Category: The Washington Post

10 questions to ask when choosing a day-care provider

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Looking for a day-care center for your little one? You’re far from alone.

Nearly six out of every 10 children younger than 5 in the United States receive nonparental care, the U.S. Education Department reports. Of that group, 62 percent attend a day-care center.

Finding the right day-care program for your child, though, can be a challenge, especially if you’re a first-time parent who’s unfamiliar with the process. And, depending on where you live, you may have a lot of options, with an estimated 856,238 day-care facilities operating across the United States, according to 2021 estimate by Statista, a market research firm.

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Bored on a winter weekend? Try one of these cold-weather DIY projects.

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There are only so many binge-worthy shows on Netflix. So, on a gloomy winter weekend, when you’ve run out of entertainment, why not take advantage of the time indoors to spruce up your home?

We asked home-improvement afficionados for their favorite cold-weather projects to arrive at this list of nine DIY jobs that you can tackle in just a day or two. As a bonus, a few may even help you cut down your utility bills.

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5 DIY projects that are perfect for beginners

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DIY home projects can save you time and money and can leave you with a sense of accomplishment. But if you stretch yourself beyond your abilities, they can also leave you with a big mess that you end up having to pay a professional to come in and fix. Before you start one, it’s important to know what is feasible and what to expect along the way.

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When to replace smoke detectors, sponges, pillows and more, according to experts

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Savvy homeowners replace common household items in a timely fashion. But staying on top of such duties is no small feat.

“It’s often easy to overlook when items should be replaced in our homes,” says Beth McGee, author of “Get Your House Clean Now: The Home Cleaning Method Anyone Can Master.” “Some items should be replaced because germs collect and make them unhealthy to use or keep around,” she says, while “other items we rely on simply wear out and should be replaced on a more regular schedule to ensure safety or continuity of use.”

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10 important maintenance tasks that experts say many homeowners miss

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If you pride yourself on keeping your home in tiptop shape, you’re the kind of homeowner who takes the necessary steps to keep your house running like a well-oiled machine — or at least you think you’re taking all of the right steps. The hard truth, though, is that many people overlook a number of important home maintenance tasks.

“There is so much many homeowners just don’t know to do,” says Melissa Mitchell, director of operations at GrayWolf Residential Services, a preventive home maintenance company based in Beachwood, Ohio.

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9 ways to be green without also being broke

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Kermit got it wrong: Being green can be easy — at least when it comes to owning a green home.

Though some eco-friendly improvements can be expensive — installing a home solar panel system, for example, costs an average of $23,113, according to HomeAdvisor — there are a number of budget-friendly changes you can execute to make your house better for the environment.

Here are nine expert-recommended moves that will make your home more sustainable without draining your bank account.

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9 home maintenance tasks you should do before spring

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Though spring is still more than a month away, there are important tasks you can do around the house this month to prepare your home for the coming season.

“It’s vital to start on your ­winter-recovery checklist as soon as you start to feel the first shy breezes of spring blow in,” says Rob Morelli, chief executive of HomeKeepr.com, a referral network for home-service professionals.

These home maintenance tasks deserve your attention now, not later.

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How to be a good neighbor

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To live in a great neighborhood — and enjoy all the comforts that come with being part of a tightknit community — you have to be a good neighbor yourself.

There’s certainly no shortage of examples of bad neighbors in TV shows and films (think Homer Simpson or any neighbor from “Desperate Housewives”). But what does it mean to be a genuinely good neighbor?

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For an affordable kitchen update, try painting your cabinets.

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Want to give your kitchen a facelift without draining your wallet? Consider painting the ­cabinets.

Wood cabinet refinishing entails removing the existing paint, sanding the surface (depending on the type of paint you are using) and applying new paint to the bare wood. This cosmetic project revives cabinets that have become scratched, faded or discolored, and breathes new life into an old kitchen.

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Home-security systems aren’t just for the wealthy. Here’s how to choose one.

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In 2016, there were an estimated 1,053,000 home burglaries in the United States, according to FBI data. That means there’s a burglary about every 30 seconds.

These numbers alone help build the case for implementing a good security system in your home, but they aren’t the only reason for the urgency. After all, burglars don’t discriminate.

“Criminals are creatures of opportunity and wherever there’s an opportunity to strike, they will, be it in a big city or small suburb,” says Lee Walters, founder of FortifyMyHouse.com, a home-security education website. Translation: Even if you feel like you live in a “safe neighborhood,” you ought to have some type of security system.

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