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And while you’re at it, spruce up your garbage disposal by following a few easy cleaning tricks we’ve picked up over the years. Start saving your orange peels—they’re a secret weapon when it comes de-stinking a smelly garbage disposal. How To Clean Your Kitchen Sink (No Harsh Chemicals Required) What You’ll Need: Mild dish soapSoft spongeOld toothbrushBaking sodaLemonWhite vinegarOlive oil (optional)Lemon oil (optional) Follow These Steps: How to Clean a Sink Faucet What You’ll Need:...

These experiences are more commonly related to attention issues rather than true memory problems. They can also be indicative of other (seemingly unrelated) issues that need addressing, like too much stress or too little sleep, explains Karen D. Sullivan, PhD, ABPP, founder of Pinehurst Neuropsychology in North Carolina and creator of the I Care for Your Brain program. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work on strengthening and supporting your memory “muscle,” especially since changes in memory are a natural part of aging....

That said, there’s still always a way to celebrate and keep special traditions alive, even if it looks a little different this year. It’s time to adjust your expectations and get creative, because when life gives you lemons—well, you know what to do with them. Of course, this particular lemon is big (like, life-altering big)—but that only makes it more important to find happiness and comfort in small things, like celebrating what you’d normally be celebrating right now....

An egg wash can also help seal the edges of filled pastries or hand pies, as well as help any sprinkled sugar adhere to dough. It’s a straightforward technique that truly elevates both sweet and savory baked goods. How to Make an Egg Wash As you may have guessed, the process for making an egg wash is very simple and requires only two steps. It’s important to note that because this technique involves raw egg, the brush should be thoroughly washed after use to avoid cross-contamination, and this technique should not be applied if not followed by the indicated baking time of a recipe....

Here’s how to make your favorite Starbucks holiday drinks at home. Red cup optional. Pumpkin Spice Latte The key to flavored lattes is the syrup, which can be purchased online in various sizes. Though Starbucks doesn’t sell its pumpkin spice syrup commercially, a similar syrup can be purchased from Torani, which is used by coffee shops across America. If you want to make your own, Starbucks at Home provides the following recipe: 1 cup water, ½ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, 6 Tbsp pumpkin purée, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice should be simmered for about 4 minutes until everything is well combined....

Microwaving Sweet Potatoes Is there a difference between the terms “baking,” “cooking,” or “steaming” sweet potatoes in the microwave? No. These are all different ways of describing this simple microwave process. How Long to Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave Because sweet potatoes vary so much in size and weight, there’s no one-size-fits-all time limit. In general, it takes five minutes to cook one sweet potato in the microwave, and add two minutes in the microwave for each additional potato....

The One-Wall Wonder If your “foyer” is really just a small wall beside the front door, don’t worry, you still have enough space for a functional entryway. Take advantage of vertical wall space with a large arched mirror ($289, shadesoflight.com). Bonus points: it will bounce light around the room. Underneath the mirror, we set a luxe-yet-affordable marble shelf with brass brackets ($70, cb2.com). To add extra organization, a brass rod ($15, RebelMetals....

Tools and Materials The right painting tools will make it so much easier to get a professional finish for your paint project. Cellulose spongeDishwashing liquidPainter’s tapePrimerPaintPaint trayPaint roller2-inch angled paintbrushExtension poleLadder Techniques for a Better Paint Job It may be tempting to skip ahead to the painting part, but prepping the wall appropriately is essential for getting professional-looking results. Tip: Follow the manufacturer’s drying instructions, which you’ll find on the can, to make sure the primer is completely dry before applying paint....

Pasta is, after all, a near-perfect food. We can always look to pasta when we need an easy-to-prepare, affordable, and shelf-stable dinner. It’s extremely versatile, too, which means you can dress your noodles up in whatever sauce you have on hand—or just toss them with a pad of butter with salt and pepper—for a family-friendly meal that takes 20 minutes or less. One of the much-loved things about pasta is that you can make a big batch of it and eat it for days....

FSA Basics You may be familiar with a healthcare FSA, which allows account holders to arrange for their employer to set aside pre-tax money for medical costs. Well, a dependent care FSA works the same way but sets aside money for childcare—encompassing infant care through preschool, summer day camp, and before- and after-school programs—as well as adult care. Everyone is eligible for this program as there are no income limits for opening a dependent care FSA, but each household can only contribute up to $5000 per year, regardless of how many kids it has....

How to Store Dry Pasta Tight, secure seals will prevent bugs from infesting dry pasta. Once you’ve opened the original box or container of pasta, it’s important to transfer any leftover dry pasta to a fresh, airtight storage container. Keep airtight pasta containers in a cool, dark, dry place, like a cupboard. Stored in this way, dry pasta lasts indefinitely. How to Store Fresh Pasta Fresh pasta hasn’t been dehydrated, so it doesn’t last as long as dry pasta does....

How to Straighten Hair With Heat Learning how to straighten your hair isn’t a one-size-fits-all process, says Dickey. “Texture determines how to straighten,” he explains. Techniques vary by hair type, roughly divided along the line of straighter textures like waves and very curly and kinky hair. Step 1: Shampoo and Condition That said, all great straight styling begins in the shower. “The thicker, curlier and kinkier your hair is, the more you want to avoid shampoos with suds,” says Dickey....

So where does it go so wrong, and how can you avoid it? We asked the pros how to negotiate with your hairdresser and avoid future meltdown moments at the salon. That said, there are certain adjectives to avoid, especially when you get into tricky territory like bangs. Instead of using vague words like “shorter” and “longer” (your version of shorter may be entirely different from your hairdresser’s), be more descriptive....

Wearing makeup, as you can imagine, is a struggle. Any powder, cream, or liquid foundation I’ve tried to use on my face has dried up along with my skin and flaked off a few hours later thanks to my parched canvas. That was the case until I tried the Super Serum Skin Tint by Ilia Beauty. To buy: $48; iliabeauty.com. I’m almost hesitant to call this skin tint makeup since it feels more like skincare on my face....

On This Episode It’s frustrating when you’re not getting what you want out of your career, whether it’s money, meaning, or in the case of this week’s listener, both. So what do you do next? Give up the security of a steady paycheck to pursue your passions—or stick it out and hope that someday you’ll make more money? And if that’s a possibility, what can you do to try to make it happen?...

In rooms where a standard hinged door might take up too much space, sliding barn doors can make the most of the space available while introducing a splash of color or character. (And they’re so much more dignified than rickety accordion or bifold doors.) Think of them as built-in multitaskers—they can help a room feel more open (or separate) and introduce a new décor feature at the same time. Plus, they can go nearly anywhere: bathrooms, kitchens, closets, laundry rooms, bedrooms, and more....

So what’s her secret? “For me, it’s practicing mindfulness. That means staying away from my phone as long as I can in the morning (which infuriates some people), meditating, and not letting the world bombard me like it does, which is especially important in the business that we’re in,” she says. “I used to just burst myself into the world and not have a moment, and I think it’s so important to give yourself that extra 30 minutes in the morning, which is usually the minimum of what I try to give myself to be alone and do absolutely nothing....