Tausi Insider

Photo : Crazy nook ( Shutterstock ) Whether you’re hosting a huge Thanksgiving dinner or plan to spend New Years Eve cuddled up inside this year, your home is likely to be the setting of at least some of your holiday plans. You might be thinking about how to maximize your hosting capabilities to please the humans entering your space, but you shouldn’t forget your pets this season, either. Their comfort and safety is important, but the holiday season can be rough for them. Here are a few seasonal pet safety tips beyond the basics you already know , like keeping them away from your burning candles. Holiday decor can be a danger to pets Videos of cats climbing Christmas trees are funny— until they’re not . OK, that’s an exaggeration , but some holiday decor is more perilous to your pets than others . According to the ASPCA , the first thing to do is to make sure your tree is anchored down well so it doesn’t topple over if your cat decides to climb it or your dog gets the nightti...

Photo : Happy Hirtzel ( Shutterstock ) So, you’ve decided to bring a live tree into your home for a few weeks. How festive! Now, it’s time to determine what type of Christmas tree you’d like—or, more accurately, what qualities you’re looking for in an indoor evergreen. A particular look? A certain price point? A robust fragrance? For many people, the woodsy aroma of pine is the main draw of getting a live tree. If you’re one of them, here are the best-smelling Christmas trees, according to the Farmers’ Almanac . The most fragrant types of Christmas trees With 35 different species of trees grown in the United States specifically for Christmas, it can be hard to narrow it down. These five are a great choice for those who are in it for the natural pine fragrance: Scotch Pine (or Scots Pine) Also known as a “Scots Pine,” it’s the most widely-planted pine tree in the U.S., per the Farmers’ Almanac . Along with its pleasant aroma, these trees remain popular year-after-year because the...

Photo : Sergey Mikheev ( Shutterstock ) Looking to save money on holiday decorations this year? Along with reusing (or repurposing) pieces you have from previous years, you can freshen up your festive decor with a little help from nature. Here’s what to know. How to decorate for the holidays using pieces from nature First, a few ground rules. If you’re fortunate enough to own a house with your own yard, then by all means, help yourself to what’s there. City-dwellers and others who don’t have access to their own nature shouldn’t trespass on private property, or take things from parks. They can, however, ask friends and family with trees and yards if they could pop over and help tidy up their property (i.e. forage for holiday decorations). Anyway, here are a few ideas: Evergreen branches The most obvious—and most versatile—of the natural decorations, branches from evergreen trees can be used for everything from garland, to tablescapes, to wreaths, to greenery around a nativity scene...

Photo : New Africa ( Shutterstock ) Using houseplants to add a bit of greenery to your bathroom isn’t anything new. B ut more recently, there’s a trend that takes it one step further: Growing plants directly inside the shower. But it’s about more than making your shower into a spa-like sanctuary. Certain plants don’t just survive in the shower—they thrive in there, thanks to humidity levels higher than the rest of your home. Here are a few examples of plants that would be very happy residing in your shower. The best plants to grow in the shower In addition to the humidity, don’t forget to take the amount of natural light in your shower into consideration. Even with the humidity, if a plant needs a lot of direct sunlight, and your shower isn’t near a window, your foliage won’t flourish. Depending on the layout of your bathroom and shower, there are usually multiple places to keep plants, including on a windowsill, hanging from the shower head, or in a small container attached to ...