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Organizing a virtual brunch might sound daunting, but we’ve put together a fool-proof guide to organizing one. The key is to plan the event in advance, so shoot Mom a text or send over a calendar invite as soon as you can. Plan the Menu Start your brunch by firing up FaceTime, Zoom, or another video calling method and enjoy each other’s company by having coffee together. Then, choose one of our best Mother’s Day brunch recipes and spend the morning mixing up your recipes together via video chat....

The small scale and simple lines of most base shoe molding make it easy to cope the inside corners. After cutting the copes in a roomful of baseboard, it will seem like a quick and easy job. The flexibility of base shoe molding lets you bend it to conform with wavy floors that are almost universal in older homes and still quite common in new construction. The most important thing to know about shoe molding is that you always nail it into the wall, never the floor....

Getting Started Timbers come in various sizes, and the size of the timbers you use will affect both the dimensions of the steps and the possibilities for brick patterns within the frame. Find out what’s available and use the actual measurements to draw a dimensioned plan. Most timbers come in 8-foot lengths, perfect for steps 4 feet wide. When you design your steps (and before you start digging), decide on a brick pattern....

Rubble, a mix of irregular fieldstones, and broken concrete chunks provide ideal materials for creating a mowing strip. There’s likely a shattered sidewalk or driveway ready for recycling and perhaps free for hauling. Road-base gravel is a rough-edge, unrinsed material that also works well as a base for the mow strip. The quantity of materials necessary for the project depends on the length of your bed and the width of the strip....

How to Make Tissue-Dyed Easter Eggs Supplies Needed Hard-boiled or blown-out eggsHygloss bleeding tissue paperBasket coffee filtersRubber bandsDisposable glovesPlastic cupsWhite vinegarDrying rackPaper towels Step-by-Step Directions Follow these easy instructions to learn how to make colorful dyed Easter eggs. You should be able to complete this Easter craft in under an hour. Step 1: Wrap Eggs Special bleeding tissue paper gives these eggs their wild motifs. Cut two 6-inch squares of two colors of bleeding tissue paper....

But pre-packaged potting soil can be expensive, particularly if you have lots of containers and flower boxes. Fortunately, you can make homemade potting soil quickly and easily with readily available ingredients. What is in Homemade Potting Soil? Potting soil is different than soilless potting mix; the latter is used only to germinate seeds. The best homemade potting mixes have three ingredients: a growing medium, something to help retain moisture and nutrients, and something to promote drainage....

How to Make Meat Loaf To get started, you’ll need a great meat loaf recipe. We’ll be using our Test Kitchen’s Best Meat Loaf to demonstrate these steps, but you can also use the tips while making your favorite family recipe. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and follow this step-by-step process to learn how to make meat loaf in the oven. Step 1: Prepare Meat Loaf Ingredients Our meat loaf recipe combines mushrooms, onion, carrot, and garlic....

Monograms are a perfect way to add a touch of personalization to your decor—they’re often used in decor on throw blankets, pillows, yard decorations, and more—and they seem more popular now than ever. But how do you make a modern monogram in a world where family members don’t always share a surname? And how do you make monograms feel fresh and contemporary, rather than dated? We talked to experts to get their ideas for designing a decorative monogram that speaks to today’s lifestyle....

How to Make Whipped Cream While it’s not necessary, our Test Kitchen highly recommends making homemade whipped cream in a chilled bowl. Simply pop a large bowl (metal works best) in the freezer. While you’re at it, go ahead and add the beaters from your hand mixer into the bowl to get those nice and chilled as well. Keep the chilled bowl in the freezer for at least 15 minutes, then follow these two easy steps to make the best whipped cream at home....

Take the DIY route, and it’s a cinch to shake up a virgin margarita recipe—simply skip the tequila and liqueur and trade in an equal amount of lime, lemon, or orange sparkling water. Buy It: Rocco Blue Margarita Glasses ($40, Cost Plus World Market) Buy It: Morton Coarse Kosher Salt ($3, Target) Test Kitchen Tip: Look for guava nectar in the Mexican and beverage aisles at your grocery store, or find it online....

Whether you have a large area or a dedicated corner, turning your workout zone into an attractive, functional spot will help motivate you to actually use it. Consider your home gym goals accomplished.

Buy It: OXO Handheld Mandoline ($18, Target)

Test Kitchen Tip: For sheen, brush the loaves with an egg wash before baking. Buy It: 6 Cup Popover Pan ($15, Bed Bath and Beyond) Test Kitchen Tip: Use a mandoline slicer ($50, Williams Sonoma) to make even slices of potato.

Artichokes Low in calories and sodium, artichokes are packed with vitamin C, folate, and fiber. For beginners, artichokes from the jar or can (that we use in artichoke dip!) are available for convenience. If you’re up for a little adventure, try cooking the fresh variety of this antioxidant-rich food, which takes a little practice to snip and trim. A recent study found artichoke extract had a very high ability (79.7%!) to scavenge free radicals....

For shoppers who enjoy sweet scents, try this sugar cookie candle or this gingerbread one that starts at only $5. Or if you’re looking for gifts, this votive candle will fit nicely into a stocking. You’ll also find ones that smell like a Christmas tree, which is especially useful if you have a fake tree but still want your home to have that fresh pine scent. Whether you prefer the scent of pine and balsam or you’re more of a cinnamon person, you can shop all kinds of holiday smells below....

Buy It: Tamicon Tamarind Concentrate Paste ($7, Walmart) Buy It: Kagoshima Ceremonial Grade Organic Matcha ($19, Walmart)