Whether they’re needed to solve a particular problem—such as trash can smell—or to make the most of an everyday thing already in the house by repurposing it, new uses can be total game-changers, especially in homes already overrun with an excess of odds and ends. There’s no need to buy a new container for snowy boots when a newspaper can do the job—while offering easier clean-up at the end of the season....
This variety of citrus isn’t as common as those other fruits, but kumquats are worth a try. With their uniquely delicious (albeit lip-puckering) tartness, kumquats deserve a place in your fruit basket. What Are Kumquats? Kumquats are a variety of citrus fruit native to China. It wasn’t until 1846 that they were introduced to Europe, and later, the United States. In the U.S., the majority of commercial kumquats are grown in California and Florida....
ABV ABV is the amount of alcohol in your wine, expressed as a percentage by volume. The higher the percentage, the stronger the wine. A bottle’s ABV is also a great way to gauge whether the wine is sweet or dry. Wines with a 12.5% or higher are typically dry, while those south of 12.5% have more residual sugar and are typically sweeter. So, a wine with 13% ABV is likely to be dry, while one with 10....
One of my favorite things to do every year (it’s even on my Christmas bucket list) is to setup a hot chocolate bar! It’s perfect for parties whether you’re doing a classic Christmas party or one of these more unique Christmas party themes! If you want to create your own hot chocolate bar at your own event, I’m here to help! I have some simple hot chocolate bar ideas that are great for winter holidays and even Valentine’s day!...
Installing an in-ground pool—the kind of permanent structure you can enjoy for years to come—can take months and cost tens of thousands of dollars. According to HomeAdvisor, the average in-ground pool cost is almost $50,000, and larger pools or pools with special features can have even higher price tags. As with any costly home upgrade, you’ll want to make sure adding a pool will pay you back in more than just summer memories....
Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment or evaluation. In other words, simply noticing, says Anna Hennings, MA, a Portland-based mental performance consultant with an advanced degree in sport psychology. “[It’s] noticing your thoughts, your breath, the sensations in your body; noticing when your mind wanders off or when something distracts you,” she says. And you do this without lingering or ruminating on whatever your observation....
How to Hard-Cook Eggs (aka How to Hard-Boil Eggs) on the Stove You’re not technically boiling the eggs so hard-cooked eggs is the more accurate term, but you are bringing water to a boil. Whatever you call it, here’s how to do it: Test Kitchen Tip: Do not stack eggs, this will alter the cooking time and could result in eggs being cooked to different levels of doneness. How to Make Steamed Hard-Boiled Eggs This is the technique getting all the praise....
More Easy Ways to Boost Curb Appeal What You Need Tape measure1×4 cedar boards1×6 cedar boards1×2 cedar boardsCompound miter sawHammer drillKreg K4 Master System1 1/4-inch coarse Kreg screwsHand sander and 120-grit sandpaperBrad nailerPaintable caulkOil-base primerExterior paintMasonry bit3/16×1 3/4-inch masonry screwsLevel Step 1: Measure and Cut Gather materials. Measure the height and width of your window. For a classic look, the shutter width should be about half the window width. (We used one 1×4 and two 1×6s to make a 14 1/2-inch-wide shutter for our 28-inch-wide window....
Follow our instructions on how to clean a fireplace to clear away harmful buildup and ensure you’re ready for cozy nights around the fire. We’ll also walk you through how to inspect a fireplace for damage, tips for removing creosote buildup, and what to know about cleaning a chimney. A bit of fireplace maintenance can help keep your home safe and tidy all season long. Before Getting Started Wait 24 hours after your last fire before cleaning a fireplace to ensure it’s completely cool....
While an occasional display of irritation isn’t a bad thing, experts say being consistently bent out of shape can harm your relationships, pummel your self-esteem, and contribute to things like high blood pressure and heart disease. And anger itself is just the tip of the iceberg. “It’s almost always being driven by another emotion, such as fear, resentment, or insecurity,” says Carlos R. Todd, a licensed counselor and a certified anger-management facilitator in Charlotte, N....
If you need to cool off your house (or yourself), try these cooling strategies—though if temperatures rise too high, it’s best to seek out an air-conditioned location, like libraries, movie theaters, and cooling stations, near you. How to Keep Your House From Getting Hot The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” definitely applies when it comes to keeping your house cool. These strategies can help you keep your house cool without air conditioning—or help reduce the amount of energy you need to keep it cool if you do have an air conditioner....
But even something as simple as your breast shape can be quite confusing, so we asked Le Diouron to break down every single shape—there are nine!—and the best bra type for each. Whether you’re after the best bra for lift, side support, a small chest, or a large bust, read on to reveal your best fit. Bra recommendation: “For this type of breast, we will not be looking for structure, but rather the desired level of support and coverage....
But first, how do bad haircuts happen anyway? According to hairstylist Kali Ferrara of the Roy Teeluck Salon in New York City, it’s usually not because of an objectively bad stylist. “A bad haircut doesn’t always mean that a stylist doesn’t have good technical skills,” Ferrara says. Even good stylists mess up sometimes. “Not being able to give the right cut to a certain hair texture or not educating a client on the maintenance they’ll have to follow up with can ruin a client’s image for well over a year....
No matter if the stained fabric is a white blouse, linen sheet, or bath towel, first check the care label to make sure the item can be hand-washed and check the recommended water temperature. Because blood is a protein stain, use cold water when tackling the stain (hot water may actually help set the stain). Before you begin, test each cleaning method in an inconspicuous spot first, such as along the inside hem of a shirt, to make sure it won’t discolor the fabric....
How to Get Rid of Bugs in Your Garden You can use IPM to eliminate bugs on flowering plants, trees, shrubs, and vegetables. Just follow these steps with each type of garden bug you encounter, going in order until you reach the control level effective for dealing with the problem. 1. Decide on Acceptable Pest Levels What is the acceptable level of aphids or Japanese beetles in your garden, for example?...
Alas, we can’t eradicate them. With over 3,500 mosquito species worldwide and more than 400 in the U.S., they’re here to stay. But there are ways to prevent them from ruining your next s’mores night around the campfire—and keep yourself mosquito bite-free. Why Mosquitoes Bite While it seems like it, we’re not a mosquito’s favorite meal. “Many mosquitoes wouldn’t bite a person—they bite frogs, birds, lizards,” says Dina Fonseca, Ph....
Cleaning your home from top to bottom before guests arrive is helpful just before Thanksgiving or in mid- to late-December, but if guests are just hours away when you suddenly realize your refrigerator doesn’t have the capacity for all your holiday dish ingredients and treats or that your floors have seen better days, it’s a little late to do anything about it. That’s where this list comes in: We’re right around eight weeks out from Thanksgiving, one of the biggest hosting occasions of the year, and this list will help you do whatever updates possible in the time remaining to really help your home impress....
How to Grill Cod Cod is a mild fish that’s often a great option for people who don’t like that fishy taste. It has a dense, flaky flesh that makes it a great option for the grill, though it can fall apart if you’re not careful. If you’re worried about your cod filets breaking apart, try flavoring them (with anything from Cajun seasoning to a simple salt, pepper, and garlic powder mixture) and grilling them in aluminum foil....
Another bonus: Because their rich, dark meat stands up so well to bold flavors, thighs are the perfect blank canvas for trying out the wide world of bbq rubs, marinades, and spice blends. Not sure how to handle them? Remember these rules of thumb. In general, free range methods produce thighs that are more petite than their industrially-bred counterparts. Larger pieces of meat will require more seasoning and longer cooking times, so know what you’re working with before you fire up the bbq....
You can grill just about any fruit, and every fruit changes on the grates. Just what you do with a finished fruit will depend on its nature, how that nature has changed by the time you tong it off, and your imagination. Serving ice cream? Salsa? Cocktails? Grilled fruit can help. Bananas As much as any fruit, banana’s flavor evolves on the grill. It develops a rich texture and its ample sugars transform and caramelize....
