See that Piece of Straw? That's My Hair. (When Not to Get a Perm)

When Not to Get a Perm: When Your Hair is Dyed. Highlighted. Harassed.

She told me not to get a perm. In fact she said "Don't get a perm." So don't blame my beautician. She warned me. Saying things like "Damaged hair." "Overprocessing." "No perm for you." But finally I talked her into doing a nano perm at the crown of my much treated, dyed hair because my thick heavy tresses were flat as a pancake on top and wavy and full on the sides giving me a square coiffure. (Think Dilbert's colleague.) Of course when Carley worked on it, it wasn't square. It was sleek and swingy and shiny and beautiful. Until that first iota of humidity hit. Then once again I became Sponge Linda Square Head.

When Not to Get a Perm, and Why I Don't Care

Carley is my wonderful hairdresser at the trendy HairThat Rocks in Broad Ripple, the very trendy area in Indianapolis that is chockfull of trendy nightlife, boutiques and salons. Carley told me that a permanent wave combined with my dyed and highlighted hair would cause serious hair damage, especially since I am oil-challenged with dry hair and skin. But I only want a perm at the top, I whined. Just a little perm. So she caved.

My Perm Gave Me Height

Am I a genius or what? My perm gave me height and manageability. Height that stayed all day after a shampoo, after a workout, after sleep. No bed head. Height. Carley agreed that the texture and volume did a lot for the hair's styling potential. But she was right about the hair damage. After a couple of shampoos without all the wonderful products they use at the salon, I had broken ends and a straw patch in that one place where the highlighted hair was. Wouldn't curl, wouldn't condition. . . .You know you want to read more, so click already.

Weird Things You Can Do with Apple Cider Vinegar

Plus a Free Handy Homemaker Bonus Tip from Lindy Lou

Clean Your Toilets with Apple Cider Vinegar.

If you happen to have hard water, and an older toilet with a permanent ring that seems to have been etched in lime, worry not. After scrubbing and even brillo padding toilet rings that just got worse, Lindy Lou dumped apple cider vinegar in the toilet, and left it overnight. It made the whole bathroom smell nice and apple-y. Of course, it's a good thing no one needed to use the toilet because they might take one look at it and think they had already tinkled. Due to the fact that apple cider vinegar is roughly the same color as tinkle. (Don't you hate people who can't bring themselves to say urine?)

But back to the problematic ring around the toilet. By morning it was gone. Just one swipe with the toilet bowl brush and apple cider vinegar had won the Sparkle Bowl. You can bet your rubber gloves that LL was jazzed, immediately thinking "What else can I do with this wonderful apple cider vinegar that only costs a couple of bucks a gallon? Drink it?" Well yes but that's three tips from now.

Make Your Dishes Sparkle with Apple Cider Vinegar.

If you are plagued with spotty glassware and dull stainless steel flatware, if you look at the contents of the dishwasher and can't figure out if you ran it or not because you can't see your face in the china plates, apple cider vinegar to the rescue. Just load up the dishwasher, put in the dishwasher detergent and slosh apple cider vinegar on top of it. You'll see it immediately start to fizz and know that same fizzing action is going to cut through soapy film, hard water spots and grease on your dishes. Your glassware will look like you're in a Cascade commercial! And speaking of fizzing.. .

Make a Mini-Volcano with Apple Cider Vinegar

Here's an apple cider vinegar project that will make you Mom of the Century: Have the kids put a small empty soda bottle in a baking pan and pack clay or mud around it until it resembles a mountainous volcano shape. Don't get any mud in the soda bottle. Fill the bottle ¾ full with warm tap water, add 6 drops of dishwasher detergent, 2 tablespoons of baking soda, and even food coloring if you want colorful lava. Then carefully pour apple cider vinegar into the bottle and step back when you hear the fizz! Your volcano is erupting! (Hope you're doing this outside.) To find out how to use this same idea to make an exploding birthday cake, click here.

How to Lose Weight with Apple Cider Vinegar

Raw apple cider vinegar is full of all kinds of healthy stuff like potassium, pectin, malic acid . . . but who cares, it makes you lose weight! . . . Read more here.

Weird Things to Do with Ziploc Bags: like Squirt-a-Yolk!

A Handy Homemaker Tip from the Lindy Lou Test Kitchens

Squirt-a-Yolk: Make deviled egg recipes fun with ZIPLOC® Bags

Not another deviled egg recipe but a really squishy way to make deviled eggs. Just put your cooked egg yolks in a ziploc bag. Seal the bag, then mash the yolks until they are all broken up. Fold the ziploc bag, roll the ziploc bag, squish the ziploc bag. Roll, squish, moosh. Yoo hoo you can stop now! Next add the remainder of your ingredients and reseal. Then go into mash-and-squish mode again to mix ingredients. Mash, squish, mash, squish. Let the kids do it. (Do not buy Mrs. Cheap's Sometimes-They-Seal bags for this. No ma'am, you need some sure-to-seal ziploc plastic bags or your kitchen will be redecorated in egg yolk yellow.)

Now, cut the tip of the ziploc bag and squirt the egg mixture into the (boiled) whites of the eggs. Squeeze, squirt, squeeze, squirt. It's Squirt-a-Yolk! When there is no more egg mixture to squirt, toss the bag. No clean up!

Freeze Your Last Will and Testament in a ZIPLOC® Bag

Roll up your will in a ziploc bag and freeze it. Yes, just put it in your freezer with your car title, your warranties, and your quitclaim deed. Put them all in ziploc bags and keep them in the freezer. Should a fire occur, they will not be burned! Actually why not buy an extra freezer, gobs of ziploc bags, and freeze everything? Family photos, tax records, corporate minutes, report cards if the kids ever get a good one. It is imperative that you tell a trusted family member you have done this. Do not wait until you're on your death bed to say . . . Read more

Fly Control: Weird Things You Can Do with Baggies, Plus Shaving Cream Carpet Cleaning Tips

And a Free Bonus Handy Homemaker Tip from Lindy Lou
Fly Control with Ziploc Bags, Water and Pennies? Be Patient, I'll Explain.

Lindy Lou gets soooooo many invitations, and at a patio party this weekend I saw something so weird I said "wow, that's weird." There were Ziploc bags full of water pinned to posts, with pennies in them. Holy Homemaker! What's this all about?- I cleverly queried my hostess who said and I am not making this up: "Fly control."

Ziploc bags for fly control! I repeated.

My hostess is not one baggy short of a lunchbox, she is a brilliant pesterologist! The bags of water and pennies act like prisms in the sun, giving off shafts of moving light, even reflecting nearby people, and practically blinding all 136 eyes every fly has. Read more . . .

Put Your Washer and Dryer to Work When You Entertain

Your Washer and Dryer Want to Come to Your Party

Lindy Lou knows you want to have a party for all your friends, but space is limited. The fridge is already full, what with the giant watermelon carved to look like a basket, the tray of cold cuts, and the darling little champagne flutes full of your famous cheese cake chocolate kiwi parfait. So how on earth are you going to keep the beer and wine cold? Use your washer and dryer! Why should they just sit around being bored? Give your washer and dryer a job.

Use Your Washing Machine as a Cooler
Yes! Fill up your washing machine with ice, then pack beer and soda in it, and have your guests help themselves. How cool, a washing machine cooler. And if it's too hard to reach the bottles at the back, turn your washing machine on spin for a nano second. (Teasing.) You will remember to take the load of dirty underwear out of the washer before the party won't you?) Oh, I heard that, you just said you have a new front loading washing machine. Well, Ms. Whiny Pants, you can still pack that washer with ice, slide those bottles in there, and shut the door. Read more . .

Put Your Washer and Dryer to Work When You Entertain

Lindy Lou knows you want to have a party for all your friends, but space is limited. The fridge is already full, what with the giant watermelon carved to look like a basket, the tray of cold cuts, and the darling little champagne flutes full of your famous cheese cake chocolate parfait.* So how on earth are you going to keep the beer and wine cold? Use your washer and dryer! Why should they sit there doing nothing when you're under all this pressure?

Use Your Washing Machine as a Cooler

Yes! Fill up your washing machine with ice, then pack beer and soda in it, and have your guests help themselves. That's right, a cool washing machine cooler. And if it's too hard to reach the bottles at the back, turn your washing machine on spin for a nano second. (Well maybe not.) You will remember to take the load of dirty underwear out of the washer before the party won't you?)