If someone in your life is causing you emotional, physical, or ethical distress, at some point you’re going to need to gather the courage to speak up. There’s a way to approach confrontation in a healthy and constructive way without coming across as weak and wishy-washy, or tipping over into overt aggression. Luckily, having a few tricks up your sleeve will help ease the discomfort of confronting someone. Here, Jodi R....

Rotating your mattress has some clear-cut answers to those questions (about every three months, carefully, and yes, probably), while retirement planning can be a little more vague and situation-specific. The good news for retirement planners, though, is that you can get really, truly excited about retirement planning, and doing so can help motivate you to set and reach goals for a better future and find answers to those big questions for yourself....

What Are Acne Scars? The term “acne scarring” can be used to refer to a multitude of different marks that a breakout may leave behind. “After pimples heal, the skin remembers that there was inflammation there before,” says Joshua Zeichner, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. “Inflammation can stimulate pigment production and cause blood vessels to dilate, which leads to leftover brown and red spots after the pimples heal....

This annual grass is a universal problem to homeowners in the U.S. It pops up in spring and develops into large, flat, thick clumps that spread widely, crowding out surrounding lawn grass and other plants. Because it’s an annual, crabgrass dies after the first frost in autumn, which leaves behind patchy, bare spots in your lawn. If left untreated, those bare spots will fill in with more crabgrass or other weeds next spring when their seeds sprout....

Financial Moves to Make Before a Recession Pay off high-interest debt. If you have credit card debt, personal loans, or other high-interest debt, the first task is to pay that off as quickly as possible. “Those need to be addressed immediately and prioritized over savings,” says Isabel Barrow, director of financial planning at Edelman Financial Engines. “The rates on these are usually higher than what you can make on your cash and the interest compounds....

How to Plant Potatoes Potatoes love the sun, so plant your potato patch in a spot with full sun (where the plants will get at least six hours of sunlight each day) for the best results. Potatoes are planted with pieces of tubers called seed potatoes. Plant seed potatoes in spring around the time of the last expected frost. Buy It: Marketside Organic Gold Potatoes ($5, Walmart) Small potatoes can be planted whole, but larger potatoes (bigger than a golf ball) should be quartered with a clean knife ($95, Williams Sonoma) before planting....

Of course, the most important part is choosing the right book for your crew. Then, you’ll need to name a time and place to meet. (Just be sure you give everyone enough time to finish the book!) When it’s your turn to host, make our easy appetizer and drink recipes and prepare a few talking points for the group before your guests arrive. Whether you chat about the book over appetizers, drinks, or brunch, we’re sharing our best hosting tips for making your book club a success....

Chocolate hummus is easy to make (and enjoy) at home. Have chocolate hummus as a snack or dessert with sliced apples, strawberries, pretzels, and even pita chips. Our chocolate hummus recipe is so unbelievably good; don’t say we didn’t warn you. Making Chocolate Hummus Ingredients 1 15-oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed (1½ cups)¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder3 to 4 tablespoons pure maple syrup3 tablespoons tahini1½ teaspoon vanilla extracta small pinch of salt4 tablespoons water...

But what exactly does it mean to eat for immunity? We tapped Brigid Titgemeier, MS, RDN, LD, IFNCP, founder of Being Brigid Functional Nutrition, for an explanation of how to build balanced, nutritious, and tasty meals to set yourself up for a lifetime of immune health. The Importance of Diet for Immunity Titgemeier says there are two main steps to follow to decrease the risk of contracting disease right now, as well as throughout the year: limiting exposure to infection and supporting your own immune system to increase your personal resiliency and ability to fight off disease....

Before you begin, chill. No seriously, keep in mind that a warm or room temperature bottle will be far more volatile and likely to explode the cork than one that is properly chilled. The proper serving temperature for sparkling wines should be colder than white wines, around 45 F. What You Need A chilled bottle of sparkling wineA dish towel Follow These Steps Related Video

Start by giving commonly stored items their own place. Instead of letting car cleaning supplies take up valuable trunk space, stash them in a hanging organizer on the back of the headrest. And rather than let reusable shopping bags float free (and inevitably get trapped in a crevice so you can’t find them when you head to the grocery store), keep all your shopping bags in a space-saving container. To buy: YoGi Prime Trunk and Backseat Car Organizer, $23; amazon....

While a counter or hanging cupboard can be moved, a toilet is a fixed object that isn’t fastened directly to the wall, so there’s typically a space behind it that’s difficult to reach with a standard roller, or even a paintbrush. This awkward gap is sometimes completely ignored during a bathroom paint job, just because it’s so hard to reach, and not many people will notice an unpainted patch behind the toilet....

Where to Plant Camellia Site camellias in part shade or dappled shade to help them grow best. Plant them at least 5 feet apart, because they need their space to get ample water and nutrients and don’t like to compete with other, larger trees or shrubs for what they need. How and When to Plant Camellia Plant camellias in fall or early spring. In warmer areas, fall is better because plants have time to grow deep root systems without summer heat affecting them....

How Fruits and Vegetables Become Contaminated Although most consumers understand that meat needs to be properly handled to prevent food-borne illnesses, some do not realize that fruits and vegetables may also cause illness if not handled and stored properly. In fact, contaminated fruits and vegetables can be the culprit in large outbreaks of food-borne illness (an issue the FDA is working to resolve). Some of the ways that fruits and vegetables can become contaminated include:...

This guide to washing and drying weighted blankets covers care instructions for every fill type, stain removal tips, and cleaning alternatives. Before Getting Started Before attempting to wash a weighted blanket, check the tag for care instructions. Most weighted blankets can be machine washed, but many fabrications cannot safely be machine dried, and it is critical to know this information to avoid ruining the blanket. If the weighted blanket has a removable cover, it can and should be washed regularly, depending on how frequently the blanket is used....

All it takes is a few simple gift wrapping ideas to make your presents the prettiest ones under the tree. Plus, you can grab our free printable gift tags and package topper ideas for your wrapped Christmas gifts. So if you’re ready to up your gift wrapping game with the best way to wrap gifts, grab a roll of wrapping paper and get started. We’ll show you how to wrap a gift like a pro in just five easy steps....

What Is Palm Oil? Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil or cooking oil made from the fruit of oil palm trees. It is edible and one of the most commonly used vegetable oils in the world. Palm oil is made by either squeezing the fleshy fruit of the oil palm tree or crushing the kernel at the center of the fruit. The oil can be listed under palm oil or one of about 200 alternative names....

What are your top tips for self-care? Jennifer Garner: “Hmm…work out every day—I like Limit Fit or Body By Simone; some sort of cardio with music; I make sure I sweat. I like on-demand workouts because you’ll say you’ll do 15 minutes then add some. On days that I take off [from working out], I treat it as a treat. Same with food. I usually take one meal ‘off’ a day....

Here, two experts weigh in on the service and how jewelry insurance can (and can’t) help protect your valuables and your keepsakes. Who Should Get Jewelry Insurance If you’re still in the costume jewelry phase, purchasing jewelry from fast fashion stores or from marketplaces such as Etsy where many items aren’t made of precious metals or stones, you probably haven’t considered jewelry insurance. But if you’re in the market for something more valuable, like a diamond, then you’re surely well aware of the price tag on these items....

Plenty of succulent varieties naturally are small, but now picture the baby versions of these that are about the size of your thumbnail. Or check out some of the more than 35,000 #minisucculents posts on Instagram. If you’re in the market for a mini succulent after checking out the Instagram posts, take a look at TierraSolStudio on Etsy. The store describes its inventory as “hand-grown plants and handmade ceramics for plant killers....