Proper towel maintenance is important—as is storing clean towels in the right spot—but another trick can keep your bath towels looking and smelling fresh for a long time. It comes from Erin Napier, who stars with her husband Ben in HGTV’s Home Town, and she swears by it: white bath towels. “Ben’s mom taught me this trick,” Erin says. “She lives with all these big burly men who play sports and work on cars and come in greasy and filthy, and her towels smell fresh....

Scientifically speaking, SPF isn’t necessary for the hair shaft because, unlike skin, hair is not comprised of living cells, but the scalp is a whole different ballgame, says Julia Tzu, medical director and founder of Wall Street Dermatology. While tougher than many other areas, the scalp is still subject to damage from harmful UV rays that can lead to sunburn, or worse, life-threatening skin cancer. Here is a guide to what you need to know about sunscreen for your hair and scalp from trusted experts who have seen it all....

Plants for Creating the Garden Nook Plan 1 Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) Zones 5-9 1 Pink summersweet (Clethra alnifolia ‘Rosea’) Zones 3-9 3 Hicks yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’) Zones 4-8 3 Astilbe (Astilbe chinensis ‘Veronica Klose’) Zones 3-9 2 Fairy candles (Cimicifuga racemosa ‘Atropurpurea’) Zones 3-9 3 Foamflower (Tiarella ‘Winterglow’) Zones 3-9 3 Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea ‘Apricot Strain’) Zones 4-8 1 Beard tongue (Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’) Zones 4-8 2 Munstead lavender (Lavandula angustifolia ‘Munstead Strain’) Zones 6-9 2 Impatiens (Impatiens wallerana) All zones 3 Oriental lily (Lilium ‘Stargazer’) Zones 4-9...

“I always recommend top-quality crisp cotton percale,” de la Cruz says. “Forget about thread count; rather, touch and feel the quality of the fabric and iron with some DIY linen spray kissed with lavender or rose essential oils, and you will truly feel like you’re sleeping in the lap of luxury.” To make a relaxing linen spray, drop a few capfuls of vodka into a pint-sized spray bottle of distilled water, then add about 20 drops of essential oil....

This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase via these links, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. I love doing advent calendars with my kiddo. In the past we’ve done everything from this Lego nativity one to this juice box advent calendar. He loves getting a surprise every day. The problem is that when there are toys or treats involved, he has a hard time stopping at just one a day....

Now they’re all grown and having babies of their own and instead, I’m sending care packages for college students that I taught during church or baby-sat back in the day! It’s amazing how fast life goes. These college care package ideas would not only make great care packages but also great high school graduation gift ideas – just put one together before they go and give it to them before they leave!...

Whether you’re new to the concept of cracking open a paperback, or you love the feeling but have a hard time committing to actually doing it, there are some tips, tricks, and yes, products that can help you rediscover the sheer pleasure of a good book. Plus, it’s nearly winter—cozy, bundled up, I’ll-just-stay-in-bed season: the perfect time to try it out. I’ve rounded up 14 products that will boost your habit, keep you comfy, and make you a bigger reader....

Savory, Smoky, Tangy, Bright: Plant-Powered Mexican Eggplant Torta Milanese Crispy slices of fried eggplant and mild, creamy Oaxaca cheese make this satisfying sandwich totally crave-worthy. Get the recipe. Elote With Mole Verde A bright, tangy tomatillo sauce amps up classic Mexican street corn. Get the recipe. Papaya and Jicama Aguachile A refreshing Mexican classic goes vegetarian and makes for a perfect starter or light meal. Get the recipe. Radish Chicharrones This vegetarian take on chicharrónes is fresh, zesty, and full of flavor....

And if you want to incorporate the vibrant colors of the Magentaverse into your wardrobe to give yourself some energy for the new year, we rounded up 14 items—from makeup to sweaters to bags—to match. We searched retailers like Sephora, Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, Spanx, and more to find fashion, accessories, and beauty products that simply scream Viva Magenta and embrace similar hues. Tom Ford Lip Color Matte Lipstick in Velvet Cherry This matte lipstick will add a fun pop of magenta to your look, and it contains Vitamins C and E and is paraben- and sulfate-free for sensitive skin....

All you need is a little creativity to find something special to celebrate, pretty much every day of the year. These 15 ideas may just inspire you to gather the gang soon—whether you want to plan an epic party for the last day of school or an ice cream social to ring in National Ice Cream Day (July 18). How to celebrate: For kids, it’s the perfect opportunity to have a different-style party than they’re used to (i....

Black beans and pinto beans make this Mexican-themed high-protein vegetarian casserole satisfying and delicious. It’s also high in fiber (another nutrient that keeps you feeling full and satisfied long after the meal is over). Better yet, it’s hearty enough to please meat-eaters, too. It’s like a south-of-the-border lasagna! Fresh-off-the-cob sweet corn, grape tomatoes, and pine nuts add a healthy boost to creamy pasta sauce. This high-protein vegetarian meal is ready in just 35 minutes—perfect for nights when you don’t want to spend much time cooking....

The Gift of Self Care Tis the season of gift giving, random acts of kindness, service themed Christmas activities, and thinking about others. But let’s be real for a second – for most women, what I just described is all year long, not just during the holiday season. Our lives are centered around taking care of others – whether it be physically driving kids to soccer practice and making cut out sugar cookies for kids to decorate or mentally trying to figure out the best gifts for grandparents all the while trying to balance the emotional explosions of your little ones....

A. Black mondo grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’): 3 B. Full-moon maple (Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’): 1 C. Oxalis ‘Zinfandel’: 1 D. Foamflower (Tiarella ‘Pink Brushes’): 1 A. Caladium ‘Gingerland’: 1 B. Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Inky Fingers’): 1 A. Caladium ‘Florida Elise’: 2 B. Perilla ‘Gage’s Shadow’: 1 C. Asparagus fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Myersii’): 1 D. New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens ‘Sonic Cherry’): 1 E. Oxalis ‘Zinfandel’: 1 A. Coleus (Solenostemon ‘Sedona’): 1 B....

These labels may be easy ways to describe a space, but they’re also a little lazy, and over time, may reinforce certain stereotypes. So, what can you say instead? How about: delicate, rustic, lavish, elegant, eclectic, glam, soulful, unfussy, practical, imaginative, cozy, romantic, minimal, frilly…the list goes on. This year, forget what you’ve learned about colors that “don’t go,” and instead, decorate with the colors you want to live with....

Broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) is low in calories yet packed with vitamin C, vitamin K, folate, and manganese, and delivers a surprising amount of protein for a vegetable (2 grams per 1 cup), according to the USDA’s FoodData Central nutrition database. It’s a cruciferous vegetable that’s a member of the cabbage family, and as such, shares a lot of attributes with cauliflower. Both the stalks and the florets are edible....

Price at time of publish: $27 Price at time of publish: $79 Price at time of publish: $35 Price at time of publish: $23 Price at time of publish: $20 Price at time of publish: $14 Price at time of publish: $55 Price at time of publish: $100 Price at time of publish: $35 Price at time of publish: $60 Price at time of publish: $50 Price at time of publish: $15 Price at time of publish: $59 Price at time of publish: $30 Price at time of publish: $95 Price at time of publish: $195 Price at time of publish: $200 Price at time of publish: $40 Price at time of publish: $589 Price at time of publish: $15 Price at time of publish: $33 Price at time of publish: $12 Price at time of publish: $18 Price at time of publish: $45 Price at time of publish: $45 Price at time of publish: $115 Price at time of publish: $20 Price at time of publish: $24 Price at time of publish: $60 Price at time of publish: $20 Price at time of publish: From $15 Price at time of publish: $20 Price at time of publish: $14 Price at time of publish: $55 (If monsters aren’t their thing, there are kits for bugs, birds, dinosaurs, and aliens, too!...

The only catch is that when doing an at-home pedicure, sometimes you miss the salon-quality results. From the freshly exfoliated and smooth feet, high-shine polish, and long-lasting results, it can feel like your DIY attempt never truly measures up in comparison. But that doesn’t always need to be the case. All it takes is the right tools and tips to help you achieve those same professional-looking results at home. We gathered five hacks and tips that will get you a beautiful, long-lasting pedicure—for half the price and time....

1. Control the mess. It’s easier to stop messes from happening than deal with them later. Reduce what gets dirty by leaving shoes at the door, limiting food to the kitchen and dining room, and assigning craft projects to one spot. Make sure all family members know the rules and follow them. Restricting messy activities to specific areas means you’ll have fewer spots to clean later. 2. Sneak in cleaning tasks....

1. Keep an Eye on Temperature While your own summer vacation may have had a fixed end date, it’s a little trickier to figure out when that might be for your vacationing houseplants. It depends on the temperature, and specifically the nighttime low temperatures. You’ll want to move your houseplants indoors before night temperatures get below 45°F. Any colder, and you’re likely to see damage, especially on tender new leaves and stem tips....

Mistake #1: Not Washing Clothing Before Storing It You’re not going to be wearing this clothing for a while, so there’s no need to wash it, right? Wrong! Storing clothing with food stains and odors on them not only makes it harder to remove the stains later but can also attract bugs and pests. Instead, wash or dry-clean clothing and treat any stains before storing away your winter clothing. Plus, future you will be thankful when you open bins full of clothes that are ready to wear in the winter....