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Since Mohawk manufactures Forever Clean, I decided to keep things as fair as possible, and selected another Mohawk carpet for the comparison. I chose the same cut and loop style, in a close color. Pictured above are my carpet samples: the Forever Clean triexta carpet (style: Starcrest) on the left, and a polyester carpet (style: Rare Wonder) on the right. I selected polyester because of its high level of stain resistance compared to nylon carpet....

Create a Cohesive Look Unless you want your nursery to look like the sales floor at your local Goodwill, you need to find a way to mold those individual, one-of-a-kind pieces into one big, cohesive family. When coordinating your collection, the key is to clearly identify at least one unifying theme. Color is a great unifier, allowing you to turn a rag-tag assembly into a matching set with just a quick coat of paint....

Maintaining a parking strip garden isn’t for the faint of heart. With such a conspicuous garden comes vulnerability. Unthinking children may pluck bouquets for their mothers. Disrespectful passers-by may flick cigarettes into your shrubbery. Car fumes and ice melting chemicals threaten the health of any delicate specimens you struggle to grow in this no-man’s land. And dogs will do what dogs do (ahem). If these thoughts make you clench your trowel a little bit tighter with determination, you’re ready to tackle your hell strip....

The Fungus Gnat Test In 2011, researchers at the University of Illinois and Kansas State University tested whether Bounce fabric softener dryer sheets (made by Procter & Gamble) can repel fungus gnats. According to the research: The idea came from Master Gardener and trade magazine claims that “sheets of Bounce tucked into pockets of clothing repel mosquitoes.“A test chamber was set up in a lab. The chamber included two compartments; one with a moist growing media and one with moist media and a Bounce dryer sheet....

With five animals running around the house, keeping things clean is a constant—and often losing—battle. To add insult to injury, I recently had a new carpet installed and find myself on my hands and knees trying to scrub out dirt and cat vomit (sorry for the visual) more than I would like. So when I saw the Dupray NEAT Steam Cleaner and its claim to handle heavy-duty jobs in seconds without the use of harsh chemicals, I knew I had to get my hands on it....

Fast Facts Scientific Name: Pipilo erythrophthalmusCommon Name: Eastern Towhee, Ground Robin, Rufous-Sided TowheeLifespan: 12 years or longerSize: 7–9 inchesWeight: 1.1–1.9 ouncesWingspan: 10–11 inchesConservation Status: Least concern Eastern Towhee Identification The general passerine shape, black conical bill, long tail, stocky build, and deep chest help identify the eastern towhee as a type of large sparrow, but it can still be a confusing bird if you haven’t seen it before. Understanding the key field marks of the species is essential so you do not confuse it with different thrushes, thrashers, or other similar birds....

The beauty of this style is that it’s easy to implement in your home with a few steps. Interior designers Lita Lee of Crave Interiors and Rhiannon Lee (no relation) of Oleander and Finch Interiors show us five ways to add the Japandi style to your home. Japandi is more than just a trendy style; it’s also a lifestyle. “In our hectic lives, we have learned to take a backseat to calm and serenity,” explains Rhiannon, “People are seeking out simplicity and desperate to create sanctuary-like environments to retreat to....

This method allows you to easily alter your garden, adding or removing plants as you wish without affecting any of the surrounding crops. Like other methods, the basic concept is very simple–plants are placed in a tray, which is periodically filled with nutrient-rich water pumped out of a reservoir below. The system uses gravity to return the water to the reservoir to be reused. This action is normally done with a submerged pump that is connected to a timer....

European beech trees are fairly slow growers, gaining roughly 1 to 2 feet per year, so they can take a few decades to reach maturity. But they have very long lifespans, commonly reaching 200 years old and often even older. They can be planted in the late winter or early spring, as well as in the fall. Besides watering whenever the soil starts to dry out, annual fertilization, and a bit of pruning, this tree doesn’t require much continual maintenance....

Wild Turkeys vs. Domestic Turkeys Domestic turkeys are the same genetic species as wild turkeys but are raised under controlled conditions on farms in order to provide meat. There are many types of turkey farms, from large-scale commercial operations to smaller free-range or organic facilities. Domestic turkeys often have plumage that is distinctly different from their wild cousins—the most common variation is a pure white bird with red wattles, but they can also come in shades of tan, brown, pied, and black....

Still confused? As a New York Times article explained, “‘It’s not quite ‘basic,’ which can describe someone who is a conformist or perhaps generic in their tastes, and it’s not quite ‘uncool.’ It’s not embarrassing or even always negative.” Personally, I’m guilty of owning a few items that would most definitely be considered cheugy, and I’m not ashamed of it. The ceramic coffee mug in my cabinet declaring “rosé is my spirit animal” most definitely veers into cheugy category....

Now, Hepfer’s preparing for the debut of her latest endeavor, her book MOOD. The stunning book “explores the power of a stylish and soul-nourishing refuge of one’s own” and is available now for presale. In celebration of her upcoming book release, we talked to Hepfer about her own beautiful refuge in Toronto—a house that embraces lavish, colorful design. Owner: Anne Hepfer, founder of Anne Hepfer Designs Location: Toronto, Canada...

Within the fabric refresher line, there are more than 20 choices in fragrance formulas. You can choose from heavily scented sprays like Unstopables to Febreze Light that contains no heavy perfumes to completely fragrance-free. Febreze Clothing Odor Eliminator offers the fabric refresher in a dispenser that produces a finer mist that will dry more quickly than the original spray. How Does Febreze Fabric Spray Work? Fabric fibers are exposed daily to volatile compounds that leave traces behind that we can detect as odors....

Pronunciation FLEHJ-leeng(rhymes with “pledge thing” “dredge bling” and “hedge bring” Is This Bird a Fledgling? It can be difficult to identify when a bird has matured into the fledgling stage, but there are clues. When examining baby birds, look for: Feather LengthFlight feathers on a fledgling’s wings and tail look significantly shorter than they will on adult birds. These larger feathers take the longest to grow out, and even after these birds have left the nest their wings and tail may have a stubby or stunted appearance....

A firewood rack is used to store firewood and kindling so you can easily access it during the winter but still keep it out of your home. A good basic rack will keep your wood dry and free from pests by keeping it off the ground. These firewood rack plans come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and styles. There are racks that are large, ones that are small, racks that are on wheels, racks with roofs, and even an inside firewood rack plan....

If you grow pumpkins primarily to use them for fall decorations or to be able to say you grew your own jack-o-lantern, you will want to grow at least a few big ones. Here are a few tips for growing big pumpkins in your garden. How to Grow Big Pumpkins