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We Tested It: Homemade Daily Shower Spray

My boyfriend has this contraption called an Automatic Shower Cleaner. Have you heard of this? I’ve done some research and basically, it’s a magical device made by unicorns in The Land of Scrubbing and Rainbows. It hangs there in his shower, looking all inconspicuous. And then every morning, when he gets out of the shower, he hits a little button to activate ... Read More »

Keep Ghouls Out This Halloween!

At this time of year, it seems like every channel is running a horror movie marathon stretching deep into the wee hours of the morning, and it's enough to send you burrowing deeper into your bed in terror. But is that really what you should be doing? If you're going to stay safe from things that go bump in the night, you need to take a few protective measure ... Read More »

Fall Maintenance: Freezeproof Faucets

If you live in an area with frosty winters, you know the agony of exploding pipes and the pain of preventative maintenance to stop the issue before it starts. Particularly cold cities tend to experience a high rate of plumbing calls in the winter (Minneapolis plumbing companies, for example, do a brisk business in the cold months) from panic-stricken homeown ... Read More »

How to Clean Hair Dye Off a Sink

Hello out there, cupcakes. If you are reading this article, there is a good chance that it's because you dyed your hair in a bathroom that does not belong to you. Now you have to erase the evidence of having gotten hair dye all over the tub, shower, counters, or sink. Or all of the above. OK, so we've all been there, and fortunately there are a few weird and ... Read More »

Coffemakers Worth Buying?

There are too many choices of coffeemakers. This is evident at the coffee shop that I splurge at once a month. They sell espresso, Chemex, Melita filter, and regular drip coffee there, and you get to choose which one you want. At the moment, I keep a small French press at the office. It's horrible. By the time the coffee is brewed, it has gone from hot to m ... Read More »

Fall Maintenance: DIY Firewood

I live in a middle-class, midcentury suburban neighborhood. In Colorado, as in many parts of Middle America, this usually comes with a smallish house on biggish lot that’s loaded with mature trees. If you’re lucky, the house has a working fireplace. (I’m close to the capital and its famous smog problem, so fires are allowed only on “clean air” days, but I pr ... Read More »

Make Your Garden Work This Fall and Winter

The days feel like they're getting shorter by the minute (which, technically, they are), and the garden seems to be backsliding into laziness; with the exception of some squash, most of the beds are empty and crops are living out the last of their days. Does that really mean you have to spend the next four to six months buying produce from the store? Nuh-uh. ... Read More »

A gentler way to decorate the Halloween pumpkin

Never mind the gruesome Freddy Krueger masks, creepy front lawn "graveyards" and scary-sounding soundtracks. For many of us, the most frightening specter of Halloween occurs when we have to bring out the knives and deal with the slimy insides of a pumpkin. OK, the die-hard pumpkin carvers out there are rolling their eyes at the squeamish among us who may p ... Read More »

Transitioning To Fall

The cool morning air hints at the coming of fall. Crisp red apples replace watermelon, autumnal colors take the place of summer's breezy blue-and-lime hues and the scent of baking bread, not barbecue, fills the air. To more fully enjoy this special time of year, try changing your home décor to reflect the fall. The transition can be done easily, quickly and ... Read More »

Protect Your Home from Cold-weather Threats

Home owners in cold-weather climates, such as the Northeast, Midwest, and mountain areas, face icy conditions, blizzards, and other cold-weather storms. Beyond requiring a quick trip to the convenience store for milk and bread, snow, ice, freezing rain, and extreme cold can threaten your home’s structure and your safety. Therefore, it’s important to take mea ... Read More »