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“Christmas tree storage is great for keeping your artificial tree dust-free and protected in the off-season months,” says Gary McCoy, Lowe’s Store Manager. And yes, it’s necessary; many people, he notes, “might not realize that the box their tree came in will break down or deteriorate over time, making it unsuitable to store their tree.” Sydney Joublanc, the Associate Merchant at The Home Depot, adds that “keeping your tree, and other holiday items, in storage can increase their longevity so that you and your family can enjoy it for years to come....

Food Plating Ideas to Elevate Your Homecooked Dinner Try these pro tips to improve your food styling game. Plan ahead To create a visually striking plate, you can’t just prep a meal and hope for the best when it all comes together. When you’re planning a menu, create a visual picture of all your plate components and how they will interact with each other. “Imagine how you will set each component to make it the most interesting, and anticipate how the final products will look after cooking,” says James Beard award-winning chef Hugh Acheson, who recently opened Ovide restaurant at Hotel Effie in Miramar Beach, Florida....

These deals last only for a few more hours, so be sure to snatch them up before they’re gone. Save up to 61% off on personalized scented candles, weighted blankets, smokeless firepits, and more when you shop my list below. iRobot Braava Jet M6 Ultimate Robot Mop I find vacuuming relaxing and mopping strenuous. So instead of investing in a robot vacuum, I’ve decided to grab this robot mop while it’s on sale for $100 off....

1. Space-Efficient Cleaning Closet Utility items that are usually relegated to the garage fit neatly inside a cleaning closet if they can be collapsed flat for storage. Arrange items like a collapsible bucket ($13, Target), a folding stool, and a floor sweeper on the inside of your cabinet door, then hang low-profile hooks to hold each item. Store supplies like mop pads and cleaning solutions on nearby shelves to make everything easy to retrieve....

Form: Broadly rounded Season of Bloom: Mid-spring Size: Up to 20 feet tall and wide Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Adams Crabapple Form: Narrow, upright oval Season of Bloom: Mid-spring Size: Up to 18 feet tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Adirondack Crabapple ($200, McKay Nursery Company) Form: Oval, rounded Season of Bloom: Mid-spring Size: Up to 25 feet tall and 20 feet wide Zones: 5-8 Buy It: Callaway Crabapple Tree ($28, Ison’s Nursery & Vineyards) Form: Oval, dwarf Season of Bloom: Spring Size: Up to 8 feet tall and 6 feet wide Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Cinderella Dwarf Crabapple Tree Form: Upright oval Season of Bloom: Spring Size: Up to 25 feet tall and 25 feet wide Zones: 3-8 Buy It: Harvest Gold Crabapple Tree ($100, Planting Tree) Form: Spreading to weeping Season of Bloom: Spring Size: Up to 15 feet tall and wide Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Louisa Weeping Crabapple Form: Upright Season of Bloom: Spring Size: Up to 20 feet tall and wide Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Prairiefire Flowering Crabapple ($34, The Home Depot) Form: Rounded, spreading Season of Bloom: Spring Size: Up to 30 feet tall and 35 feet wide Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Profusion Crabapple Form: Irregular oval Season of Bloom: Spring Size: Up to 15 feet tall Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Crabapple Red Jewel ($250, Crabapple Red Jewel) Form: Upright when young; rounded with age Season of Bloom: Spring Size: Up to 25 feet tall and wide Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Robinson Flowering Crabapple Form: Upright rounded to vase shape Season of Bloom: Spring Size: Up to 20 feet tall and 16 feet wide Zones: 4-8 Buy It: Royal Raindrops Crabapple ($400, itrees....

For this type of attached pergola, proper mounting and support are critical. The two end assemblies feature stout timber screws that lock the components together and also secure them firmly to the wall by means of a vertical 2x2 cleat. It’s essential that the mounting screws attach to the wall framing itself and not to the surface trim of the siding. Because of its lightweight and strong weather resistance, Western red cedar makes a good choice for this attached pergola....

Small & Simple Outdoor Living Rooms Stylish Modern Patio Ideas

Buy It: Wilton Round Cake Pans ($13, Walmart) Buy It: Anchor Hocking Nested Mixing Bowls Set ($20, Target) Buy It: Lodge Cast Iron Skillet ($30, Target) Buy It: Nordic Ware Spring Form Pan ($14, Target) Buy It: Glass Domed Cake Plate ($70, Williams Sonoma) Buy It: Wilton 8-Inch Cake Pan ($17, Walmart)

Test Kitchen Tip: For a nonalcoholic version, sub lemon seltzer in place of vodka or gin.

Editor’s Tip: Plates are for decorative use only. Making a made-to-fit pincushion is also kid-friendly. Wrap the fabric around cotton stuffing (both available at crafts stores) and use fabric glue to seal the seam.

To make the napkins: Follow the package directions for fabric dye. Add 2 cups warm water to each of 3 deep bowls (stainless steel or glass). Add 1 cup dye solution to the first bowl; ½ cup solution to the second; ¼ cup solution to the third. Dip a folded white cotton napkin into the weakest dye solution, leaving the top section undyed. Leave in solution about 15-30 seconds. Squeeze to drain excess dye....

Try one of these sweet sentimental messages or jot down a funny birthday quote on your card. Of course, you can also borrow an inspirational quote from a public figure. It’s not so much about what you write as it is about sharing how you feel. These funny, sweet, and sentimental messages will help you get started. What to Write In a Birthday Card Once you’ve picked out the perfect card (or made your own!...

Stop Making “Mulching Volcanos” A layer of mulch around your trees helps protect them from mower blades and prevents soil from drying out. But piling it up like a volcano around your tree traps moisture against the trunk, which can cause rot. Additionally, when mulch is too deep, it prevents tree roots from getting the oxygen they need. “Always mulch out and not up,” says Daniel S. Bauer, an arborist, and president of Arbor Equity Inc....

1. Washing the Turkey According to a recent survey of more than 3,000 U.S. adults by the Water Quality and Health Council, 62% of people wash their birds in the sink—but rinsing the turkey can do some serious harm. The U.S. Department of Agriculture notes that when you wash a turkey, the juices that splash off the skin transfer bacteria to surrounding surfaces, utensils, and even food, causing cross-contamination which can make people very ill....

Buy It: Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker ($22, Walmart)

There is a vast body of research on how color impacts mood, linking warm shades like red and yellow to feelings of excitement and delight. Conversely, hues from the cooler side of the color wheel, such as blue and green, are associated with calm and relaxation. These responses are often inherently psychological, but they can also be influenced by our cultures and lived experiences, says Michelle Bove, founder and owner of interior design and architecture firm DesignCase....

1. Inspect and Transplant Garden Herbs Before you bring any plants indoors, inspect them thoroughly for hitchhiking insects. Knock any bugs off the foliage with a blast of water from the garden hose. Then, anytime before the ground freezes, gently dig up the ones you’d like to bring indoors. At this time, perennial herbs that grow in clumps, like oregano, marjoram, and mint, can be divided into well-rooted sections. Herbs that are woody and more shrub-like (such as sage and rosemary) can be awkward to dig up....