On This Episode Host Mélanie Berliet talks with Wendy Lau as she shares how she selects homes for renovation projects, where she decides to splurge versus save, her love of thrifting, and how she threw her plans out the window and went back to the drawing board when faced with unexpected costs when renovating her current home. Meet Wendy Lau Wendy Lau is a content creator based in Toronto, Canada where she lives with her husband, Kwan....

More Ideas: Fill up bicycle baskets, toolboxes, jugs, galvanized containers, buckets, ceramic bowls, old pots, and enamel tubs. Planting Tip: Line metal vessels such as wheelbarrows with heavy-duty plastic. If there’s a rusted hole, pull the plastic through and snip a hole for drainage. Then fill with potting soil. Design Tip: Position your birdbath so you can enjoy watching birds splashing in the water from inside your house or while out on the patio....

4 ounce white baking chocolate with cocoa butter 1 teaspoon shortening ¼ cup chopped almonds

Varieties of Wood Fern Crested Buckler Fern Dryopteris dilitata ‘Cristata’ has delicate-looking fronds with a crest at the tip, giving the fern a lush appearance. It grows 2-3 feet tall and wide. Plant in zones 5-8. Male Wood Fern Dryopteris filix-mas is a North American native that forms a 3-by-3-foot clump of fronds. It is hardy in Zones 3-8 and remains evergreen in warm climates. Garden Plans for Wood Fern

¾ cup sifted powdered sugar 1 tablespoon fruit jam or preserves (such as plum, strawberry, peach, or apricot) ¼ teaspoon vanilla 2 teaspoon milk

How to Make Cupcakes If you’ve already worked on your layered cake-making skills, it’s going to be a cinch to start baking cupcakes. Before we get started, choose a cupcake recipe and preheat your oven, which will ensure even and accurate baking. You can also turn a cake recipe into cupcakes (like this easy yellow cake), just plan to use ¼ cup of batter for each cupcake. Step 1: Prepare Ingredients Allow the butter and eggs to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes....

Editor’s Tip: Consider using a sanding pole to avoid sanding on your hands and knees. A sanding pole tool looks like a floor duster, but it has sandpaper on the end of the pole and is easy to use. Apply a good amount of pressure to buff your linoleum floors until smooth. Once the primer is dry, brush on one or two coats of your paint. You might find it easier to use a hand brush for painting the edges of the room for better control)....

How and When to Plant Chinese Cabbage Chinese cabbage thrives in the cool temperatures of spring and fall. Pair this nutrient-packed vegetable with other cool-season edibles for a robust backyard harvest at the beginning or end of the growing season. Some easy-to-grow options include radishes, spinach, and leafy greens. They can be seeded directly in the garden or a large container about four weeks before the last frost date in your area, or in late summer for a fall harvest....

These spring-blooming bulbs can be planted anytime in autumn until the ground freezes. They need several weeks of cold temperatures to grow correctly, so if you live where it stays warm year-round, buy pre-chilled bulbs and don’t expect them to return after they bloom. These simple guidelines for how to plant spring bulbs will help you create a beautiful garden to enjoy next year. How to Plant Single Bulbs A good rule of thumb is to plant bulbs three times as deep as the bulb is tall....

How to Set a Thanksgiving Table Supplies Needed You’ll need one of every item below for each guest you plan to have at dinner. Placemats or chargersPlatesNapkinsNapkin ringsSilverwareWine glassesWater glassesBowlsBread plates Step-by-Step Directions With a few supplies and these how-to instructions, you can set a beautiful Thanksgiving table. Customize your Thanksgiving table setting with your favorite dishes and decor. Step 1: Plates and Napkins Before even setting down a plate on your Thanksgiving dinner table, consider chargers or placemats....

Why Do Cut Hydrangeas Wilt So Fast? Hydrangeas are usually some of the first flowers to start looking sad in an arrangement because they have thick, woody stems that produce a sticky sap, which can make it tricky for them to take in enough moisture in a vase to reach the entire flower. But hydrangeas are also one of the few plants that can draw moisture in through their florets, so it’s possible to perk up wilted blooms by completely submerging them in water and letting them sit for a few hours to rehydrate....

Whatever your reason, you can use shortening as a substitute for butter in cookies or substitute butter for shortening in your baked goods. Our Better Homes & Gardens Test Kitchen has tested hundreds of recipes using these baking ingredient substitutions. Fats and oils add flavor and contribute to baked goods’ texture, but they work a bit differently. Here’s what you need to know when using butter instead of shortening when baking....

Familiarize Yourself with Your Snowblower Before heading out to the driveway, get to know your machine’s controls. Identify what propels the machine forward and backward and how to engage the auger. Look for speed controls as well as controls for altering the direction of the discharge chute. Inspect the Machine Inspect your snowblower thoroughly before use, especially before the first use of the season. Here are a few key components to check:...

The luxurious feel of silk can make it intimidating to wash when it comes to laundry day. If your bedding is 100 percent silk, you can absolutely wash it at home, by hand or with a machine. We’ll also show you how to treat stains and dry silk bedding to keep it looking (and performing) its best. Can You Wash Silk? Just like any other fabric that can harbor bacteria, sweat, and dirt, you must wash silk regularly to keep it fresh and germ-free....

Versatile Veggie Substitute shredded yellow squash or zucchini for the carrots and/or cut green beans for the peas.

In addition to her editorial career, Karin has a passion for floral design. Her floral work has also been featured dozens of times throughout Country Gardens Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and Better Homes & Gardens. With her passion for inspiring others to add creativity into their homes, she is very active on her personal blog and continues to share DIY improvement projects with her readers. Karin Lidbeck Brent is an avid stylist, designer, editor, and DIY expert....

2 graham cracker rectangles, crushed 2 tablespoon butter, melted 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar Cupcakes 1 15.25 ounce box vanilla or white cake mix 1 tablespoon key lime zest Key Lime Filling 1 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened ½ cup sweetened condensed milk 4 - 5 ounce key lime juice Key Lime Buttercream 1 cup butter, softened 6 - 8 cup powdered sugar ½ cup reserved Key Lime Filling ¼ cup key lime juice ¼ teaspoon vanilla ¼ teaspoon salt