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Welcome to our Trader Joe’s gift guide—a collection of special, sanity-saving, stress-free items you can pick up for loved ones while you’re stocking up on paper towels, $3 Pinot Noir, and Trader Joe’s Mandarin Orange Chicken. Happy holidays, indeed! And, as always, check your favorite Trader Joe’s location for items, as availability may vary—especially for the most popular limited and seasonal goodies. Related Video

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Buy It: KitchenAid 7-Cup Food Processor ($85, Bed Bath & Beyond) Buy It: Nordic Ware Donut Pan ($13, Target) Buy It: Ball Set of 12 Half Pint Mason Jars ($11, Target) Buy It: Staub Pie Dish ($40, On The Table) Buy It: D’arbo Seedless Red Currant Fruit Spread ($7, World Market) Related Video

Many dishes can be prepared at least a day in advance and simply reheated right before serving. Aim to have everything—from the traditional hors d’oeuvres to the homemade bread to your family’s favorite Thanksgiving dessert recipes—done by the time you start preparing our simple turkey recipe. Related Video

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Gifts that give back support particular nonprofit groups or causes. Some provide employment at fair wages to people who need help getting their foot in the door, some trigger one-for-one donations, and others contribute funds to charities and charitable efforts. However they give back, you can give these presents with the knowledge that your purchase is making the world just the tiniest bit better. Take a look at these top gifts that give back and shop with a little extra purpose this year....

33 Container Garden Ideas for a Colorful Season-Long Display Editor’s Tip: In place of chrysanthemums, you can also use thistles, wild asters, or hydrangeas. Related Video

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If you can, try to find a bird from a smaller farm or ranch. The massive, industrial turkeys that tip the scales at 20-plus pounds don’t pack as much flavor. Also, you don’t have to get your turkey weeks before the big day. If you buy yours a few days before, it’ll be fresher. Once your turkey has been cooking for some time, and you suspect it’s within 20 minutes of doneness, take that turkey pan out and deploy the thermometer....

Tips for Harvesting Herbs The best time for harvesting herbs is in the morning after the dew has evaporated but before the afternoon sun has sapped the plants’ color and fragrance. For the health of the remaining plants, leave a few inches of stem on each as you make your cuttings. And never harvest more than one-third of the plant at a time. How to Dry Herbs When growing herbs in your garden, your aim is to give the plants the water and sunlight they need to thrive....

Outdoor Activity Ideas Plant a spring garden (or even just a plant or two). See the cherry blossoms. Have a picnic at the park. Seek out the first crocuses, snowdrops, and other spring flowers. Go for a run. Take a hike. Play softball. Ride a bike. Enjoy the spring weather at an outdoor café. Visit a farm to see the baby animals. Walk on an empty beach. Play a round of golf....

While balayage may be most often associated with blondes, there are actually plenty of different ways to incorporate balayage highlights besides the basic. Below, six balayage hair color ideas that will have you sprinting to the salon with picture in hand. Related Video

How to Create an Easy Cottage Garden Cottage gardens are intentionally casual. These tips will help ensure your space is easy to maintain and looks gorgeous every season. 1. Starting a Cottage Garden From Scratch “Don’t create a monster that you don’t have time to feed regularly,” Trout says. “Keep your cottage garden small and, most of all, fun.” Then, over time, as your confidence grows, increase the size. 2. Invest in Good Soil “Starting with good, rich, organic soil where plants will thrive with a minimum of watering and fertilizing cuts the work from the start,” Trout says....

Mistake 1: Putting Perennials in the Wrong Spot The old garden adage “right plant, right place” means matching a plant’s light requirements and soil preferences to where you want to put it. Some perennials, such as coneflower and yarrow, revel in bright sun from morning until night while others, such as astilbe and old-fashioned bleeding heart, do best in afternoon shade. When it comes to soil, some perennials need fast-draining sandy soil and others thrive in soil that stays moist but not wet....

To create ambience, it’s all about choosing the right type of lighting fixture for your backyard. Luckily, Michael Murphy, Interior Design and Trends Producer for Lamps Plus, is here to help. Here, Murphy breaks down the different types of outdoor lighting, where to place fixtures, how to calculate how much lighting you need, and much more. For a lawn quick fix, Murphy suggests using a landscape lighting kit. “Try a kit that plugs directly into any outdoor outlet,” he says....

Taking her rage out on a world with her father no longer in it, she grows up and begins to question the mythology that has engulfed her memories of the man behind the art. The best part? Photos of Schactman’s artwork appear within these pages, which creates an even more intimate feel. It’s a memoir that explores grief in a way that has never been done before. Not only is she faced with the startling discovery that her “loving” husband had been having an affair with 23-year-old Southern belle, Savannah, but it also turns out Eliot left his share of the business to this other woman in the will....

Take fad diets like juice cleanses: We’re drawn to them because they promise big results minimal time and effort, and they appear to work—but only for a while. Because of course the number on the scale is going to go down (temporarily) if you’re only drinking spinach water! But as soon as you go back to eating real food—as humans should do—you go right back where you started, not to mention you’ll feel hungry, low on energy, and bad for not being able to stick with it (even though it’s not healthy or possible live on juiced produce alone)....

Test Kitchen Tip: If your macaroni salad gets a little dry after it’s been chilled in the fridge, moisten it by adding one to two tablespoons of milk. Related Video

No matter what your holiday traditions are, having a festive centerpiece, creating a beautiful table setting, or featuring unique family traditions can make this season feel more connected. Here are some Thanksgiving decoration ideas to consider for your home this holiday. Related Video