of readers. I know because you send me messages and letters, which I love—even some of you who are not 100 percent satisfied making the switch from problematic laundry softeners to what I find are amazing wool dryer balls. But first, let’s review…

The mail arrives. The electric bill is right on top. Shove it to the bottom of the stack. Finally, hands shaking, open it, knowing you’ve been negligent. Lock eyeballs with the amount due. Higher than it has ever been. Sure, rates are skyrocketing; everyone is being impacted. But that does not make this easier to…

If you were to take a peek inside my refrigerator, you’d have to stand on your head to read labels. Food seems to last longer when stored upside-down in a container with a tightly fitting lid. It’s something about the food sealing itself. All I know is it works. I can’t remember the last time…

I’m one lucky gal. My husband’s favorite menu item is pasta—any shape or recipe. He would opt for a pasta dish every meal of the day if that were an option. And that’s great because he is as tall and slim as the day we married. While he has no desire to actually prepare pasta,…

There are some groceries you simply should never pay full price for: baking supplies, canned goods and sodas frequently go on sale. But holiday grocery shopping, especially for Thanksgiving, is a totally different ballgame. There are sales galore on canned pumpkin, chicken broth, jars of gravy and fresh cranberries. But there’s one Thanksgiving grocery you should always buy at…

Dear Mary: I used to buy a packet of “blue jeans softener” in a store that has since gone out of business. Added to the first washing, it would make a pair of new jeans feel like they had been stone-washed. I can no longer find anything like this. Do you have a suggestion for…

Question: My geraniums grew really well this summer and I have some pretty ones that I want to keep for next year. How do I go about doing this? I heard that they can be dug up and hung upside down for the winter. Answer: There are several kinds of geraniums, including some that are…

If you drink morning coffee, then it’s likely you throw away used coffee grounds every day. If you don’t, chances are there’s a coffee shop nearby where you can get some; just stop by and see if they give them away. Here are some ideas for reusing them. Repel Insects And Fleas According to the…

There are so many good reasons to make your own household cleaners. It’s cheaper, healthier and greener, too. The homemade household cleaners I share with you from time to time do not contain chemicals. That means you can always count on them to be nontoxic. Dear Cheapskate: The copper post tops on my deck are…