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For many people, one of the toughest challenges when planning a party is trying to decide how much food they will need to serve. I’d love to say that there is a fool-proof formula to solve this dilemma but, in the end, the answer to this question involves more art than science. Many factors come into play when you make your plans including the length of your party, the type of food you’ll be serving, the composition of men, women, and children in your group, as well as the richness of the food you plan to serve....

DeWalt is a nearly 100-year-old tool company with a reputation for durability and quality. I tested one of its core offerings, the DWE7491RS 10-Inch Jobsite Table Saw (which comes with a rolling stand) while rebuilding the deck on my Colorado home. Read on to see if the saw’s compact size and portable package got the job done. Performance: Stable and efficient With a maximum cut depth of 3.125 inches and a 32....

C. albipunctata flies are common worldwide and are frequently found around household drains, where they feed on decaying organic material found in the pipes. Other indoor areas where there is moist, decaying organic material can also be a breeding site for flies. Drain flies can also be found in dark, swampy outdoor locations where there is plenty of decaying organic material and standing water. Identifying the Source The key to controlling drain flies is finding and eliminating their water and food source....

But, there are ways to ease the laundry loads of extra people (and maybe their pets) in the house. By planning ahead, you won’t get left holding the stuffed laundry bag when the visit is over. And, to the guests: While a hostess gift of chocolates, flowers or wine is lovely, being a considerate guest is always the right choice. Talk to your host or hostess and ask what you can do to help during your stay....

“You can never have too many blankets!” says Ariel Kaye, founder and CEO of the bedding company Parachute. She isn’t alone in that sentiment. Tracey Hairston of Mocha Girl Place says she has at least 30. “A lot are packed away, and I pull them out at different times.” For these experts and many other people, blankets are certainly not clutter; they are comfort. And if ever there was a time that the world needed comfort, it is now....

We also spend many hours in bed while we’re sleeping, in a passive state. When we’re asleep, we are more open to energies around us. Another reason why the bed’s feng shui position is so influential is because it’s a private place in the home. (Hopefully it’s not open to the public!) Therefore, you spend your most private time there. This is why in feng shui, your bed best represents and most deeply affects you....

If you haven’t already spotted this trend, fishing wire is the perfect way to create a magical effect with your decorative object of choice. With just a few inches of string, candles are floating, snowflakes are falling, and ornaments appear to be suspended in mid-air. We’ve even spotted sprigs of greens take on a whole new effect as a hovering forest. To help any DIY decorator dress up their space, we collected a few insights and tips from experts who have tried this trend—here’s how you can do the same....

Fit & Fresh Cool Coolers Ice Packs are incredibly slim and come in a family-friendly set of four. The space-saving ice packs are best suited to small coolers and containers, so we tucked one in our lunch bag and observed how it held up to indoor and outdoor temperatures. Keep reading for our full assessment of the Fit & Fresh packs’ performance, price, and competition. Size: Small enough to fit in a lunch bag We love how small and lightweight these ice packs are....

Flowers are usually the central feature of the window box for most gardeners, and if your home’s façade is sunny, you can have a large range of blooming choices. Whether you prefer a substantial wooden trough or a series of hayrack planters, your sunny window box will draw attention throughout the growing season. Other trailing flowers that will spill handsomely over the edges of your sunny window box planter include trailing ivy-leafed pelargoniums, black-eyed susan vine, and euphorbia ‘Diamond Frost’....

This is a perfect project for a confident beginner woodworker. There aren’t a lot of materials and supplies you need and it’s a forgiving project as long as you measure correctly. Building a bar stool is also a great way to save money. You can usually build a great looking stool for much less than you can buy one. There are DIY bar stool plans here for both counter-height (23-28 inches) and bar-height (29-32 inches) and a few sizes in between....

In most parts of the United States, Gerberas are tender perennials that come back every year. In cold winter zones without winter protection, these plants are treated as annuals. They are best planted in spring after all chances of frost have passed. Gerbera daisies can be grown from seed outside in containers and garden beds. They’ll establish themselves at a moderate pace, delivering their first flowers within 14 to 18 weeks and continuing to bloom throughout the summer....

Description of the Betony Herb Betony is a wonderful herb for the herb garden. It is a lovely flowering specimen offering blooms that range from white to deep-purple and grows well in partial shade. The flowers are attractive and long-lasting. Their unusual shape makes them an eye-catching addition to a rock garden. Betony grows from 9 inches to 3 feet tall, depending on the variety of plant (be sure to read the tags!...

The white flowers are tucked inside this striking bract, which resembles a pineapple only in shape. The overall effect is beautiful and very tropical. Beyond the sheer beauty of the flowering specimen, what makes it surprising they aren’t more widespread is their relative ease of growth, for a tropical plant at least. If you can grow a philodendron well, you can grow a Tapeinochilos. Growing Conditions: Light: These are understory plants so thrive in filtered sunlight....

Latin and Common Names The Latin, or scientific name for Japanese yew is Taxus cuspidata. The plant shares its dark green leaves with other plants in the Taxus genus, and it is a member of the yew family or Taxaceae. Japanese yew is also known by the common name “spreading yew.” There are many cultivars of Japanese yew, including “Aurescens,” which grows in bright yellow before the foliage matures to green, and “Expansa,” so named because its spread is wider than more common variants of the yew....

In this case, take a closer look at the shrimp plant referred to as the Justicia brandegeana shrimp plant also known as the Mexican shrimp plant. It is so dubbed for where it originated. This plant features a shrimp-colored flower bract (extra leaf) that hangs from the stem tips. In their native environment, these plants grow up to six feet tall and have fairly brittle stems. Indoor growers are more likely to trim this plant to keep it a manageable size and thus reduce its tendency to snap....

Growing Conditions Light: Indirect light or moderate shade. Do not expose to direct sunlight, but they can be acclimated to higher light levels.Water: Keep water in the central cup. Change water frequently with clean water to prevent odor and bacteria.Temperature: Aim for 55 degrees or higher. They can survive to 45 degrees, but not for long.Soil: Any soil mix as these are technically air plants that use their roots for support....