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Carving pumpkins and trick-or-treating are some of the most popular activities associated with Halloween, but it’s not the only way to celebrate the autumnal holiday. Bobbing for apples is another mainstay of the Halloween season. “There are a lot of different regional variants, but usually it’s pretty simple: apples are placed in a large tub of water, participants kneel before the tub and try to retrieve an apple by mouth alone,” says Lisa Morton, an author, screenwriter, and Halloween historian....

` Net Worth Logo View Series Five Steps to Take Now to Catch Up on Retirement Savings How to Start a Retirement Fund at Any Life Stage How to Maximize Your Retirement Accounts Three Things You Need to Know If You’re Considering Early Retirement So, you’re looking to add more room, more style, or a whole new interior to your humble home? Home improvement projects are always popular come springtime; however, they’ve skyrocketed since the pandemic hit....

woman tossing shiny hair Credit: Mike Kemp/Getty In the doldrums of the winter, coaxing a modicum of shine out of your hair becomes its own special project. That’s why the colder months are the perfect time to indulge in a gloss. The treatment (also referred to as a glaze) provides shine and revitalizes dull hair while helping to smooth flyaways. A gloss can be clear or tinted and can be used to maintain or enhance color....

ml397_fal02_l4.jpg Our ceremony will be outdoors, but we don’t want to move the reception chairs outside. Can we simply have everyone stand? It depends on how long your ceremony will be. A secular ceremony can be as short as ten minutes or as drawn out as 40. While the former isn’t too long to expect people to stand, remember that guests will also be on their feet as they wait for the ceremony to begin....

With its yellow or green hue, balance of fruity and savory flavors, and versatility in nearly everything we cook, olive oil is a prized ingredient. Whether you’re holding onto a large jug or are using a bottle of good-quality olive oil purchased at a boutique food store, it’s important to properly store your olive oil to preserve its quality. “Olive oil’s three natural enemies are light, heat, and air,” says Aishwarya Iyer, founder and CEO of Brightland, a California-based olive oil company....

yiran yexiang wedding rings and boxes Credit: VID Studio White gold is a classic, timeless metal, which is why so many brides favor it for their engagement rings, but they require some upkeep if you want to ensure your precious piece of jewelry doesn’t turn back to a yellow-gold color. The most important thing you can do for your white gold engagement ring? Get it redipped. To understand how often you really need to have this maintenance done, we chatted with Abby Sparks, CEO of Abby Sparks Jewelry, to ask her expert opinion on the matter....

If you want a crystal-clear view of the world outside your home, you need to clean your windows. The same goes for mirrors. A smudge-free mirror, without finger prints and toothpaste droplets, gives us a better view of, well, us—and ultimately makes a room feel more polished. Cleaning both mirrors and windows, however, poses a common problem: streaks. To effectively wash both without leaving behind any streaks, grab a pair of rubber gloves and follow the expert tips below—they’ll make the job easier....

vintage white linens Credit: Maria Robledo vintage white linens Credit: Maria Robledo vintage white linens Credit: Maria Robledo vintage white linens Credit: Maria Robledo Antique fabrics lose their pristine quality over time, often due to dinner-party spills, dirt settling into folds, and discolorations caused by ironing starch. Another challenge: They may be too delicate to machine-wash. But hope isn’t lost. Fortunately, with a little bit of patience, you can revive them by hand....

Puff-Pastry Poached-Pear Pie Credit: Bryan Gardner For the top crust, roll puff pastry into a square about 1/8 inch thick; cut it into a 10-inch round. (Use an upside-down cake pan as a guide.) With a pastry tip or small cookie cutter, cut out a 1-inch-diameter vent in the center. Gently press an upside-down 9-inch cake pan onto the dough to make a border. Freeze until firm but pliable. With a paring knife, score 8 petals around the vent, taking care not to cut all the way through....

aloe plant in white pot aloe plant in white pot aloe plant in white pot aloe plant in white pot The aloe plant is a health powerhouse, and it can be used for everything from cooling sunburn to being the key ingredient in a gut-soothing smoothie. With all of the beneficial uses for aloe, it should come as no surprise that some people go through it quickly, which is why growing your own aloe plant can be a sustainable and cost-effective way to make sure you always have some on hand....

potted plants in windowsill Credit: Getty / Sara Monika potted plants in windowsill Credit: Getty / Sara Monika potted plants in windowsill Credit: Getty / Sara Monika potted plants in windowsill Credit: Getty / Sara Monika Like all living things, houseplants need food—and the right diet can mean the difference between a plant that thrives or dies. If you have a flourishing indoor garden, you know that plants need three main “food groups,” consisting of soil, water, and sun—but finding the right balance among all three can be challenging, especially if you’re growing lots of varieties....

haylie bradley wedding louisiana father daughter dance Credit: A Bryan Photo Whether you’ve lost a parent or have an estranged relationship with one, you might not be planning on a father-daughter or mother-son dance for your big day. And we’re here to tell you that’s perfectly fine-even if it doesn’t feel good-and to help you figure out what to do. According to Beth Bernstein, owner and wedding planner of SQN Events in Chicago, many couples face this uncomfortable situation....

sliced avocados on cutting board Credit: Chris Simpson sliced avocados on cutting board Credit: Chris Simpson sliced avocados on cutting board Credit: Chris Simpson sliced avocados on cutting board Credit: Chris Simpson Avocados lined up in dark, knobbly rows in the supermarket are a familiar sight. So familiar, that we tend not to think about them too much. Then a larger, or smaller avocado appears in our social media feed, in a different neighborhood market, or in the contents of a new Californian or Floridian fruit box, causing some wonder: How many different avocados are there?...

margaret jonathan wedding bridal party Credit: Cassidy Carson Photography Looking for a way to include some wonderful young ladies in your wedding day? If they’re somewhere between 9 and 15 years old, therefore too old to be a flower girl but too young to be a bridesmaid, consider asking each important girl to be a junior bridesmaids. Since these younger attendants generally stand throughout the ceremony and will be included in your big-day photos, it’s important to get their outfits just right....

Just as quickly as they came into style, miniature ceramic Christmas trees were out of vogue by the end of the 1980s, but there was a time when you couldn’t attend a festive holiday party and not see at least one on the mantel or beside the television set. Whether it’s because homeowners are nostalgic for the ’60s and ’70s or because we all simply adore vintage items, it seems that ceramic Christmas trees have made a comeback in 2019 in a major way....

The De Beers Cullinan Blue diamond Credit: Courtesy of Southeby's / The De Beers The De Beers Cullinan Blue diamond Credit: Courtesy of Southeby's / The De Beers The De Beers Cullinan Blue diamond Credit: Courtesy of Southeby’s / The De Beers The De Beers Cullinan Blue diamond Credit: Courtesy of Southeby’s / The De Beers Sotheby’s is constantly auctioning off incredible finds, including a rare gem rumored to be from outer space and an original print of the U....

interior wall baseboard, white Credit: Valeriy_G / Getty Images interior wall baseboard, white Credit: Valeriy_G / Getty Images interior wall baseboard, white Credit: Valeriy_G / Getty Images interior wall baseboard, white Credit: Valeriy_G / Getty Images When it comes to renovating or designing a home from scratch, baseboards are often cast aside as an afterthought. Sure, you definitely see that slim board at the bottom of your wall—and absolutely clean it when it’s looking a little dusty—but you likely haven’t put too much thought into this architectural detail otherwise....

passover seder dinner table Credit: Nathan Bilow / Getty Images ` You’re Invited Franchise Logo View Series 6 Accidents to Expect at Your Summer Parties—and How to Avoid Them 16 Best Shatterproof, Durable Dish Sets for a Season of Outdoor Entertaining Our 14 Favorite Front Porch Decorations for the Fourth of July 3 Summer Hostess Mistakes to Avoid During All of Your Warm-Weather Soirées passover seder dinner table Credit: Nathan Bilow / Getty Images passover seder dinner table Credit: Nathan Bilow / Getty Images...

Young woman returned with purchases from grocery store takes fresh organic vegetables out of mesh bag putting on kitchen table at home close view Credit: Maria Korneeva / GETTY IMAGES Young woman returned with purchases from grocery store takes fresh organic vegetables out of mesh bag putting on kitchen table at home close view Credit: Maria Korneeva / GETTY IMAGES Young woman returned with purchases from grocery store takes fresh organic vegetables out of mesh bag putting on kitchen table at home close view Credit: Maria Korneeva / GETTY IMAGES...

favors-1-mwd108422.jpg Credit: Johnny Miller Tools and Materials 8 1/2-by-11-inch card stock Scissors Tissue paper in various colors Yellow crepe paper 26-gauge white floral wire Silk-taffeta ribbon 1 1/2-by-2-inch plastic cylindrical favor boxes How-to Open our PDF file, print onto card stock, and cut. Fold two sheets of tissue into quarters and line up the template at the corner where the folded sides meet. Trace the shape and cut out. Unfold and layer the tissue, rotating one sheet so that the edges don’t line up....