Home and Garden
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Ask a Designer: Homes that are kid- and grownup-friendlyAug 18, 2016 6:00 am - For new parents, the urge to keep little ones entertained and enriched can often lead to a home so full of baby gear and toys that grown-up style all but disappears. It ...
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Advice for gardeners of all skill levels: Err on the side of errorsAug 18, 2016 6:00 am - When you are a beginning gardener, a lot of what you learn is by trial and error. And when you have been gardening for many years, the exact same thing is true. First, l...
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Repeat winners in Des Plaines Curb Appeal contestAug 18, 2016 1:00 am - Michael Fedirko and Sam Cook's Des Plaines home has such great curb appeal, they're repeat winners in an annual citywide home improvement competition. The residents of 1...
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Create your own private spaceAug 14, 2016 6:01 am - We are smack in the middle of summer, and everyone enjoys having some outdoor respite at the end of a warm day. For those living in tiny places, the space challenge can ...
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New varieties of hydrangeas come to marketAug 14, 2016 6:00 am - The world of hydrangeas is expanding by leaps and bounds. Just when we think plant breeders have exhausted the possibilities, another new variety is introduced. How can ...
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Keep flowering baskets healthy with supplemental fertilizerAug 13, 2016 11:00 pm - If the plants growing in your containers or baskets are looking stunted or have leaves that are yellowing, then they may need supplemental fertilizer. The frequent water...
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Break away from bland hallwaysAug 13, 2016 6:00 am - Hallways are the most underappreciated, overlooked design opportunity in your house. Think about how many times you pass through them each day. What if they were somethi...
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Outstanding home-buying benefits offered to veteransAug 13, 2016 5:01 am - No one has better home-buying advantages than veterans of U.S. military services. When combined with historically low-rate benefits of current mortgages, today's veteran...
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Rant about living in a staged houseAug 13, 2016 5:00 am - Q. As a faithful reader of your column and previous real estate agent, I thought I understood how the process would go when we put our house on the market this June. Lit...
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Board vote, not approval of minutes, authorize actionAug 13, 2016 5:00 am - Q. The board of our association approved a very significant roof project at a board meeting, and the project is to begin in just a few weeks. However, the board meets qu...