The Best Flameless Candles of 2025 and Candle Safety Tips
Enjoy the ambiance and great scents that candles add to your home? You’re not alone. Candles are more popular than ever, but they pose some…
Best Buys
How to Babyproof Fireplaces and Hearths in 2025
A cozy hearth is a welcoming spot in any home, but the fireplace and hearth areas can pose serious safety concerns for little ones. Here…
3 Tips to Keep Dishwasher-Safe Plastic Glasses Looking Good
If your dishwasher-safe plastic glasses come out of the wash looking cloudy or cracked, you’re not alone. Many newer (and especially high-end) dishwashers can be…
Baby Gate Installation Kit Reviews & Where to Buy: Metal Stairway Railing Installation Kit by Cardinal
For informational purposes only. If you’re unsure of your skills installing baby gates or other childproofing items, hiring a licensed installer is the smart choice!…
5 Top Picks for Plastic Drinkware in 2025: Cups, Glasses, Tumblers & Stemware
If you’re in the market for plastic drinkware of any sort, you’re in luck. Plastic glasses are no longer seasonal products. Chalk it up to…
Best Mattress in a Box Buys in 2025 for All Types of Sleepers
Our mattress in a box picks for 2025 have earned high user ratings for comfort, durability, and customer satisfaction, and fit a variety of sleep…
7 Stylish Washable Area Rugs That Look Expensive (But Aren’t)
Thanks to high-end machine washable area rugs, messy spills, muddy footprints, and dingy area rugs are no longer a headache in a busy home. Many…
Best Washable Rugs for Busy Homes: Compare Ruggable, Real Life & More Top Brands
In a busy home, spills and messes are part of everyday life. Whether you’re dealing with muddy shoes, pet accidents, or toddler chaos, the last…
Our 6 Best Air Fryer Picks of 2025
Air fryers have revolutionized how we cook our favorite foods. From crispy French fries to delicious chicken wings, these innovative kitchen appliances offer a healthier,…
Best Glass and Plastic Stemless Wine Glasses of 2025
Multi-use stemless wine glasses are fast becoming a mainstay in homes, restaurants and bars. With the growing popularity of this drinkware shape, shoppers can now…
Strahl Unbreakable Plastic Drinkware: Top Picks for 2025
Strahl unbreakable plastic drinkware offers some of the highest-quality plastic glasses on the market under the brand names Strahl and BOLD. Each line offers stunning…
Best Unbreaklable Plastic Wine Glasses: Top Picks for 2025
With so many choices of plastic wine glasses, picking the best line can be hard, and believe me, I know! I’ve worked with restaurant-quality plastic…
Best Margarita Blenders of 2025: Best Sellers for Every Budget
The best margarita blenders have powerful motors and strong blades that get the ice texture just right. You simply can’t have a great frozen margarita…
Ultimate Guide To The Best Plastic Dinnerware: Best Buys for 2025
Plastic tableware is an outdoor dining staple in most homes, and its popularity as everyday dinnerware is on the rise. Nowadays, plastic dishes come in…
5 Easy Ways to Child Proof Blind Cords & Windowcoverings in 2025
Installing cordless blinds is the best way to keep little ones safe and avoid blind cord safety worries. However, if you have blinds with cords…
Best Unbreakable Plastic Drinking Glasses: Top Picks for 2025
Unbreakable plastic glasses that truly live up to the name “unbreakable” are made from only three types of plastic – polycarbonate, Tritan, or polypropylene. Plastic…
How to Fit Slipcovers on Sofas with Loose Cushions
Finding and fitting slipcovers for sofas with loose cushions or pillows on the back can be challenging, but we found an easy way to get…
The Miracleware Microwave Rice Cooker: Easy Cooking Instructions
If you’ve lost your MiracleWare or PrepSolutions Microwave Cookware Instructions and need a replacement copy, you can find them below. The PrepSolutions (formerly called MiracleWare) plastic microwave cookware…
5 Reasons to Switch to a Smart Door Lock: Top Picks for 2025
If you still use a traditional key and lock system on your doors, it’s time to upgrade. Smart door locks offer many advantages over traditional…
Best Vinyl Placemats for Indoors & Outdoors: 9 Top-Rated Styles for 2025
Easy-clean vinyl placemats have come a long way in terms of style in recent years. Nowadays, you’ll even find these eye-catching placemats adorning tables in…
The 5 Best Hard Floor Mops for Quick & Effective Cleaning in 2025
A pad-style hard floor mop makes it easy to get that satisfying squeaky-clean finish in just minutes. Here’s a quick look at the top pad…
Home Electrical Safety Tips: Simple Ways to Prevent Electric Shocks & Babyproof Your Outlets
Electricity is a vital part of everyday life, from lighting our homes to powering essential devices. However, it also comes with risks if not managed…
Best Drinking Glasses For Everyday Use in 2025
It’s a tall order to name the best drinking glasses sets out of the thousands of options out there. Luckily, I spent nearly two decades…
Best Tritan Plastic Glasses: 10 Top-Rated Picks for 2025
Tritan plastic glasses are the latest innovation in plastic drinkware, offering a perfect combination of clarity and elegance with superior durability and easy care. Along…
The Ultimate Plastic Dinnerware Shopping Guide 2025
Every year, a new round of plastic dinnerware and tableware sets hits the market. But to shop smart, you need to know which types of…
Best Unbreakable Glassware for Home and Bar for 2025
Virtually unbreakable glassware is made in one of three ways: tempering, annealing, or infusion–which combines glass with a metal such as titanium at the molecular…
How To Make Microwave S’mores & Tabletop S’mores: Our Top S’mores Maker Picks for 2025
Just when I thought it was safe to pull out my skinny jeans, I run across a microwave s’mores maker that promises mess-free s’mores in…
Keep Fright Night Fun With These 10 Halloween Safety Tips
Spooky decorations, creepy costumes, and candy-filled visions spur kids into a fun-filled frenzy on Halloween. But don’t let easily avoidable hidden dangers spoil the evening for your…
Scare Up Some Fun With the Best Halloween Cake Pans of 2025
No fright-night get-together is complete without a spooktacular Halloween cake. Shopping for skull, ghost, or jack-o’ lantern-shaped cakes? How about a tasty 3D haunted mansion…
Best Bundt Pans & Bundt Cake Keepers
The best bundt cake pans cook evenly, release cakes cleanly and keep the fine details intact. Bundt cake pans come — quite literally — in…
Best-Selling Bundt Cake Pans – Bundt You Want Me, Baby?
Yes, it’s a shameful nod to an 80’s song, bundt I hope you will forgive me. That’s how much I love a good bundt cake…
Fave! Michley Unbreakable Plastic Tumblers & Wine Glasses
The Michley collection is one of my personal favorites. It’s crafted from restaurant-grade BPA-free Tritan plastic and made to withstand the bumps, bonks and splats…
Tips for Picking the Best Wall Paints for Kids
Over the years, we’ve been asked about the best paint for children’s bedrooms, nurseries, and busy family spaces. While we’re not professional painters, we seem…
Make-A-Plate Kit by Makit: Make Your Own Artwork Plates, Bowls & More
Make-a-Plate, the same company that made those draw-it-yourself plate kits eons ago when we were young, is still cranking out priceless keepsakes. If you’ve never heard of Make-a-Plate kits but are looking for a nifty gift for kids, or anyone for that matter, here’s how Make-a-Plate and their other kits for Mugs, Travel Tumblers and Photo Plates work…
DIY Budget-Friendly Holiday Gift Bag Ideas
Here are some super easy DIY fun holiday gift bag ideas. They’re fun ways to go green – and even save a little green –…
Fave! Star Wars Mania Craft Book by Amanda Formaro
My online buddy Amanda Formaro (author of the fabulous CraftsbyAmanda.com blog) just published her latest, and perhaps greatest, craft MANIA book — STAR WARS MANIA!…
DIY Homemade Recipe In a Jar Gifts
Homemade recipe in a jar gifts with beautifully layered ingredients topped with a flourish are a thoughtful and economical way to treat friends, coworkers, neighbors…
Faves! Ten Easy Home Storage Solutions for Busy Families
Whether you’re chasing a busy toddler or are an empty-nester, homes can sometimes feel ready to burst at the seams. But a little creativity and…
Slipcover Shopping Guide
We’ve helped thousands of customers choose the right slipcover solution for their home, and have made or installed countless slipcovers ourselves. Though we no longer…
Childproofing Checklist: Safe Trekking with Toddlers
As any parent knows, taking young children for visits away from their childproofed, kid-friendly home can be stressful – sometimes downright unnerving. New surroundings inspire…
Beyond Babyproofing: Surprise New Grandparents with a Baby-Ready Gift Basket
Give new grandparents the tools they need for keeping busy grandkids! New grandparents play a special role in the lives of children, but they sometimes…
Faves! Bar Tools & Wine Accessories
I have one rule when it comes to testing a bar or wine tool. I should be able to use it after a drink or…
Faves! Battery-Operated Candles & Lighting
Safe, smart, worry-free, and smoke-free — battery-operated candles are a great way to enjoy candlelight wherever and whenever, without the danger of an open flame….
Faves! Kitchen Tools
I love to cook, and since I’m often rushing home from work to feed the family I gravitate toward tools that make prep and cleanup…
Faves! Serving Essentials
Who doesn’t love a good party? That’s an easy one — the party host who doesn’t have the right serving tools! Talk about misery —…
Faves! Recipe Organizers
Ask any cook what they love to collect and recipes are sure to be a top answer. From magazine clippings to computer printouts to well-loved…
Fave! Forever & Grand Plastic Drinkware by Prodyne
We stocked Prodyne brand kitchenware for many years and their Forever & Grand unbreakable plastic drinkware lines are tops in my drinkware Top Faves. We no…
Fave! Napa BPA-Free Plastic Wine Glasses & Stemware
The plastic stemware collection we once sold under the Napa brand now goes by many names — Sonoma, Leadingware, even Wine Enthusiast on occasion. But…
Fave! Clarus Brand Plastic Drinkware
The Clarus plastic drinkware collection is a Top Tableware Fave in my book for style, quality and durability – and I know it well since…
Faves! NordicWare Plastic Microwave Cookware & Dishes
NordicWare Plastic Microwave Cookware (see their full collection here) is amazingly versatile, offering many specialty pieces that take full advantage of microwave cooking patterns. We…
Fave! Cakepops Made Easy with the Cake Pops Baking Pan
If you’re a fan of cakepops (and really, who isn’t?), then you’ll love this kitchen fave. It’s the Cake pops Baking Pan, proudly made in…
Video DIY: Easy to Make Wine Glass Charms
Help party guests keep track of wine glasses and other stemware with these easy-to-make wine glass charms. A pair of needlenose pliers and a quick…
Faves! Disposable Partyware
As if you don’t have enough to worry about when planning a party! Have you SEEN the vast array of disposable tableware options online? Not…
Faves! Plastic Stemware & Specialty Glasses
If you’re in the market for plastic martini or margarita glasses, champagne flutes, or specialty stemware like hurricanes or dessert dishes, you’re in luck. Once…
Faves! Durable Plastic Mugs for Beer, Coffee & More
If you’re in the market for plastic mugs that look great and hold up to years of use, check out my reviews and top picks…
Faves! Easy-Clean Pillows for Kid-Friendly Style
As one of the easiest, quickest and least expensive home decorating solutions, throw pillows are a particularly easy way for parents to add a dash of style to busy family rooms without worry.
Faves! Washable Area Rugs Perfect for Busy Family Life
Have an area in your home that needs a style refresher or a pop of color to liven things up? Area rugs offer a quick…
Fave! Lead Test Kits Make it Easy to Prevent Lead Exposure
Lead-contaminated childrens’ products have topped the recent news stories… and for good reason. Lead exposure can have a very profound and long-term negative affect on childrens’ health. So lead exposure is, and should remain, a concern to parents.
Fave! Wire Storage Cubes for Quick, Cheap Home Organization
From kids’ rooms and family areas to closets and bathrooms, I’ve been using these versatile wire-sided storage cube units with great satisfaction for years. Decades…
Baby Gate Reviews: Stairway Banister Installation Kit How-to’s
A professional babyproofer gave us the inside scoop on how to turn Cardinal Gates’ No-Holes Banister Clamps into a versatile kit that lets you install…
A Truly Tea-Riffic Tea Infuser for You Tea Lovers (and Me, Too!)
I love tea. Truth be told I love coffee too, but that’s a morning love affair. A nice cup of tea is what I crave…
Faves! 3 Fun Ways to Teach Kids Greener Habits
Green Living… Eco-friendly… Earth-Wise… You really can’t open a magazine, blog or browser these days without hearing about new ways to save the Earth. I…
Fave! TV Straps Protect Children From a Deadly Home Hazard
It’s a tragedy that’s surprisingly common. A child reaching for something as mundane as a juice box pulls a heavy television over, is caught underneath,…
Video DIY: DIY Recipe Binders Make a Great Mom’s Day Gift
If you have a Mom who loves to cook, collect recipes and try new dishes, then a customized recipe binder or recipe box might be a…
Fave! Countertop Composters – An Easy First Step in Cutting Household Waste
I admit I’m not likely to be the greenest gal in the crowd, but I try to do my part. So I’m always thrilled to find products that make “doing…
Faves! Plastic Dishes and Glasses Made in the USA
In the age of endless imports filling store shelves, it may surprise (even shock?) you to know that yes, there are still a few things being…
Quick Tips for Keeping Kid’s Rooms Organized and Looking Good
If you have more than one child sharing a bedroom — or are just plain short on space (and who isn’t these days?) — here are a few easy, fast and inexpensive tips to keep little clutterbugs organized.
Video DIY: How to Make Custom Recipe Binders & Card Boxes
Recipe binders are a great way to organize all of those clipped recipes from magazines, recipe printouts, and cards all in one convenient go-to cookbook. Customized recipe binders…
Safe Holiday Home Decorating Ideas for Busy Families
Armed with a few safety precautions, decorating alternatives, and a dash of creativity, parents can create fun, worry and hazard-free holiday homes for all to enjoy.
Fave! Collapsible Bowls and Carriers Make the Most of Kitchen Storage
Cooks everywhere, especially those of you navigating tight kitchens, prepare to rejoice! A new generation of space-saving collapsible kitchen tools has arrived to make even the stingiest kitchen cabinet seem downright expansive.
Fave! Organized Grocery Shopping and Meal Planning for the Free-Spirited
Believe me, if I can create a manageable method for grocery shopping, and stick to it, there’s hope for all freestyle grocery shoppers out there! If all goes well, I’ll add my finalized Grocery Shopping Staples-to-Specialty Checklist to this Blog in May.
Stay on Budget with a Babyproofing Plan
From diapers to formula, not to mention all the other “stuff,” parents can quickly find themselves spending a good amount of money on little ones’ needs. With a plan in-hand when you go shopping, you’ll avoid overspending on unnecessary items. Plus, you’ll have the right items and quantities on-hand when you begin to install, saving time and frustration.
Childproofing Checklist: Baby Safety “Gotta-Do” Areas
Shop Smart! Print the DIY Childproofing Checklist before you hit the stores. Visited a baby superstore lately? You’ll agree there are ALOT of childproofing products…
Childproofing Checklist: Baby Safety Gates 101
Baby safety gates are effective barriers in many areas of the home and come in a variety of designs to meet different needs. Selecting the right gate for your space is key for both safety and livability – and it’s easy to do with a little pre-planning!
Five Easy – Even Effortless – Ways to Reduce Household Waste
As I begin this entry — a look at five easy ways to reduce household waste without even realizing it — I wonder if readers see me as yet another voice preaching an occasional “Go Green” message as the new fashionable “it” thing.
I hope not, and here’s why.
Storage Strategies for Busy Family Homes
It’s just common sense — and for parents, common knowledge — that storage needs multiply rapidly when children arrive. So what’s a style-sensitive parent to do? Happily, there are many simple, inexpensive, and best of all – stylish – storage solutions that do everything from protecting valuable items to neatly disguising mounds of toys.
