Home and Garden
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A home-buying guide for empty nestersJan 05, 2026 3:43 pm - There are questions homeowners can ask themselves as they ponder if downsizing is right for them.
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Fruitful advice for getting the most from a refrigerator and making groceries last longer
Jan 05, 2026 3:08 pm - Social media offers seemingly endless tips to make food last longer, but experts say there isn't just one right way to properly store many foods. Here are some tips to stretch your grocery budget by making sure your food stays fresh — and safe.
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How to turn your discarded Christmas tree into a feast for birdsJan 05, 2026 1:41 pm - When the holidays are over, instead of putting your Christmas tree on the curb for garbage collection, repurpose it in the garden with birdseed and suet ornaments for winter birds.
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Can condo board discontinue unit owner forum at meetings?Jan 05, 2026 1:30 pm - Our board of directors just issued a statement saying that it will no longer include a homeowner's forum at the beginning of board meetings. Is this legal?
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Should we remove our asbestos ceiling?Jan 05, 2026 1:22 pm - Our home’s textured ceiling contains 5% asbestos. Should we spray paint to cover it or pay a contractor $3,000 to remove it?
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Demolition begins at historic Crystal Lake Academy
Jan 02, 2026 9:24 am - The demolition of the Crystal Lake Academy Building, one of the oldest remaining structures in the city, has begun.
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Wheaton to mark America’s 250th birthday with new tree plantingsJan 02, 2026 8:51 am - A tree-planting program in Wheaton will help the city celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
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Are proxies counted toward a quorum at association meeting?Dec 31, 2025 3:10 pm - Very few owners attend the annual meeting of our association; most contribute via a proxy. Are the proxies counted toward a quorum?
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Homebuilders hoped for a boom in 2025. They didn’t get one.
Dec 31, 2025 3:06 pm - Homebuilders thought 2025 was going to bring a boom. They were wrong. Single-family construction starts are expected to come in 7% lower in 2025 than last year. Homebuilders are offering more and more perks to get buyers off the sidelines, and a closely watched sentiment survey showed builders stayed glum throughout the year.
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19 rules for doing your laundry better
Dec 30, 2025 10:44 pm - These days, you can easily toss a load of wash into the machine before or after work or between errands, then walk away. That doesn’t mean that you don’t have to put some thought into the process. Consider this a playbook to help you do the job right with minimal effort required.