Tired of swatting flies all summer? Here are 16 practical, natural ways to keep flies away from your home, kitchen, and patio for good.
Pull up a photo of your garden from last September. If you’re looking at a lot of brown and bare stems where you expected color, there’s a decent chance the problem started back in May at the garden center. Not with neglect, and not with bad luck. With the plants themselves. Some of the most...
Most of us can recall tossing a banana peel out a car window without a second thought. It’s just a peel. It’s organic. It came from the earth, so surely it goes back to the earth – right? That’s the story we tell ourselves, and it feels reasonable enough that very few people ever stop...
Pull out a box from under anyone’s bed in America right now, and you’ll probably find at least one thing from the 70s or 80s that they absolutely cannot bring themselves to throw away. Not because they’ve forgotten it’s there. Because they’ve chosen, repeatedly, to keep it. The worn-out t-shirt that hasn’t been washed since...
There’s something about a greenhouse that gets people. Not just the practical side of it – the extended growing season, the tomatoes in October, the seedlings getting a head start in March – but something older than that. The idea of a sheltered place that you built with your own hands, where things grow because...
The shower is supposed to be a two-minute rinse on a Tuesday morning. Shampoo, soap, done. But that’s not what actually happens, is it? For a surprising number of people, the shower has quietly become one of the most psychologically productive, emotionally complicated, and – let’s be honest – genuinely odd rooms in the house....
Most of us have made the same optimistic mistake at some point. You bag up everything that’s been sitting in the garage or cluttering the spare room, tell yourself you’re doing something good for the community, and drive it all to the Goodwill donation center. Then the person at the drop-off window starts shaking their...
Most of us don’t realize how gradually stuff takes over. It creeps in, a clearance purchase here, a “just in case” item there, a bag of things you keep meaning to donate that ends up sitting by the back door for three years. One day you look around and the home that was supposed to...
Coyotes are highly intelligent and remarkably adaptable animals. Once native only to North America’s wide open plains, they have steadily expanded their range into suburban neighborhoods and even major cities. As human developments grow into previously wild territories, encounters between people and coyotes have become far more common. Many homeowners find themselves surprised to see...
There are gadgets that do their job quietly in the background, and then there are gadgets that turn everyday life into a little show. The Jellyfish Humidifier falls into the second category. At first glance, you might mistake it for a quirky lamp or some piece of sci-fi décor. But no, it is actually a...
Many homeowners see certain home and garden creatures as pests and want them gone quickly. However, removing some animals can create far bigger problems than expected. Some are protected by law, while others play a vital role in keeping your surroundings healthy. Disturbing them can harm the environment and may even land you in legal...
Burglary is one of the most common crimes worldwide. Criminals often watch for signs that a house is empty. Once they notice the cues, they see an easy target. The good news is that you can prevent burglaries by making your home appear occupied. With a few simple tricks, you can discourage intruders and protect...
