8 Tips for Staying Cool at Home Without Spending a Dime

Did you ever rearrange your bedroom as a kid, just for the fun of it? It’s truly amazing how rearranging some furniture and decor can make a space feel brand new. Little did you know that childhood-you was giving your bedroom a primpover—reimagining the space by using furniture and decor that you already own in new configurations.

What do people look forward to the most about the fall? Is it the cooler temperatures and bonfires? The changing color of the leaves? The slathering of pumpkin spice flavor in every product imaginable? If you said “no” to these fall favorites, maybe for you it is the return of college football and tailgating. One thing for sure that no one looks forward to is severe stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and spending several hours or days hugging their toilet as a result of preventable foodborne illness.

Food safety is a top priority for any household, as unsafe food handling practices can lead to foodborne illnesses and severe health consequences. This blog post will discuss simple tips for ensuring food safety at home and keeping your family healthy.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Discover the secrets to a thriving f

THAT OLD, DISCARDED ELECTRIC FAN that isn’t strong enough for the hot summers of global warming…hey, bring it on. It’s perfect for accomplishing one of the tricks to growing better tomato seedlings, which is (after all) the only thing you probably really care about on the run-up to another spring. To hell with winter.

First, my general thinking: No two gardeners’ potential places to stash such treasures will match in temperature or humidity, so when I say the basement works well here, your cellar might not. I have identified my best spots by experimenting, and by killing many things in the process. But every year I score another victory or two because I don’t let failure stop me. (Isn’t all gardening like that?)And this: If I don’t have the right spot for a plant–often a combination of high light but cool, 50ish-degree conditions–try forcing dormancy or semi-dormancy versus forcing it to limp along, suffering. If you have non-hardy plants you’ve tried keeping as “houseplants” in your heated home, only to see them go wretched and leggy, think about letting them rest, or close to it, next time. Water very sparingly and keep them as cool as possible.Extra heroics: Adding a growlight hood for 12 hours a day in, say, a cool basement could make a

WANT TO SUCCEED with blueberries? Ask the guy with a Ph.D. in the subject, author of all the best books on home-garden fruit growing: Lee Reich, a repeat guest on my public-radio show, and an old friend. That’s Lee’s blueberry netted “gazebo” up top, meant to keep the crop safe from birds and other hungry types.

Nobody I know has more investment plants than the list of 1,600 unusual annuals and tropicals that Dennis Schrader and the team at Landcraft Environments propagates to sell wholesale to nurseries, landscapers, and botanical gardens. (Follow them @landcraft_environments_ltd on Instagram.) With his husband, Bill Smith, Dennis Schrader has since 1992 operated Landcraft Environments in Mattituck, Long Island—specialists plants that add seasonal color and texture, and the look of the tropics to the garden. (Like the coleus called ‘Fishnet Stocking’ above.)He’d like to encourage us to start a collection, too, and offered tips on how to keep them happy—tactical advice on plants we should consider investing in. Our conversation started with a “New York Times” article I wrote a coupl

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Sometimes, the smallest things can be the reason for the death of your beloved indoor plants. If you want to keep them green and thriving, follow these Important Tips for Indoor Plant Killers.

Here are the best Home Based Tricks and Tips for Tastiest Zucchini Harvest Ever. From selecting quality seeds to maximizing sunlight exposure and implementing companion planting, these tips will elevate your zucchini harvest to new heights of taste and satisfaction.

Balcony gardens can be quite valuable for those living in urban areas with little outside space. They might not be big, but when they are carefully designed, balcony gardens can be truly magical spaces—bringing nature to the heart of a town or city. If you have a sliver of outdoor space by means of a balcony, here is what to think about.