The cruel truth of home remodeling is that expectations and plans likely won’t match up with reality. A recent survey of 1,300 U.S. homeowners by real estate search site Trulia finds that 90 percent of homeowners plan to remodel their home at some point, but 47 percent (almost half) of them are not willing to spend more than $5,000 on that remodel. A similar survey from home improvement site Porch finds that 69 percent of homeowners want to do a major home improvement project in the next year, and they plan to spend an average $3,911 on those repairs and improvements; 83% plan to spend less than $5,000 on their remodeling....

Butternut squash is incredibly versatile. It’s just as delicious when pureed and served with pork as it is roasted and served with salad greens. You can use it to bake bread or layer it into lasagna, and (news flash), butternut squash is probably what you’re actually eating when you cook anything with canned pumpkin. Butternut squash is also incredibly good for you, says Hillary Cecere, RDN, a registered dietitian for Eat Clean Bro....

Here, a 101 guide from career experts on taking a work sabbatical, and ultimately using it to enrich your life and career—instead of having it set you back professionally. What is a work sabbatical? A work sabbatical is defined as an opportunity to take a company-approved break from your regular work duties, explains Jamie J. Johnson, MS, CCC, a career advisor at The University of Phoenix. There are many iterations on this concept....

Whether you need some assistance figuring out the basics of where to start, have a specific health condition you want to address, or just want a little motivation to continue on your journey, it can be helpful to enlist a professional nutritionist in your quest for better health. There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a nutritionist that can make the process confusing. But the reward for finding a great nutritionist you love working with can be pretty priceless....

The complaint we hear time and again when it comes to cooking with fresh herbs, however, is the knife skills portion of the prep work. We get it: nailing that perfect-looking chiffonade from a handful of harried basil leaves takes technique. We tapped Chef Samuel Gorenstein, the owner of Miami’s My Ceviche restaurant who was named to Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list (he’s also a two-time James Beard Foundation Rising Star), to walk us through the proper way to slice, chop, and chiffonade fresh herbs....

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....

But preparing an avocado can be a slippery, messy task. Follow these simple steps to make working with avocados a breeze—and get you a step closer to that guacamole you love. Plus, check out this simple tip if you need to speed up (or slow down) the ripening process before you slice your avocado. The Best Way to Cut an Avocado What You Need AvocadoChef’s knifeCutting boardGlass bowlLarge spoon...

But it’s hard to force everyone into a new sleep routine at the drop of a hat, so it’s important to re-establish a healthy and consistent sleep routine gradually—before the fall mayhem is in full swing. The earlier you start, the easier it is to move toward the right bedtime for your necessary wakeup time (and avoid feeling like you’ve been hit by a truck when your alarm goes off)....

“Don’t make the mistake of thinking these little things don’t make a difference! It’s all about creating ease in your day-to-day life and streamlining your time,” says Gill. “Not having to look for what you want to wear saves time and maximizes your day. Being really intentional with setting up your closet in general reduces stress and overwhelm on a daily basis.” To tidy up your own closet and max our storage space, try these space-saving clothes-folding techniques....

That bronzed, dewy complexion is always a good look on anyone and one of the best ways to show off your vacation to your friends. In reality, your quarantine skin may be looking dull and pasty, but your lack of travel doesn’t mean your skin has to show it. You can still impart that post-vacation glow without stepping outside your house—with a little help from our fave skincare and makeup products, of course....

According to Hadley King, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, body acne, including buttne, is very common. “More than half of people with facial acne have some body acne too,” says Dr. King. Yet you’d be hard-pressed to find a commercial regarding acne-like bumps on the butt. And it’s not a topic that comes up among family and friends very often either. While you can’t see it in public, butt acne is irritating, painful, and can wreak havoc on your confidence....

What do you suggest to treat dry crepey skin on the arms and legs? –@mimichellej With age comes wisdom…and wrinkles. Maybe it’s the thinking we’re doing, but each muscle contraction causes the skin to bunch together, forming little lines between the bulk of the muscle that crease our skin. One of the most frustrating kinds of wrinkles is the crepey skin you’re referring to. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, crepey skin is pretty much what the name suggests; it has a noticeably thin and shriveled appearance and tends to impact larger areas like the neck and upper arms....

Why Grow Tomatoes Indoors? Outdoor space isn’t the only reason why some people can’t grow tomatoes outside. “In Britain, many people choose to grow their tomatoes in greenhouses, polytunnels, or inside the house because it’s warmer and protects the plants from getting blight, a fungal disease,” explains Tanya Anderson, author of A Woman’s Garden and founder of Lovely Greens. This is also true for many people who live in colder climates with short summers....

Test these tactics out on your bouquet, and prepare yourself for long-lasting blooms.

Luckily, you don’t need professional-level craft skills or fancy supplies. Grab ordinary printer paper and follow the folds outlined below, and snip your way to pretty DIY decorations. Once you get the hang of it, be creative with your patterns and experiment with intricate designs. What You’ll Need 8.5-by-12-inch paperScissorsPencil How to Make Paper Snowflakes

Genes Do Play a Big Role Exactly how much time it takes for hair to grow depends on genetics. On average, each strand grows about a half-inch a month. But hair doesn’t grow like that nonstop; it grows in cycles. “Fortunately for many, hair is in the growth phase over 80 percent of the time, meaning the opportunity is there,” says William Yates, MD, FACS, a board-certified hair loss surgeon based in Chicago, Ill....

Making your money last in retirement is as important as investing and saving for retirement, and approaching this in the right manner requires balancing a mix of financial strategies and emotional behaviors in the name of ensuring your money is not wasted. These retirement planning experts weigh in on how to stretch your nest egg without feeling stressed about your budget in retirement. “You might find that you get a number like 96,” she says....

What You Need cake pans, parchment paper, kitchen scissors, butter, pastry brush, flour, mixing bowl Follow These Steps To line a round pan, cut out a square of parchment paper slightly bigger than your pan. Fold the parchment into quarters, then in half. Fold in half again to form a narrow triangle. Place the narrow point of your triangle in the center of your cake pan, measuring and marking where you reach the edge of the pan....

Help is on the way! Let us show you how to save money on holiday shopping and feel more in control of your expenses. We tapped experts in finance and shopping for their best tips to save money during the holidays so you can gift yourself a little less stress. Prep Before Shopping Sort promo emails like a pro. Email subscribers often score exclusive deals, but no one wants to crawl through a flooded inbox....