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But what’s true about our parenting styles is that they’re often reflections of who we are as people—what we care about, how we love, what we enjoy, and what really matters to us. As strange as it may seem, our parenting styles can even be reflected in how we design our homes. Here’s what your home décor preferences could say about your parenting style. Mid-Century Modern You’re the simple, all-hands-on-deck type of parent who swaps the cutesy social media posts and yearly Christmas cards for genuine connection....

Bread and similar products such as crackers, rolls, chips, crisps, donuts, crusts, cereal, and popcorn are great sources of carbohydrates, but they offer little nutritional value for ducks, geese, swans, and other birds. In fact, bread is the equivalent of junk food for birds. Just like humans would suffer from a diet of nothing but candy and sugar, too much bread can lead ducks to obesity and malnutrition as well as many other problems....

Answer: Tomatoes tend to crack when they receive irregular water. If your tomatoes have gone through a dry spell and you try to make up for it with frequent waterings, the inside of the tomato will plump up faster than the outside can stretch and grow. As a result the outer skin of the tomato splits open or cracks. You can prevent future tomatoes cracking by making sure that they receive water regularly, whether or not it rains....

A holly has glossy evergreen leaves, right? No, not always. Ilex verticillata, Winterberry Holly, or Winterberry is our native, wetland holly that loses it leaves each autumn. This beautiful shrub is all the showier because its lack of winter leaves makes its berry display all the brighter. After the leaves have turned yellow and have fallen off, you are left with a breathtaking view of thousands of brightly colored berries clinging to every stem....

You may have noticed you see more of them in the summer and that the most common place to see one is in a porch light. But why is that? What’s the point? Why do some people do that? What It Does Yellow light cuts down on the number of flying insects flying around it or hanging on the wall under it or the screen door. Have you ever noticed how many insects are around when you have a regular light bulb in your porch light?...

Benefits of Pruning Squash Pruning back your squash vines won’t hurt the plant or fruits, and it won’t diminish their flavor. Pruning signals to the plant that time is almost up for the season and it needs to get a move on toward ripening. Since the plant won’t be able to set any more fruits—and, by pruning, you aren’t letting it grow any more foliage—it can put all its energy and resources into plumping up and ripening the existing fruits....

KatarzynaBialasiewicz / Getty Images When trying to sell your house, taking pictures of your staged home is an essential step in drawing buyer interest. Thus, make sure to follow these staging tips to create the right first impression. 

Facts you’ll need to know include the exact dimensions of your shower space, how much room you have between the shower and other fixtures, how much time you want to invest in daily shower cleanup, and whether those frameless shower doors you saw on a design blog are really the best fit for your lifestyle and your wallet. Thankfully, there are plenty of framed and frameless options that offer an attractive look....

A fresh coat of paint is an easy and affordable way to enliven a drab door. And don’t forget to accessorize. Amp up the personality with a custom doormat or lanterns. Celebrate the season with festive decorations, like wreaths and blooms. Need some inspiration? Take a peek at these eye-catching entrances. From cheerful yellow to lush green, these front door paint jobs are guaranteed to drum up some awesome ideas for your domicile....

Here are some helpful tips to maximize the potential of your outdoor dining area, and 10 ideas for how to make a cozy, welcoming dining area worth showing off to your friends. Consider the Location of Your Outdoor Dining Area Design a space around your lifestyle, rather than designing your lifestyle around the space. For instance, if you love to entertain, you might want to spring for as large of a dining table as possible....

Wait, what? To play? Yes! To play! Oh, what fun it is to play these Christmas song-themed party games! So, gather the kids and revel in the joys of singing those favorite carols at your holiday celebration. These games would, of course, also be a great addition to a Christmas caroling event. Name That Carol To play this game, start by writing three lines of lyrics from a favorite Christmas song on a small piece of paper....

There is an easy 10-step routine that you can follow. For convenience, you can time your garage door inspection to coincide with other seasonal activities, such as winterizing the lawn sprinklers and turning them back on in the spring, or getting your lawnmower in and out of storage for the season. Watch and Listen to the Door in Operation Problems with your garage door and automatic opener are often manifest in jerky movements and grating, scraping sounds....

Firepit Outdoor fireplace Outdoor heater Invite friends or family over to watch a film, game, or videos on an outdoor TV or computer. Cook and serve a nice, hot dinner outside. Grill a pizza, burgers, or cook a pot of chili or a hearty soup. Enjoy coffee and s’mores over a fire pit afterward. Play beer pong (or use soda), board games, or another outdoor game. If it’s snowing, build snowmen, decorate, and enjoy hot beverages as you admire your work....

Tips for Using a Clothes Steamer Check the temperature of the steam output. It must be 250 degrees F or above to sanitize surfaces.Always use distilled water to prevent clogs and from leaving traces of minerals on surfaces.If your steamer is sputtering, the vents are probably clogged. Clean them by adding a 50:50 mix of distilled white vinegar and water to the steamer. Run for the entire steaming cycle with the nozzle pointed into a sink....

Basic hammocks are relatively simple. Essentially, two points anchor two ends of a long piece of fabric, offering a flat surface for you to lay on. Hammocks are ultra relaxing because of the zero-gravity effect they offer that can take your stress away in an instant. Grab your book, a cold glass of lemonade, and browse this list of great DIY hammock ideas. You’ll be relaxing in no time! DIY Hammock from The Merrythought...

Anemones vary in their hardiness and growth requirements but all grow easily from corms, bulbs, or as herbaceous perennial plants sold in garden centers in spring and summer. In zones where they aren’t hardy, anemones are often planted as annuals. Although many varieties love the sun, others thrive in woodland gardens, giving a much-needed color boost to shady landscapes. They come in a multitude of colors including white, pink, red, blue, purple, and yellow....

If you’re considering renovating your small bathroom, there are many ways to create the illusion of more space while maximizing what you have. From cozy shelving nooks, such as the one seen in this space from katiemonkhouseinteriors, to strategically placed clawfoot tubs, find out some of the best designs for a small bathroom.

“Mosaic tiles can bring so much interest to any design and up the intensity of a space, whether used as a backsplash or on the floors,” says Maureen Stevens, an interior designer who splits her time between Austin, TX and New Orleans, LA. “They can also bring a lot of texture through lively patterns that are otherwise unachievable with non-mosaic tiles.” While mosaic tiles are relatively straightforward to work with and do not require much in the way of cutting, keep in mind that installing mosaic tile sheets nevertheless requires care, including making sure that grout is sealed and the tiles are laid out correctly....

More so than furniture, the items you choose for your walls, as well as their placement and arrangement, are unique to you and help you personalize your rental. For example, once you get a bedroom set delivered, your bedroom will probably become one of many with that same set. But once you finish decorating your walls, your apartment becomes unmistakably yours. We know it can be hard to try and personalize your rented space fully when you have restrictions....