Young kids are ready to explore, socialize, and put their imagination to work. Now that most of them have mastered the art of walking (and possibly running), they’re also ready to develop new fine motor skills. We put the B. Pet Vet Clinic to the test, seeing if it would boost our children’s brain power and keep them entertained. Read on to see what our tiny reviewer revealed. Design: Compact and clever The B....

Whether you live in a cold-weather climate and need a reliable source of wearable warmth or you simply take your coziness seriously, you should add the Barefoot Dreams CozyChic Robe to your wishlist. Made of patented microfiber material, this robe is uniquely cushy (think memory foam in garment form) but its shawl collar, tie belt, and relaxed fit make it much more stylish than the throw blanket you’ve been wrapped up in....

The name “basket weave” is a reference to the way that strands of brick seemingly disappear under other bricks that they meet perpendicularly, then become visible again on the other side – just as when crafters are weaving actual baskets. The double basket weave pattern is essentially composed of pairs of bricks. Picture a square area in which eight bricks are to be laid (two columns and two rows, consisting of four pairs of bricks)....

Here we’ve rounded up some of the best breakfast bar ideas for every style of kitchen. Photography: Shayna Fontana

Because siding is typically installed by contractors, labor costs drive up the total price; doing it yourself is usually not an option. Also, because siding can be difficult to price out on the retail market, it’s often hard to determine underlying material costs. But several types of siding emerge as the best for your home. If you find that you are put off by plywood siding’s plain look, one way to make it work is to mate it with a more attractive, premium material on the house facade....

Apple Trees You do not have to be a farmer to want to grow apple trees (Malus spp.) in your yard. It is about more than just fruit. Apple trees are beautiful bloomers in their own right. The fruit is a bonus. If you do not care about growing edible fruit, then crabapples will serve your purposes better. A type with rosy-red flowers that reaches a height of 20 to 25 feet is Malus x ‘Centzam’ or Centurion, which can be grown in zones 4 to 8....

Window Treatments Adding some light window treatments is a great way to brighten up a dark room. If it suits the style of the room, opt for long curtains that go all the way to the floor. If shutters or blinds are more suitable, go with white ones. Another option is solar shades, which are like roller shades, but they do not have slats or veins; when pulled down, a sheet of semitransparent material covers the window....

Brome Bird Care, a Canadian brand, specializes in tackling one of the most common and frustrating problems facing backyard bird feeders: keeping squirrels away. To see if the Brome SquirrelSolution 200 Bird Feeder delivers on its name, we put the product to the test, hanging it outside our Colorado home in early spring when squirrels are super active. Could it keep critters from stealing seed while also attracting lots of birds to our yard?...

Pricing starts at just $195, and the pieces are all easy to assemble and disassemble as needed. Read on to learn more about each of the five new items in the collection, all of which are available in both walnut and oak.

Cacala Cotton Pestemal Turkish Towels are among the most popular brands of Turkish towels available, with more than 1,000 positive reviews from happy users. Turkish towels—also called peshtemals or pestemals as well as fouta and hammam towels—are famed for their ability to absorb water quickly without requiring the bulky weight of more traditional terry cloth towels. Because they’re thin, they dry quickly, making Turkish towels perfect for traveling and for use in humid areas....

Methods for Calculating Valance Height There are a number of ways to calculate the depth of a window valance to ensure that its proportions are proper to the window. Some designers suggest that a valance should be “about 15 inches deep,” but will adjust that measurement in either direction for windows that are smaller or larger than the norm. A large, tall picture window, for example, may work best with a 17-inch deep valance, while a small bedroom window may find that a 10- or 12-inch valance is most pleasing....

Fiberglass pools are a unique alternative to the standard metal above-ground pool. They offer many more options for customizations for shapes and have a unique smooth texture that other types of finishes and pools can’t replicate while offering a long lasting surface than its liner counterparts. With proper planning and consideration to the fiberglass it can be a wonderful alternative to your standard edition above or semi-above ground pool. Here’s what you need to know about the possibility of having an above-ground fiberglass pool....

Composition Several modern formulations have tweaked the time-honored original recipe with the addition of other natural ingredients: Aloe vera gel (for moisturizing benefits) Butters (shea butter) Essential oils (peppermint, lavender) Natural antioxidants and preservatives (rosemary extract, citric acid, vitamin E) Salt (used in bar soaps to make them harder and last longer) Vegetable oils (hemp, coconut, avocado oils) True castile soap does not contain harsh synthetic detergents, and the best ones do not add any skin-irritating artificial colorants, fragrances, or preservatives....

Also known as southern catalpa, hardy catalpa, western catalpa, northern catalpa, catawba, cigar tree and caterpillar tree, it is native to a wide-ranging area including North America, the Caribbean and East Asia. It’s been cultivated throughout the US since the early 1800s. The flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds for pollination, and this tree is the sole host for the catalpa sphinx moth. With dense foliage and large leaves, the catalpa provides excellent cover and shelter for a wide variety of song birds and wildlife....

The atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica), the Cyprus cedar (C. brevifolia), the deodar cedar (C. deodara), and the Lebanon cedar (C. libani) are all gorgeous trees with unique traits. Yet they are slow-growing and require immense patience which is not ideal for everyone. If you have the patience, growing and training a cedar bonsai can be very rewarding, but results are not immediate, and it can take years to achieve the desired effects....

Check Each Room Do another walkthrough of the entire house to make sure everything is packed. Check the closets, the drawers, the cupboards, the garage, and the attic to make sure you haven’t left anything (or anyone!) behind. In a rush to pack and move, it’s easy to forget to pack the bathroom drawer or that storage space in the kitchen. Check every space and corner no matter how much time it takes....

If you don’t have a disposable duster, use a clean microfiber cloth and secure it to a broom or mop handle with a rubber band. And if you must use a ladder, it’s a good idea to have another person to brace the ladder and come to your aid if you slip or fall. Using a ladder when you’re home alone is never a great idea. If you have allowed dust and particles of grease to accumulate on kitchen cabinets, use a sturdy step stool and clean with a soft cloth dipped in a solution of two cups warm water, one teaspoon dishwashing liquid and one teaspoon household ammonia....

Properties of Clear Quartz Color: ColorlessChakra: AllNumber: Vibrates to 4Planet: Sun, MoonZodiac: AllBagua areas: DuiElements: MetalOrigin: Worldwide Clear Quartz Spiritual Meaning and Healing Properties Clear quartz is a powerful crystal with a restorative and amplifying energy. Because it’s often used with other stones to strengthen their effects, it’s a great addition to crystal grids. Clear quartz is best for all chakras to clear and activate them, and it can be used to purify the physical and energetic bodies....