Posts

The poinsettia is considered a Christmas plant worldwide, but its origins are actually rooted deeply in Indigenous Mexica culture and medicine. Originally known as cuetlaxochitl, the plant eventually found its way into modern holiday culture. Now it’s distributed at supermarkets worldwide. But there’s a good case to be made for returning to its original name. Read on to learn more. What Is Cuetlaxochitl? La Cuetlaxochitl is the Mexican name for what we call poinsettias today....

Jacob Lund/Shutterstock When Christmas rolls around, it’s easy to get lost in trying to find the best gift and forget about the cost of everything. It’s important to also remember that Christmas expenses extend beyond just gift buying. There’s the tree, decorations and plenty of other expenses if you’re hosting a get-together. How Much Does the Average Person Spend on Christmas? A Gallup poll found that consumers anticipate spending $805 on holiday stuff this year — a figure that’s down from $942 in 2019....

Purdue University and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) recently announced they are teaming to test new technology that wirelessly charges electric vehicles as they drive on certain roadways. The project will employ a groundbreaking magnetizable concrete developed by a German startup that could greatly increase the viability of electric vehicles in the U.S. “Indiana is known as the Crossroads of America and we’re committed to fortifying our position as a transportation leader by innovating to support the emerging vehicle technology,” said Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb....

Labor Day Weekend is the perfect opportunity to do home and yard projects — not only because you probably have an extra day off, but because of all the sales! The Home Depot Labor Day Sale is a big one, with savings on everything from outdoor yard equipment to name brand appliances already underway! So if you’re dreaming of an entire front yard makeover or simply planting some fall bulbs, The Home Depot has everything you need to get started....

To some, painting may seem like the easiest thing in the world. But painting well requires a lot more than just rolling some paint on a wall. You start by moving furniture and laying down drop cloths. Then you need to mask off trim, casings and millwork. Next, remove outlet and light switch covers, and fill and sand any holes or gouges with spackle. Then, delicately and accurately cut in with paint around your trim and in the corners....

Smart homes have gone from space-age dream to everyday reality. What used to be more of a niche investment is now widely available and relatively affordable, transforming millions of homes across the U.S. One study found that the global smart home market is expected to grow from $24 billion in 2016 to more than $53 billion by 2022. Today’s smart homes combine the latest tech innovations and automations with sustainable, durable and energy-efficient methods and materials....

The winter holidays could also be called the candle holidays. About one-third of all candle sales (which, in the U.S., total about $3 billion annually) occur during Christmastime, according to the National Candle Association. That means $1 billion worth of flames are flickering during the winter! And it turns out there’s a lot more to enjoying candles than just lighting them and letting them burn. Did you know you can get the most out your candles by trimming the wick?...

Are you putting up a shelf, installing a custom closet system or hanging a TV on the wall? For these and other DIY tasks, a good stud finder is essential. We recently tested the Zircon HD900 MultiScanner for Family Handyman Approved, and found it to be an excellent choice for a variety of tasks where you need to find different materials hidden behind your walls. Family Handyman Approved: Zircon HD900 MultiScanner The Zircon HD900 is a scanner that detects studs, metal, and electrical wiring....

Quality flooring installation can challenge even the most experienced pros. Each material can be problematic in its own way. Mishandling these trouble spots can trap an installer into attempting a cosmetic cover-up, or require a return call to address a quality issue. Heed the advice of these seasoned installers when laying floors and avoid these 10 common flooring installation mistakes. Tiling Directly on Concrete As a substrate for tile installation, concrete presents more issues than you might think....

sirnength88/Shutterstock No plant says Christmas quite like the poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima). The world’s most popular flowering holiday plant, poinsettia has been a mainstay of the season in the U.S. for a century. Here are five things you might not have known about poinsettias. They’re Not Houseplants Poinsettias are actually shrubs in their native southern Mexico, growing 12 feet tall and treelike. They’re named for botanist Joel Roberts Poinsett, 19th century ambassador to Mexico, who saw the ornamental potential of the plants, even though the spindly plants didn’t have a long period of bloom....

Mouthwash is one of the most versatile yet underrated household items. From cleaning your home to freshening up laundry, there are plenty of uses for mouthwash beyond the typical mouth rinse routine. According to the Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History, Listerine mouthwash was originally branded as a surgical antiseptic, deodorant and dandruff solution. From day one, we knew mouthwash could be used for so much more. It’s time we tap into this product’s fullest potential, including these genius uses for mouthwash around the house....

Family Handyman To draw a perfect ellipse, you need two push pins, non-stretching string, a pencil and a simple formula to determine the distance (D) between the push pins. Perfect ellipse formula The formula is D = square root of (L2 – H2). L and H are the length and height of the desired ellipse. Let’s say I want an ellipse 16 in. long by 10 in. high. Plug the numbers into the formula, and you get D = 12-1/2....

More than one-third of U.S. homes use a secondary heat source, with fireplaces among the most common. Unfortunately, wood-burning fireplaces come with unique problems — constant upkeep and maintenance, air pollution and the risk of house fire. Those issues, combined with the affordability and efficiency of propane and natural gas, are leading more Americans to switch to safer and more environmentally-conscious alternatives. While replacing an existing fireplace can be an expensive undertaking, installing a gas fireplace insert may be a much easier and affordable option....

Mint Images/Getty Images According to data from Random Lengths reported by the National Association of Home Builders, lumber prices in the U.S. are climbing again after a brief period of decline. Mid-December lumber prices are now sitting at more than $650 per thousand board feet, a nearly 20 percent increase in the last four weeks but still far from the all-time high price of $950 per thousand board feet back in September....

Craig Ansibin/Shutterstock Creepy-crawlies, gross, insect invaders. No matter what you call them, centipedes and millipedes are guests no one invited to your home. While neither carry disease or cause damage, there are ways to keep them out of your home. Try these 11 strategies for DIY pest control. Centipedes vs. Millipedes Centipedes have bodies as short as 1/4-inch in length, or they can grow up to six inches. Their body is made up of segments, each with a pair of legs....

If you’ve ever cut an octagonal piece for a project, you probably “snuck up on it.” You drew the shape, shaved off the corners with a jig-saw, and sanded to the line. Next time, clamp this plywood holder to your table saw’s miter gauge and you’ll be able to cut perfect octagons of various sizes in seconds. Cut a square corner in the plywood and, adjust-ing the miter gauge, set it 45 degrees to the saw blade....

This FH series introduces readers to a few of the women who make up 11 percent of the construction workforce in the U.S., spotlighting stories of their careers in the field. Know someone we should feature? Email us here. Becca Haggard grew up a tomboy, regularly climbing out of her bedroom window to enjoy the view from the roof. As she watched her dad work on creative household projects like building decks and treehouses, she found it fascinating....

Diatoms, the main ingredient in diatomaceous earth (DE), may be the most useful things you’ve never heard of. They’re the odd, geometric-shaped amoebas or phytoplankton found in water when you look at it through a microscope. They help create the oxygen we breathe. They’re also found in many household products that contain silica. Who Discovered Diatomaceous Earth? The ancient Greeks first used DE as a building material for bricks, and its uses have multiplied throughout history....

Photo: Courtesy of Ginny Phillips Black & Blue Salvia Hummingbirds love all of the salvias, but Black & Blue is a favorite in our yard. — Ginny Phillips Olathe, Kansas Trumpet honeysuckle is by far the most favored hummingbird plant in my yard. It blooms all season, produces fruit that other birds enjoy and is native to the United States. — Karen Dennis, Plymouth, Michigan Almost every time I look at my red canna lilies, there is a hummingbird at them....

Attapon Thana/Shutterstock Car theft is up and it’s not because thieves are hot-wiring more cars. In 2017, thieves stole more vehicles than in any year since 2009, according to FBI statistics. One big reason? New technology mixed with careless drivers. Keyless entry car systems are showing up as a standard feature in many new cars. According to Edmunds, a car-buying advice site, in 2008, 11 percent of models had keyless ignition as standard equipment....