Make It Yours: This coastal living room skews modern thanks to a subdued palette and sleek gold and black accents. For added color, apply blue on walls instead of white and incorporate another splashy hue as an accent through accessories or artwork. To relax the look, bring in additional nods to nature, such as a driftwood centerpiece, woven baskets, or rattan accent furniture. Make It Yours: Go a few shades darker on the cabinet paint color for added contrast, or opt for white on the upper cabinets for an airier look....

Buy It: Crock-Pot 4-Quart Slow Cooker ($50, Bed Bath & Beyond Bath & Beyond) Buy It: Navitas Chia Seeds ($8, Target) Buy It: Ello Tumbler with Lid ($9, Target)

Buy It: Mainstays Nonstick 9x9-Inch Square Cake Pan ($5, Walmart) Buy It: Wilton Bake It Simply Aluminized Steel Nonstick Oblong Cake Pan ($10, Walmart) Buy It: Wilton 9-Inch Nonstick Ultra Bake Professional Round Cake Pan ($8, Target) Buy It: OXO Nonstick Pro Cooling Rack ($17, Target) Test Kitchen Tip: To avoid crumbs in your frosting, brush cake layers with a pastry brush. After stacking cake layers, spread the sides of the cake with a thin coat of frosting (aka crumb coat)....

Editor’s Tip: Want to make your pumpkin planter last year after year? Instead of planting your flowers directly into the pumpkin, place a potted plant inside the cavity and remove it once the season is over.

Test Kitchen Tip: Assemble this make-ahead Christmas appetizer recipe up to 8 hours before serving.

Editor’s Tip: For a sweet-smelling fall centerpiece, add potpourri of your choice.

Whether it’s crème brûlée, creamy flan, or a classic cheesecake, most custard-based recipes have the same starting ingredients: cream, sugar, and eggs. But, instead of buying and whipping up those ingredients separately, use ice cream as one ingredient to replace them all. Utilizing ice cream as the shortcut ingredient in this 3-ingredient crème brûlée is how you quick-start a deliciously creamy dessert. Since so many are making fancy burnt cream at home, we had to try this one....

Repeating the sophisticated style of the front entry, a new second-story porch to the left extends the home’s gracious exterior details. Low-maintenance vinyl siding in ocean blue contrasts nicely with the wood door and white trim.

Selecting and Storing Kale Before we can get to cooking kale, it’s important to know what to look for when choosing kale to buy. Opt for crisp, tender leaves that are richly colored and stems that are moist and fresh-looking. Avoid wilted or yellow leaves. Smaller leaves will be more tender and have a milder flavor than large leaves. Store unwashed kale in a storage bag for up to three days in the refrigerator....

Pressure Cooker Beef and Broccoli Number of Ingredients: 5 Sure, you could order takeout. Or you could customize this 5-ingredient Instant Pot recipe with your desired spice level, beef cut, and gluten-free sauce components (use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce). If you don’t mind going over the ingredient count, serve this few ingredient meal on a bed of cooked brown rice or cauliflower rice. Pressure Cooker Peaches-and-Cream Breakfast Quinoa Number of Ingredients: 5 Instant oatmeal, you have some protein-packed and peachy competition....

Dr. Mualena Karenga founded Kwanzaa while he was chairman of Africana Studies at California State University in Long Beach. He focused the holiday on seven core principles, expressed in Swahili as Nguzo Saba (nn-Goo-zoh SAH-bah). Each principle is linked with one of the seven days of the celebration, which runs each year from December 26 through January 1. “Each night our family lights a candle and shares reflections on the daily principle,” Riche says....

Entertainment Upgrades Smart Vent Systems If you tend to wake up in the middle of the night because it’s too cold or hot, consider a smart ventilation system. A climate control system adds both comfort and luxury, not to mention many restored hours of precious sleep and relaxation. Equipped with sensors that monitor the temperature of each room of your home, these systems automatically regulate the temperature in each space according to the settings you establish....

1. Give ferns plenty of indirect light. Most ferns prefer indirect light, which means you should avoid placing them where sunlight will hit them. In direct sun, fern fronds can get burned, resulting in a dry, crispy plant. Usually, a north- or east-facing window provides the right amount of light for ferns. But if you see your plant turning yellow and not growing much, it likely isn’t getting enough light. If you need to supplement the natural light your ferns are getting, try using a grow light on them for a few hours a day to supplement....

Small business owners in every community across the country are feeling the very real impacts of the coronavirus closures and are adapting day by day to serve their customers and take care of their staff. And just as some of the restrictions began to lift over the last few weeks, small businesses in big cities have also had to adapt to additional closures and curfews initiated by the worldwide protests happening right now....

Congress wanted to devote a day to celebrating close friendships, and picked a date in early summer that would be convenient for getting together, since many parts of the country have good weather this time of year. But why celebrate friendship? It turns out, spending time with close friends has some surprising health benefits. 22% of people live longer if they have a network of close friends. Plus, people who spend time with friends have a decreased chance of developing depression and anxiety....