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In addition to the joy of watching and hearing them, birds offer one more advantage to gardeners: several of them are pest control experts. They will feast on the slugs, beetles, mosquitoes, and other insects that inhabit your garden. And, while they’ll eat some of the “good guys” as well, they’ll help put a dent in any pest infestations you’re dealing with. It’s a small price to pay. Below are five of the best birds for ridding your garden of insect pests....

The thought of never having to vacuum again manually is a dream come true. And it’s a dream that I would pay big money to turn into a reality. But what I’m not willing to do is pay big money for something that over-promises and under-delivers. That’s why I had to know if the iRobot Roomba s9+ lived up to its hype—and its price tag. iRobot has been in the robot vacuum game for a long time, and the Roomba s9+ is the smartest robot yet....

It’s hard to resist a luxuriously thick, plush towel. Towels shouldn’t come with sticker shock. A price tag that touches on three digits makes it easier to say no. The Italic brand gets rid of sticker shock with a membership business model to offer luxury products at significantly lower prices than their high-end competitors, like Parachute and Coyuchi. I tested to see if the Italic Serene Towels live up to the promise of luxury at cost, so I put the Serene towels to the test....

With two kids under the age of three, every extra hour I spend in bed feels like a weekend getaway. Naturally, I like my bedding to be as cozy and luxurious as possible—and, of course, durable. Over the course of a month, I tested the Italic Slumber Down Comforter to see if it met my expectations of what a luxury, five-star hotel-quality comforter should be: warm, fluffy, and breathable with high-quality construction....

Sliding into a clean bed with comfortable, cool sheets at the end of a long day is one of the most simple pleasures in life. But unless you’re a thread count or cotton expert, it can be difficult to pick out the perfect sheet set online. Sure, you can go by looks alone, but a good night’s sleep ultimately comes down to how those sheets feel. To make things easier for you, we picked up a set of L....

Large pantries are becoming a big trend as people redesign and renovate their kitchens. But what if you’re not renovating, or just don’t have the space? As with any trend, there are workarounds that you can adopt for your home. So, regardless of the size of your space, a large pantry is possible. We talked to home design experts to find out how you can fake it (and why you should)....

When confronted with a large room, especially a large empty room, many homeowners feel overwhelmed. But decorating a large room can be fun since a large room isn’t near as limited as a small room is in regards to furnishings and color palettes. However, don’t forget that basic design rules still apply! A poorly arranged and decorated large room is just as ugly as a poorly decorated small room. These large room design tips should have you decorating all your big, empty spaces with style....

These days, however, leaning art is becoming just as popular as the good old hammer-and-nail method of hanging it. This space from My Scandinavian Home proves just how effortless a piece of art can look when it’s not hung, but leaned—but is it right approach for you and your home? Here are the pros and cons of both methods. Layering artwork helps to give your selections even more depth and dimension and can add oodles of visual interest to any space....

An air purifier like the Levoit LV-H132 can make a big difference in your home—especially if you have pets or other air quality concerns. Air purifiers are specially designed to clean the air in your home by filtering out unhealthy particles. Air purifiers with HEPA filters can filter out at least 99.97 percent of dust, pollen, mold, bacteria, and any airborne particles with a size of 0.3 microns (µm). For users with allergies, an air purifier can lessen symptoms and help you breathe easier—a big sigh of relief if frequent cleaning just hasn’t been cutting it....

As hypoallergenic comforters go, the Linenspa Down Alternative Microfiber Comforter packs a lot into a very tiny price tag. With so many available options for a down alternative comforter, we were eager to see whether this polyester microfiber version would deliver in terms of warmth, softness, and washability. We sat, slept, and lounged on this comforter to bring you a first-hand account of how this budget down alternative comforter performs in real life....

Love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus) usually has tiny blood-red, petal-free flowers. Blooms form narrowly, drooping tassel-like, terminal panicles throughout the growing season. Inspired by this shape, this cultivar is also commonly known as tassel flower. Each panicle hangs straight down to 12 inches and at times up to 24 inches long. Seeds are edible and grown purposefully as a pseudocereal crop in parts of South America. Everlasting flowers retain their color and can be dried and included in attractive arrangements....

Something about the mid-century houses just didn’t feel right. Was it the era itself, which stretched from post-WWII to late 1960s and even the early 1970s? Was it the people who inhabited those homes—brutish, impulsive, non-PC people who smoked cigarettes and consumed hard liquor and red meat? Was it the construction itself? This era ushered in cheap, gimcrack building methods and materials: single-pane aluminum-framed windows, thin drywall, laminate counters. Then, it happened: people got weepy and nostalgic....

Also, since a major appeal of mobile homes is affordability, many materials tended to be on the lower end of both cost and quality. While the quality of materials used in newer mobile homes is much better than the older ones built in the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s, there are still differences in types of plumbing materials used and in the plumbing systems. Potential Plumbing Issues Knowing the differences is important when dealing with plumbing problems and when considering renovations or upgrades....

A fast grower, Nellie R. Stevens holly shrub typically reaches a height of about 30-feet tall, spreads out about 15-feet wide at its base, and has a pyramidal shape. Narrower at the top, it bears a classic Christmas tree shape. This holly bears spiny, dark green leaves and round red berries. The shrub was named for Nellie Robinson Stevens, in whose garden the original hybrid plant was produced. Nellie R....

Here’s a list of all the official and unofficial celebrations for the month of November. November Daily Holidays and Observances November 1: National Authors Day, World Vegan DayNovember 2: U.S. General Election Day* (first Tuesday after first Monday), Cookie Monster Day, International Stress Awareness Day* (first Wednesday), Plan Your Epitaph Day, Deviled Egg Day, National Healthy Eating Day* (first Wednesday)November 3: Cliché Day, National Sandwich Day, National Men Make Dinner Day* (first Thursday)November 4: King Tut Day, Use Your Common Sense Day, National Candy DayNovember 5: American Football Day, National Redhead Day, Book Lovers Day* (first Saturday)November 6: National Saxophone Day, National Nachos DayNovember 7: International Merlot Day, National Cancer Awareness DayNovember 8: National Parents as Teachers Day, National STEM/STEAM Day, Dunce Day, Cook Something Bold Day, International Tongue Twister Day, National Cappuccino Day, Young Readers Day* (second Tuesday)November 9: World Freedom Day, World Adoption Day, Go to an Art Museum DayNovember 10: U....