With how little some dining rooms (especially formal ones) get used, it’s easy to let items pile up there, especially those that ostensibly belong in the room. Clearing these items out—rather than allowing them to pile up, taking up precious storage space that could be used for a whole assortment of other possessions—can both make the dining room feel more welcoming and decrease clutter issues in other parts of the home....

The sticker price may be higher on electric vehicles (often about $10,000 more, according to Kelley Blue Book), but the higher cost can be offset in many cases by a tax credit of up to $7,500. And that doesn’t even take into account the fact that electric cars use cheaper power and require less maintenance than their gas-powered counterparts. The new Inflation Reduction Act signed into law on August 16, 2022 updated and enhanced the rebate, to help spur the push toward cleaner fuels....

“Chilling dough prior to baking lends itself to more tender, well-shaped, and slightly stronger flavored cookies,” explains Meredith Tomason, Test Kitchen Manager for Nestle Toll House. “The flavor-enhancing ingredients such as vanilla, salt, spices, and sweeteners all become a bit more concentrated and heightened.” The resting time also gives the butter time to saturate the dry ingredients (which is why some recipes require melted butter), for softer cookies, says pastry chef and author David Lebovitz....

How many times have you made a pie that uses store-bought crust and only had to use one of those pie crusts? It happens to me all the time! I only want to make one pie, but I have two pie crusts (because they always come in packs of two so you can do a bottom and top crust). This pie crust cookie recipe is a fun and easy way to use up an extra pie crust or even just leftover pie dough scraps!...

This fun ocean sensory bin is a fun way to teach kids about the ocean and let young children build and play with their very own little ocean made out of pantry items you can find at home! Add a few ocean and beach themed toys for a sensory experience and fun ocean day activity! My littlest one is really into water play and the beach these days. There’s a reason we play water games often, and he had to help me make this beach themed cake a few weeks ago....

My family is a bit obsessed with Harry Potter. My oldest son and I read the entire Harry Potter series together over the past two years and watched all of the movies (my son might’ve closed his eyes during a lot of Prisoner of Azkaban but still…). We’re pretty huge Harry Potter fans. If you asked my son his favorite books, I can guarantee one of them would be a Harry Potter one....

Seriously, we can’t stress it enough: Whatever retinols, vitamin Cs, and hyaluronic acids may make up your routine, none is as effective at preventing premature aging as daily sunscreen use. “This is the only facial sunscreen that doesn’t make me break out. I’m on my second bottle.” says one reviewer. “It leaves a nice glow to my combination skin, but doesn’t turn me into an oil slick. It also has a slight ’luminescence’ to it that I like; I feel like it subtly enhances my complexion....

Though during that time, my version of financial self-care also meant putting myself on autopilot when paying bills. Avoidance was my coping method of choice. It meant not questioning why my cell phone bill went up a few dollars without notice for several months. Years later, I received a refund check in the mail from the cell company for a few hundred dollars due to the company’s mistake. Burying my head in the proverbial sand each month when my student loan bill came in the mail was also how I “self-cared....

Today only, when you sign up for Firstleaf’s wine club you’ll receive your first box of six wines for only $24.95—that’s more than 70 percent off the usual cost of $90 for a standard box—plus free shipping for an entire year. To take advantage of this huge discount, use the promo code CYBERMONDAY at checkout. Here’s how a Firstleaf subscription works. Members are treated to a highly personalized wine service with bottles matched to every palate and preference....

We don’t have a lot of holiday traditions in our family, really only a few I can think of. Giving a family in need 12 days of Christmas gifts is one and playing Christmas bingo on Christmas Eve is another. We all know it’s happening so about two months before the big night we start collecting $3-$5 prizes. Everyone brings 4-5 prizes per person in their family, and we play for a couple of hours with the entire family....

Both of my boys are really into coloring right now. One of them colors inside the lines and the other one just color scribbles and calls it everything he colors a treasure map. I made these St. Patrick’s Day coloring pages diverse enough that all types of coloring fanatics would enjoy them – in the line artists and out of the box ones. I love coloring pages perfectly because they help teach not only art skills but also focus, concentration, and hand coordination....