The 19 Best Grenache Wines to Buy Right Now
Often unfairly overlooked, Grenache is very versatile with food and a good idea no matter the season.Garnacha is one of Spain's most widely planted red grape varieties, informing wines from Rioja to Aragon and beyond. Its presence is growing in Australia, South Africa, California, and more. Yet it's still often overshadowed by more famous grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir.
There are many types of wild violet species, some native and others European and Asian invaders, but all grow primarily in the northern regions of the U.S. You can recognize these flowering perennials by their early spring blossoms and heart-shaped, waxy leaves. Most commonly the five-petaled flowers are deep purple, but they can also be white, speckled or yellow.
© Tsp Product/Getty Images "This tenacious little plant might be considered a bothersome weed by some," says expert gardener Em Shipman of KidsGardening.org. "But overall, it has many benefits to humans, animals and pollinators." Read on to learn all you need to know about this common weed and how to keep it from taking over your lawn.
How To: Get Rid of Chiggers in Your Yard and Garden
Chiggers: Good News, Bad NewsWhen it comes to the creepy-crawly buggers known as chiggers, there is good news and bad news. Let’s start with the good news: These nuisances do not burrow into human skin, as many people believe, nor do they feed on human blood. These are among the most prevalent misconceptions about the microscopic mites.Lots of people think that chiggers are insects, but they are actually arachnids, like spiders and ticks. Also known as trombiculid mites, harvest mites, berry bugs, and red bugs, adult chiggers do not bother humans—it’s only the larvae that bite.
What Are Wild Violets?
Wild violets are a close relative to annual violas and pansies, Shipman says. They are a persistent, low-growing, broadleaf perennial that thrives in shady spots with moist soil, and they flower prolifically in the early spring. The plants grow between four and six inches tall, forming thick clumps with flowers that attract many pollinators.
These aggressive plants spread via rhizomes — a creeping horizontal root that can produce new shoots — or seeds. "If you look closely, you can often see small, unopened flowers underneath the foliage," Shipman says. "These can self-pollinate and produce seeds, a fascinating adaptation that ensures the next generation of plants, even if the opened flowers haven't been pollinated by insects." The botanical term for this is cleistogamy.
Here Are the Benefits of Farm-Raised vs Wild-Caught Salmon
Seafood is a wonderful addition to your menu, but there are misconceptions about the healthfulness of farm-raised vs wild-caught salmon. Here's what you need to know. The post Here Are the Benefits of Farm-Raised vs Wild-Caught Salmon appeared first on The Healthy.
Are Wild Violets Weeds?
If you define a weed as any plant growing where you don't want it, you can definitely consider wild violets in your lawn to be weeds.
"Wild violets freely self-seed, quickly taking over a lawn or planted bed and are not too easy to get rid of," Shipman says. "While they have many benefits to pollinators and wildlife, their aggressive habits can make them a headache for gardeners with a more manicured image in mind."
Are Wild Violets Safe?
Yes. The flowers and leaves of these wild plants are edible and even have medical qualities for humans.
"The leaves are high in vitamin A and C and are commonly used in European salads or as cooked greens," Shipman says. "The flowers can be candied or tossed into a salad to add a pop of color and flavor." She suggests making violet syrup, tea, infused honey or sugared flowers as fun — and delicious — family activities.
Do keep in mind, however, that you should never ingest flowers or leaves that have been treated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
How to Keep Your Cowlicks From Popping Up, According to a Pro
PSA: You don't have to put up with your cowlick if you don't wanna.And though you can't ever fully"get rid of" a cowlick, you can style around it to at least temporarily fix it. To help you figure out how, we turned to hairstylist and co-founder of IGK Hair Care Chase Kusero for all the best tips. Ahead, everything you need to know about how to make your cowlicks do less.
How To Get Rid of Wild Violets
"If you love wild violets and their vibrant blooms are your favorite part of spring, then enjoy!" Shipman says. However, to keep them from completely taking over, take these steps.
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Chemical weed killers: The most effective way to kill wild violets is by applying a broadleaf herbicide. But these products contain toxic chemicals that can be harmful to children and pets, as well as to essential pollinators and other wildlife. They also contaminate groundwater and freshwater, and can damage your grass and other landscaping plants if not used with care.
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Hand weeding: Pulling up wild violets by hand may be labor-intensive, but it is also the least harmful way to rid your yard of these plants. Hand weed in the spring and summer when the plants are growing fastest, be sure to dampen the soil, and use a hoe or other weeding tool so you can pull out the entire root system. "When leaves and flowers are plucked from above, the rhizomes will continue to send out new growth," explains Shipman. "Be sure to remove the entire plant so the rhizomes don't re-sprout."
How To: Get Rid of Frogs
Frogs are exciting and beneficial creatures to have in your yard—in moderation. The loud croaking that might draw a l augh from kids is no joke when it’s a chorus right outside your bedroom window all night long. A large frog population in your yard may indicate that you also have an insect or moisture problem, because frogs will not congregate in an area without ample food and water. Some frogs may be poisonous to pets, and frogs can attract snakes who prey on them. If you have more than one or two hopping around, it’s a good idea to figure out how to get rid of frogs and how to keep frogs away.
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Natural/organic herbicides: If persistent hand weeding doesn't do the trick, you can try a natural or organic herbicide. Spread corn gluten meal to prevent seed germination or treat existing plants with a DIY herbicide. "Mix and spray a solution of equal parts of vinegar and hot water to which a bit of dish soap (one tablespoon per gallon) has been added to help the spray adhere and penetrate the waxy leaves," Shipman says.
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Covering: If wild violets and other weeds have taken over a large area, lay down several layers of cardboard, newspapers and/or mulch to smother the plants. This is not a quick solution, however. "It may take several months to a year to smother the plants and give them time to decompose, but the result will be a weed-free, ready-to-plant bed," says Shipman.
How To Prevent Wild Violets From Coming Back
Many homeowners let a limited number of wild violets coexist with their turfgrass because the flowers are an important source of nectar when little else is in bloom. But once you've stopped a full-blown invasion, here's how you can keep these plants in check.
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Lawn care best practices: Start with a healthy, well-maintained lawn and planting beds. "Dense grass and foliage make it difficult for seeds to establish and roots to spread," Shipman says.
10 Things That Make Your Home Look Smaller (and How to Fix Them)
Make your house look larger by changing out these common design mistakes.Homeowners often overestimate how much furniture they need.
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Mulching: Within a day or two after hand weeding, apply a thick layer of mulch to the area you weeded to suffocate any small bits of plant or root system left in the soil.
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Pruning: Wild violets do best in light shade where turfgrass struggles to thrive. Trim trees and overgrown shrubs to allow more sunlight to hit patches of the lawn where the flowers are proliferating.
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Drainage: Moist soil is where wild violets thrive, so improving the drainage of your garden or lawn will prevent these plants from taking up residence. Aerate your soil or mix in coarse organic material like sawdust, sand or gypsum.
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A Robot Vacuum
It's amazing how fast a house can get dirty, even a new one. That's what makes a vacuum cleaner an essential part of the home toolkit; there are few items you'll use more. What makes a robot vacuum such a handy companion is that it does the all the work; just set it and forget it.
The eufy BoostIQ RoboVac11S by Anker packs a lot of power into a tiny rotating disc, and it's surprisingly quiet. It senses when more suction power is needed and kicks it up a notch to tackle the tougher messes. It's turbo charged to make the jump from hard floors to carpet with ease, and it runs for about 100 minutes on a single charge.
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A Utility Light and More...
Here's another product we received that initially elicited a shoulder shrug, this time from our senior editor, Travis Larson. His reaction changed once he started playing with it: 'Hey, it can work as a flashlight or a lantern. Cool, it's rechargeable and the cord stays attached so it doesn't get lost. Wow, you can charge your phone with this thing. Neat, it has a magnet on the bottom as well as a hook.' Needless to say, he was impressed.
10 Products That Help You Get Rid of Dust Mites
Dust mites trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in many people. Here are the pillow and mattress covers, vacuum cleaners, detergents, and sprays that can help you kill dust mites. The post 10 Products That Help You Get Rid of Dust Mites appeared first on The Healthy.
The Cat brand CT6515 Rechargeable Utility Light/Lantern works as a flashlight or a lantern. It's rechargeable, and the cord stay attached so it's hard to lose. There's a magnet on the bottom and a hook on the top, so you can use it anywhere you need to shed a little light on the situation.
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The 17 Most Important California Vineyards All Wine Lovers Need to Know
A great trick for buying the best bottles of California wine? Memorizing the names of top vineyards so you can spot them on labels.If you can't memorize the thousands of winemakers around the world and keep a mental note of which wines are guaranteed to delight and which wines should get drained down the sink, there's one trick to identifying the best potential bottle of wine: knowing the name of top vineyards that might appear on the label.
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A Toilet Plunger to Love
The basic plunger design hasn't changed much in 100 years, but that's not because there wasn't room for improvement. Witness the Korky Beehive Max Toilet Plunger.
First of all, the pliable rubber creates a better seal, so it clears clogs with no splash-back. Plus, more and more toilets have keyhole-shape rather than round discharge openings. Unlike conventional plungers, the Beehive reshapes itself to those keyholes, which also improves the seal.
Unlike many plungers, the water drains instantly because there's no recess or lip to hold water or worse. The little T-handle at the top is a nice touch too.
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All-Purpose Construction Adhesive
Wandered down the caulking aisle in a home center lately? There are a dozen different construction adhesives to choose from: dedicated adhesives for masonry, wood, foam, decking, paneling, marble, mirrors, drywall—you name it. Multipurpose adhesives are available, which is great, but wouldn't an all- purpose adhesive be even better?
That's exactly what Gorilla Construction Adhesive is: all-purpose and all-surface. It takes hold in as little as 30 seconds and works indoors and out.
Check out construction adhesives that won't drool.
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Knee Surgeons Are Losing It Over These Knee Sleeves (Here's Why)
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Wireless Doorbell
The Honeywell Wireless Doorbell Kit has six high-quality chimes to choose from, the volume is adjustable, and more than one doorbell and button can be used together. But what we love most is the fact that it's got a 450-ft. working range and works with as many as six different transmitters. So if you're waiting on a pizza delivery or the cable guy, you don't have to stay chained up inside the house.
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Smartphone-friendly Garage Door Opener
This Chamberlain garage door opener includes a few very useful 'bells and whistles.' It has a hefty 1-1/4-hp motor and a battery backup (so it'll work even if the power is out). The door starts out slowly, picks up speed, and then slows down before reaching the top or bottom. That, in conjunction with the belt drive, makes it super quiet. And, with the included smartphone app, you can open and close your garage door (or check it you left the door open) from nearly anywhere.
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Smarter Smart Bulbs
This line of smart LED bulbs from GE, simply called "C," can be directly controlled with a smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth — no central hub necessary. There are two types of bulbs in the "C" line: The "C Life" is an all-purpose light perfect for the kitchen, living room or office. The "C Sleep" bulb has been designed to support the body's natural circadian rhythms, which can help you sleep more soundly. It emits a traditional soft light for the day; a warm, calming light before bedtime; and a crisp, energizing light in the morning. Using an app, the lights can be dimmed and set to a timer as a group or individually. When run for three hours a day, the bulbs should last 20 years!
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Fast Fix for Pet Stains
For new homeowners with pets, the Bissell SpotBot might just be the best gift of all. The SpotBot is a hands-free spot and stain cleaner. The coolest part about this thing is that it does all the work for you. Just fill it full of water and cleaning solution, park it over the stain, push the start button and walk away. It automatically squirts the special cleaner into the carpet, scrubs with a rotary brush, and rinses and sucks up all the mess. When it shuts itself off, the stain is gone.
Be sure to have these pet cleaning tips in your back pocket as well.
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Eliminate Stinky Gasoline Smells
The smell of gas seems to stay on your hands for hours, even just a drop or two, and washing your hands with soap and water doesn't always take care of it. That's where Gas Off wipes by Briggs & Stratton come in handy.
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Dissolve Mortar Like Magic
When you're pouring concrete near a house, it's not uncommon for a bit to splash up onto the siding, garage door or window. It's not a big deal if it gets washed off right away, but woe unto you if you let it dry. Removing cured concrete requires harsh chemicals or a whole lot of scrubbing and scraping.
Sakrete has come to the rescue with a product called Concrete Mortar Dissolver. Just spray it on and watch concrete or mortar dissolve. Thick messes will take a couple applications, but it really works. We tried it on some vinyl siding, and it performed as advertised. The best part is that it's safe; safe enough to apply without gloves. It also won't harm sensitive surfaces like auto paint. Some pro masons use it to clean their tools.
Find out how to repair motar joints.
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Need Cash? How to Access Your Home's Equity
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A Fast and Maintenance-Free Storage Solution
High-density polyethylene plastic (HDPE) is tough, lightweight and weather resistant. It won't rot and never needs paint. If those qualities sound good to you and you need a fast storage solution, consider an HDPE shed.
The 7x7 Rubbermaid Big Max storage shed shown here is big enough to store yard and garden tools, a pressure washer and a snow blower. And the sturdy floor can easily handle the weight of a riding lawn mower.
In just a few hours, and with the help of a buddy (who probably owes you anyway), you can build this maintenance-free shed. Assembly requires only a couple ladders, a few simple hand tools and afterward perhaps a cold beverage or two. The hardest part might be creating a flat spot in your yard.
The Big Max has lockable doors, and the HDPE panels are rugged enough to resist those wayward baseballs from the neighbor kid.
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Efficient Bike Storage
Hanging bicycles from the rafters is a great way to save garage space. But even hanging bikes can take up a bunch of room. Here's a cool space-saving product that puts a new twist on the humble bike hook. The Saris Cycle Glide is a system of hooks mounted on glides. Once the bikes are on the hooks, they can be slid closer to the wall on the glides that mount perpendicular to the wall. And because the hooks slide back and forth on the lower set of glides, the bikes can be nestled neatly together, taking up a lot less space.
This system also makes it easier to take down the bikes when they're hanging over a parked car, a boat or a big mess like in my garage. That's because you can pull or push the bikes clear of the obstruction before you lower it.
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A Better Toilet Paper Holder
A pivoting toilet paper holder just might convince you that it's the little things in life that make us happy. The holder has a pivoting arm that lifts up but stays attached. That means no more chasing spring-loaded rollers around the bathroom floor. Buy this type of paper holder, made by a variety of manufacturers, at home centers or online.
If you're having problems with your toilet flushing, check out our repair tips.
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Magnetic Showerhead
The Moen Magnetix handheld shower is secured to the shower arm with a magnet rather than a clip. The Magnetix line offers adjustable spray patterns and water-saving engineering, while still giving you a strong flow.
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Snap-On USB Outlets
This outlet cover plate with a built-in USB charger is as easy to install as a regular cover plate. You just shut down the power, unscrew the old plate and screw on the new one. No receptacle replacement required. The USB port gets its power from two prongs that contact the screws on the sides of the receptacle.
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Good-bye, Funnels
Sure, a funnel works great at keeping fluids from spilling all over, but when you're done pouring and pull it out of the hole, the fluid leftover in the funnel drips all over the place. This Hopkins FloTool On-Off Refill Spout keeps that from happening. It's great for windshield washer fluid and antifreeze containers and even a gallon jug of chain saw bar oil. There's no mess and no cap to fumble around with—just twist and pour.
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The Only Tool Set You Need
You probably don't have a complete set of sockets and wrenches in your tool bag or the emergency vehicle kit under your truck seat. And you don't have to if it contains the new Crescent Pass-Thru Adjustable Wrench Set. This compact tool kit features 10 spline-style sockets that work with hex, square and external Torx fasteners, from 10mm to 19mm and 3/8 to 23/32 in.
The pass-through sockets fit over protruding bolt threads and nuts mounted on studs, eliminating the need to carry deep sockets. For more grabbing power, simply replace the smooth jaw with the serrated side, and you've got yourself a pipe wrench, perfect for stripped bolt heads and pipes up to 1 in.
Learn some tricks to loosen nuts, bolts and screws that are tricky.
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Temporary Wallpaper
Creating an accent wall with a stylish wallpaper is a great way to update a room, but it's amazing how fast 'trendy' can become just plain weird. And if you've ever had to remove stubbornly stuck wallpaper, you won't want to repeat the experience.
Enter Tempaper, a removable wallpaper that sticks to any smooth, painted or primed surface. When you're tired of the pattern or you're trying to sell your house without frightening prospective buyers, simply peel it off. It won't damage the drywall or leave messy glue behind. It's also a perfect option for apartment residents who want to decorate without losing their damage deposit. Check out the 90 patterns and watch the installation video on their web site.
Learn how to remove wallpaper if there's some in your new house you don't like.
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The 17 Most Important California Vineyards All Wine Lovers Need to Know .
A great trick for buying the best bottles of California wine? Memorizing the names of top vineyards so you can spot them on labels.If you can't memorize the thousands of winemakers around the world and keep a mental note of which wines are guaranteed to delight and which wines should get drained down the sink, there's one trick to identifying the best potential bottle of wine: knowing the name of top vineyards that might appear on the label.
Often unfairly overlooked, Grenache is very versatile with food and a good idea no matter the season.Garnacha is one of Spain's most widely planted red grape varieties, informing wines from Rioja to Aragon and beyond. Its presence is growing in Australia, South Africa, California, and more. Yet it's still often overshadowed by more famous grapes like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Pinot Noir. 
Chiggers: Good News, Bad NewsWhen it comes to the creepy-crawly buggers known as chiggers, there is good news and bad news. Let’s start with the good news: These nuisances do not burrow into human skin, as many people believe, nor do they feed on human blood. These are among the most prevalent misconceptions about the microscopic mites.Lots of people think that chiggers are insects, but they are actually arachnids, like spiders and ticks. Also known as trombiculid mites, harvest mites, berry bugs, and red bugs, adult chiggers do not bother humans—it’s only the larvae that bite. 
Seafood is a wonderful addition to your menu, but there are misconceptions about the healthfulness of farm-raised vs wild-caught salmon. Here's what you need to know. The post Here Are the Benefits of Farm-Raised vs Wild-Caught Salmon appeared first on The Healthy. 
PSA: You don't have to put up with your cowlick if you don't wanna.And though you can't ever fully"get rid of" a cowlick, you can style around it to at least temporarily fix it. To help you figure out how, we turned to hairstylist and co-founder of IGK Hair Care Chase Kusero for all the best tips. Ahead, everything you need to know about how to make your cowlicks do less. 
Frogs are exciting and beneficial creatures to have in your yard—in moderation. The loud croaking that might draw a l augh from kids is no joke when it’s a chorus right outside your bedroom window all night long. A large frog population in your yard may indicate that you also have an insect or moisture problem, because frogs will not congregate in an area without ample food and water. Some frogs may be poisonous to pets, and frogs can attract snakes who prey on them. If you have more than one or two hopping around, it’s a good idea to figure out how to get rid of frogs and how to keep frogs away. 
Make your house look larger by changing out these common design mistakes.Homeowners often overestimate how much furniture they need. 
Dust mites trigger allergy and asthma symptoms in many people. Here are the pillow and mattress covers, vacuum cleaners, detergents, and sprays that can help you kill dust mites. The post 10 Products That Help You Get Rid of Dust Mites appeared first on The Healthy. 
A great trick for buying the best bottles of California wine? Memorizing the names of top vineyards so you can spot them on labels.If you can't memorize the thousands of winemakers around the world and keep a mental note of which wines are guaranteed to delight and which wines should get drained down the sink, there's one trick to identifying the best potential bottle of wine: knowing the name of top vineyards that might appear on the label. 
