MORE STORIES

• Bed & bath

  Winter is the season for white sales

  Thread count isn’t the only consideration in buying bed linens. Check out the quality of the cotton too.

• Plumbing

  Easy fixes for smelly drains

  Considering what they do, it’s a miracle of sanitation science that drains don’t smell up our homes all the time. Thankfully, they don’t.
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  Dr. Dolittler

  If you love animals, you won’t attend the circus

  Last year I addressed a similar question regarding Cavlia, the Canada-based equine spectacular. That particular animal show is unlike a typical circus, the primary difference being that horses are domesticated animals that have been bred to perform man’s bidding.
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  Fairchild’s tropical garden column

  Benefits of home composting

  Composting converts kitchen scraps and yard waste into nutrients that can be used to naturally fertilize small areas of your garden, such as vegetable gardens or specific plants that need additional care. Compost is an excellent alternative to synthetic fertilizers and is a natural way to fertilize your garden.
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  Gardening

  High-rise garden

  On his 26th-floor balcony, Sy Baskin battles salt, wind and unfiltered sun to grow his mini-orchard.
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  Home style

  Modern design you can live with

  While interpretations of contemporary home design vary from person to person and even country to country, most people know it when they see it. Ask for a detailed explanation of what makes a home’s style “modern,” however, and you’re likely to get little more than a few vague comments about geometric or boxy shapes, flat roofs, big windows and other common “signature” elements.
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  What’s new

  Gift wrap gets a second use

  Bobo Wraps make the wrapping part of the gift.
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  Hot Property: Los Angeles

  Dennis Quaid sells equestrian estate

  Actor Dennis Quaid has sold his equestrian estate in Pacific Palisades for $9.5 million.

• Child safety

  Window blind makers’ safety plans too lax, critics say

  A fight to make window blinds safer for children is growing more contentious after manufacturers of the common household product have ignored demands from federal regulators to eliminate exposed cords on window blinds and shades.

• Home design

  Resolutions to ace your space in 2012

  From kitchen renovations to organizing and clearing out to finally painting the walls, why not resolve to get your nest looking its best in 2012?

• Appliances

  Repair or replace a recurring question in tough times

  When should you repair and when should you replace an appliance?

• Dr. Dolittler

  Don’t stress over Fido’s finicky food preferences

  While this may seem like a non-problem to those of us whose dogs will eat anything not nailed down, a small percentage of dog owners have the opposite problem.

• Dr. Dolittler

  Is pet life one big yawn?

  We have no earthly idea why cats, dogs, humans, chimps and even fish yawn, nor do we understand why this behavior is “catching,” not just among humans but between humans and their pets.

• Washington Report

  Mortgage deals are there, if you look

  Fear, lack of information keeping qualified applicants on the sideline.

• Q&A

  With sofas, appreciate the classics

  Kelly Galvin Robson, a Philadelphia-based designer who runs the online shop High Street Market, was the guest for an online Q&A. Here is an edited excerpt. Q. When looking to invest in a piece of furniture, like a couch, I want something I won’t get tired of as my tastes change. What styles and lines do you find to be timeless and work with the most decorating schemes?
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  Does it work?

  Putting home products to the test

  Promises, promises.
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  Hot property: Chicago

  R. Kelly’s home up for sale

  Grammy-winning R&B singer R. Kelly has put his 22,000-square-foot mansion in south suburban Olympia Fields, Ill., on the market for $1.595 million.

• Home care

  Clean vents for a faster, safer dryer time

  If your clothes dryer takes an hour or longer to dry a load of jeans and towels, the problem might lie in the venting rather than the appliance.
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  Fairchild’s tropical garden column

  Growing palms indoors

  Neither the coming of cooler weather nor the lack of a backyard should stop you from adding to your palm collection this winter. Many palms do well as indoor plants and grow slowly, so they can stay inside for years.
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  Hot Property: Los Angeles

  Howie Mandel’s Malibu house lists for $7.25 million

  America’s Got Talent judge Howie Mandel has put his custom-built Malibu place on the market at $7.25 million. The Cape Cod-inspired traditional-style house sits on more than an acre with ocean views, an expansive lawn and a swimming pool with spa.

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