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But how is anyone supposed to know which battles are worth fighting—and how to fight them with a balance of firmness and fairness? National etiquette expert Diane Gottsman, the author of Modern Etiquette for a Better Life and founder of The Protocol School of Texas, is here to walk through the nuances of modern roommate etiquette—especially concerning those tricky-to-handle situations no one preps you for in school. According to a Pro, a Good Roommate Is Someone Who… “A good roommate is someone who respects your personal property, lifestyle, and boundaries,” Gottsman says....

If your home’s builder didn’t deem laundry room shelving important enough to make the punch list, you might find yourself looking for a custom solution. Worry not; we’ve got the perfect way to add shelving to your laundry room and give it the style and function boost it deserves. Choosing a Laundry Room Shelf Style Choosing the right shelf style for your laundry room comes down to the layout of the space....

And its capabilities go way beyond frying: You can use your air fryer to cook, bake, roast, and broil a wide variety of dinners, snacks, and even desserts. But once you’re done air-frying your lightened-up treat, it’s important to clean the appliance to wipe away any leftover oil, crumbs, and stuck-on food. We’ll show you how to clean an air fryer and keep it in top shape so it’s ready to use for your next recipe....

How to Clean Potatoes Start by choosing good potatoes that feel firm to the touch and don’t have a musty order or abundant discoloration and blemishes. It doesn’t take long to clean potatoes; you just need cold water and a vegetable brush. If you want the potato skins to crisp up, make sure to pat them dry with a towel before cooking them. Do You Need to Wash Potatoes? In short, yes, it’s very important to wash potatoes before cooking with them....

How to Buy a Turkey The best way to shop for a turkey is to look for one that weighs between 12 and 14 pounds. Within this weight range, your turkey is big enough to feed about eight guests with a ton of leftovers. If you’re planning on cooking a larger bird for a bigger gathering, don’t go above 15 pounds. In this case, it’s better to roast two smaller birds, which will guarantee evenly cooked and succulent perfection all around....

Bake Your Turkey in a Bundt Pan Create the perfect vertical turkey roaster using a bundt pan that will ensure even heat distribution and crispy skin all around your bird. Fill the cavity of the pan with your favorite vegetables (carrots, potatoes, onions, and beets are all great options) and season generously. Then cover the center opening of your bundt pan with aluminum foil to prevent messy drippings from getting all over your oven....

Before you knock it, we’ve gathered a few ways to cook your frozen pies that’ll enhance the flavors, maximize the crunch, and yield photo-worthy ‘zas you’ll hardly remember came from a box! Benefiting from the convection heating that circulates air around the food, an air fryer quickly heats all sides of a frozen pizza evenly and prevents it from becoming a soggy mess. Here’s how to make pizza in your air fryer: Set the air fryer to 380-400 F and heat the frozen pizza for six to 10 minutes (depending on the thickness of the crust), or until golden and crispy....

Ramen is a major part of Japanese culture, although it is presumed to have originated in China. Luckily for us, ramen has now become widely popular beyond Japan. There are many different types of ramen, and the regional variations are vast. From the broth to the toppings, its components vary widely. And to throw a curveball into the mix, some ramen dishes, like mazemen, are broth-less and simply tossed in a rich sauce, or tsukemen, which are cold noodles served with a dipping sauce or broth alongside for dunking....

If you’re reading this and thinking, “yeah, right—my nonstick pan could only keep foods from sticking for the first week,” we know why. It’s called nonstick cooking spray, and it can wreak havoc on your nonstick cookware. Here’s why you should never use it and what you can do instead to protect your prized pots and pans. Don’t Use Cooking Spray Using cooking spray (PAM is the most popular) is a surefire way to ruin your skillet’s nonstick coating....

“Knowing and understanding your face shape can be important for a number of reasons—[like] when choosing a hairstyle, picking sunglasses, grooming your eyebrows, or applying makeup,” says David Shafer, MD, FACS, a board-certified plastic surgeon and founder of Shafer Plastic Surgery in New York City. “It also allows you to play with dimension and know which parts of your face you want to emphasize or minimize.” Also interesting: Your face shape can help predict how your face will age....

How to Remove Sticker Residue “Lay the garment flat on a table and place a towel behind the stain,” says John Mahdessian, the president of Madame Paulette, a professional dry cleaning company in New York City. “First, check to make sure the glue is dry, then dab clear acetone nail-polish remover onto a cloth and rub it into the leftover glue. The white spots should vanish quickly.” Before you do anything, scrape off as much of the sticker as you can using a dull, straight edge, like a butter knife....

When to Make Cuttings Most stem cuttings can be rooted anytime the plants are actively growing. Coleus and geranium, for example, grow year-round (except where winters are freezing). Take cuttings from these annuals whenever you want to make more of them. Woody plants, which can be a little trickier to root, are best harvested at specific times in their growing cycle. There are several different types of woody plant cuttings, but the steps for rooting the stems are all the same....

We’re left with a simple question: Do candles expire? Or can we save all the candles we just bought for next year? The short answer is that candles can expire. But the long answer is a little more complicated than that. Here’s what you need to know. Typical Shelf Life A candle’s lifespan can vary a lot based on its ingredients. For example, a paraffin candle with synthetic oils can last for years, while a candle made with vegetable wax and essential oils is best used within a few months....

Snow Cocktail Basics To start, you’ll want to ensure that your snow is as clean and pure as possible. This means you want to capture it right after it falls, before humans, pets, and wildlife have a chance to impart any grime into what you’re about to ingest. Freshly fallen snow is also at its lightest and fluffiest texture, which makes it a fun alternative to traditional ice in beverages. Capture your snow as close as possible to when you will be using it, but you can store it in the freezer until ready if need be....

Below are some science-backed techniques you can work into your everyday routine to help thicken your hair naturally. “A host of nutritional deficiencies can cause hair loss and hair breakage,” notes Dhaval G. Bhanusali, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and founder of Skin Medicinals. He adds you may want to seek input from a professional if the issue is ongoing. “Doctors and dermatologists look at things like iron levels, vitamin D, thyroid studies, and other medical data points to make sure we don’t miss any internal causes of thinning or weakening hair,” he says....

The key to making a good Irish stew is to understand its simple nature. In its most basic form, you throw your chopped ingredients into a pot, cover them with water, turn on the heat, and wait for them to soften. Many recipes don’t even call for you to brown the meat before adding water. Still not sure where to start? Here’s how to make Irish stew that your family will love....

Before you hit the grocery store, know that polenta is made from yellow corn kernels that have been dried and ground. We recommend buying medium- or coarsely-ground cornmeal— the better the cornmeal you start with is, the more thick and creamy your polenta recipe will turn out. In a pinch, instant polenta will do the trick. Polenta is a super versatile ingredient that you’ll find endless use for. It can be served in sweet or savory dishes, but pairs particularly well with rich, cheesy, salty ingredients....

An Acquired Taste Not everyone will love the messy bed look. It does have a certain relaxed, boho feel that may not fit into everyone’s preferred aesthetic—anyone attached to a crisp fold and carefully arranged pillows will likely want to stick to their bed-making ways. But anyone who struggles to remember to make the bed in the morning might appreciate a bed that is styled so it can be left as-is and still look fantastic....

Regularly checking email is an everyday task that’s impossible to avoid, and no matter how diligent you are in hitting “reply all,” managing a mounting email inbox is easier said than done. And if you’re less diligent—as in, you’re more prone to letting your emails pile up unaddressed—that lack of inbox organization (and the anxiety of being in email debt) is likely affecting your productivity more than you realize. Luckily there’s a way out of the chaotic inbox hole....

In fact, when I moved several months ago and was forced to face all of the clutter that had accumulated, I finally had to deal with three and a half years worth of mail and paperwork. But in my new place, I’m testing out a new method. Instead of procrastinating until this task becomes overwhelming, I’m devoting just five minutes a day. Want to test it out yourself? Start by setting up a sorting station, detailed below, and in just a few minutes a day, you can kiss the paper clutter good-bye—forever....