Life

(Image credit: Lauren Volo ) From Kitchn → A Stranger Things Thanksgiving from the Upside Down

We’re all familiar with Say What You’re Thankful For, Break The Wishbone, and Eat Way Too Much Pie, but these 10 new traditions might lively up your annual family feast—for many years to come. Encourage your guests to bring canned/boxed goods to donate to a soup kitchen or homeless shelter. For every item they bring, they get one ticket for a raffle.

Navigating a party doesn’t require a map—just a little bit of charm. And know this: If you’re not born with social finesse, it’s certainly something you can borrow. The next time you find yourself in a conversation that you need to dip out of—for a drink, a bathroom break, or just to take a breath—use one of these lines. We tapped a panel of entertaining experts in order to lend you some of their secrets for making a graceful exit from a tight circle.

(Image credit: Lauren Volo) From Kitchn → 5 Things You Should Know About Sponges

(Image credit: Lauren Volo) From Kitchn → Turn One Bouquet into a Bunch of Arrangements

A “signature cocktail” sounds like the stuff of a fussy wedding reception, not a simple Sunday dinner party. But as a host at home, having a signature drink just means that you have a delicious and easy-to-mix recipe at the ready to whip up a tasty, boozy sip for anyone who needs it. So what will your signature drink be? It should be something that, first of all, you like to drink.

(Image credit: Leela Cyd) From Kitchn → 5 Things You Should Always Keep Within Arm’s Reach of the Stove

Whether you’re hosting a dinner party, a small pre-bar-hopping cocktail hour or even ordering in some take out for a lazy sunday with friends, there’s a simple secret to making the most of the day: Have a snack on the table as soon as the first guest arrives. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate—even just a small bowl of chips or nuts will get the job done.

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From Kitchn → 3 Lessons You Can Steal from This Fancy-Pants Butler’s Pantry

(Image credit: Anne Wolfe Postic) From Kitchn → What Separates an Expensive Dishwasher from a Cheap One?

(Image credit: Erin Wengrovius) From Kitchn → 12 Ways to Make Washing Dishes Better, Faster, and More Fun

(Image credit: Lauren Volo) From Kitchn → The One Thing I Always Do After I Do the Dishes

(Image credit: Anna Hoychuk) shutterstock From Kitchn → 5 Ways You Can Use Leftover Coffee Grounds Around the Home

(Image credit: Brent Hofacke) shutterstock From Kitchn → Here’s What You Can Prep Now for Thanksgiving Dinner

(Image credit: Leela Cyd) From Kitchn → The Thanksgiving Side Dish Personality Quiz: What Does Your Favorite Thanksgiving Side Say About You?

The short answer? Yes—Millennials do make the worst houseguests, according to a recent study from HomeAdvisor. But the reality behind it is a little more nuanced than it seems. In the study, 2,000 people in the U.S. were asked to confess both their biggest pet peeves and their worst houseguest habits, from a list of 27 bad behaviors. Each generation—Millennials, Gen Xers and Baby Boomers—had a slightly different take on what bothered them most.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to kick your gratitude practice up a notch. Gratitude is a super tool for living a happy life, and the modern way to do it is nothing like the gradeschool-style hand turkeys marked with notions like “I’m thankful for my mom and Lego.

(Image credit: Michaela Cisney) From Kitchn → 5 Things I Learned the First Time I Went to Trader Joe’s

Finding the words to convey sentimental feelings can be hard sometimes. Yet, the opposite is true when it comes to the Danish term “hygge.” Although there is literally no single translation for the concept (pronounced hoo-gah or hue-gah) the Danes use hygge to describe the warm feelings of happiness, comfort, and coziness—not unlike our idea of holiday spirit—they strive to achieve during the cold weather season.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen) From Kitchn → Tips for Taking Better Care of Your Nonstick Cookware

Going out on Halloween night is always a good time, but if you live in a neighborhood or apartment complex where kids go trick-or-treating on Halloween, sometimes it’s fun to stay home and pass out candy instead. And if you have kids or want to have some fun with your nieces and nephews, taking them around to go trick-or-treating can be a good time too, if you really get into the spirit.

(Image credit: World Market) From Kitchn → 10 Cool Containers for Passing Out Halloween Candy

(Image credit: Gina Eykemans) From Kitchn → What Is Vinegar and What Makes It a Good Cleaner?

(Image credit: Amazon) From Kitchn → What Is Castile Soap and How Does It Work?

(Image credit: Quentin Bacon) From Kitchn → Ina Garten’s 5 Tips for a Better Date Night In

(Image credit: David Hopler of D Square Photo & Video) From Kitchn → 15 Ways to Improve Your Cooking Life, 5 Minutes at a Time

(Image credit: Lauren Volo) From Kitchn → 8 Rules for Bringing Food to Friends

(Image credit: Faith Durand) From Kitchn → 3 Reasons Salt Is a Smart Cleaning Choice

890 square feet isn’t exactly tiny, but with the lack of walls or doors, this high-rise jungle paradise in downtown LA has the potential to be a too-small leopard-print jail cell when two people share this space. Chris and Rory’s home is definitely giving off studio apartment vibes and is PACKED with personality, color, pattern and clothes. So how do two people with big personalities fit into a one-room home?

When you move into a new apartment building or a new neighborhood, do you try to make friends with your neighbors, or do you just go about your business? Sometimes, it makes sense to keep to yourself, but if your neighbors seem like the kind of people you’d like to get to know, it might be worth it to put yourself out there a little bit.

This month we’ll be sharing solutions that are so simple and easy—and at times, automated—that they feel like magic. Hocus Pocus celebrates all the small ways you can trick yourself into living a better life. There are a lot of ways to spend less money at the grocery stores. Couponing or buying cheaper food are two that come to mind, though neither are always ideal for our sanity or our health.

We all know that living in a small space has its benefits — cheaper rent, better locations and more — but sharing that small space with another person…well that can get a little tricky. Sure, there are downsides, but let’s choose to focus on the positive! These five real couples revealed what they think the best thing about sharing a small space with someone else is.

(Image credit: Anjali Prasertong) From Kitchn → The Best Way to Remove Old Coffee Stains from Mugs & Carafes

Newlyweds Franke and Jason, and their dog and cat, share a studio apartment in a Chicago high-rise. They love the location — and the views are killer — but as anyone who’s ever shared a small space knows, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. In fact, there are three challenges that can be a bummer for small space dwellers in particular: Pets, Parties and Possessions.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen) From Kitchn → How To Clean Your Microwave Naturally with Just a Lemon

(Image credit: l i g h t p o e t) shutterstock From Kitchn → 10 Tips to Help the Dishwasher Run Better

I don’t know about all of you, but the highlight of my Halloween was always the moment we got back from trick-or-treating: My friends and I would dump our pillowcases out on my living room floor and start to wheel and deal with our candies. Trading just like we were on the floor at the New York Stock Exchange. You see, not all treats are created equal.

(Image credit: Emma Christensen) From Kitchn → Food Gifts to Start Preparing Now for the Holidays

Collecting your coins and spare bills is a great way to save money, because over time, all that change adds up. But emptying your pockets into a jar or a piggy bank when you walk in the door? Not exactly the most fun or inspired way to do things. If you need a little extra motivation to save—whether it’s to pay for something special, or to curb your bad money habits—try one of these takes on the traditional coin jar or piggy bank.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever been dumped and heard the words “just friends.” We’ve all been there—and we’ve probably all used the same lame excuse to break up with someone, too. “Just friends” is such a common way to let someone down gently, but when you really think about it, it doesn’t make much sense.

You love your apartment, but there’s one thing you would change if you could—your roommate. It could be that your roommate is actually the worst, but maybe it’s not about them—maybe, it’s you. Maybe it’s that, deep down, you know you’d rather live alone. Whether you daydream about your perfect studio or you dread spending any time around your roommates, these might be signs that it’s time to get your own place.

Halloween-related household spending is expected to hit a record high this year, according to the National Retail Federation: $8.4 billion dollars overall in the U.S., with $2.5 billion of that spent just on candy. That’s a whole lot of Snickers bars, y’all. No doubt, with stats like those looming on the horizon, you want to do your homework and avoid over-spending on Halloween candy this year.

(Image credit: Devon Jarvis) From Kitchn → The IKEA RÅSKOG Cart as Coffee Station

(Image credit: Leela Cyd) From Kitchn → The 12 Worst Offenders for Kitchen Clutter and How to Deal with Them

Say you’re at a soiree with pink champagne cocktails and more guacamole than you know what to do with, and you find yourself yawning between all the mingling. Or maybe you’re standing in front of your bathroom mirror — applying the night’s lipstick — and it dawns on you that getting into a taxi cab and legging it across town is the last thing you want to be doing that night.

Concerts and movies are great group activities, sure, but they don’t have to be group outings. It seems like most people wouldn’t (or at least, haven’t) gone to to a concert or to see a movie by themselves—and if you haven’t, you’re missing out. It may sound weird, but giving myself permission to go to things like that alone was one of the best things I could have ever done for myself.

(Image credit: Leela Cyd) From Kitchn → 10 of the Best Movies to Watch on a Date Night In with Friends

(Image credit: Restoration Hardware) From Kitchn → 6 Dinnerware Sets That Will Outlast Your Design Whims

Globe-traveling, curio-collecting, working professionals by day and co-creators of an animated series by night. They’re building a life together rooted in a love of travel and exploration, fueled by intellectual curiosity and creativity. They’re smart and warm and possess Jedi-level cocktail making skills. Here’s life with Mark and Noelle… Mark and Noelle live in a flat in Chicago’s Avondale/Logan Square neighborhood.

(Image credit: Sarah Copeland) From Kitchn → 8 Tips for Hosting a FEED Supper

(Image credit: Christine Han) From Kitchn → How To Sharpen a Knife: The Video

Never sure what to snatch up when you’re out thrifting? Or what to put back down? With so much STUFF to see (and potentially purchase) when you’re out second-hand shopping, it can be tough to make the best buying decisions. While everyone’s decor needs are different, it never hurts to hear what the experts are always on the hunt for (and what they would never take home).

(Image credit: Christine ) From Kitchn → 5 Important Things to Know About Cutting Boards

(Image credit: Elizabeth Stark) From Kitchn → All the Things I Never Do to My Cast Iron Skillet

After you’ve tackled the big-picture savings tactics like canceling subscriptions, negotiating insurance premiums to lower rates, and reducing energy consumption, you’ll have to examine your micro-spending in order to squeeze any extra cash out of your budget. Even if you’re in good shape financially, there will come a week where you could use an extra hundred bucks—maybe before a big weekend?—to pad your budget with.

Anyone who grew up in the ’80s remembers Teddy Ruxpin. The talking bear with the cassette tape in his back hit the market in 1985, scared us all with his uncanny valley face and low battery voice, and faded into oblivion for awhile. Until now. In case you need a refresher: MommyandGracieShow got a look at the new Teddy at the Dallas Toy Fair and he’s ripe to terrify a whole new generation. Produced by Wicked Cool Toys, the biggest visual difference is in the eyes.

Getting together with friends shouldn’t be a fussy affair. If all you have the time and energy to do is send out an email, then offer to host a potluck dinner at your place and get the gang together for a night. Being the potluck host doesn’t let you off the hook completely, but it’s a heck of a lot easier than cooking for a crowd. The first step to a potluck is sending out the (informal) invitations. And the modern way to do that is online.

(Image credit: Tim Chin) From Kitchn → 15 Apple Names That Could Be Baby Names

(Image credit: Emma Christensen) From Kitchn → 10 Things the Smartest Grocery Shoppers Always Do

This Silver Lake rental has plenty of physical characteristics to be envious of: charming architectural features, big windows and eclectic furnishings. But it’s not the objects that make this house so special — it’s the trio of creative women who call this space home. Because I secretly wish I was their fourth roommate, I delved more into their home life. Spoiler Alert: They spend typical evenings building puzzles, playing guitar and making you want to be friends with them.

(Image credit: Maria Siriano) From Kitchn → This Is What a Dishwasher Actually Does to Your Knife

(Image credit: Courtesy of Universal Studios) From Kitchn → 5 Cool Getaway Lines So You Won’t Get Stuck at the Watercooler

(Image credit: Leela Cyd for The Kitchn) From Kitchn → 5 Rules for Hosting a Crappy Dinner Party (and Seeing Your Friends More Often)

(Image credit: Natalie Jeffcott) From Kitchn → The Best $20 I Ever Spent on My Kitchen

As a travel lover (and chronic over-packer), I’ve researched and prepared for many trips—from weekend getaways to months abroad—only to get so frustrated with myself when I realize (usually mid-trip) that I definitely didn’t need to bring that third pair of heels. Here are six things to ditch while packing for your trip. Think of it as the Kon-Mari method for your suitcase.

To any of you who need a bit of a fire lit under them to fire up the stove this fall, here are a few tips for easing your way back into the kitchen.

(Image credit: Catherine & Michael Frawley) From Kitchn → The Introvert’s Guide to Cleaning the Kitchen

Andy, Danielle and two cats share a 325 square foot studio in Chicago. Yes, you read that correctly: 325 tiny square feet. They not only do it stylishly, as evidenced by their house tour, but considering their big smiles (and the fact that they’re still living in the apartment together), they also share it successfully! I love this couple and their home, and had to ask them more questions about how they manage in so little square feet.

Not a couponer? Is that because you refuse to dedicate your Sundays to shuffling through the newspaper, literally clipping coupons to stash away in a tiny accordion file that you flip through as you’re walking down the aisles? Well, you’re living in the past. Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater. When shopping online—or even in person with your phone in tow (and whose isn’t?) — it’s easier than ever to coupon and only takes a few minutes.

(Image credit: Amazon) From Kitchn → Why Everyone Needs a Lemon Squeezer

(Image credit: Kelli Foster) From Kitchn → 10 Small Yet Mighty Shortcuts for Prepping Your Favorite Fruits

(Image credit: Brian C. Grobleski) From Kitchn → Why You Should Pay a Pro to Sharpen Your Knives