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Home Improvement
Make your home fall-ready (inside and out) in one weekend
With cooler temperatures on the way, there's no better time to finish checking items off the home improvement to-do list. Several projects are "must-do's" and should be completed before the harsher weather arrives. Most are simple enough to accomplish in just a couple days.
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Concrete challenges of converting basements or garages to living space
For homeowners looking to improve the value of their homes - and cope with the needs of multiple generations living under one roof - basement and garage renovations make sense. Before you dive into one of these worthwhile renovation projects, you should consider an often-overlooked logistic of working in a basement or ga...
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Tips for adjusting to busy family schedules
The kids are back in school, fall activities are starting up again and the house is empty at different times of the day, making it difficult to keep up with hectic schedules - including yours. Yet there are easy things you can to do adjust to changing family routines, while ensuring your home remains comfortable and safe...
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Tips for a thorough fall house cleaning
With the changing of the season right around the corner, most Americans are beginning to clean up the exterior of their homes by raking leaves and cleaning out the gutters, but what about the interior? Fall can be the perfect time to revisit that spring cleaning list that you never completed and give the interior of your...
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Open your house parties up to the beautiful outdoors
Having guests over to your house doesn't necessarily mean you have to keep everyone contained inside. Open the doors of your home to your backyard to provide a relaxed ambiance for your guests. And with good lighting and comfortable seating, they'll enjoy socializing and hanging around until well after the sun sets.
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Easy carpet cleaning tips and tricks from the experts
As the weather cools and daylight hours shorten, families tend to spend more time inside. After a long summer of open windows, sticky treats and constant activity in and out the door, you might notice that your carpets are looking a bit drab. Keeping carpets clean might seem like a daunting task, but with some tips from ...
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Improving the health of your lawn
Let's face it: When you live in the suburbs, a healthy, well-kept lawn is a must. Before anyone even steps into your house, it's your front lawn that makes the first impression of your home. So what's something that can help keep your lawn healthy? Many people seem to forget about aeration.
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How to create the perfect outdoor space
Comfortable spaces don't need to be constrained by four walls, and an outdoor entertaining area can quickly become the most important "room" of your home. You aren't alone if your porch or patio looks outdated and drab. Weather conditions can be tough on outdoor areas, but with a few simple updates, you can create a perf...
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What to do about pesky squeaks and creaks in your floor
Do you ever feel like you're trying to avoid tripping off an alarm as you're carefully tiptoe through your living room? Except instead of an alarm, you're hoping not to trigger that familiar creak or groan of the floorboards. It's happened to everybody, and at times it wakes up the newborn (or anyone else who is asleep),...
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Quick fixes for a swift home sale
First impressions are everything when it comes to selling a home. Fortunately, you can take simple and inexpensive steps to prep your home for a quick, top-dollar sale.
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By David Schwartz PHOENIX (Reuters) - The foreman of an Arizona jury that deadlocked over whether Jodi Arias should be put to death for murdering her ex-boyfriend believes she was mentally abused, but said on Friday that had not been enough to excuse her crime. Arias, a former waitress from California, was found guilty this month of murdering Travis Alexander, whose body was found slumped in the shower of his Phoenix-area home in June 2008. He had been stabbed 27 times, had his throat slashed and been shot in the face. ...
By Joanne von Alroth SPRINGFIELD, Illinois (Reuters) - The Illinois House of Representatives on Friday voted overwhelmingly to allow residents to carry concealed guns, taking the state one step closer to joining all others in allowing some form of carrying guns in public. Illinois is the only state in the nation to ban most people from carrying a concealed gun outside the home. Lawmakers acted on Friday after a federal appeals court in January struck down the ban, saying it violated the right to bear arms enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. ...