12 Best Ice Cream Makers Because Wow, It’s So Hot Out

Cold, delicious ice cream on a hot summer day—there’s nothing better. Think classic vanilla bean with rainbow sprinkles, butter pecan loaded up with nuts, chocolate soft serve—oh sorry, can you see us drooling? Whichever flavor hits all the spots for y…

Cold, delicious ice cream on a hot summer day—there’s nothing better. Think classic vanilla bean with rainbow sprinkles, butter pecan loaded up with nuts, chocolate soft serve—oh sorry, can you see us drooling? Whichever flavor hits all the spots for you, ice cream is always the answer when temps are soaring.

Even though we love store-bought cones and pints, there’s nothing more convenient and gratifying than homemade ice cream. Maybe you’re in the mood for something super specific or the thought of venturing outside to a grocery store gives you hives. The solution? Make it yourself. And as a huge bonus, many ice cream makers pull quadruple duty and can make gelato, sorbet, and custard, too.

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An Outdoor Shower Is More Doable (& Enjoyable) Than You Think

The dog days of summer are quickly approaching; bringing with them the hot, sticky heat and humidity that makes us want to strip down and dive head first into every sprinkler or body of water we see. Don’t get us wrong, we love summer (and we love a go…

The dog days of summer are quickly approaching; bringing with them the hot, sticky heat and humidity that makes us want to strip down and dive head first into every sprinkler or body of water we see. Don’t get us wrong, we love summer (and we love a good heat wave to really put an exclamation point on the season), but sometimes we find ourselves praying for a good downpour to break the soaring temperatures. A much more reliable (and practical) solution to this need for an immediate soaking? An outdoor shower.

We know what you’re thinking—easier said than done. But think again. Outdoor showers can be as simple (read: inexpensive and refreshingly cold) or as lavish and elaborate as you and your budget want them to be. There are a few different options that make all the difference, says Asher Lipman, founder of NYC Renovation Coach. Your outdoor shower can be free-standing, with hot water and an enclosed structure around it, attached to the side of your home, or connected to the same plumbing as your garden hose for quick and cool bits of relief from the heat.

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13 DIY Patio Furniture Ideas You (Yes, You) Can Do

While gazing at the big empty space behind your home, filling it with DIY patio furniture might not be the first solution that comes to mind, because sure, ordering online is technically easier. But think about it this way: using simple blueprints to p…

While gazing at the big empty space behind your home, filling it with DIY patio furniture might not be the first solution that comes to mind, because sure, ordering online is technically easier. But think about it this way: using simple blueprints to piece together your own custom furniture means it’s not only going to be more affordable, but it can also (exactly) match your freshly stained deck and provide you with an unparalleled sense of achievement.

If you’re worried you’re not quite cut out for building furniture, thanks to hours spent laboring over “simple” Swedish designs (you know exactly who we’re looking at), know that these ideas were sourced with you in mind. Plus, we’re willing to bet there are a few stunning DIY projects already gracing your home (hello, custom artwork, lavender sachets and perfectly patched walls!).

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How to Remove Chocolate Stains (‘Cause We All Have Them, Right?)

Chocolate is the greatest gift to mankind—full stop. You can have it on your birthday via a rich chocolate cake with a luscious ganache, as a beverage when you feel like cozying up with a cup of hot chocolate, or even at the dinner table as a beer-infu…

Chocolate is the greatest gift to mankind—full stop. You can have it on your birthday via a rich chocolate cake with a luscious ganache, as a beverage when you feel like cozying up with a cup of hot chocolate, or even at the dinner table as a beer-infused sauce for your rib eye. It’s true that incorporating chocolate into your meals is easy, but how to remove chocolate stains from your clothes (when you throw table manners out the window at the mere sight of it—we’ve all been there), is another story.

Now, different people approach stains in different ways; that’s why we’ve got two tried-and-true methods below to nix that delicious eyesore according to your preferences: with pantry staples or super-powered laundry products. Either way, we’re sure you’ll be pleased and heading back for seconds of the fondue that brought you here in no time.

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Your Couch Is Calling for a Clean (& You Must Go)

When it comes to cleaning your house, you’re got it down to a near-perfect science. You’re tossing out bed pillows that are past their prime , keeping out dirt and debris with clean window screens, and making sure your pantry is operating at its organi…

When it comes to cleaning your house, you’re got it down to a near-perfect science. You’re tossing out bed pillows that are past their prime , keeping out dirt and debris with clean window screens, and making sure your pantry is operating at its organizational peak.

But what about your couch? You can’t toss the whole thing into the wash and call it a day, unfortunately. Your sofa is likely very large, possibly made of a finicky material (hello, linen or, gasp, leather), and probably an absolute magnet for pet hair and little colonies of crumbs. But the time has come to tackle the mess that is your musty stained, smelly couch, so take a deep breath and heed the advice of a few pros we’ve assembled for the job. Meet Angela Bell and Georgia Dixon, the Grove Guides at Grove Collaborative, a natural and sustainable cleaning company, and Bailey Carson, the Head of Cleaning and Home Improvement at Handy. Unfortunately, they’re not literally doing the job for us, but they’ll help see us through.

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How to Bring Your Plants Indoors (& Keep Them Alive)

Autumn is our favorite time of year for many reasons: warm-from-the-oven pies, cozy evenings with drinking chocolate—and the yearly show put on by nature when her leafy green is overcome by an explosion of red, orange, and yellow. But not every plant o…

Autumn is our favorite time of year for many reasons: warm-from-the-oven pies, cozy evenings with drinking chocolate—and the yearly show put on by nature when her leafy green is overcome by an explosion of red, orange, and yellow. But not every plant out there is designed to go dormant during the colder months only to reemerge in the spring from frost-dusted lawns. Our outdoor potted plants—geraniums and other evergreen perennials, tender herbs like basil and parsley, and succulent gardens—need to be brought in from the cold if we’d like them to survive. 


Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. Factors like indoor heating, icy drafts, and pesky pests can all play spoilsport. That’s why we spoke with two of the greenest thumbs around, the New York Botanical Garden’s director of glasshouse horticulture and senior curator of orchids, Marc Hachadourian, and director of brand marketing at The Sill, Erin Marino, so they could share their best tips with us.


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