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Think of a vacuum cleaner as your regular go-to appliance that keeps your carpets looking sharp. A quick pass weekly does the trick. It’s rare to find a home without a vacuum cleaner. On the other hand, carpet steamers are specialty units that come out of the closet much less often. They clean up stubborn stains in high-traffic areas and can remove spills. They aren’t as quick to set up and run as vacuum cleaners, but the results are worth the time....

Language Change The evolution of the word is an example of a phenomenon that linguists call semantic drift—a gradual change in the meaning of a word as it becomes used in changing contexts. In early 18th-century France, the word commode meant a chest of drawers or a cabinet for storing personal items. The word derives from the French word for “convenient” or “suitable.” Later on, “commode” was used to mean a particular type of cabinet that held chamber pots....

Luckily, taking a closer look at your zodiac sign can give you a better idea of the concepts you might be drawn to. Whether you’re an unconventional Aquarius looking to go a little outside the box or a Leo who’s ready to pull out all the stops, you’re bound to find an idea that gives you the party theme that you (and your guests) will go crazy for.

Our zodiac sign can often be a great reference to the things that suit our personalities and preferences. Check out your zodiac sign below to see which trendy decor item you should absolutely buy next.

Once you know your ideal house, use your zodiac sign to determine the best way to keep it clean.

Set Your Budget Before You Remodel a Kitchen As you go about planning the new kitchen, be realistic about the cost. Large renovation projects often end up taking more time and money than you plan for, so it’s a good idea to aim for a conservative budget beneath your max budget to ensure there are extra funds if your project goes over. A good rule of thumb is to add another 10 to 20 percent for unplanned expenses....

There’s nothing like sliding your feet into a tunnel of softer-than-soft fleece after a long day. Depending on how much time you spend at home, you may end up wearing your slippers just as much as any other shoe you own. With that in mind, it’s important to pick a pair that’s comfortable and will hold up to your daily jaunts around the house. I wore the Cozy Memory Foam Slippers from UltraIdeas around my apartment for a few weeks....

Let’s be honest: there’s nothing attractive about them, and on top of the visual eyesore, they smell like, well, a mossy forest floor. They can also be difficult to maintain long-term. Ideally, the moss is kept evenly moist and acts as a secondary source of water and nutrition for the plant, which uses its aerial roots to climb and attach itself to the moss. However, sphagnum moss (which is commonly used for moss poles) dries out quickly and needs to be watered often....

Origin Story: Sticker Shock Prompts Creative Solution Gressett was married for 18 years before divorcing in 2018. She loved the Boulder, Colorado outskirts where she and her family lived and wanted to stay in the area. At the time, the average home price in her area was well over $600,000, and some are selling for more than $1 million now. “No way I could afford to stay in the area on a single income, and I definitely wasn’t interested in getting married or cohabitation anytime soon!...

Plan to regularly water and feed your tree ivy, and prune as needed to maintain your desired shape and size. The plant doesn’t typically have serious pest or disease issues. However, watch out for some common plant pests, including spider mites, mealybugs, and aphids. Be sure to check the undersides of leaves for signs of the small bugs, and treat any infestations as soon as possible. Light Tree ivy grows best in dappled light....

Some caution is required when growing tulips indoors. Like many spring bulbs, tulips contain alkaloid compounds that are moderately toxic to pets and to humans. The bulbs contain the highest concentration of toxins, but trace amounts are also found in flowers and leaves. Consumption of entire bulbs most often causes intestinal irritation. In addition, humans who handle bulbs often may develop skin sensitivity and allergic reactions. However, fatal reactions in humans or pets are very unlikely....

Grout sealant is important because it renders a porous material—grout—nearly non-porous. This is crucial in the high moisture environments of kitchens and bathrooms. Using grout sealant on a regular basis will add years not just to the grout but to the tile itself. Sealing Grout With an Applicator With the applicator method, each grout line is brushed individually with a small brush and sealant. Since the surface of the ceramic tile is glazed, it is already sealed....

Suet Shapes The basic suet cake and most popular size for this type of bird food are roughly 4.5 inches (11.4 centimeters) long and wide, and 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) deep. This size is designed to fit in most standard cage-style suet feeders, though some feeders are large enough to accommodate multiple cakes. While these types of cakes can be found in many pet stores, grocery stores, garden centers, and wild bird supply stores, there are many other specialized suet shapes as well....

Art in Feng Shui Art is all about inspiration and creative energy, which makes it a very powerful tool to shift and enhance the energy in your home. The subject matter, colors, size, shape, and placement of artwork can all impact the feng shui of your home. To help you to improve the overall energy in your home, just follow these simple feng shui tips for selecting and placing your art....

Male Mallard Identification Male mallards are distinctive and easily recognized by their rich colors and plumage patterns. When trying to identify mallards in the field, look for these clues: Female Mallard Identification Mallard hens are much more camouflaged than their mates, but they, too, have easy keys to proper identification. These six key field marks are essential for identifying female mallards: Eclipse Mallard Identification After the breeding season, male mallards enter a period of eclipse plumage when they are molting their old feathers....

Advantages of Vermicomposting Worms are composting factories, eating kitchen scraps and producing rich compost at surprising speed. The compost they produce is richer than most commercial compost and, of course, it’s free. Worms work throughout the year, composting even in winter, which means that compost from your worm gardens will be available whenever you need it. Advantages of Worm Beds Worm bins are generally multi-layered containers in which red worms eat organic material and produce nutrient-rich compost....

When both toggles are up or both are down, the circuit is complete and the light fixture will be illuminated. When the toggles are in opposite positions, the circuit is interrupted and the light fixture turns off. This allows either switch to control the on-off function of the light fixture at any time. How do you you know if you have a three-way switch? There are two clear giveaways that identify a switch as being a three-way type:...

In the building industry, the granny flat is most often known as an accessory apartment or accessory dwelling unit (ADU). Other terms include granny pod, mother-in-law unit, in-law apartment, bonus unit, casita, carriage unit, and ohana unit (primarily in Hawaii). Many granny flats fall into the tiny house category, and the surge in interest in tiny house living has been a boon to grandparents who are interested in this type of housing....

The term allelopathy is attributed to an Austrian professor, Hans Molisch, who coined it in his 1937 book “The Effect of Plants on Each Other.” However, humans have been aware of it much longer. Records from the ancient Greeks and Romans talk about plants being toxic to one another. Pliny the Elder is often cited for noticing the detrimental effect of black walnuts and calling them toxic. Why and How Allelopathy Occurs Allelopathy is a survival mechanism that allows certain plants to compete with and often destroy nearby plants by inhibiting seed sprouting, root development, or nutrient uptake....