Category: HOME

How to Grow Your Own Majestic Sunflower Patch

By Erica Pearson From Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Tips from Minnesota farmers on how to plant and which varieties to choose. Is there any plant more cheerful and charming than a sunflower? This year, the sunny yellow bloom — the national flower of Ukraine — also has become a hopeful global symbol of solidarity with the…


11 Ways to Use Aluminum Foil Around the House to Make Life Easier

Using aluminum foil to line cookie sheets or to keep a steak hot while you finish getting everything ready to eat are nothing new when it comes to useful household tips. But there are many other ways to use aluminum foil you haven’t heard of — ways that can save you time, money and effort….


Install Oak Trim Woodwork

The warmth of natural wood trim is the finishing detail that outlines windows and doors and adds distinction to a room. Whether furnishings are stark contemporary or tried-and-true traditional, any furniture style is complemented by wood trim, and white oak is one of the most popular choices. If you’re remodeling, a sure way to tie…


Install a Security Light

A small upgrade that made a big difference in our backyard security was adding a motion-sensing exterior light at the rear of the house where we parked the car. When we returned home in the dark it wasn’t easy to see the path that led to our back door, but the addition of a security…


A Truly Priceless Hydra Island Manor

Hydra Island, in the Saronic Gulf beneath the Peloponnese, is a picturesque and beloved haven for painters, poets, and celebrities. It’s also a far less touristic destination than many Greek isles, which makes it a perfect place to live. So, for those with the means and a dream, this property overlooking the Aegean Sea just…


Replace a Towel Bar

Is there anything more annoying in a bathroom than a towel bar unable to do its only job? As it dangles by one end, off the wall, it is good for nothing and certainly not for hanging a towel. The problem is the hardware fastener no longer works and is pulled out of the wallboard…


Ask the Builder: The Power of Books and Shelves

I’ve had enough trips around the sun that I often find myself thinking of what might be inside future homes. For example, do you think that architects and builders from 100 years ago would have thought laundry chutes would go out of style? They might have thought placing washing machines on top of wood floors…


Luminary Sunset Coral Creates a New Phlox Fanatic

By Norman Winter From Tribune News Service Luminary Sunset Coral has turned The Garden Guy into a full-blown phlox fanatic. The rousing color would probably remind you of some electrifying lipstick or fingernail polish, a rare color in the plant world. Our master bath has a huge window overlooking a square-shaped bed with an 8-foot-tall…


Favorite Household Cleaners You Can Make Yourself for Just Pennies

It pretty much kills me to spend money for things I know I can make myself for less than their pricey commercial cousins. Take cleaning products for example. Knowing how to make things for pennies that cost dollars at the store just makes me happy. It’s a no-brainer. Here are three handy recipes to help…


Limit Pet’s Weight Gain After Sterilization Surgery

Q: I have had cats and dogs for years, and all of them have been spayed or neutered. I’ve noticed that they — and my friends’ sterilized pets — are almost all overweight, whereas friends’ dogs that are not sterilized usually remain slim. Is it true that spayed and neutered pets are heavier than sterilized…