It’s time for another tour of someone’s home jungle. And this week we’re headed to Ciara Benko’s Lower East Side apartment where she lives with her dog, her girlfriend, and over 70 plants. Inspired by both of her grandmothers, one that had a sprawling backyard, and the other a connoisseur of indoor plants, Ciara has created her own indoor green oasis in New York City. In This Episode Most of her plants reside in either her living room or bedroom, the rooms with the best light and you can tell the plants are loving life....

One of the very best parts about the virtual world of woodworking is the support between craftspeople. It’s a small, tight-knit community full of DIY cheerleaders—and that’s exactly how Nada Taha caught our attention. With features on Apartment Therapy and Rust-Oleum Canada, Nada’s profile, One Forty-Four, is the perfect mix of practicality and optimism when it comes to all things woodworking, renovation, and DIY. We recently connected over Zoom with this registered nurse and proud ‘boy mama’ to discuss her own journey into woodworking—and what she has in store for the future....

Light As with most succulents, Mexican snowballs require several hours of bright, direct sunlight each day in order to thrive. Insufficient sunlight causes the plant to become leggy and lose its attractive compact shape. When grown indoors, a west or south-facing window is best. If necessary, these succulents do well under grow lights. When grown outdoors, Mexican snowballs can be planted in a location that receives a combination of direct and partial light throughout the day....

The Attraction of Mid-Century Modern Like many other art forms, purists want the real thing rather than a replica when it comes to vintage design. Authentic ’50s furniture pieces, lamps, clocks, artwork, and other accessories get attention from those creating a retro lifestyle with mid-century flair. Many of these pieces reflect what the Better Homes & Gardens Decorating Book dating to 1956 deemed “easy-care materials for informal living.” Several chairs crafted during this time frame were produced of molded plastic perfect for the busy homemaker as they were easily wiped clean....

Money trees are most commonly sold as small plants with a braided trunk made up of three, five, or seven stems. The trees are braided by nurseries when they are young and will continue to grow this way as they mature. Rarely are they started at home from seed, but if you do plan to plant the tree outdoors, you should start it from seed in the spring. The trees will grow quickly indoors or outdoors, often adding up to 24 inches a year in height....

I’m always trying to find new ways to introduce scientific concepts to my 8-year-old child. She is a hands-on learner, which is why I was excited to have her try out the National Geographic Fossil Mine Dig Kit. This kit is packed with genuine fossils just waiting to be unearthed, so we spent the afternoon searching for dinosaur bones and fossilized shark teeth in the dirt. Read on to find out if the Nat Geo Mega Fossil Mine Dig Kit kept her attention and if she could find and identify the fossils....

While there are many orchid species to choose from, they all have similar physical characteristics. Orchids are easy to spot because of their tall, gently curving stems (i.e., flower spikes) that are covered with blooms in solid colors or speckles. Their petals and sepals (innermost petals) are typically found in groups of three. Depending on the variety, an orchid’s petals can have ruffled or notched edges. Orchid leaves are coated with a heavy waxy film to prevent water loss....

While others may see these traits as negative, they’re also the best things about you. As a Type-A, you’re driven, motivated, and care deeply about what you do and why you do it. But, sometimes you need to rein yourself in. Here are five organization hacks for the Type-A to hopefully keep you true to yourself while being a little more regulated. 1. Focus on the Big Picture Over the Tiny Details As a Type-A person, you have no problem seeing the little details....

“My TV is officially on its last legs. My parents have this TCL x Roku Smart TV, and I think it both looks and works great, and is super easy to use. I’m also using this sale to make a size upgrade—I chose the 55-inch instead of my current 42-inch, and I’m really excited about it."—Courtney Mason, General Manager and Vice President “This is also going to be the first time I attempt to mount a TV on my wall versus place it on a surface....

To avoid making the room feel too white, use different shades of white or add different textures with fabrics or wallcovering. You can use a slightly different paint hue to highlight the crown molding and recessed-panel cabinets, adding interest to the room and preventing it from becoming too washed out. But it is also important to create some contrast and interest in your kitchen. Add some bright color: Mark McCauley, author of Interior Design for Idiots, suggests using dashes of color on unexpected accents like windowsills or the inner parts of shelves....

They’re fluffy. They’re white. Duvet inserts like the Parachute Down Duvet Insert are hard not to compare to a cloud. The pillowy down, the lightness, and warmth make the bed look like you lie on top of puffy, cotton-top clouds. Duvet inserts can be hit or miss, some with more feathers than down and deflated sadness than fluffy comfort. For those on the hunt for a duvet that takes the bed from “blah” to “ahh,” I put the Parachute to the test....

Native to Europe, Asia, and Africa, dianthus plants feature handsome bluish-grey foliage that is showy in its own right when the plants are not in bloom. The foliage is narrow—even grass-like—and plants may exhibit a mounded shape, an erect habit, or a trailing habit. When choosing varieties of dianthus for your landscape, don’t be confused by the name “pinks.” While many varieties do have pink flowers, this nickname comes from the fringed edges of the flower petals....

Not counting the ancient pools of a few select kings and rulers in places like Babylon and Rome, the history of residential swimming pools pretty much began in Southern California. Starting in the mid-1930s, newsreels and magazine photos of movie stars posing by their swimming pools sparked a trend, which became more popular during the post-World War II housing boom. By 1947, there were 11,000 pools in the United States....

Cut and loop carpet was very fashionable during the 1970s and 1980s but lost a lot of popularity through the 90s. With many new contemporary styles introduced in the last several years, cut and loop have become trendy once again. Cut and Loop Patterns The cut and loop styles of the 70s and 80s were primarily available in a “sculptured” or “carved” design, which featured a cut-pile carpet with a few squiggly lines made out of loops running randomly through it―somewhat resembling a marble texture....

How to Make Compost With Leaves Making compost can be a lot of work. You can’t just throw leaves into a pile and expect them to transform into a wondrous black humus ripe for next year’s landscaping needs. The ingredients, consisting of “brown” material such as dried leaves and “green” material such as kitchen scraps, in a compost bin should be properly mixed and watered, and the layers of the pile need to be swapped around in a process called “turning over” the pile....

Mud Stains on Washable Clothes If the mud splatters are small, the first step is to remove any solid matter with a dull knife or edge of a spoon. Don’t rub because that only pushes the soil deeper into the fibers. As soon as possible, hold the stained areas under a faucet running cold water. Hold the fabric with the wrong side of the stain directly under the faucet to force the mud out of the fibers....

But what do you do when that refinishing job, which looked so great at first, becomes worn or damaged a few years down the road? Typical Bathtub Reglazing Problems Bathtub reglazing problems happen when do-it-yourself or even professional reglazing go bad years later—or sometimes, alarmingly soon after installation. Bathtub reglazing problems that you will see due to poor installation are usually flaking, peeling, or bubbled coating. Reglazing problems that occur years later are typically due to usage: scratches, gouges, nicks, and dings....

If you’re buying an oven, you should confirm whether it has a self-clean feature or not, because the cleaning process is very different for each type. Regardless of what type you have, your oven will need to be cleaned and how often depends on how messy your cooking and baking tends to be. Benefits of a Self-Cleaning Oven Chemical fumes: Manual clean ovens require the use of very strong oven cleaners, smelly formulas....

Types of Switches in Your Home What Are Three-way Switches? What Are Four-way Switches? Do Your Switches Make the Grade? Warning Signs of a Defective Switch What Do The Markings on a Switch Mean? What Is A Motion Detector Switch? What Height Do I Install Switches? Why Are My Switches Making Buzzing Sounds? What is a Rotary Dimmer Switch? Switches 101…An E-Course For Beginners Polarized Receptacles…What Are They? Cheap Outlets and/or Receptacles…What’s the Difference?...

Sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress can be quite miserable. Fortunately, there are a few cheap and simple solutions that don’t involve buying a new bed. With mattress pads or mattress toppers, you can easily improve your sleeping experience. The challenge is finding the right option for you. My husband and I tried out the Sleep Innovations Gel Memory Foam 4-Inch Dual Layer Mattress Topper for several weeks. We slept on it, washed it, and slept on it again to determine if it delivered the results that many people have been raving about....