Want to add some WoW factor to your next birthday event? This Wilton® Giant Cupcake Cake Pan would make a cool cake that would light up a few eyes and bring out a kid smile in any adult! It looks like decorating would be a breeze - just pretend you're decorating a cupcake. Read more about this cute cake pan in Wilton Giant Cupcake Cake Pan.

Another great birthday or special event cake choice is a bundt. Learn how to make a bundt cake in Bundt Basics and bake a cake that's easy to make and decorate, but is big on style and presentation.

Photo © Sur La Table

Cake Decorating Supplies | Caring for Non-Stick Pans | Silicone Bakeware Basics

Sorting the laundry and unbundling dirty sock cuffs isn't the nicest part about doing laundry nor is emptying mysterious pockets. It always amazes me to find things like fish hooks, not-so-wiggly worms or sharp nails in some of these garment recesses. But this is all part of the laundry process if you want a really clean wash. And too often this laundry-sorting task is left to only one person, when the whole family can help. After all, everyone needs to learn basic laundry skills and the earlier the better. Make laundry sorting a family affair at your home and you'll foster a team spirit while teaching basic life skills. You'll also have more time to do other (more pleasurable) things.

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Make a Quick Sewing & Mending Kit | Laundering Woolens | Clothes Shavers

At one time buying a vacuum was easier - if you had bare floors, a canister model was the likely choice. But now that most uprights can handle either carpet or hard surface floors, it makes the buying decision a little more involved. And while it may be a matter of handling choice, you still need to weigh the pros and cons of either type before you make that important vacuum purchase. Learn about each model in Upright versus Canister Vacuum and be better prepared to shop for a new vacuum.

Vacuum Buying Tips | How to Buy a Vacuum Video | Robot Vacuums

Although I enjoy searching online for recipes, there remains a default cookbook in my kitchen that I go to when all else fails, I need a refresher of basic information or want to make one of my 'old standards'. And there's something to be said for a hard copy, in-my-hand cookbook that I can peruse or drool over at my leisure.

Every home needs a basic cookbook - one that supplies the background information that recipes may not give you, such as food substitutions, adjustments for altitude baking and measurement comparisons. This outdated dog-eared and finger-smeared A Guide to Good Cooking has been my basic cookbook for decades, but there are other good editions on the market. These tips to finding a good basic cookbook will help you pick the right one for your kitchen.

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Kitchen Gadgets & Tools | Bread Storage | Caring for Stainless Cookware