Closing a Backyard Pool for the Season Runs $150 to $400, and Skipping It Can Cost Thousands More the Moment Spring Finally Rolls Around

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A white house with a wooden extension and a swimming pool in a garden

Closing a backyard pool properly costs somewhere between $150 and $500, depending on pool type, according to Angi’s pool closing cost data, with most homeowners landing around $350 for a full-service in-ground close. That’s a small bill next to what happens when the job gets skipped. A neglected in-ground pool can need $2,000 to $20,000 … Read more

Composite Decking Costs Triple the Price of Wood, and Backyard Decks Are Now Averaging a Full $8,300 to Build From Scratch This Year Alone

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a wooden deck with a table and chairs on it

The average backyard deck now costs $8,318 to build from scratch, according to Angi’s 2026 deck cost data, with total project costs ranging from $4,340 to $12,653 depending on size and material. Material choice is doing most of the work in that spread. Pressure-treated wood starts as low as $2 to $5 per square foot, … Read more

Baby Rattle Sold Nationwide Recalled After Kids Could Access a Hidden Choking Hazard Hiding Inside Just One Loosened Elastic Knot on It

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baby lying on pink textile

HABA USA has recalled about 2,000 Rainbow Rattle Grasping and Teething Toys sold nationwide after finding that a glued knot on the toy’s elastic cord can come untied, exposing infants to small wooden and plastic pieces, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s recall notice issued August 27, 2026.   Key Points The recalled toy … Read more

Homes for Sale Just Hit a Four-Month High, and Housing Analysts Say That’s Actually Great News for Anyone Who’s Been Waiting Months to Buy

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white house with green lawn and trees

New listings hit their highest weekly level in roughly four months, rising 5.8% year-over-year, even as pending home sales slipped to their lowest point since March, according to Redfin’s latest weekly housing market update. Key Points New listings rose 1.2% week-over-week and 5.8% year-over-year, reaching their highest level in months. Pending home sales fell 1.3% … Read more

Several Pressure Washer Brands Just Got Recalled Over Shock and Electrocution Risk, and Federal Regulators Say Don’t Wait to Check Yours

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man in black jacket standing beside silver car

Federal regulators have announced recalls of pressure washers from four different Amazon-sold brands this year, most recently a same-day pair of notices in late August, after finding the units lack proper ground-fault protection, creating a serious risk of shock and electrocution — and officials say owners shouldn’t wait to check whether their unit is affected. … Read more

Designer Kelly Wearstler’s First-Ever Furniture Line Drops at H&M This September, and Every Piece Looks Nothing Like Anything Else on the Shelf

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Spacious lounge featuring modern contemporary furniture with panoramic city view, ideal for meetings or relaxation.

H&M Home’s collaboration with designer Kelly Wearstler, its first-ever furniture collaboration with any designer, launches in full this September after debuting as a conceptual installation at Milan Design Week in April, according to H&M Group’s own newsroom announcement. Key Points The collection marks the first time H&M Home has included furniture in a designer collaboration. … Read more

Bed Bug Treatment Can Run Four Times the Price of Regular Pest Control, and It’s Peaking Right as College Move-In Season Hits the Hardest

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man in black t-shirt and blue denim jeans playing guitar

A full bed bug treatment now averages $2,500 and can run anywhere from $1,000 to $4,000, according to Angi’s 2026 pest control cost data — compared with a national average of just $172 for a standard pest control visit covering ants, roaches, or spiders. That gap, roughly four to fourteen times the cost of routine … Read more

Bugs Aren’t Done Yet: Experts Say a Warmer Fall Will Keep Ants, Ticks and Mosquitoes Active for Weeks Longer Than Most Homeowners Expect

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a group of black bugs crawling on a rock

A warmer-than-average fall across most of the continental United States will keep ants, ticks and mosquitoes active for weeks longer than homeowners typically expect, according to the National Pest Management Association’s Fall/Winter 2026 Bug Barometer, a biannual forecast built with entomologists across the country. Key Points Lingering summer-like temperatures are delaying the first hard freeze … Read more

Garlic Planted After This One Fall Date Comes Up Half the Size Next Summer, and USDA Zone Charts Show Exactly When That Cutoff Really Hits

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a group of mushrooms in a nest

Garlic planted just three weeks past its ideal fall window can come up smaller than garlic planted a full month early, according to zone-by-zone planting guidance that traces back to how USDA hardiness zones are calculated from average annual minimum winter temperatures. Most home gardeners plant garlic in spring alongside their tomatoes and peppers, never … Read more

More Than Half of Working Parents Say Their Job Is Turning Them Into a Worse Parent, and Working Moms Are Feeling the Squeeze Hardest of All

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girl in white and gray stripe shirt sitting on white wooden table

52% of working parents say their job makes it harder to be a good parent, according to a Pew Research Center survey of 2,242 U.S. working parents conducted in March 2026. But the number that separates this from a generic burnout statistic is the gender split underneath it: 81% of working mothers say they juggle … Read more