Your Charger Has a Secret Life: Fire Safety for the Battery Age

Most of us are living with a dozen or more lithium-ion batteries under one roof, and we rarely give them a second thought. That is exactly why the National Fire Protection Association picked this year’s Fire Prevention Week theme: “Charge into Fire Safety: Safe Charging Is a Superpower.” Fire Prevention Week runs October 4 to 10, and with the days getting shorter and more of life moving indoors around here, it is the perfect time for a household battery checkup.

The good news? Staying safe takes about as much effort as remembering to plug your phone in at night. Here is what you need to know.

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Front Porch Season: Easy Fall Curb Appeal Ideas That Won’t Break the Bank

There’s a moment every fall when you pull into your neighborhood at the end of a long day and one house just stops you. Warm glow on the porch. A pile of pumpkins by the steps. Rust-colored mums in a big pot by the door. It looks like it came straight out of a cider commercial. Here’s the good news: that house is not that hard to pull off. Whether you’re staying put for years or getting ready to list, a little fall curb appeal goes a long way, and most of it costs less than a night out. Let’s get your front yard ready for its close-up.

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Before the Snow Flies: 10 Fall Activities Worth Getting Off the Couch For

Ask a local for their favorite season and a surprising number will say fall. The crowds thin out, the air gets crisp, the hillsides turn gold, and somewhere, someone is always frying up something with cinnamon on it. The catch? Fall is short. Blink, and the leaves are on the ground and the first snow is dusting the peaks. So here’s your game plan: ten ways to make the most of the season before it slips away.

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Fall Home Maintenance Checklist: Get Your House Ready for Winter

As temperatures start to drop, now is the time to get ahead of winter weather instead of scrambling once the first freeze hits. A little maintenance in the fall can save you from costly repairs, higher energy bills, and unpleasant surprises later in the season. Here’s a simple checklist to work through before the snow flies.

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Labor Day: The Holiday That’s About a Lot More Than a Long Weekend

Every year, right around the time the aspens start thinking about turning gold and the kids are already a week or two back into school, we get a three-day weekend, fire up the grill, and call it Labor Day. But if you stopped ten people on the street and asked what Labor Day actually celebrates, you’d probably get a lot of shrugs and “isn’t it just the end of summer?”

Fair question. Here’s the real story, and it’s a lot more interesting than a mattress sale.

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