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Courtesy of Target Home renovation superstars Chip and Joanna Gaines are busy people. After taking a few years off from the world of television, they’re getting back into the game this fall with the launch of their cable television channel, the Magnolia network, and they’ve got a new hotel set to open in 2021. The couple’s name and their Magnolia brand is seemingly everywhere. And this Sunday, March 8, it’s set to become even more prominent....

With warm, humid summers in New York’s most mountainous region, my family is prone to dozens of bug bites on any given day. We’ve tried all the natural bug repellents on the market, but my kids still end up polka-dotted with mosquito bites as if their blood tastes like bug candy. Instead of trying to prevent them in the first place — my top priority, which seems futile — I started looking at ways to make the itchy, scratchy and oh-so-terrible bites more tolerable for my little ones....

Piotr Adamowicz/Shutterstock Advanced Options for Faster Wi-Fi Here are a few tips that’ll likely require you to do a bit of research online and in your owner’s manual to figure out how to make them work for your setup. Update Router Firmware: Router manufacturers regularly update their software to improve performance and speed. And update your firmware even if your Wi-Fi speed is fine, as you’ll get updated security and features....

via Home Depot Mosquitoes, flies, gnats. Give them a chance and these pesky insects WILL invade your house. That’s why homeowners install screen doors. But, what if you could have the bug protection of a screen door (and the fresh air it lets in) without the door? You can! Retractable screens, also known as, hidden screens, are the answer. Learn more about how to prevent bugs from entering your home with 11 smart devices to ward off bugs....

A well-maintained and fertilized lawn can be one of the best ways to increase your home’s curb appeal. With a combination of soil additives, fertilizers, and tender, loving care, you can change your lawn from scraggly to golf-course green in one season. But maintaining a lawn involves a lot of care, including knowing what is the best height to cut grass. What Is the Best Height for Cutting Grass? Every variety of grass has an ideal cutting height....

Heavy rains, invasive critters and changing soil conditions can make maintaining a perfectly level yard elusive, but it’s important for any homeowner who values their home and the landscaping around it. Water runoff on uneven ground saturates plants in low spots while depriving those up high of the hydration they need. The subsequent erosion makes these problems worse. Over time, the home itself can be threatened and undermined if water collects around the foundation....

I love to clean and organize, so I’m always up for trying the newest cleaning or decluttering hack. I’ve tested the Marie Kondo folding method (my drawers look great!), scrubbed my car upholstery with dollar store glass cleaner (surprisingly effective!) and washed my blinds in the bathtub (this one was more trouble than it was worth). So when I heard about popular cleaning guru FlyLady, who has been around since 2001, I had to check her out....

With more lawn mower models on the market than ever before, and so many sizes, styles and features to consider, making the best choice isn’t as simple as it once was. And now, electric mowers are making a big splash in the lawn care industry. Not long ago, mower motors required too much juice for a cord or batteries to be practical. Not anymore. Modern refinements and innovations allowed corded and battery-powered electric mowers to burst onto the scene with gusto....

You’ve always secretly wanted to add a smoker to your arsenal of cooking tools but you’ve already got a grill. Well, if you’re due for a new grill, it’s time to check out Grilla Grills and its Silverbac smoker/grill combo. How Grilla Grills’ Silverbac Works The Silverbac is a wood pellet grill that plugs into a three-pronged outlet. The Silverbac uses an auto-ignition grill where pellets are continually fed at the rate set by the digital control panel....

If you’re planning a kitchen renovation or starting from scratch, your cabinetry choice will be one of the most important decisions you make. Not only are kitchen cabinets important for storage and organizing, they’re often the first thing people notice when they enter your kitchen. Advancements in material types and coverings make it easier for experienced DIYers to build their own cabinets, and for retailers like IKEA to offer high-quality kits with everything you need....

Long considered carpeting’s least attractive form, outdoor carpet has made great leaps forward in quality and style over the past few years. Durable and low-maintenance, this soft floor covering is an easy way to add a cozy feel to your patio or deck. “Given that we will be spending more time in our homes for the foreseeable future, it’s important to truly use the space you have,” advises interior designer and HGTV host Arlene Gibbs....

Naturally awesome/Shutterstock My parents never lost a pumpkin to squirrels (or pranksters, for that matter). Their solution: display the pumpkin in the front window. Problem solved. Nowadays people go to greater lengths to create Halloween displays. And that means bringing the pumpkins outdoors, where they are sometimes nibbled by squirrels. There are options and the first one I’ll mention is the friendliest: feed the squirrels something else. You can simply build a DIY squirrel feeder and divert their attention to another direction altogether....

Getty Images (2) My friend bought a house recently. While packing up and moving out of her rental, she found tennis balls stuffed in the wall under a little-used cabinet. Curious, she mentioned it to her landlord, who said, “Yeah, those keep the rats out.” She never slept there again. Rats and mice carry diseases like hantavirus. Shane McCoy of Ehrlich Pest Control, a board-certified entomologist, says they contaminate up to one-third of the world’s food supply....

It’s no secret that blue-collar jobs in the construction industry have traditionally been seen as a “men’s jobs.” The numbers certainly back that notion up, as women currently make up just eleven percent of construction workers in the U.S. But as traditional attitudes towards work and education shift and more barriers are broken, the time for women to become a more prominent and active part of the construction industry could be around the corner....

Breadmaker/Shutterstock Depending on your home’s design, your garage door may be one of the first elements people see when they pull in the driveway. If your garage door has seen better days, perhaps it’s time to consider replacing it. Installing a new garage door can recoup an estimated 76.9% of project costs when you sell your home, according to Remodeling magazine’s 2017 Cost vs. Value Report. If you’re in the market for a new garage door, here’s a look at what’s new when it comes to materials and technology....

Engineered wood sounds like it comes from a bio-lab, but rest easy — there’s no genetic modification involved. The term refers to real wood modified into different forms that are stronger and longer-lasting than the raw materials they’re made from. In all likelihood, you are currently surrounded by engineered wood. The table you’re sitting at and you chair might very well contain engineered wood. There’s probably also engineered wood in the cabinets and shelves of your kitchen and bathroom....

The walls of your home do more than just separate rooms or keep the elements and intruders at bay. Certain walls also serve the essential function of keeping your home standing. These all-important walls are known as load-bearing walls. Removing a wall can be a tempting DIY project, but mistakenly removing a load-bearing wall can cause significant structural damage to your home and render it unsafe. Before removing any wall, determine if it is load-bearing, and if so, leave it alone....

It’s true: The blossoms of certain varieties of hydrangeas change color based on soil pH, offering valuable insight into soil composition and what’s going on underground. Gardeners can use that knowledge to their advantage. Here’s how. Introduction to Hydrangeas Due to their versatility and ability to thrive in various zones, hydrangeas are a popular choice for home gardens. Hydrangeas come in several varieties. Mophead hydrangeas are the most popular and come in different colors, including white....

Cold temperatures are unfriendly to electric vehicles (EVs), and especially their lithium-ion batteries. According to Anthony Lambkin, senior director of operations for Electrify America, when temperatures drop, the chemical and physical reactions in lithium-ion batteries slow down, just like a traditional lead-acid battery. Charging your battery in a warmer location is ideal, but that’s not always possible. Charging rates also decrease as the battery reaches full capacity, making a colder battery more difficult to fully charge....

Family Handyman Ice Pack Materials Like all truly great life hacks, making this ice pack is simple and requires very few materials. All you are going to need: A sealable plastic bag A big, cheap sponge A large bowl of water How to Make a Homemade Ice Pack Here are the steps you need to take to transform your sponge into an ice pack: Take the sponge out of its packaging and place it in the bowl of water for a few minutes....