Posts

Preparation A Christmas tree alone brings plenty of festive cheer to your space, but creating a seasonal vignette around it—using decorative objects, furniture, lights, and other accents—can take your decorating from merry to memorable. “A vignette is a very nice opportunity to tell a story,” says Francis Toumbakaris of Francis Interiors. “So if your tree has a theme, what is happening around it or next to it could be a nice segue, either from the top of the tree, descending down into the storytelling next to it, or vice versa....

Preparation The kitchen is where you learn heirloom recipes and prepare your family’s meals with care, so it’s only fitting that you consider it a sacred space in your home—which is why it should be as beautiful as it is functional. Of course, there’s more to great kitchen design than following the latest trends or installing a luxe island; it’s important to also maintain the basics. Case in point: your natural stone countertops....

Preparation Planning for the future is always smart, which means it’s never too soon to start thinking about your retirement. If you aren’t already set up with a plan for retirement, it can be difficult to know how to begin. Here’s what to know about saving up for your post-career years no matter what stage you are in life. The first step in setting up a retirement fund is figuring out your budget....

Preparation Lavender, classic soy, or an array of spices are just a few go-to candle scents that can often be found inside a home. While you likely have a few you like to burn regularly, there’s also a good chance you keep a couple of extras on hand as backups or in the event of a power outage. But those candles might not get used for a while—if at all. That begs the question: Do candles ever expire?...

What are Egg Bites? Egg bites have become very popular in the past year or so, mainly because of the “sous vide” egg bites at Starbucks. Sous vide is a method of cooking that uses a very specific temperature water bath to cooking. We won’t be using sous vide for this recipe, but rather our favorite kitchen appliance – the Instant Pot. What are egg bites made with? You can think of egg bites as almost a combination of a quiche and an omelette....

The recipe uses 6 medium russet potatoes which should come in right around a pound and a half. If you’re over or under a little, no worries, you can always add or subtract a little of the seasonings depending on taste. But 6 medium sized potatoes is the perfect starting point. Cutting them into wedges is simple… just cut the potatoes in “slices” of about ½ inch thick, then quarter those slices....

Preparation A washing machine that isn’t doing its job results in musty, odor-ridden clothes at the end of a cycle. Its decline, however, isn’t always obvious straight away—but it’s important to watch for the early signs, since running garments through a faulty machine can lead to permanently discolored or damaged items down the road. Ahead, how to monitor this appliance to ensure it gets your clothes clean every time. If you notice a mildew scent or oily residue on your laundry post-wash, it was not effectively cleaned....

Preparation Looking polished doesn’t have to be a whole production. That’s the resounding and refreshing message from less-is-more brands Merit and Jones Road. Merit has just seven clean and cruelty-free products that glide on with ease, evening out skin and leaving behind gorgeously subtle color. The offerings from Jones Road, created by makeup legend Bobbi Brown, are also formulated without any potentially harmful ingredients and are amazingly intuitive. Just smooth them on with your fingers to achieve the dream: a modern, no-makeup makeup look in minutes....

¾ lb green beans, trimmed 2 ½ lb potatoes, (8 small potatoes) scrubbed and diced, not peeled 2 lemons, 1 sliced and 1 juiced 3 ¼ chicken breast 6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 4 cloves garlic, minced salt and pepper, to taste Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Lay the lemon slices on the bottom of the baking pan. Drizzle a tablespoon of olive oil over the top....

Inspired by a children’s ‘playdate’ scheduled in our house the other day, I thought it would be fun to make some homemade granola bars. My son isn’t so into nuts, and I wanted to pick something that would appeal to his visiting friend, so I went with a recipe that was a tad bit more on the kid-friendly spectrum: S’Mores Granola Bars. The kids were very excited to be my official taste-testers for this recipe....

Preparation Rare pieces of art regularly sell for high price points, but a recent Sotheby’s sale raked in a record-breaking $79.7 million after fees and taxes. What did one lucky buyer get in exchange for that hefty price tag? One of René Magritte’s famed “Empire of Light” canvases. The 1961 painting earned more than triple the artist’s previous record of $26.8 million, which was paid for his 1937 Le Principe du Plaisir at Sotheby’s in 2018....

Preparation If you always assumed that Instagram was a beauty resource for the millennial generation, it’s time to think again—there are so many experts over 40 across the medical, skincare, and makeup spheres that are active (and boast impressive followings!) on everyone’s favorite app. Following them gives you an inside look into everything anti-aging related, from makeup application tips to the products to know about right now. Ahead, discover seven experts that deserve a spot in your feed....

Preparation With holiday shopping in full swing, there’s never been a better time to invest in big ticket items like appliances, electronics, and smart home devices. While several retailers have been launching month-long sales, Black Friday is still the holiday one-stop-shop sales event to score major discounts. One household necessity you should keep an eye out for is a high-quality vacuum to tackle everyday household chores. It’s no secret that high-performance vacuums noticeably remove dirt, dander, and pet hair from your floors, but there’s a lot to consider before making your purchase....

Preparation If you’re curious about how natural cleaning products work or why baking soda is such a powerful ingredient, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll explain the science behind some of the most popular cleaning methods and tools, so you can you clean smarter—not harder. Follow along with Clean Science to see which technique we break down next. Sponges have changed quite a bit over the years. Between the materials used (like recycled and organic options) to the lowered price points (which allow you to toss old ones when they start to deteriorate), these cleaning staples have definitely been upgraded—so much, in fact, that there are now many different types on the market....

Preparation Summer is officially here, and that means that so many of us will set out on a road trip. “Road trips have always been a popular way to travel but they have really become the preferred method in the pandemic,” says Ellen Edmonds of American Automobile Association (AAA). “Road trips are giving people a way to take a vacation at a time when travel has been more limited.” Whether you’re setting out on a weekend-long getaway in your home state or a cross-country drive, Edmonds says it pays to take certain precautions before you hit the open road....

Preparation Whether your wedding dress needed major alterations or just a few minor tweaks, the work your seamstress does will impact your entire big-day look. Your final fitting offers one last chance to make sure your wedding dress is perfect from neckline to hem—which is why it’s so important to pay attention to these three key factors. If you haven’t picked up a needle and thread since seventh grade Home Ec, then knowing what to look for in a finished gown may not come naturally....

Shibuya is famous for being the playground for the young and hip in Tokyo, but caters to people from all walks of life when it comes to entertainment! It has it all: Great night life, trendy places to dine, as well as seemingly endless shopping options. Shibuya is a great place to stay if you want to experience the Tokyo night life. And we have loads of recommendations for places to eat here – it’s one of our favourite areas!...

But really, there are so many ways to use this veggie! From salads to soup, it’s surprisingly versatile. Growing up a picky eater, I despised veggies… except for asparagus! This springtime veggie is so delicious, healthy, and versatile that even the staunchest of veggie-haters (i.e. KIDS!) can learn to love it. Boil it, roast it, braise it, you just can’t go wrong with these tasty green spears. Even now that I’ve grown to love all kinds of veggies, asparagus is still my absolute favorite....

Preparation Calligraphy is a beautiful form of handwriting. You can use it when writing invitations, letters, or notes for friends and loved ones, but when you are a beginner in this technique, should you start with the traditional nib and ink or use brush marker pens? “It really depends upon your budget and your desired outcome,” says Melissa Esplin, a professional calligrapher and calligraphy instructor. “You can start any calligraphy with one simple tool you already have at home: the humble pencil....

Unless you live in the Philippines or somewhere with a thriving ethnic food scene, you may not have had much exposure to Filipino cuisine. As you’ll soon find out from perusing these Filipino side dishes, that’s a shame. Filipino chefs incorporate a wide range of flavors into their food. They love mixing sweet with sour, spicy with salty, and every other possible flavor combination you can imagine. The result is pure delight for your tastebuds....