Freeze a Batch of Muffins for Effortless School Mornings
School mornings in my house used to be a negotiation: cereal, no. Toast, no. Anything that takes longer than ninety […]
How to Melt Ice on Your Walkway Without Damaging the Concrete
The Cracked Step I found a crack running across my front step last spring and traced it back to one […]
The Trick to Making Your Christmas Lights Last Until New Year
The First Week Curse Two years ago I hung a thousand lights on the weekend after Thanksgiving, plugged them in, […]
How to Stop Drafts From Your Windows Without Replacing Them
The Cold Corner My first apartment had a living room window so drafty I kept a blanket folded on the […]
Why You Should Clean Your Gutters Before the Leaves Finish Falling
The Ticking Clock My neighbor waits until every leaf has fallen to clean his gutters. Every November he is on […]
The Trick to Keeping Your Christmas Tree Fresh All December
The first tree I bought as an adult was dead by December 10th. Needles everywhere, lights dim, the works. I […]
How to Keep Your Dog Cool on a Hot Walk This Summer
My dog once flopped down in the shade mid-walk and refused to move. Not because she was tired, because the […]
How to Remove Road Salt Stains From Your Carpet and Floors
Who else tracked white streaks into the house after the first snow? Road salt is great for the roads and […]
How to Protect Your Car Windshield From Frost Overnight
Cover the windshield before bed and you will not scrape in the morning. That is the whole trick. I spent […]
The Quick Fix for Foggy Sunglasses When You Sweat Outside
Halfway through a summer run, my sunglasses fog up so bad I can barely see the sidewalk. It happened for […]