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While a bit of deep breathing can help, you can prep for a stress-free (or at least, stress-a-little-less) holiday season by taking care of these seven tasks around your home now. You’ll feel more prepared to actually enjoy and celebrate the season. Make Some Space The holidays usually mean there will be gifts. Where will the new stuff go if every closet, drawer, and toy box is already overflowing? Now is the perfect time to sort and donate clothes to make space....

“We are excited to expand HomeGoods’ digital footprint so customers can shop whenever they’d like,” says Mark DeOliveira, the president of TJX Digital US, in the press release. “HomeGoods.com will provide a complementary experience to our stores, allowing shoppers to pair in-store purchases with online finds to bring their vision to life.” To coordinate both in-person and online shopping, shoppers can make online returns via mail or at any HomeGoods store location....

For the most part, Facebook charity fundraisers are a safe and effective way to give to causes you care about. Here’s what happens when you make a donation through the social media platform, and ways to ensure your money gets to the right place. Understand the types of Facebook fundraisers. Money raised through Facebook fundraisers goes to one of two places—birthday fundraisers, which benefit bona fide charities (there are more than 750,000 nonprofits on the platform); or personal causes, from vet care for a sick pet to college tuition—so you might want to be cautious about where your donations end up....

On This Episode What’s the real cost of having a baby? And how can you prepare for it? Host Stefanie O’Connell Rodriguez interviews Reshma Saujani, founder and CEO of Girls Who Code and Marshall Plan for Moms, about the impact of parenthood on your personal finances, and what we can do to prepare our money and our careers for one of life’s most expensive milestones. Meet Our Caller “Carrie” is a 32-year-old marketing professional based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania....

Keep in mind that there are also plenty of easy ways to prevent dull skin in the first place. There are many topical things you can do to keep skin looking bright, such as regularly exfoliating to slough off the dead skin cells that dull your complexion. However, truly radiant skin starts from the inside out, so consider what you’re putting in your body, too. Upping your hydration game and drinking plenty of water will keep skin hydrated and plump....

“I love braising because it’s really about coaxing flavors,” says Linda Hampsten Fox, Chef at The Bindery in Denver, Colo. “Braising is a subtle dance that happens leisurely at low temperatures, so you can still do a million other things at the same time.” (Dropping the best Netflix shows for June 2022 here for any multitasking needs.) Braising both softens meat and builds flavor over hours of slow cooking—so if you’ve ever spent hours cooking meat in broth in a Dutch oven before, you’ve braised....

To manage excess oil on second-day hair, opt for dry shampoo instead—stylists say the powder remnants will mop up excess oil and create more volume. “Just remember to wash it out after using it one to three times in a row, or the buildup can irritate the scalp and dry out fine hairs, causing breakage,” says Tsippora Shainhouse, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist in Beverly Hills, Calif. Instead, look for products that add moisture and volume....

Fortunately, it’s super easy to set your ceiling fans for maximum effect. Here’s everything you need to know. How to Change Ceiling Fan Direction Depending on how your ceiling fan is set up, you may just toggle a switch on the main body of the ceiling fan to change it from clockwise to counterclockwise (or vice versa). Just be sure to turn it off first! Newer models may let you change the fan’s direction (without pulling out the ladder) via a remote or app....

Learning how to clean a shower head and remove mineral deposits isn’t complicated, and if you have enough patience to let the solution soak, it doesn’t require much scrubbing, either. Once you unclog the shower head, you’ll be surprised how much more luxurious your shower feels. Follow the steps below to clean a shower head the right way—and you may be tempted to trade in your relaxing bath for a soothing shower....

RELAED: 5 Things Almost Everyone Forgets to Clean What You’ll Need: Dish soapSpongeSoft toothbrushPaper towels or cleaning cloth Lemon SaltDistilled white vinegar How to Clean a Toaster How to Clean a Toaster Oven

PRO TIP: The best way to reduce tears when you dice an onion is to minimize the amount of time you spend working with it. 2 Ways to Cut an Onion What You’ll Need OnionsCutting boardChef’s knife

The thought of sending another email to a professional acquaintance after speaking with them about an open role, may seem rather forward (and make you cringe), but following up will ensure you stay on their radar. In addition to nailing the interview questions and writing your eye-catching cover letter, the follow-up step is a simple service to yourself and a positive signal to the company you’re pursuing. Career expert Lindsey Pollak, author of Recalculating: Navigate Your Career Through the Changing World of Work, believes following up after a job interview can even double as a networking opportunity, if you choose to look at it as an impression rather than a transaction....

Caring for homegrown pumpkins when they’re in the ground can be a time-intensive process, but as long as you set a routine, there will be big orange gourds in your garden in just a few months. Here, Danny Watson, a garden center associate at The Home Depot, shares his best tips for planting and growing pumpkins from seeds. When to Plant Pumpkins The best time to plant pumpkin seeds is from late May to early July, so you can enjoy them in the fall....

“Your hair reverts to its natural state when it comes in contact with moisture,” explains Joseph Maine, celebrity hairstylist and co-founder of Trademark Beauty. “Since humidity is high levels of moisture in the air, you will see any wave or texture begin to coil up. We often refer to it as frizz because the humidity will primarily affect those little fine hairs or shorter pieces that have less weight to combat the moisture....

Pick the Perfect Type of Christmas Tree Your local Christmas tree lots, farm, or nursery may sell only a couple of tree varieties, but if you have a broad choice, go for “true firs,” like noble, Fraser, Nordmann, and Turkish, because they’ll last the longest (four to six weeks). Trees with the second-longest life span include Douglas fir, Scotch pine, balsam, and grand fir. Spruce trees last only two or three weeks....

But because apple season is right around the corner, we’re down to speed things up. That’s why we consulted superstar chef Thomas Keller, founder of The French Laundry, Per Se, and apple pie technique instructor at Masterclass on pie-making skills not to skip. It’s all in the apples. His top tip for baking the perfect apple pie is controversial. Keller says to incorporate both diced and grated apples into your filling....

Set Up Stations If you have a fairly spacious deck, patio, or backyard, setting up areas for different functions can make parties flow better. Dmar Interiors used this concept in this L.A. backyard. “We wanted to create various areas for different types of entertaining: lounging, swimming, dining, and cooking,” they explain. An area with outdoor sofas was designed for sipping drinks and chatting. Another station has lounge chairs for relaxing and reading poolside, while a third zone is outfitted with an outdoor kitchen and a dining table for al fresco dinners....

Acquania Escarne, lead wealth strategist at the Purpose of Money, and Paco de Leon of the The Hell Yeah Group, a financial firm for creatives, say that folks on a fluctuating income should focus on these three money matters: realistic goals, emergencies, and taxes. Keep your ambitions high—but your budget realistic. It is tough to budget consistently when your income is a moving target, but Escarne says that it’s best to take an average income from the last three months and create a budget around that round figure....

What You Need suitcase, resealable bags for shoes, plastic pillbox or film canister, items to pack Follow These Steps

What You Need FurnitureDrop cloth220-grit sandpaper or flexible foam sanding spongePrimerLatex paintRoller frame and rollersPaintbrushesFoam paintbrushes Follow These Steps