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When I was growing up, my parents had a family friend who often showed up at our house and made herself at home — even when we weren’t there. The memory of the deadbolt’s rattling violently one afternoon when I was home alone, as her key failed to open the door, still elicits feelings of fear and vulnerability. I don’t recall her ever pilfering anything during these unwanted drop-ins, but she clearly had no qualms about invading our privacy. If you worry that a visiting relative, dinner guest, or friend with no boundaries may poke around your stuff, get a hidden safe. A stealthily disguised safe can’t stop people from snooping, but it may keep them from discovering your hidden stash of cash, your most precious possessions, or your deepest secrets. Most hidden safes, also called diversion safes, resemble everyday objects like wall clocks and soda cans but have secret storage compartments. Others deploy the kind of subterfuge you’d normally see in spy thrillers: smar...

Homemade ice cream may conjure memories of big messes and sore arms, with icy mouthfuls being your only reward. But a great ice cream maker can change that. We’ve tested 24 ice cream makers over the years, and our favorite is the Cuisinart ICE-21 . With a bit of prep and practice, this machine is easy to use and to clean. And it churns out creamy, rich ice cream — no elbow grease required. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/3D9h5wB via IFTTT

No matter how you do it, feeding a baby is hard work. If you’re using formula, there are the added challenges of deciphering long lists of ingredients and distinguishing among the dozens of brands and types. And formulas can differ drastically in cost, which can create more confusion, not to mention worry. We spent more than 80 hours researching formulas, interviewing pediatricians and other experts, and reading more than 20 scientific studies and journal articles. And we learned that all FDA-approved formulas made for healthy, full-term infants are safe and nutritionally adequate for normal growth and development from birth through the first year. We then analyzed the ingredients of more than 60 formulas to find the ones that we think offer the best combination of evidence-backed benefits and value. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/r5CymYu via IFTTT

Fewer people need a universal remote control these days, which explains why the category is dying and great options are hard to find. But if your home-entertainment system is more complex than the basic media player, TV, and soundbar combo, and you’re looking for one remote to control all your gear, the Sofabaton U2 Universal Remote Control is the best option we’ve found under $100. This model has some notable flaws, but compared with its competitors, it can control a wider variety of home-entertainment devices and has a better physical design. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real World https://ift.tt/0rbPTZA via IFTTT

The ants appeared almost as soon as my husband and I moved into our first home a few summers ago. Initially, I thought the one I spotted in our bedroom was a fluke. Then I noticed a few ambling about our living room. Before long, they were seemingly everywhere. These tiny creatures were all I could think about, and keeping them out of our kitchen consumed my every thought. I panicked and put all our pantry items in Ziploc bags — even the spices. My husband begged me to talk about anything other than ants, to no avail. I felt like I could hear them mocking me. Yes, I was losing it. Yes, I knew it. No, I would not stop until they were gone. Finally, after researching several pest control options, I bought Terro T300 Liquid Ant Baits , the top pick in Wirecutter’s guide to the best ant killers , and in about three weeks, all those ants were banished from my home — and my mind. Let me tell you, this stuff really works. from Wirecutter: Reviews for the Real Wor...

Some people fear heights. Some fear public speaking. I fear bugs — to the degree that I once engaged in a 20-minute stare-down with an already dead cockroach in my New York City apartment as I worked up the nerve to dispose of it. When I moved from the city to the Hudson Valley in the spring of 2021, I quickly realized my garage had some arthropod squatters in the form of cave crickets, so named because they’re drawn to dark, moist spaces. You may also know them as camel crickets (for their hump-backed bodies) or spider crickets (because their legs are so long they’re often mistaken for giant meaty spiders). Whatever you call them, they’re big, ugly, and annoying. Plus, they can chew on fabrics and cardboard, and their droppings can leave stains. Though harmless to people and pets, I found them unsettling to share space with. I tried ignoring the few invaders, keeping an eagle eye on them while I grabbed firewood or plugged in my lawn-mower battery. But over time ...