We want to make boxing and unboxing your stuff as painless as possible. Read on to find incredibly useful packing and moving hacks that will reduce the stress and expense of relocating. What Not to Pack in Boxes When Moving It’s tempting to toss anything and everything into boxes when moving. But there are quite a few items that should never go in a moving box, including: Open packages of perishable food (the box will attract pests)Valuables (jewelry, collectibles, coins, cash)Irreplaceable documents (personal identification, medical records, wills, financial documents, etc....

Over the course of this year, we researched and tested an abundance of top-rated products to give you the best possible recommendations to improve your everyday life. To see which products were worth the price tag and which fell short, we put them through their paces in both The Lab and at home, using a rigorous and thorough testing process for the most accurate insights. Sure, some were forgettable–but others were life-changing....

Antique glassware has made more of an appearance recently in homes courtesy of the cuts, colors, and designs they come in, and as mentioned, one type that’s really seen a flux and flow of popularity is milk glass, particularly Jadeite. The name comes from its color, which resembles the gemstone jade and its green tone has been adding a playful touch of color to homes for decades. The History of Milk Glass and Jadeite There is a long-running history of this glass category and a few interesting details about the Jadeite variation specifically....

Bird Species Depending on the climate, geography, and landscape of your backyard and your region of the country, you could be visited by dozens of different backyard bird species during the winter months. The most common winter birds include finches, sparrows, titmice, jays, woodpeckers, chickadees, and cardinals, though there are always other birds that may appear at full, enticing feeders. Birders in northern regions may have pine grosbeaks, evening grosbeaks and red crossbills visit their feeders in winter....

Read more about our Diversity and Inclusion Pledge to make The Spruce a site where all feel welcome.

Taking the time to learn about the different types of pillows available is time well spent, as it will aid you in making the right choice. After all, you spend around a third of your life in bed, shouldn’t that time be as comfortable as possible? Here’s what you need to know about different types of pillow fills, sizes, and shapes for different sleep positions. Fill and Pillow Types Support Recommended for Specific Sleep Positions The type of pillow to use is determined on your preferred sleep position....

When it comes to footwear, a comfortable slipper is a must-have—at least in our household. If you’re looking for some warmth too, a pair made from shearling is a smart choice. We tested the UGG Coquette Slipper, wearing them around the house—and on the occasional trip outside—for over a week. We assessed components including materials, design, fit, and performance. Look to see if these slippers are worthy of their hefty price tag....

About Bird Songs A bird’s song is only one type of sound birds make, but it is the most recognizable. Birds have very complex vocalizations, often with more than one tone produced simultaneously, thanks to the specialized syrinx (their equivalent of a voice box) that allows them to create independent sounds in different parts of their trachea. Songs may last 2 to 10 seconds or more and are often repeated in long sequences....

Here are nine gorgeous kitchen sink ideas to inspire you.

Hardwood Floors Black tea has been used to mop quite a few hardwood floors throughout its history. The tannic acid in the tea cleans and adds shine to a dull old hardwood floor. Follow these few steps for cleaning a hardwood floor using tea: This method may be good for cleaning hardwood floors, but you should not use tea for mopping laminate wood flooring. Odor Removal Use green tea leaves to deter odors in your refrigerator....

When my husband talked me into moving to Cleveland, Ohio, I was excited about the prospect of Lake Erie in our backyard. What I didn’t fully realize until our first winter here is that winters in the Great Lakes region have almost one month less sunlight than the national average. I get mild seasonal affective disorder each winter. I was the perfect candidate for the Verilux HappyLight VT10. This compact light-therapy lamp packs the equivalent of 10,000 lux (a measurement of light) into one portable UV-free bright white light....

Most of the garden seeds we plant today are hybrids, meaning they have been bred for specific characteristics such as color, size, disease resistance, or other desirable qualities. There’s a desire for new hybrid seeds and plants as some gardeners believe they’re better than earlier versions. Hybrids are also pollinated by human intervention, whereas heirloom seeds are produced via open pollination (which relies on nature, i.e., insects, birds, and wind)....

The Importance of Grounding Grounding is a safety system that provides a path for electrical current to flow to a safe destination if there is a problem with a circuit. For example, if a wire comes loose from a receptacle and touches the side of a metal electrical box, the electricity can flow through the box and along the ground wire attached to the box, ultimately dissipating safely into the earth outside the home....

Southern magnolia trees are broadleaf evergreens that can grow up to 80 feet tall. Their white fragrant flowers bloom in late spring. They are indigenous to the American Southeast and are a popular specimen plant. The tree is best grown in USDA plant hardiness zones 7 through 9 in full sun or partial shade. They thrive in slightly acidic, fertile soil, benefiting from soil enriched with compost. If you live in the North and wish to grow a Southern magnolia, look for ‘Bracken’s Brown Beauty,’ a cold-hardy cultivar suitable for growth down to zone 5b....

What Is a Laundry Enzyme? Enzymes in laundry products can be naturally occurring or chemically processed elements. Different enzymes target specific soils, and the catalytic action breaks the soil into smaller molecules to be washed away. Protease - degrades protein-based soilsAmylase - degrades starch-based or carbohydrate soilsCellulase - breaks down cotton fibers to release soilsLipase - degrades fat-based soilsMannanase - degrades food-based stainsPectinase - degrades fruit-based stains Enzymes are naturally occurring; they help bread rise faster and increase wine yields....

Plant Details Cilantro resembles flat parsley in its appearance and is sometimes called Chinese parsley. With its refreshing, cooling taste, it is easy to see why cilantro is used with the spicy dishes so common to Indian and Latin cuisines. Botanical name: Coriandrum sativum Common name: Cilantro, coriander, Chinese parsley USDA Hardiness Zone: Annual, all zones Sun exposure: Full sun, partial sun, and shade Because coriander grows well in either sun or shade, it’s very easy to find a place for it in the garden....

Origins According to designer Caroline Kopp, “Coastal style is all about that feeling of peace and fun that you get from being near the water.” And the look itself is nothing new. “Coastal design has been around for centuries, largely because it was the manner in which people decorated their waterfront or seaside homes,” designer Amy Leferink explains. Originating on the Atlantic coast, the style has made its way across the country but takes different forms depending on region, designer Andra DelMonico shares....

Origins Minimalism architecture can be traced back to a few key architectural styles: Japanese Zen, Cubist designs, De Stijl, and Bauhaus designs in the 1920s. Though each of these styles have their own history and characteristics, they all share the same purpose. Each style strives to keep things clean, simple, and stripped down to only the essentials—resulting in a clean, clutter-free, calming space. This approach to architecture and design became increasingly popular after World War II and continued to rise, thanks to famous architects such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe....

History of Non-Metallic Cable Use NM cable was invented by the Romex company in 1922 and was first described and listed by the NEC (National Electrical Code) in 1926, but it did not come into prevalent use until the early 1960s when plastics replaced woven rayon as the material used for the outer sheathing. From that point forward, NM cable became the standard for running residential electrical wiring in hidden locations, within walls, and in floor and ceiling cavities....