Suggestions for luau scavenger hunt items: Hula skirt Coconuts Pineapples Leis (You can hide several of these in different colors and list how many of each color kids must find.) Limbo stick Seashells Flip-flops Beach towels Beach balls Small inflatable or plastic palm trees Once all the fruit has been carried back, kids must use it to assemble three kabobs on their skewers (leave the skewering part to the older kids, or have an adult assigned to do the skewering)....

Even through a screen, Melanie Abrantes exudes warmth. It greets you on her website, MelanieAbrantes.com, where she showcases her collection of handcrafted, heirloom-style goods. It catches your attention on her thriving Instagram feed, where—with the other 24,000-and-counting followers—you can see what’s new in the world of her namesake Melanie Abrantes Designs, which makes and sells sustainable home goods and offers workshops for aspiring carvers. And it keeps you calm and confident during Carve Alongs as part of Mel’s Carving Club Subscription, a monthly service that can help anyone start their own woodworking journey....

The brand name comes from two very special women in Lambert’s life: her mom, Beverly June Lambert, and her grandmother, Wanda Louise Coker. “They both taught me everything I know about being a woman and how to make a warm home full of laughter, love, and memories,” Lambert shares with Walmart. “That’s really the heart of my Wanda June Home brand.” Wanda June is now available to shop on Walmart, with most pieces coming in sweetly under $30....

Fast Facts Scientific Name: Mimus polyglottosCommon Name: Northern Mockingbird, MockingbirdLifespan: 7-8 yearsSize: 10 inchesWeight: 1.7-1.8 ouncesWingspan: 14-15 inchesConservation Status: Least concern Northern Mockingbird Identification Northern mockingbirds may seem bland with their gray, black, and white plumage, but they are elegant and bold, with several key traits that help birders identify them. Male and female mockingbirds look alike with a medium gray head and back, darker wings with two thin white bars, and bold white wing patches....

Bedding and bathware items in the brand-new Organic Cotton Collection meets the criteria outlined by the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) for being sustainable, ethical, and fair—and, as you’d expect from Parachute, it’s stunning and practical, too. Consisting of 22 brand new items from robes and loungewear to bath towels, bedding sets, and quilts, the Organic Collection will be a permanent Parachute offering, meaning it’s not just a capsule collection or a fleeting option: You can always choose to go more sustainable at Parachute now....

Although there are other ways to do it (such as patio planter pockets), the easiest way to incorporate plants into a deck or patio setting is to use container gardens. Because containers are portable, Northerners can easily grow tropical flowers in them during the summertime, then simply move them indoors when Jack Frost beckons. But you can grow almost anything in a container. The idea of using plants on your patio can even help you avoid the costly project of removing an old patio and constructing a new one, as plants are capable of hiding many an eyesore....

Differences Between Pothos and Philodendrons Taxonomy Taxonomy is the branch of science that is concerned with classifying groups of biological organisms, and it’s used to name plants and animals and organize them into genera and families. Taxonomy, when it comes to plants, is largely concerned with botanical nomenclature. Pothos and philodendrons are two separate and distinct plants that belong to separate genera. Pothos belongs to the Epipremnum genus, and philodendron belongs to the Philodendron genus....

D-Scale and Evaporative Cooler Cleaner When an evaporative cooler develops mineral or scale buildup, it might be time to use a cleaner or some form of de-scaler. This will help the cooler pads last longer. Also, clean pads can help keep the air temperature cooler because more water can be absorbed into the pads and subsequently evaporated (it is the evaporation of water that gives the appliance the ability to cool air)....

Natural disasters are popping up all over the globe, which means there’s no better time than now to prepare for earthquakes, hurricanes, and the like—and I’m taking my own advice. I vowed to get my home ready for any disasters coming my way in 2020, and the first step was experimenting with multiple survival kits and emergency bags to see which works best for me. The Protect Life Emergency First-Aid Kit caught my eye because it’s marketed as an emergency bag that can be used in events like storms or earthquakes....

Although many mature plants thrive in full sun conditions, when plants are young or not yet established, the sun can be their worst enemy. If a new or transplanted plant receives some shade (from a mature landscape tree, for example) at any point in the day, a bit of shade can greatly reduce its stress level. Young plants can really suffer from the strong rays of the sun if exposed to it from morning to evening....

If you are tired of waiting for hot water or don’t like the idea of wasting water, consider installing a hot water recirculating system or having one installed. The principle of these systems is simple: A recirculating pump installed in the plumbing lines creates a loop that slowly and constantly circulates the water in the hot water pipes back into the water heater for reheating. This means that as soon as you open a faucet or turn on a shower, warm water is already present in those pipes, so you don’t need to waste water down the draining waiting for the water to heat up....

The Risks of Winter While birds do have many ways to keep warm in winter, the freezing rain, wind chill, and deep snow of the season can easily be fatal if birds don’t have at least minimal protection. Unfortunately, just at the time when the birds need extra shelter, deciduous trees are losing their leaves and providing less protection not only from the elements but also from winter’s hungry predators. Backyard birders can help their flocks, however, by providing adequate winter shelter....

When I think of science experiments, I remember my high school science classroom, where a frog lay on my desk awaiting dissection. It was an experience that rattled me but likely would intrigue my five curious kids, ranging in age from 8 to16. Offering home do-it-yourself science toys to my kids appeals to me, especially since hands-on science has been drastically reduced in their schools. In this review, we test out the Scientific Explorer My First Mind Blowing Science Kit with my youngest....

Cotton is one of the most common fabrics and requires at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Meanwhile silk and polyester require less heat at 300 F. The dots on a fabric label or an iron indicate the heat level. One dot is low heat, two is medium heat, and three is high heat. Steam is the highest heat level and can make ironing faster, requiring less effort when passing the iron over the fabric....