Hurricane season is here, and homeowners in low-lying or storm-prone areas should begin preparing their homes for high winds and heavy rain. If you plan to stay during a storm or your area is not under an evacuation order, protecting windows is one of the most important steps you can take to reduce the risk … Read more

Every day, when the tide recedes, the ocean reveals small pockets of life along the shoreline. In shallow coastal areas, trapped seawater forms tide pools that host a remarkable variety of marine life—seaweeds, mussels, crabs, sea slugs, sea stars and many other creatures. These microhabitats offer a concentrated view of coastal biodiversity and attract people … Read more

If your toilet keeps running and nothing—jiggling the handle, polite requests, or waiting for a landlord—has fixed it, you can often resolve the problem yourself. A continuously running toilet is usually a straightforward repair once you know how the system works. Toilets are made of a few essential components: the tank, tank lever, fill valve, … Read more

The Helly Hansen Winter 2022/23 collection proved to be our go-to cold-weather gear for the whole family. From hiking Mount Hood to fishing at Bodega Bay, Helly Hansen kept us warm and dry through wet Pacific Northwest winters. Helly Hansen, a Norwegian brand with more than 140 years of experience, designs outdoor clothing to keep … Read more

Neighbors can be unpredictable. No matter where you live — an apartment, a townhouse, or a single-family home — you never really know who you’ll end up beside. We discovered this after making a few exterior upgrades to our house and suddenly finding ourselves in the middle of an avoidable dispute. Below are five practical … Read more

I’ve relied on Garmin GPS products for overlanding and adventure travel for years, and I’ve been wearing the Garmin Instinct GPS watch for a couple of years now—I really like it. So I was eager to try the Garmin Instinct 2, which builds on the original with several meaningful upgrades. Garmin expanded the Instinct 2 … Read more

At the Husqvarna Silent City event in Antwerp, Belgium, I had the chance to test most of the new commercial and residential lithium‑ion battery lawn and garden tools directly in a public city park. Full disclosure: before this event I was largely inexperienced with lawn care and power tools. My own lawn is smaller than … Read more

This past summer was my first living in a new house with an in-ground pool. I handled the chemicals but decided to outsource the repetitive chore of cleaning to the iRobot Mirra. After several weeks of use, here’s a clear, practical assessment of how it performed. Highlights: The Mirra is straightforward to operate and an … Read more

Bosch has introduced a significant advancement in tool tracking by integrating GPS technology into its latest breaker hammer. This move marks a shift from conventional Bluetooth-only systems, and the GPS option is also being offered as a retrofit for existing breaker hammer models. Until now, Bluetooth trackers from manufacturers such as Milwaukee have dominated the … Read more

Rain gutters play a vital role in protecting your home from water damage by directing rainwater away from the foundation, siding, and landscaping. Homeowners frequently ask about the different types of gutters, how various materials compare, and which styles work best for their house. Knowing the options available in 2026 helps you choose a gutter … Read more