(Family Features) Running a household can get expensive. Between regular maintenance and utility costs, things can add up quickly over the course of a month.

4 benefits of cooking with propane-powered appliances

(Family Features) One essential step in planning a home renovation is choosing the right materials. Natural and textured walls continue to be trendy choices, and many building pros and homeowners are gravitating toward stone siding to add comfort, character and beauty.

(Family Features) After a long winter cooped up indoors, spring is the perfect time to start re-imagining your home and making upgrades that create a fresh, welcoming vibe. These project ideas – some big, some small – can help breathe new life into your home so you’re ready to enjoy your fav…

(Family Features) When you throw open the windows to welcome spring breezes, you’ll likely be spending more time with the garage door open, too. Make access to your outdoor equipment safer with these tips to get your garage ready for spring.

(Family Features) Instead of bringing the outdoors in, take the indoors out. These simple tips can help you recreate the coziness and comfort found indoors on your patio, deck or porch.

(Family Features) Whether you’re a novice just learning to cultivate a magical display or an avid gardener with years of experience, early planning can help bring this year’s spring garden to life.

(Family Features) There’s more to maintaining a healthy heart than just eating right and exercising regularly. While these practices play an important role in both cardiovascular and overall health and well-being, getting a good night’s sleep is also key.

(Family Features) After months spent largely indoors while harsh elements battered your home’s exterior, many homeowners are throwing open the windows and embracing spring’s arrival.

(Family Features) With all the beauty Mother Nature has to offer, a few pops of color or other simple embellishments can help make your yard look superb from the curb.

(Family Features) While almost all bird seed may look pretty much the same to you, it doesn’t to the birds you’re feeding. Knowing what kinds of seeds different birds like can help you attract a variety of fine feathered friends to your feeders.

(Family Features) You rely on your lawnmower to run all season long, and a little bit of time spent tuning your mower engine in spring can help keep it running at its peak performance.

(Family Features) If you’re like most Americans, health is an important aspect of your resolutions when each new year rolls around. While factors like diet and exercise are keys to healthy living, so are the ways you care for your home and belongings.

5 renovation projects where brick takes center stage

(Family Features) When temperatures creep up again, it signals time for an annual tradition: spring cleaning. While big projects like windows are hard to overlook, don’t forget smaller areas that need attention, too, such as your home office.

(Family Features) For those beginning the process of home buying, there are many factors to consider. Keep these ideas in mind as you conduct your search – whether it’s online or at a series of open houses.

(BPT) - As a parent, it can be tough to come up with birthday ideas for your kids. While pool parties, trips to an amusement park or sleepovers are fun, they can be a bit predictable and common. If you want to throw a memorable birthday party, consider focusing on creative, hands-on activiti…

(Family Features) Whether you’re a new homeowner ready to tackle the landscaping for the first time or a seasoned gardener looking to do some updating, when it comes to gardening, you simply need the right tools to do the job well.

(Family Features) Growing your own produce is an all-around smart practice, from the money you’ll save at the grocery store to the contributions you can make toward a cleaner planet.

Why resilient flooring may be right for your spring remodel

(Family Features) The changing of seasons and arrival of warmer weather provide a perfect opportunity for many homeowners to refresh their living spaces and tackle projects on their to-do lists. However, that shouldn’t mean limiting yourself to standard chores like cleaning, disinfecting and…

(Family Features) Designers from coast to coast are cooking up fresh ideas for kitchen upgrades. This year’s hottest trends bring numerous fresh aesthetic approaches while functionality also plays a leading role in top design ideas.

(BPT) - If you’re a homeowner, you learn that when something goes wrong involving water, it’s going to cost you. Water damage, mold or mildew — and wasted water — means more expenses, especially the longer it continues. Sometimes you need a plumber to help address the issue, but there are re…

(NAPSI)—If you’re like many people, the idea of a “smart home” is both enticing and a bit intimidating. There’s the promise of an ideal in which simple voice commands and automation can set the lighting, activate the air conditioning, and play music on demand. In reality, setting up all the …

(BPT) - If you’re expecting a tax refund this year, now is the perfect time to strategize how to use it. Why not maximize your refund by investing it in your home? There are a variety of renovation projects at different price points worth considering that can add value to your home.

(Family Features) A clean and inviting home doesn’t just look tidy, it smells pleasantly refreshing, too. However, running a household can be a stinky business and it may take some special effort to make your living spaces feel more welcoming.

(Family Features) Customizing interior spaces to suit your unique needs can be easy and economical with a solution like versatile sliding bypass doors. If you want to create a multi-functional living area, save space, allow more privacy or enhance architectural appeal – or all of these at on…

(Family Features) If you’re like most Americans, health is an important aspect of your resolutions when each new year rolls around. While factors like diet and exercise are keys to healthy living, so are the ways you care for your home and belongings.

(Family Features) Over the past year, architectural design saw a surge in nature-inspired, earth tones, such as calming shades of blue and green. Homeowners can expect this trend to continue into the coming months, but with warmer, richer colors.

(BPT) - The last few years have been a rollercoaster for workers in the U.S. The country saw its greatest job loss since the Great Depression and almost a year later faced the challenge of not having enough workers to fill job openings. It’s an experience experts say has changed the American…

(BPT) - As multiple industries still face workplace shortages, one solution is emerging, especially in traditionally male-dominated fields like construction: recruit more women. According to recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide, the number of women in construction has …

(Family Features) For years, terms like “clean,” “sanitized” and “disinfected” have been used almost interchangeably. However, if people have learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s just because something looks clean doesn’t mean it actually is.

(Family Features) Choosing the right materials is an essential step in planning a home remodel or renovation. Options like brick and stone can add style, comfort and beauty to homes.

(Family Features) Often positioned near the primary point of entry, mudrooms are a popular addition to many family homes. These organizational dynamos are the perfect place to catch muddy boots, backpacks, sports equipment and dirty paws before they make it all the way into the main living areas.

(Family Features) In the world of design, what’s old inevitably becomes new again, and a similar pattern is inspiring today’s on-trend color palettes for home decor. The latest styles reflect reviving and comforting colors influenced by heritage and romance, lending to a look that is familia…

(Family Features) There’s no better time than the present to upgrade your house with space-saving door hardware. Swapping out traditional swinging doors for smooth-gliding, wall-mounted sliding door hardware can add up to 14 square feet of floor space, which leaves more room for spreading ou…

(Family Features) Many homeowners looking to improve their living spaces seek out upgrades that can add visual appeal, improve functionality or increase resale value. However, some updates can also benefit the mental and physical health of those who occupy the space.

(StatePoint) It can be tempting to think that bugs simply disappear in the cooler months. The truth is that many bug species have evolved to survive all year long, sometimes hiding in the warm nooks and crannies in and around homes. Others go into a hibernation-like state.

(StatePoint) Whatever your spring plans include cleaning your living spaces top to bottom or taking up an outdoor fitness routine, you’ll likely need some household supplies to fuel your seasonal endeavors.

(Family Features) Although grass and vegetation typically goes dormant during the winter months in most parts of the country, you may pay the price come spring if you neglect your lawn completely during the offseason.

(Family Features) When cold winter days keep you inside, you may find yourself bored with your surroundings. Waiting for the sun to make its next appearance can provide the perfect opportunity to give your indoor spaces a fresh and appealing mini makeover.