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Traditionally we see decor and ornaments in colors of red, green, silver, and gold, but do not feel restricted to that color palette. No matter what direction you go in when decorating your Christmas tree, at the end of your decorating session the most important thing is that the tree brings you happiness and joy. This year we’ve seen some fun, unique, colorful, and creative trees. With everyone spending more time at home, we’re seeing decorations go up earlier and people getting more creative than ever with their holiday decorations....

When you have a very active toddler, any toy that keeps him or her entertained for longer than two minutes is a major win. My 19-month-old son loved the play tunnels he saw at different classes and play spaces around the city, so my husband and I decided to get him one he could play with all the time. We tested the collapsible Pacific Play Tents Find Me Multi-Color Tunnel to see if it could keep him engaged—and fold up when not in use....

Did you know that the best way for preschoolers to learn is through play? Introducing games that incorporate the ABCs isn’t just a tactic to get them writing—it’s also a great way to introduce a lifelong love of reading. Since letter recognition is such an important step in any child’s literacy growth, we decided to review the Alphabet Bingo! by Peaceable Kingdom. Read on to find out what we think....

As an annual, Persian shield is usually planted from potted nursery starts in spring after the soil has fully warmed. It grows relatively fast in warm, humid conditions; a small potted nursery plant will become a bushy 2-foot plant within a few weeks. Grown in the garden, Persian shield performs well in warm conditions in locations with dappled sunlight, if given plenty of moisture. Failure is usually traced to conditions that are too dry or too cold....

Philodendrons are also a great plant choice to purify the air in your home. They’re best planted in the spring, but houseplants typically can be started with success at any time of year. They are toxic to pets and humans if ingested. Keep your plant’s leaves looking and functioning their best by regularly wiping them off with a damp cloth. These plants don’t have any serious issues with pests or diseases....

But don’t let these objections stop you from buying one. Most gardeners will tolerate its drawbacks for the chance to grow something that, for two weeks in late spring, will turn the heads of every neighbor on the street. The racemes of golden flowers are that showy. Complement golden chain with specimens that’ll pick up the slack the rest of the year. Flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) is indigenous to the U....

But where to start? As you’re wondering what kind of projects you’ll appreciate the most—whether because they make your home more secure and comfortable during colder weather or because they increase your enjoyment of your space—it might be helpful to know what projects other people are planning. Enter home services platform Thumbtack. Thumbtack took data from millions of projects across 500 categories to determine which projects are trending for this fall and winter....

It’s always a good idea to follow the wishes of those requests. Sometimes the request is for a specific charity, while others request a donation to your favorite cause. Flowers vs. Donation The tradition of sending a funeral wreath or floral arrangement is fading somewhat, although not altogether gone. Sometimes a trust is established to help surviving family members after the person passes, or there may be a request to a favorite charity....

But gaining traction is a market for alternative insulation materials. One very green and innovative alternative comes from our closets: denim. Denim insulation is easy to work with and recyclable, What Denim Insulation Is Denim insulation is house insulation made from recycled jeans denim. Denim insulation can be used in walls, ceilings, floors, attics, and crawl spaces. Similar to blown-in cellulose insulation, most denim insulation is Class A fire-rated as it is treated with a borate-based flame retardant....

The convenience of using an artificial Christmas tree can seem more and more appealing as the hectic holiday season rolls around. Artificial trees cut down on cleanup and setup time, and they can be reused for several years—saving you money. Some trees, like the National Tree Company’s Downswept Douglas Fir, even come pre-lit and pre-decorated. We tried out the “FEEL-REAL” artificial tree, testing its setup, appearance, and additional features. Read the full review to see what we found....

While once classified as Perovskia atriplicifolia, taxonomists reclassified in it 2004 through DNA testing as Salvia yangii, officially placing it in the sage genus. Russian sage is found in Asia in the mountains of Tibet and Afghanistan. You may see both Latin names listed in nursery catalogs for several years. This bush produces panicles of small, bluish-lavender flowers throughout the summer and into fall. Not to be outdone by its flowers, the plant’s stems and foliage make a strong statement of their own, perhaps even outstripping the floral display as the chief reason to grow the bush, A graceful perennial with silver stems (so chalky in appearance they sometimes seem to be white) and feathery, silvery leaves, Russian sage plants can reach a height of four to five feet with a spread of three feet or greater if you do not prune them annually....

Sea lavender is primarily grown for its beautiful floral display; though its large green paddle-shaped basal rosette leaves will also create an attractive ground-cover in the early spring, until the plant flowers in the summer. Part of what makes sea lavender a somewhat unusual perennial is that the leaves are so close to the ground, and long flower stems will develop from this grouping of foliage. That’s part of what makes these plants an ideal choice to plant among other similar perennials—the foliage remains mostly hidden, and the flowers stand out....

Further adding to the confusion is the fact that paint manufacturers themselves don’t agree on just what kind of cleaning is essential. However, in general, warm, soapy water is typically the best approach. Fill up a bucket and gently scrub the wall with a sponge; start from the base and work your way up. You’ll eliminate most of the dust and grime, resulting in a surface that’s much smoother for applying paint....

It’s a tough choice predicated on the idea that cost is an issue. All factors being equal, it’s likely that most homeowners would choose replacement over repair. But cost is the factor that turns this into a true dilemma. With new windows costing between $300 to $2,100 or more installed, an entire house of new windows can end up costing several thousand dollars. Repair seems to be the likely avenue then—except that repair isn’t always possible with most modern windows....

It’s a choice that a few do-it-yourselfers face and it can be quite a dilemma. After all, paint spraying is fast, and no one can doubt that. But what about all of that preparation work? Paint rolling is slower than spraying, but you’re able to lay down a thicker coat. Plus, you’ll have less prep work. Interiors: Roll Out; Exteriors: Spray or Roll The short answer is that many do-it-yourselfers find it easiest to roll out paint for house interiors, rather than spraying on the paint....

What Is a Single Panel Garage Door? Single panel garage doors were all the rage before sectional doors came into fashion. These doors are single, solid slabs that slide up and into the space above your car when they’re opened. They occupy a similar amount of space as a sectional garage door but can function quite differently. Instead of being hung on overhead tracks, most single-panel garage doors are hung on a very strong hinge system attached to the jam....

My boys (particularly my younger ones: ages 7, 10, and 12) like pretty much any physical activity from soccer, basketball, and swimming to running around with friends or walking the dog. They gravitate toward anything with wheels from bikes and trikes to skateboards and scooters and enjoy anything with balance and jumping like trampoline, gymnastics, and parkour. They have the energy to burn and are always seeking ways to get out the wiggles....

Square foot gardening uses raised beds, commonly made of untreated cedar, pine or, fir. The beds have a maximum width of four feet to give easy access to the center, and typically a length of four or eight feet. The depth ranges from six inches to one foot—the deeper the better. The square foot bed is divided into a permanent, flat grid of one-foot squares. Each square can be dedicated to a different crop....