Posts made by author 'Alan Hubbard'

Do you ever watch other people cook and think, "How are they so good at that?" Unless they're a professional chef, chances are they have a secret selection of shortcuts up their sleeve (and if they are a professional chef, they definitely have handy shortcuts and workarounds) to make their cooking odysseys easier. If you want to improve your cooking game or you're just looking for some neat ideas, check out these amazing kitchen life hacks.

Preserve Your Guacamole

Guacamole is great, except when it goes brown. That's a result of the avocado's reaction with oxygen, and it'll quickly cripple your favorite green dip. The next time you go to store your guac, add a thin layer of water before sealing the container; it serves as a protective barrier. Simply dump the water when ready to eat and enjoy!

Soften Your...

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Whether you're a first-timer or you've purchased a home before, there comes a pivotal point when considering a new home where you have to ask yourself: Are you actually ready to buy? At first the answer might seem simple, but it's not a mere yes or no. Multiple considerations should factor into your answer, from debt and income to down payments and closing costs. You're not going this alone, though. We've prepared this guide to help you make sure you truly are in a good position to buy. So, are you ready to buy a house? Read on to find out.

Do you know how much house you can afford?

As we mentioned in our home-buying budget guide, it's important to go into your home-shopping experience with a firm idea of how much you can afford on housing each month. G...

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Sometimes a store-bought gift just doesn't represent the level of love and gratitude your mom deserves on Mother's Day. For mom and all she does, it's worth putting in a bit of creativity, ingenuity, and good old-fashioned elbow grease to create a unique gift she'll cherish for years. If you need a good starting point, here are some great DIY Mother's Day gifts you can make all your own.

Homemade Bath Bombs

Help mom take a load off and relax at home with these soothing and fragrant bath bombs you can make with just a few ingredients.

Hot Pepper Oil

If you can't keep mom out the kitchen even on Mother's Day, at least equip her with...

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Creating the perfect home office is more challenging than it might initially seem. You have to find the right mix of comfort and functionality to ensure you can remain productive over the course of eight hours. After all, the rest of your home and its many distractions are just a few steps away. Whether you're new to working from home or you're looking to spruce up your existing workspace, we've assembled some home office design tips to help you.

Select the Right Location

We can't stress enough how important location is when setting up a home office. You're going to spend a lot of time here, so you don't want to pick a cramped, windowless corner. If you can, choose a quiet place with minimal distractions – consider traffic flow, too! How often will your spouse or kids be walking by this space? And if you can set up...

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Let's face it: quarantine can get a little lonely at times. Even if you're in a house full of people, sometimes you long for the unconditional love of a pet. Because while your family might get sick of you greeting them with, "Hey all you cool cats and kittens," a pet never will. Thankfully, now's a great time to bring a furry friend into your home. If you're not ready for the full-time responsibilities of adopting a pet, many local shelters are offering pet foster programs to help alleviate overcrowding. Fostering a pet gives you a chance to experience life with a sweet, four-legged buddy, gives the animal access to a loving home environment while awaiting a full-time home, and helps your local shelter in so many ways. We've highlighted some of the shelters offering pet foster programs in our major cities below, but you can always contact your local shelt...

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