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While some conditions are out of our control, there are proven ways to combat personal sleeplessness, including a few tips and tricks to prompt faster sleep onset, starting tonight. First, practice good pre-bedtime habits. Even before that moment of lying in bed willing yourself to go to sleep; be disciplined about carving out time to chill out in the evenings. According to Janet Kennedy, PhD, a clinical psychologist and sleep expert, being able to fall asleep quickly once you’re lying in bed starts several hours before tucking in....

You’ll free up precious oven space for your pies and all those delicious vegetable sides you’ve planned. And if you live in a warm (enough) climate, you can take the party outside and fire up the grill for the main turkey cooking event. “Everybody loves a grilled turkey, and you become the hero of Thanksgiving,” Karmel says. “You bring that turkey in from the grill, you’re gonna get a standing ovation....

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....

Christmas Cactus Care Tips With a little TLC, you can easily get a Christmas cactus to thrive and bloom year after year indoors. Light and Temperature Bright but indirect light is best for a Christmas cactus. It can tolerate a little direct light, but avoid direct light during the summer, when the sun’s rays are stronger and can burn the fleshy leaves. “If the stems begin to turn a reddish-purple color, this is an indication that it is receiving too much sun,” says Alfred Palomares, Resident Plant Dad for 1-800-Flowers....

Plant Lavender in Well-Drained Alkaline Soil Most herbs grow best in well-drained soil that easily allows water to pass through it. Lavender might be the most particular in its need for good drainage! Lavender roots need many spaces between soil particles to breathe and grow, so it is well suited to sandy or rocky soil. If your garden has heavy clay soil that retains moisture, lavender roots simply rot and die....

You shouldn’t put your well-seasoned board away quite yet, because you might want to slather it up for the newest trend out there—butter boards. Yep, everyone’s favorite creamy bread spread gets a starring role on the latest take on the board trend. We’re not talking about slapping down a stick of butter and calling it a day. Instead, softened butter is spread in a thick layer on the board and adorned with all matter of goodies....

Although there are rabbit-resistant plants, you don’t have to exclusively fill your garden with plants they’ll ignore. Read on to learn how to protect plants from rabbits and send your long-eared visitors (whether jackrabbits or cottontails) looking elsewhere for lunch. Fencing The most reliable way to protect your vegetable garden from rabbits is with fencing. Putting up a fence takes some time and effort, but once it’s done, you’ll have a permanent barrier....

Tomato-based barbecue sauce is the most easily recognizable, and most accessible in grocery stores too, if you’re looking for a shortcut. The base of the sauce can be ketchup, tomato paste, or tomato purée, and it’s linked to Kansas City barbecue, although other regional styles like Texas and Memphis also embrace it. While tomato-based barbecue sauce tends to be thick and glossy, vinegar-based barbecue sauce is on the thinner side, and with a spicy kick to boot....

How to Make a Papier-Mâché Pendant Supplies Needed Thin cardboard cereal box Scissors Hot glue gun and hot-glue Bamboo skewers Masking tape Thick cardboard Pendant socket and cord set (we used this one from Color Cord Company) Crafts knife Paintbrush White primer Chalk paint Leafing adhesive Sponge paintbrush Copper leaf Step-by-Step Directions Copper leaf dresses up the inside of these pendant shades. Use a LED bulb for safety. Step 1: Make the Papier-Mâché Paste Heat 2 cups of water and 1 Tbsp....

How to Make a Crispy Pizza Crust The pizza police will not come after you for using store-bought dough. Well, they might…to give you an award for brilliance! The fresh stuff in the refrigerated section and the frozen balls in the freezer aisle are very good and super-convenient. Your favorite pizzeria may also sell dough—just ask. Whatever kind you use, let the dough (thawed if frozen) sit at room temperature for up to an hour before you stretch it into shape, to give the gluten time to relax....

In the end, it comes down to making emotional and financial decisions. Whether you think you know or you need help deciding, these retirement planning and lifestyle experts have a few tips on how to arrive at your decision for where to retire, while factoring everything from the cost of living to local nightlife. And that’s a good starting point, says Dave Hughes, retiree and author of three books on engineering your best retirement lifestyle....

According to grammar expert Mignon Fogarty, the host of the podcast Grammar Girl, here are two easy rules for pluralizing last names correctly. How to Pluralize Last Names Rule #1: A last name is always written out in its entirety. Think of it this way: It’s their name, so you can’t exactly change it, right? Rule #2: You never need an apostrophe when signing or addressing cards. (Apostrophes imply possession, which isn’t what you’re trying to do....

“Overeating during a single meal is not uncommon, especially around the holidays,” says Matthew Bechtold, MD, a gastroenterologist at the University of Missouri. While eating a giant meal until you’re stuffed can make you feel pretty unpleasant, the good news is that it’s not irreversibly harmful or dangerous. While it’s better to eat in moderation, the body can handle both small and large meals. What’s more, you can trust that the side effects of eating a giant meal will go away in just a few hours....

Fortunately, removing salt stains from shoes is an easy task that doesn’t require specialty cleaning products. It is, however, best not to delay the job of removing road salt from shoes, as long-term exposure can lead to permanent damage to the shoes. Ahead, you’ll find instructions for removing salt stains from leather, suede, and rubber shoes. How to Remove Salt Stains from Leather Shoes Removing salt stains from leather shoes is a simple task, and one that shouldn’t be put off....

You can give your skillet a nonstick surface by seasoning it, or coating the skillet with cooking oil and baking it (see how to season a cast-iron skillet in the above video, or follow the steps outlined below). The skillet won’t take on that shiny black patina immediately out of the oven, but once you dry it with paper towels, it will be ready to use. You’ll reinforce the nonstick coating every time you heat oil in the skillet, and you can hasten the process by seasoning as often as you like—or by using a seasoning spray....

Can You Substitute Brown Sugar for White Sugar? The answer is not exactly a simple yes or no (apologies!), but more of a “yes, but”… In most baking recipes, you can substitute brown sugar for white sugar in a one-to-one ratio. So if your recipe calls for one cup white sugar, swap one cup brown sugar. The sweetness level will be exactly the same, but the brown sugar may change the texture of your baked goods....

How to Substitute Whole Wheat Flour for All-Purpose Flour You can replace some but not all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour when baking. Swapping equal amounts results in baked goods that are too dense with an off-putting flavor. Blending whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour will lighten the finished product while adding the nutritional benefits of whole wheat. Try it the next time you make breading for a chicken breast recipe, or thicken a sauce....

Dealing with a sluggish drain is one of those gross tasks you’ll have to deal with—it’s up there with cleaning the drain trap when you’re done with the dishes. Any apartment dweller or homeowner will tell you that a clogged drain is an inevitability. Rather than reach for a bottle of drain clearing chemicals—which are not only terrible for the environment but can damage your pipes or cause a clog to move further down—try this method....

“The literal translation of ‘gua’ means ‘scrape’ and ‘sha’ means ‘sand,’ which refers to the sandy dark spots that look like light bruising on the skin that comes up after a gua sha body treatment,” explains Patricia San Pedro, an esthetician, founder of Sunina Skin, and author of Face Fitness. Facial gua sha is particularly popular right now, but it can be performed on the entire body. Though the movements are very light—there’s no literal scraping and only the slightest amount of pressure is applied—the technique lends to a glowing complexion and skin that’s more sculpted and toned....

Their recent spice release is no different. The Mushroom and Company Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend is made from a divine mixture of kosher salt, dried porcini and white button mushrooms, dried onion, mustard seed, red and black pepper, and thyme. Once you taste it, you’re going to want to sprinkle it on everything, which is convenient considering how flexible its flavor profile is. What Is Umami? Umami is often referred to as the fifth taste (in addition to sweet, salty, sour, and bitter)....