We asked a variety of food service professionals to weigh in on the question. Here’s what they said. How Much to Tip at a Sit-Down Restaurant Those in the food service industry know how low the pay is for servers, and how much they depend on tips. Most agreed that the standard is 20 percent, with higher or lower tips based on service. But there are some important things to know....

You don’t need to follow all of these tips to make your winged visitors happy; choose which ones will work best for your landscape (you might already be doing some of them), and soon your garden will become an amazing bird-watching destination. 1. Plant a Diverse Landscape Attracting songbirds to the garden means creating a solidly packed, multi-layer landscape that has a variety of plants to supply structure and food throughout the year....

1 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoon Ghirardelli chocolate syrup 2 tablespoon butter

“Herringbone floors are rooted in history dating back to the ancient Romans, but they still look fresh today,” says Marc Bacher, founder and CEO of Stuga, a direct-to-consumer hardwood flooring company. The reason for the return? Bacher attributes it to consumers’ nostalgia for more traditional materials but with added interest. “We’re seeing a major resurgence of herringbone floors in design, and it’s no wonder. They make a modern-classic statement with a touch of boldness....

To help us (and you!) with summer party planning, we sat down with HGTV star Jasmine Roth to get her best tips for maximizing your outdoor space on a budget. Roth, who has starred on HGTV’s Hidden Potential, Help! I Wrecked My House, and Rock the Block recently refreshed her backyard space and is spilling all her best entertaining secrets to help you do the same. Roth shared seven expert tips to help you make your space entertaining-ready, no matter how much room you have....

6 tablespoon honey ¼ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth 3 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoon cider vinegar 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil ¼ teaspoon ground ginger ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 tablespoon cornstarch

“Melamine absolutely fit into this casual approach to life,” says Dr. Anna Ruth Gatlin, an assistant professor of interior design at Auburn University who teaches a course in interior design history. Melamine is a form of plastic resin created in the 1830s by German chemist Justus von Liebig. However, as the material was costly to make and von Liebig never determined what to do with his invention, it sat unused for a century....

Is It Possible to Add a Fireplace to My House? Be assured that it is possible to add a fireplace to an existing home. You’ll just need to determine which one will work best. Get familiar with your area’s building codes to check requirements such as minimum clearances around vent pipes and limits on fireplace emissions. Fireplaces generally fall into one of three categories: gas, masonry, and zero-clearance (also known as prefabricated or manufactured fireplaces)....

Damselflies belong to the same family (Odonata) of insects as dragonflies and look similar, but they are smaller in size and fly slower than dragonflies do. Damselflies have hinges that allow them to fold their wings together when resting, while dragonflies do not—their wings are always outstretched like a biplane. Dragonflies and damselflies are carnivorous and eat a lot of small insects. In addition to eating more than 100 mosquitoes per day, some adult dragonflies also eat midges, gnats, and other small insects....

To build an entry arbor yourself, you’ll need a fairly well-equipped toolbox, including a circular saw or a small handsaw and a miter box for making precise cuts. Brush up on some basic carpentry skills before you begin, then follow the instructions below to construct a simple arbor for your front yard. How to Build a Simple Entry Arbor Follow these steps to build an arbor for your home’s front entryway....

The 8 Types of Light Switches and Dimmers (and Which One You Need) Before You Begin: Develop Safe Habits Pretend it’s live Professional electricians have this simple rule: Even after shutting off power, always act as if the wires are live. That way if someone accidentally turns on the power or a tester gives the wrong reading, you’re still protected. Pretending each wire is live means you should never touch two wires at once....

How to Hang Wallpaper Like a Pro How to Apply Peel-and-Stick Wallpaper for Long-Lasting Results Everything You Need to Know About Wallpaper Basics

Below, master how to cook oatmeal, plus score bonus oatmeal directions for toppings and mix-ins so that you can dress up your bowl a new way each day of the month. Those hotcakes and fast-food sandwiches officially have some serious competition. Types of Oats for Oatmeal Making oatmeal starts with choosing the type of oats for your time available and desired consistency. Quick-cooking rolled oats: These speedy oats are cut into pieces and rolled thinner so they cook in about one minute on the stove top....

How to Cut Spaghetti Squash Before making roasted spaghetti squash, you’ll need to prep it. Rinse the squash with cool, clear tap water and scrub with a clean produce brush. Pat dry with a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. To begin cutting your squash, lay it on its side. Using a large, sharp chef’s knife ($45, Target), trim the top and bottom to remove the stem. Stand the squash upright, then cut straight down lengthwise through the middle....

Determine Size and Space If all books were the same size and shape, shelf-planning would be simple. But as anyone with a personal library knows, that’s hardly the case. Standard books are 9-½ inches tall and 7 inches wide (though pocket paperbacks can be much smaller). Art books can be as large as 15 inches tall by 11 inches deep. Make sure you measure the biggest books you want to include, considering their dimensions in your design....

Solution: Avoid zigzag organizing. Scattering your efforts over multiple rooms prevents you from seeing progress. For visible, dramatic results, work one room at a time, suggests Julie Morgenstern, author of Organizing from the Inside Out. As you tackle each room, restrict yourself to one section at a time, completing that area before moving on to the next. Solution: Slip a slim step stool inside the linen closet so you can easily access the top shelves, suggests Jamie Novak, a decluttering expert and author of Stop Throwing Money Away....