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The best hot tub cover for you will depend on the style of your hot tub, the climate you live in, and your personal preference. Ricky Robinson, spa department manager of Pelican Sports Center and expert in the pool and spa industry, says, “All spa covers are usually made to order based on your spa dimensions.” To find the right fit, Robinson advises that consumers will “need the exact dimensions of the acrylic and what the radius or cut corner dimensions” of your specific hot tub....

When purchasing a hummingbird feeder, you’re committing to keeping it clean for the health of your local hummer population. “Before shopping for a hummingbird feeder, make sure you are prepared for the necessary upkeep,” warns Sarah Barnard, avid birder and WELL and LEED accredited designer. “Feeders should be cleaned once to several times per week to keep feeders safe for birds, depending on season and climate.” Not all hummingbird feeders are created equal....

Whether you’re inviting a few friends over for an intimate gathering or planning to have the whole extended family at your dining room table, meal kit companies like HelloFresh and Home Chef can provide main dishes, sides, and even desserts for your Thanksgiving feast. The recipes are easy to follow, and your order comes with all the ingredients needed, saving you a last-minute trip to the grocery store. Other services like Harry & David will send fully prepared dinners, so all you have to do is warm up the dishes and serve them....

To find the best bedroom rugs, we researched a variety of picks, keeping in material, durability, and design. We also consulted Philippa Radon, an interior designer, who recommended four key considerations to consider which include comfort, placement, size, and color. Overall, the best bedroom rug is the Unique Loom Solo Solid Shag Collection area rug because it comes in more than 20 colors, cleans easily, and doesn’t shed. These are the 14 best bedroom rugs....

While custom-built pergolas allow you to design a personalized look, they can cost thousands of dollars and require getting on a contractor’s schedule. DIY pergola kits are an attractive, affordable solution you can have delivered to your home and build on your own time in a day or a weekend, depending on your DIY experience and the pergola’s size and design. Sara Bendrick, a licensed landscape contractor in San Diego and TV host on the DIY Network and HGTV, loves how a pergola brings a wow factor to an outdoor living area....

Keep that ginger beer handy from making Moscow Mules (or Moscow Mule Cupcakes!) to put to use in this unique ginger beer drink. Combine 5 cups of wheat beer with 4 cups of ginger beer, then accent that ginger with crystallized ginger bits. Finish with lemon slices and vanilla ice cream or, to really amp up the citrus flavors, we bet lemon sorbet or gelato would taste incredible too! If you’re a big Bloody Mary fan, our beer-spiked take on the classic cocktail is just your style....

“When you’re shopping for a food processor, consider the machine’s size and power,” says Daniel P. Craig, chef and founder of Kitchen Deets. To find the best food processors, we put 20 food processors to the test at our testing lab in Birmingham, Alabama. Using a pre-determined methodology, we asked five product testers to evaluate each model and score them across five categories: design, ease of use, ease of cleaning, effectiveness, and value....

“Sometimes you lie on a mattress and think it’s not for you, when the real problem is that you haven’t found the perfect pillow pairing,” says Mary Helen Rogers, vice president of marketing and communications at The Better Sleep Council. If you’re in the market for a new pillow and looking for one that’s comfy and soft you may want to add down pillows to your list. “Down pillows are soft, puffy and supple, and known for ultimate luxury,” Rogers says....

Linen is generally on the more expensive side, easily wrinkled, and can be a bit rough to the touch at first—but it gets softer with every wash. We’ll take a more breathable, natural-fiber sleeping experience over a perfectly creased bed sheet any night. “In addition to being anti-bacterial, hypoallergenic and gentle on the skin, linen is extremely absorbent and very breathable,” says Suzanne Martinez, vice president of product development at Sferra....

There are a number of factors to consider when watering your plants, including what time of day to water and how much moisture each plant needs. Instead of dragging a hose around your yard or rounding up all your potted plants on watering day and heading to the shower or sink, purchasing a durable watering can is an easy way to keep your indoor and outdoor plants hydrated. According to Kristen Whitehead, designer and owner of Helios Landscape Design, outdoor plants in pots typically need to be watered once a day while indoor plants have varying water needs, depending on the type of plant....

To make sure your replacement windows are properly installed, consider hiring a professional window replacement contractor who specializes in the type of window you want for your home. But first, you’ll want to choose the best window type and brand for your needs. What to Consider When Buying Replacement Windows When it comes to shopping for replacement windows, keep material, style, insulation, cost, and quality in mind. Some of the most common window frame materials include wood, clad wood, vinyl, fiberglass, and aluminum....

What Makes Apple Pie So American? The pilgrims originally came to America to gain independence from Britain, and so they began distancing themselves from British culture in every aspect of their lives. Rather than keep making traditional English desserts (like scones and bread pudding), they began making a new kind of treat introduced to them by Dutch immigrants in the 1700s. Dutch and German immigrants taught them how to make a flaky, buttery crust, which the colonists then filled with sliced apples and spices, creating the iconic American dessert we enjoy today....

Plant care and family go hand in hand for Jasmine Nicole Cisco, 31, co-founder of The Nice Plant. “I used to garden with my [maternal] grandmother. Her garden was her joy,” remembers Jasmine Nicole. “That’s just the thing I remember vividly, being in her garden, and she’s growing tomatoes, sunflowers, and all types of vegetables.” But it took a while for the green thumb to pass down the generations to her....

How to Make Marbled Easter Eggs with Oil Supplies Needed Glass bowlsMeasuring cup Measuring spoonsHot waterWhite vinegarFood coloringSpoonHard-boiled eggs Paper towelsWarm waterVegetable oil Step-by-Step Directions We’ll show you how to color Easter eggs step-by-step using just a few inexpensive pantry staples. You should be able to make one dozen easy marbled Easter eggs in less than an hour. Step 1: Create First Dye Color In a glass bowl mix one cup of hot water, one teaspoon of white vinegar, and 5-10 drops of food coloring....

Fresh Herb Substitutes When you’re out of a fresh herb and have no dried herbs to substitute (more on that below), follow these substitutes for parsley, fennel, thyme, and more. They’re the closest matches. Is your ingredient missing from this list? Hop over to our emergency ingredient substitutes page, where you’ll find a substitute for spices and more. Basil: oregano or thymeBay leaf: For 1 bay leaf, substitute ¼ tsp. crushed bay leaf or ¼ tsp....

We love that the La Jolíe Muse Ridged Planter comes in both gray and white and has a drainage hole. Price at time of publish: $31 Price at time of publish: $59 Price at time of publish: $36 Price at time of publish: $33 Price at time of publish: $30 Price at time of publish: $26 Price at time of publish: $30

The classic design is known by a variety of names, including shellback, clamshell, and tulip chair for its shape. It’s also sometimes called a motel chair because it was commonly seen around resort pools and in front of roadside motels, especially those along Route 66. The chair traditionally features a stamped seat and tubular, cantilevered frame, both made from colorful powder-coated steel. Metal lawn chairs initially became popular in the 1950s as middle-class families flocked to the suburbs and larger backyards increased the demand for outdoor furniture....

“Every door had a different color on each panel, the kitchen cabinets were sponge-painted blue, and the bathroom tiles were all different colors,” Lisa says. “Even the trim was painted something goofy!” But beyond the color cacophony was a sturdy, stately house, and many elements, such as the hardwood flooring and kitchen cabinets, were solid and worth saving. At 1,600 square feet, it was sized just right for a young family....

Called the green birdflower (Crotalaria cunninghamii), this plant is related to peas and beans. It can grow up to 9 feet tall and has fuzzy, gray-green leaves. But its intriguing flowers are what have attracted legions of fans around the world. Each one is shaped like the body of a tiny hummingbird in flight. These flowers are clustered together on a central stem, attached by what look like beaks. The yellowish green petals are usually accented with dark purple veins, which likely help bees find the flowers’ nectar....

Kris traces the start of her plant obsession to elementary school field trips to the Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, Michigan. “That place is magic,” she says. When she and her husband moved to Iowa in 1985, she devoted several of their 8 acres to her then-favorite plants, irises and hostas. But when the deer ate the hostas, she started looking for another perennial to fill the holes. Enter the peony....