How to Store Holiday Lights So They Never Tangle
Every January I told myself I would store the holiday lights properly. Every December I stood in the cold, swearing […]
Fall Lawn Care in September: Save Your Grass for Winter
My neighbor’s lawn comes through every winter green and thick. Mine came through looking like a threadbare rug. For years […]
How to Winterize Outdoor Faucets Before Frozen Pipes
I learned about frozen pipes the expensive way. One March, I turned on the outdoor faucet for the first time […]
The Simmer Pot Trick to Make Your House Smell Like Fall Without Candles
I love fall scents, but candles make my head hurt, and the good ones cost way too much. Then a […]
Why Wasps Get Aggressive in Fall and How to Keep Them Out
Every fall, the wasps show up. They buzz around the porch, they find their way inside, and they seem meaner […]
How to Get Your Generator Ready for Fall Storm Season
Last fall, the power went out during a storm and my generator would not start. It had sat in the […]
How to Set Up a Bird Feeder Before Winter So Birds Actually Find It
I hung a bird feeder in December and watched it sit empty for three weeks while the birds in my […]
That Weird Smell When You First Turn On the Heat: What It Is and How to Fix It
The first cold night of fall, you flip the thermostat to heat and within minutes the whole house smells like […]
How to Bring Potted Plants Inside Without Shocking Them
I killed a beautiful potted geranium one fall by doing the obvious thing: leaving it outside until the night before […]
How to Keep Flowers Alive in the Summer Heat (Yes, Even Yours)
I killed a whole flower bed one July. Not slowly, not subtly. I planted a dozen petunias on a Saturday, […]