Tausi Insider

Photo : Kai Moon ( Shutterstock ) When you’re on the hunt for the perfect house (or at least one that’s available in your price range), there are plenty of things to consider, from the walkability of the neighborhood, to the school district, to the condition of the house itself. In most cases, the condition of the front and backyards aren’t necessarily a dealbreaker—as long as the outdoor space is there. But one thing many homebuyers overlook is the trees surrounding the house. Of course they’ll notice them—especially if they partially shade the house, or add to its curb appeal—but beyond seeing them as an asset, people often neglect to consider the costs of maintaining the trees on their property. Here’s what to keep in mind about this frequently forgotten aspect of homeownership. How to assess the trees on the property While there are definitely benefits of having trees in your yard, when you’re caught up in the process of buying a home, it can be easy to gloss over the fact tha...

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 : Bozhena Melnyk ( Shutterstock ) Most houseplants need to be potted in a container with some type of drainage. If water doesn’t have a way of exiting the pot, it will settle at the bottom, causing the roots to rot, and eventually killing the plant. But what if you’re looking for something that’s so easy to care for that drainage isn’t an issue? In that case, you’re in luck, because there are some indoor plants that don’t require pots with drainage. Here are a few examples. Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema Maria) This houseplant grows best is moist soil, so a lack of drainage isn’t an issue. Of course, the idea isn’t for the soil of a Chinese evergreen to be soggy or waterlogged, but rather, to ensure that it doesn’t dry out: Something that may be easier to control in a pot without holes on the bottom. One potential downside is that Chinese evergreen is toxic to dogs and cats , so pet owners may want to consider getting a different plant. Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum) Spi...

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 : Tatyana Soares ( Shutterstock ) Real Christmas trees don’t work for everyone. You might have destructive pets, toddlers, a small apartment, or a small budget. You might have allergies to trees or the mold spores they can bring in with them. You might just like to do things differently. Whatever the reason, there are lots of ways to craft your own tree and make it unique to you. Here are some ways to make a Christmas tree out of almost anything. Make a floating ornament tree To make a suspended tree out of ornaments and fishing line, you’ll need those and some removable hooks . If you have textured ceilings or a space that won’t accommodate temporary, stick-on hooks, you can use ceiling hooks and anchors for this project. ( If you go that route, you’ll also need a drill.) Keep in mind that the stick-on hooks are designed to hold about half a pound and the screw-in type will hold up to 20, so if you plan to use heavier ornaments, the screw-in variety will work better. The...

Photo : Allie Chanthorn Reinmann Sliders, cupcakes, petite quiche, and pigs ‘n blankets have something in common: They were all mad ideas, miniaturized food favorites that quickly became the greatest party food of our time. Now the baked potato wants in on the appetizer action. Make it mini, pop it on a skewer, and you’ve got a new classic party snack. I fully dislike regular baked potatoes. No matter how you flavor and prepare the skin, the average baked potato is a balloon of unflavored potato inside. Then you need a plate to dissect it and dump condiments inside, most of which will remain cold. It’s cumbersome, requires sitting, utensils, and focus—c ertainly not party food (and it remains a mystery to me why it’s fun at all). The mini baked potato corrects all of these issues. Baby potatoes are about an inch across, so added flavor on the outside actually works for the entire thing. They’re on a stick so you can grab it, walk, and mingle with friends at the party. Everything ...

Photo : Koldunov Alexey ( Shutterstock ) A live Christmas tree would seem to be a fine project for somebody with a brown thumb. You only have to tend it for a month, and then it’ll get chucked to the curb. But it’s important to keep your tree fresh and happy during that time, lest it turn into a fire hazard . Unfortunately, bogus “hacks” abound that will actually make your tree more likely to lose their needles. Let’s separate the myths from the actual good advice. Don’t put anything in the water It seems like everybody has their own special recipe for “preserving” their Christmas tree. But if you talk to the experts on keeping cut trees alive—like the horticulturists at cooperative extensions, and the National Christmas Tree Association—they all agree that the best thing to put in your tree stand is plain water. Nothing added. Take this study , for example. A forestry specialist placed fresh cut Christmas tree branches into water treated with a variety of things that are suppose...

There are a lot of ways to prepare mashed potatoes, and almost all of them are valid (even, or especially, the microwave method ). Most mashed potato recipes start the same way: Cube the spuds into roughly 1 1/2-inch chunks, then cook them in simmering water until they can be easily mashed with a fork. This usually takes about 20 minutes, but Cook’s Illustrated notes you can shave off half of that time   by slicing the spuds into 1/4-inch rounds, rather than cubing them into chunks. This move is quite obvious when you think about it: A thinner piece of potato will cook faster than a thicker one, and a uniform slice will cook more uniformly than a lopsided chunk. (There will, of course, be some irregularly shaped pieces taken from either end of the potato. That is the nature of things that grow in the ground.) Slices also take up less space, which means you use a smaller pot and less water (you just need enough to cover the spuds ). You can try out Cook’s Illustrated’s full rec...

Photo : New Africa ( Shutterstock ) Houseplants can add some some color and life to an otherwise dull space. But even if you’re making sure that they get plenty of water and sunlight, you may notice that from time-to-time, some of your plants may start to look a little lopsided. If that’s the case, you probably need to start rotating your house plants . Here’s how to do it. Why you should rotate your houseplants Unlike some of their outdoor counterparts, only one side of a houseplant is directly facing the sun as it comes through the window. In order to correct this, plants naturally start growing towards the sunlight—even if they managed to sprout in the shade. This is a process called “phototropism,” and here’s how it works, per Liz Baessler of Gardening Know How : “Every plant contains cells called auxins, and their growth rate determines the shape of the plant. Auxins on the side of the plant that receives full sun grow shorter and sturdier, while auxins that are on the shadie...

Photo : Claire Lower If you ordered a “baked potato” at a restaurant and were served a Yukon Gold, you’ d probably be a little confused. Baked potatoes— “jacket potatoes” in the UK —are canonically Russets. B ut sometimes canon is worth fucking with. Russet potatoes, with their thick skins and starchy insides, are the standard for baked potatoes. The tough skins get crisp , and the fluffy, sightly arid interiors beg for butter and sour cream. Yukons, on the other hand, have skins that are thin enough to blend into a mash, and creamy innards that are slightly sweeter than their larger, tougher counterparts. Baking the thin-skinned yellow potatoes may seem like a fools errand that could lead to burnt exteriors and dry insides, but I’m thrilled to report that isn’t the case. Yukons are incredible when baked low and slow. This is not a new strategy. I first heard read about it on Martha Stewart’s Instagram account a couple of years ago. I tried it out immediately, then tried to write ...

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 ...