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¼ cup sour cream 2 tablespoon soft-style cream cheese 1 teaspoon sugar

“I’ve known Charlie quite a few years. He’s kind of a father figure to me,” Dungan says. “He’s basically a cowboy—a Western-oriented guy. Linda, on the other hand, is elegant, refined. As they say, opposites attract.” When the empty nesters decided to downsize and bought land near Dungan’s offices, the architect couldn’t wait to start sketching the new house. “My vision for the house came from them—a beautiful yin and yang thing,” he says....

10 teaspoon paprika 2 teaspoon ground corriander 2 teaspoon ground cumin 2 teaspoon ground ginger 2 teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

“I would say the most important thing to consider is how you’ll use your couch and how durable it is,” says interior designer Emily Del Bello of Emily Del Bello Interiors. “You should always start by considering where the sofa is going and what type of durability level will be needed in this specific area. Measuring the area in which the sofa is meant to go is an absolute must!...

A robe can be a relaxing way to wind down your day. Robes can also be a thoughtful gift or party favor idea for a DIY spa day with friends, but choosing the right one can be difficult. To help you navigate your options, we researched a variety of robes and poured over hundreds of online reviews to find the best robes in various categories. We looked at each robe’s material, durability, design, absorbency, style, and more to come up with our list of the best robes....

While there is a little bit of a learning curve with zero-turn lawn mowers since they have levers instead of steering wheels, once you get the hang of them, you’ll soon find that owning one of these mowers can save you a lot of time and hassle when tending to larger gardens. They’ll also leave you with a professional outcome every single time. When looking for the best zero-turn lawn mower for your needs, Jason Swanson, vice president of global product development and management at Greenworks Tools suggests first deciding whether a gas or electric model is best for you....

Check out these great deals this Black Friday below. Prepare your house for guests this holiday season with some of the best home deals on the internet. You’ll be able to ensure your house is clean and tidy with a new vacuum (or robot vacuum) and carpet and upholstery cleaner. And don’t neglect overflowing closets—this over-the-door hanging shoe organizer is just $12 right now. It holds up to 24 pairs without taking up precious space....

We also talked to Kris Kiser, president and CEO of the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute and Equip Exposition, and Adam Woodhams, garden, lawn, and landscape professional and host of Gardner’s Clippings on YouTube, to find out what are the most important things to consider with cordless leaf blowers. “A major factor to consider when purchasing a leaf blower is its mobility,” Kiser says. “Consider how long you may need to operate it when selecting equipment....

“The flavor from charcoal is so much better than gas,” says Pete Kindem, co-owner of the grilling site Original Grills. He explains that by including different types of wood chunks in with your coals, you can create distinct wood-y flavors and truly up your grill game. And because the food drippings “instantly vaporize,” adds Kindem, the smoke produced as a result enhances food flavors even more. For our top charcoal grill pick, we went with Weber’s Original Kettle Premium Charcoal Grill, due to the unit’s classic design, large cooking space, and low price for a grill of its size and quality....

“The two most common types of sheet weaves are percale and sateen,” says Byron Golub, director of product and merchandising at Saatva. “Of the two, percale is the more breathable option. Here’s the technical reason why: percale uses a one-yarn-over, one-yarn-under design. It produces a fabric with a matte finish that allows for excellent airflow between the threads.” To find the best percale sheets, our in-house testers evaluated more than a dozen different percale sheet sets at our lab in Des Moines....

Whether you’re thinking about a traditional ironing board, a tabletop board, or another option, the best ironing board or ironing surface provides a smooth spot to lay your clothes flat to achieve the best wrinkle and crease-free results. It should feel sturdy, not wobbly, and most importantly, it shouldn’t be difficult to fold up and put away. “A wobbly ironing board just isn’t safe, especially if you have small children around, because you don’t want a hot and heavy iron to fall on anyone,” notes Helen Sattler, owner of The Sassi Seamstress and head designer for True Earth Clothing....

Raking leaves manually can take a long time and a lot of elbow grease. With a good leaf blower, the job can be done in a fraction of the time. Sean Khandker, owner of InsideOut Gardening, Landscaping, and Maintenance Services, suggests choosing a leaf blower based on what you want to do with the leaves afterward. “Fallen leaves can really be useful as mulch,” Khandker says. “So if you want to nourish your flower beds or use the leaves in a compost heap, choose a leaf blower with a vacuum capacity and a collection bag....