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Now, as an adult, I still highly prioritize my sleep (and love a good nap here and there, don’t judge!). And one might think that because catching ZZZs is so important to me, I only splurge on the finest bed linens, but really, that isn’t the case at all. Why Luxe, Pricey Sheets Don’t Work for Me Over the years, I’ve realized that as much as I would love to be that person who owns fancy bedding and manages to keep it in top notch condition for years and years, that just won’t ever be the case....

Design: Padded version of a zero-G recliner There are a lot of lower-cost zero-gravity chairs on the market, but this Phi Villa model sets itself apart by being one of the few with padded cushioning to make it comfier for longer rests outside. There are also some small touches such as the dual-color fabric design and wood armrest that make it feel more upscale than Phi Villa’s lower-priced competition. The chair tested was the larger “XL” model, so while the build feels solid without being bulky or too heavy (it weighs about 25 pounds)....

Do Plumbing the smart and safe way starts with thinking about your next step. Taking a moment to consider what might be in a pipe or whether you need to shut off the water first can make the difference between a simple project and a disaster scenario. Think before opening a drain. Before separating drain parts or removing a cleanout, stop to ask yourself if it’s possible that the contents of the pipe will drain in your direction?...

“In our ongoing commitment to enhance the quality of lives at home we’re excited to now better serve our customers’ specific needs with The Accessible Home,” Pottery Barn President Marta Benson said in a press release. “Our mission is to incorporate accessibility into everything we do—providing beautiful, thoughtful design that makes a home a more comfortable place for everyone.” The concept of aging in place has become especially popular within recent years and refers to senior citizens who have decided to stay in their family homes as they grow older rather than move to retirement communities....

It can be tricky to keep your houseplants happy. Thankfully, grow lights can help: Different types of lights serve different purposes, with some designed for multiple plants while others are best for seedlings or seed trays. We tested the PPUNSON Dual Head UV & IR LED Grow Light to see if it had all the features necessary to keep our plants flourishing. Read on for our insights. Setup Process: Easy as Pie The PPUNSON setup process is self-explanatory....

Dark bricks or stone: 1 part acid to 10 parts waterLight: 1 part acid to 15 parts water.Caution: Pour acid slowly into water; never pour water into acid. Apply as directed, allow to stand for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.Scrub using a long-handed, coarse bristled brush. It usually appears a few weeks after the project has been completed, creating certain anxiety for the homeowners. Before complaining to your contractor though, why not tackle the cleaning project yourself?...

One of the things that make voles so nasty is that they do a lot of their damage in winter, when gardeners aren’t paying much attention. They prefer to do their eating with plenty of cover, so that a fox or other predator can’t detect them and sneak up on them. Their shallow tunnels give them some cover, but the snow in winter provides much better cover. Thus buried under soil and a layer of snow, voles can eat plants’ roots in peace, to their hearts’ content....

Rainwater collection has been in use for thousands of years, but it’s becoming an essential feature for a sustainable home. Collecting your own rainwater lessens your need for treated municipal water. In the event of an emergency, your collection system would be able to provide you with an ample amount of water for washing and other non-potable water needs. Types of Residential Rainwater Collection Systems The concept of a residential rainwater collection system is pretty simple: gather, or catch, rainwater and store it for later use....

Experts recommend deep cleaning your carpets and rugs once per year, and if you’re tired of paying for professionals to do the job, you might be eyeing a product like the Rug Doctor Deep Carpet Cleaner. This hefty rug cleaner looks quite similar to the ones you can rent out from a home improvement store, and it claims to do as good a job as the pros when it comes to deep cleaning your carpets....

The Shark Navigator NV356E is a 2-in-1 vacuum, meaning you can use it in upright mode or with the canister detached to get into hard-to-reach places. With complete seal technology and a HEPA filter that traps 99.9 percent of allergens, it’s a great choice for allergy sufferers. We put the Navigator NV352 to the test to see how well it it could tackle the mix of hardwood floors and area rugs in our household....

This upright vacuum is truly packed with all of the best features Shark fans have come to know, love, and expect from the brand’s products. For anyone in the market for an upright vac—whether that be yourself or a very lucky person in your life—it’s a practical and pretty choice that gets the job done. Strong suction, easy maneuverability, and HEPA filtration? Check, check, and check. With this upright vac in your cleaning corner, you can also expect added bonuses, like a lift-away pod for reaching any dust bunnies in high spaces or tight spots and DuoClean PowerFins, which are really small silicone brush roll additions that grab dirt and grime from carpet and hard floors....

Design and Installation SimpliSafe designs and makes its own high-quality equipment. As the name suggests, the strategy is simplicity. The components are lightweight, although somewhat basic. Only a few external devices can be integrated, notably the Nest Learning Thermostat and August smart locks. SimpliSafe’s website provides transparent pricing for packages to protect homes of various sizes. The installation process begins by plugging the base station into an outlet. Then the keypad, which is separate from the base station, provides step-by-step instructions to set up each component....

Though it spreads aggressively and rapidly, it is still not considered invasive. Plant seeds after the threat of frost has passed for quick blooms to start in late spring and early summer and lasting through fall. Providing your spur valerian gets plenty of sun, you won’t have to worry about any complicated or high-maintenance growing requirements. This hardy plant is tolerant of poor, infertile soils, and dry conditions. It’s also easy to grow from seeds, root divisions, and cuttings....

Create a Mirror Wall to Enlarge Your Room For rooms that lack windows, accomplishing the feel of additional square footage can often be difficult. But luckily mirrors can help you have the same effect as a window. Placing a large piece of mirror on the wall can quickly add dimension to any space. Even though they may not provide a view to the outside world, they can break up wall space in an aesthetically pleasing way....

Native to North America, sugar maple trees are best planted in early fall. They’ll grow slowly but steadily, adding around 24 inches a year and reaching maturity after 30 to 40 years. If you’ve hoping to grow a sugar maple tree from infancy, you will need lots of patience—the varietal takes decades to reach maturity and likely won’t be tapped for syrup until it reaches 30 or 40 years of age....

We tested 23 electric fireplace heaters in our Lab in Des Moines, Iowa, and evaluated them on ease of assembly, heating performance, design, safety, and value. The winner was the Costway 20-inch Freestanding Electric Fireplace because it provides powerful heat, includes several safety features, and has realistic-looking “flames” you can view from three sides. Here are the best fireplace heaters we tested. If space is an issue, you won’t have to store this heater in the winter....