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When crafted out of paper mache—the classic process of dipping newsprint into a glue-like mixture of flour and water—homemade pumpkins can be summoned from storage and used as decorations year after year. To set these handmade masterpieces apart from the common pumpkin-patch variety, we decoupaged ours with paper napkins in iconic patterns. (You can also use no-carve pumpkin ideas on your decorative pumpkins.) When topped off with a twisted craft paper stem and a couple of gilded crepe paper leaves, these paper pumpkins start to come alive....

How to Make Pho How to Make Pho Broth To make Instant Pot pho broth, select the ‘sauté’ setting on your Instant Pot and allow it to preheat for about five minutes before placing in the onion (halved) with the cut side down. Next, add the ginger and allow it to cook along with the onion for about 10 minutes. Add coriander, seeds, cloves, and star anise and stir consistently for about a minute....

To go beyond the basics of getting your 401(k) or enrolling in healthcare, you’ll need to do a bit of sleuthing and have a touch of gumption. Financial planning experts—Tennessee-based certified financial planner Brenton Harrison and accredited financial planner Tiffany Grant, MBA—agree that the long-term wins are worth the extra studying or the awkward conversation with your boss, human resources officer, or employee benefits manager. Employee perks can truly be life-changing when you know how to use them....

If you have diet plans, store your tighter clothes elsewhere and bring them back after you reach your goals. The act of swapping out larger sizes for smaller ones might even make you feel more accomplished. To store those aspirational pieces you’ll soon be wearing, pick up a few durable storage containers like the MISSLO Oxford three-piece set. Its durable design—with metal zipper and airtight closures—means no dust, dirt, or mold can enter while your goods are stored....

To buy: Umbra SINKIN Expandable Sink Rack, $30, bedbathandbeyond.com. To buy: Mobile Shelving Unit, from $27, amazon.com. To buy: Bamboo Stackable Shelf, $12, containerstore.com. To buy: Under-Shelf Storage Rack, $33, westelm.com. To buy: Rustic Wire 3-Tier Hanging Basket, $15, worldmarket.com.

Post-holiday shopping debt (often, credit card debt) is a reality every year as people spend beyond their means to give loved ones the gifts and holiday celebrations they deserve. This year, though, when layoffs, business closures, and overall financial struggles have put a strain on nearly everyone’s finances, that lingering credit card balance or depleted checking account can feel even more stressful. 2020 may have been an unusual year, but there are very usual solutions to your post-holiday debt—or, dare we say, debt hangover....

“It’s safe to have gatherings this summer, but they won’t look like gatherings you have had in summers past,” says Dr. Natterson, who also recently created the OOMASK to help protect kids and stop the spread of disease. Forget your “everyone’s invited” mentality from summers past: exclusivity is the key. After all, getting together with friends isn’t without risk. “There is always risk associated with having gatherings of friends, family, or others from outside your household,” says Dr....

That’s not to say I’m any kind of angel when it comes to housework. I rarely take out the compost bin. I tend to clean out the lint catcher after doing a load of laundry—and promptly leave the wad of lint on top of the dryer rather than throw it in the wastebasket that’s mere feet away. And I act like an entitled, grumpy teen when I think the lion’s share of the household chores is falling on my shoulders, even though I haven’t explicitly communicated that I want help....

If you’re looking to get the most out of your spices, we recommend buying whole spices over ground whenever possible. Because whole spices have less surface area that’s exposed to oxygen—the key offender in the spice degradation game—they’ll hold onto their flavor for a longer period of time. Another hot tip is to shop for spices at specialty markets or spice stores rather than buying them at your local supermarket....

But the muffins, while tasty, didn’t blow us away. To begin, they’re really cupcakes disguised as muffins, what with 2 cups of sugar in the batter and a generous dollop of frosting on top. Perhaps it was the pressure for them to be proposal worthy, but they fell flat in the flavor department, and didn’t achieve the crispy golden crust I love so much on muffins. If you do make them, opt for four very large bananas to boost the banana flavor....

I’m still unsure if this is a holiday miracle straight out of a Lifetime Christmas movie or a piece of well-earned karma, but I’ve found this exact description in the Madewell Waffleback Pull-On High-Rise Tapered Pants in Windowpane. Not only do these Madewell pants check all of those boxes, but they’re incredibly soft, comfortable, and have a sharp, wearable print that looks equally good on models of all sizes (which range from xx-small to xx-large in petite, standard, and tall)....

Little did I know I’d find my solution on TikTok, of all places. As soon as I watched a viral video about Bissell’s Little Green, a pint-sized multipurpose cleaner, I knew it was exactly what my small space needed. Bissell sent me the device to test for free, but believe me when I say I would have shelled out $110 for one earlier had I known all it was capable of....

You might be able to drop off food scraps at your local farmers market, and some areas offer curbside composting pickup. But you can also DIY it easily at home with a few new tools.

Eccrine sweat, the sweat we’re talking about here, is the salty kind sourced from the watery parts of blood and is released from the 2 to 5 million eccrine sweat glands across your skin’s surface. “This is the stuff that floods out when our body temperature rises to help cool us down,” notes Sarah Everts, a science journalist and journalism professor at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada, and author of the new book, The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration....

The concept is simple and streamlined: It weighs less than 4 pounds and easily folds into a tiny bag. Each Shibumi Shade includes a set of aluminum poles that you plant into the ground and create an arch, letting the dramatic blue parachute canopy billow behind it in the breeze; providing shade for up to six adults. They’re creating a buzz on the beach, as well as some 30-SPF shade....

The Mardi Gras ‘Carnival’ period technically begins 12 days after Christmas, but the day that most people associate with the most debauchery and celebration is Fat Tuesday (which this year falls on February 16, 2021). Mardi Gras celebrations traditionally represent the culmination of the feasting period that falls before Christian Lent, but in modern times the day of indulgence transcends beyond religion to a holiday beloved by all. The parades might be canceled this year, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t get into the Mardi Gras spirit right at home....