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“Having four kids drove how we laid out the house,” says Kacy—mom to Clara, Elliot, Kate, and Cove. “We live in a neighborhood where kids ride their bikes everywhere; people just stop in. There are always at least an extra four kids around. We wouldn’t have it any other way.” To beautifully contain the chaos, architect Christy Blumenfeld and designer Shelby Wagner created a new house with lifestyle-centric rooms that meld comfort with classic style—and pop in just the right amount of youthful energy....

When they finally tore into things, they started in the backyard. A covered patio functions as a sun-shielded living area and shelters their only dining table. A tiny prefab outbuilding gave them a guest bedroom. The backyard reno inspired the light, bright interior, where new windows and glass doors create a happy marriage between both worlds. Black paint gives the house a modern aspect. Scott jokes that the family lives in an Oreo because it’s white on the inside and black on the outside....

The couple were looking to move from the suburbs to downtown when a friend bought and renovated a house on Benefit Street. “Mary went over to look at it and was like, ‘Oh, my God!’ It was incredible,” Dan says. “When the house next door came on the market, we snapped it up.” Their house, built in 1864, was listed in the 1947 Green Book as a beauty parlor friendly to Black travelers....

The celebrations start with National Bubble Wrap Day (an entire day dedicated to popping those addictive little bubbles!) and Epiphany, which is actually the day you’re supposed to take your Christmas tree down. Plenty of tasty holidays are scattered through the month as well, with National Popcorn Day and National Cheese Lovers Day. January might also be the sweetest month with holidays like National Blonde Brownie Day on the 22nd, immediately followed by National Pie Day on the 23rd....

The customer-favorite bedding brand has been around for more than 100 years, and its latest collection combines the quality materials and cozy softness The Company Store is known for with saturated colors and seasonal prints. The line includes comforters, duvet covers, shams, sheets, and more bedding in autumn-appropriate shades like burnt orange, sage green, mustard yellow, and dusty teal. The sophisticated prints showcase dramatic florals, leafy designs, elegant botanicals, and delicate patterns of birds and branches....

Step 1: Choose Your Cheese A great grilled cheese sandwich starts with the cheese. Choose one or two cheeses (or more!) that’s good for melting. Our favorites include American, brie, cheddar, Gouda, Havarti, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Muenster, provolone, smoked cheddar, Swiss, and white cheddar. Step 2: Choose Your Bread White, wheat, rye, pumpernickel—sliced bread is your base for making grilled cheese sandwiches. If you’re slicing your bread, make it about ½-inch thick....

Make Small Servings Our apple butter-glazed ham recipe serves 4 and is a delicious alternative to the 10-pound ham you might be used to making. Can’t find ham? Substitute with a new take on pork (our herb-rubbed pork is insanely good) or dress up a plain chicken by making lemon thyme rotisserie chicken in the air fryer. Put Leftovers to Good Use Eliminating food waste is at the top of our list this holiday....

Our Favorite Alternative to Toothpicks If you’re in the middle of making, say, your best-ever chocolate cake and you don’t have a toothpick to check cake doneness, a thin, sharp knife is our Test Kitchen’s favorite workaround. Look at your knife set and find the one with the thinnest blade. Then insert the blade into the center of the cake. If the knife comes out clean, the cake is done. If batter or crumbs stick to the blade, let your cake bake a few minutes more and retest with a clean knife....

¾ cup sifted powdered sugar 1 tablespoon pineapple juice

Easy Cake Mix Upgrade I used a French vanilla cake mix to make cupcakes, but you can use any flavor and size you want. I assume gluten-free mixes would work well here, too if you have allergy restrictions. Basically you’ll follow the directions on the box replacing the 1 cup of water with milk, adding two extra eggs, and swapping the ⅓ cup oil for double the amount of melted butter....

Viridiflora Hybrid Tulip Care Like all tulip bulbs, Viridiflora hybrid tulips, require well-drained soil and at least 6 hours of bright sunlight per day. Tulips do best in soil that is stays relatively dry in summer and well-drained in winter. (Wet, boggy soil in winter quickly leads to bulb rot.) The best time to plant tulips bulbs is midfall or when the nighttime temperatures consistently hover around 40°F. Prepare the planting bed by breaking up any clods as you dig a 6- to 8-inch-deep trench....

¾ cup softened butter ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 2 cup powdered sugar ½ cup milk 2 teaspoon vanilla 6 cup powdered sugar Milk Creamy White Frosting 1 cup shortening 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla ½ teaspoon almond extract 4 cup powdered sugar 3 tablespoon milk Pumpkin Cupcakes 1 2-layer-size package yellow cake mix ¾ cup water ⅓ cup oil 1 cup canned pumpkin ½ cup sour cream 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Whether you choose real or artificial flowers, they’re sure to make a splash on your tree this year. Check out our favorite DIY floral Christmas tree designs. Paper Petals This insanely pretty tree from Rifle Paper Co. is what Christmas dreams are made of. We’re seriously crushing on the gorgeous blooms—all made out of paper and inspired by gorgeous floral gift wrap ($11, Rifle Paper. Co.). We love how the paper blooms pop on the otherwise bare tree....

2 pound small red-skinned potatoes, sliced 2 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon snipped fresh rosemary ¼ salt ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Weeping Willow Care Weeping willow grows well in full sun or part shade and a variety of soil conditions. The trees acclimate to many soil conditions: wet and boggy, well-drained, or even a little dry. It grows especially well near ponds and streams where the soil is often too moist for other tree species. Weeping willow grows fast—as much as 24 inches a year—so take its mature size into consideration. Plant a weeping willow transplant or bare-root plant in spring and water it regularly during the first growing season to encourage a strong root system....

What Is Ube? Pronounced ooh-beh, ube is is a starchy purple tuber (formally known as Dioscorea alata). Ube is native to Southeast Asia, with the Philippines being the country really known for cooking and baking with it. Nutrition-wise, ube is similar to a plain sweet potato, logging in at 120 calories, 27 g carbs, 4 g fiber, and 1 g protein. What Does Ube Taste Like? If you were to blind taste-tested a regular sweet potato or yam with ube, it might be hard to determine which you’re eating....