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Slow Cooker Safety Guidelines Not so fast, says the USDA. According to their Slow Cookers and Food Safety guidelines, you should always thaw meat or poultry before putting it in a slow cooker. They recommend storing the thawed meat in the refrigerator before adding it in. “The slow cooker may take several hours to reach a safe, bacteria-killing temperature,” the guidelines read. “Constant refrigeration assures that bacteria, which multiply rapidly at room temperature, won’t get a ‘head start’ during the first few hours of cooking....

With over 16,700 five-star ratings, the C-shaped pillow has earned countless testimonials, not just from pregnant women, but also people who deal with chronic pain, have undergone surgery, or just have a hard time falling asleep and consider the product a ″magical″ solution. Because the long body pillow can be twisted into all different kinds of configurations, it’s especially great for side sleepers. “Plot twist: I’m not pregnant,” one shopper wrote....

To help shed some light on the hotly debated topic of Halloween eats, the sugar aficionados at CandyStore.com set out to solve the age-old question: What are the best and worst Halloween candies of all time? After reviewing results from 12 online publications and polling 30,000 of their customers, Candy Store created a definitive ranking of the best-ever and worst-ever Halloween morsels that’s sure to raise a few eyebrows. The polarizing best-of list includes tried-and-true treats like M&Ms and Snickers, with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups claiming the top spot for 2019....

To buy: $40 (was $80); amazon.com. Adult weighted blankets, like this one, are filled with tiny hypoallergenic glass beads that provide just the right amount of heft to give off a calming sensation aka deep pressure stimulation. This semi-light pressure is the reason why weighted blankets can potentially help relieve anxiety and stress and even act as a sleep aid, according to the Sleep Foundation. And yes, shoppers do confirm that it “feels like you’re being hugged on all sides....

The good news? There’s a delicious middle-ground that shouldn’t be forgotten: homemade granola bars that will revolutionize your routine. All of these recipes can be whipped up over the weekend, then enjoyed en-route to school or the office. We recommend taking an extra minute to wrap them individually, which will make the grab-and-go process that much more seamless. The majority of the bars are no-bake, which makes them incredibly low-effort but deliciously rewarding....

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I’m not scared of power tools by any means, but when it comes to ease and convenience, I’d much rather not whip out the drill if I don’t have to—especially when decorating an apartment. Home design enthusiasts know that a good hack is worth its weight in gold when it comes to adding the finishing touches around your place, and I found that the strong sticky backs on these hooks from SouLips are no exception....

“Much like myself, they had a strong attraction to Southern, preppy style,” she says. “Inspiration was effortless for my team and our clients, particularly when it came to the inviting blue exterior with the wraparound porch and hanging swings.” Inside, the collaboration continued with the same penchant for naturally inspired shades of open sky, white clouds, floral pinks, and pops of green, which travel from a great room to a kitchen to a playroom....

Currently, the style we’re seeing all over our Instagram feeds and on the pages of the top interior design magazines is an unexpected combination of wooden cabinets and painted cabinets in the same kitchen. Think, unfinished wood cabinets on the top and sage-painted cabinets below, or a few tall wooden cabinets flanked by vibrant blue fronts. A distinct departure from the all-white kitchen trend, this look is a refreshing mix of modern and timeless style....

Vane’s mission is to rescue farm animals from slaughter so they can live out their lives in peace. His no-kill sanctuary is called Little Bear Sanctuary, a 30-acre property in Punta Gorda, Fla. where animals are free to roam in their natural habitat instead of being locked in cages. Because of its high standards for animal care and business practices, it’s considered a verified “true sanctuary” by the Global Federation of Animal Sanctuaries....

TikTok Viral Spaghetti Recipe Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and have your 9-by-13-inch baking dish ready to go. Start by dicing an onion, a green pepper, and a red pepper. Mince at least two cloves of garlic. Add veggies to a preheated saute pan with a bit of olive oil, cook until fragrant, and add a pound of ground beef and a pound of Italian sausage. If you don’t eat red meat, you can substitute ground turkey, ground chicken or even plant-based sausage crumbles....

But even the best of breakfast bowls can fall a little flat, especially when your fridge isn’t stocked with fresh fruit, herbs, eggs, and other fixings. How to Upgrade a Basic of Oatmeal The solution is simple: Give the raw oats a quick toasting. This will add depth, complexity, and a rich caramel-like flavor to your oats without having to toss in any additional ingredients. The process is easy. Simply heat a skillet (nonstick or stainless steel works) over medium-high heat, toss in your raw oats, and toast them for several minutes....

Just like kitchen cabinet paint colors can totally reshape the look and feel of a room, painting trim can help emphasize a wall paint color or balance out a particularly bright shade. The baseboards, chair rail, wainscoating, or crown molding—whatever you want to call it—is capable of transforming a room. A bold trim paint color can serve as the focal point of the space, while a neutral one allows the eye to be drawn to another feature, such as a distinctive piece of wall art or a bold rug....

When is Valentine’s Day? First, a quick refresher: Valentine’s Day always falls on February 14. Valentine’s Day 2022 is Monday, February 14, and Valentine’s Day 2021 fell on a Sunday. (For those wanting to make big plans, Valentine’s Day 2023 will be Tuesday, February 14.) At the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius declared February 14 St. Valentine’s Day, and since then, February 14th has been a day of celebration—though it was generally more religious or romantic....

Wayfair’s End-of-Year sale offers affordable upgrades that will make your home feel like new again. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to save up to 60 percent on everything from area rugs and storage solutions to living room furniture and bed linens. The sale is going on now through January 4, and Wayfair has slashed prices on homewares in just about every category. We dug through thousands of markdowns to uncover the best deals on stylish home finds to spruce up your home for the new year without splurging....

According to a report by CNN, the average American uses 57 squares of toilet paper a day, adding up to 50 pounds of the stuff each year. That’s a lot of trees! So when we spotted that Grove Collaborative launched a new collection of tree-free paper products, called Seedling, we had to give it a try. The company spent the past two years developing a line of toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, and napkins, all made from a blend of sugarcane and bamboo....

Which tends to make you look tired or washed-out?(a) Ivory(b) Pure white(c) I look the same in both. Which lipstick shades complement you better?(a) Bluish pinks and reds(b) Corals and orangey reds(c) They’re all equally flattering. Cool white (like Anne Hathaway)Rosy beige or rosy pink (Lucy Liu)Olive with blue or green undertones (Mindy Kaling)Black with blue undertones or rosy brown (Lupita Nyong’o) Your natural hair color Ash-blond, sandy blond, or towheadAsh or dark brownBlack with blue undertonesAuburnSnow white or silvery gray...