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The best mosquito head nets for comfort and protection

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Good, better, best: The best warm, stylish outdoor fire pits for your patio
best outdoor fire pits bowl

When the seasons change, the air becomes crisp, and the mercury starts to fall, certain cravings start to well up. For some it’s football, or cozy clothes, or pumpkin spice. But let’s talk a minute about fire. Nothing else has the ability to bring people together and capture attention quite the way that a cheerful flame does. If you’re not so sure, try this experiment. Set up a fire pit on your driveway and, right around sunset, fire it up. Chances are, you’ll have visitors before long. As long as it’s not the fire department or your HOA authorities, it should make for some good conversation.

Whether you’re a long time believer in the power of a fire pit and need to replace one after years of faithful service, or you’re just looking for a good reason to be outdoors in the pleasant fall evenings, we’ve got a few suggestions. You could go with an easy to use gas burner, and forgo the smoke and ash, but then you would also miss out on the smell. We believe that a little bit of seasoned hickory, oak, or maple aroma is an essential part of the deeper fire pit experience. So, we’ve assembled this list of outstanding wood-burning fire pits based on durability, ease of use, styling, and price point.

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How to install solar lights to save on electricity and protect the planet
illuminated yard light at night

Tired of walking through a dark yard at night? Outdoor solar lights offer an affordable, convenient way to illuminate the landscape without the hassle of wiring. Best of all, DIY installation is beginner-level easy.

We’ve assembled these solar landscape lighting tips to help you decide if this is the best solution for you. Each brand and style of solar yard light differs somewhat on installation details, so it's important to read and follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Just ahead, read the basic steps for installing these lights, along with key considerations as you plan your project.
How to install solar lights
For this project you will need:

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Good, better, best: Outdoor sheds for garden storage
Garden storage shed

Once you start to hunker down on the gardening life, you’ll eventually find yourself in need of space to store all of your planting tools. Luckily, plenty of garden storage sheds exist out there. Still, having a host of choices can be overwhelming, in and of itself! If you have limited garage space or don’t want to go back into the house every time you need to grab your supplies, an outdoor garden shed may just be what you need. Ahead, we break down three choices for the top picks out there and give them a good, better, best ranking to help you choose one that suits your home and needs.
Good: Rubbermaid Horizontal Storage Shed
The Rubbermaid Horizontal Storage Shed is a good choice when you’ve accumulated quite a few garden supplies but don’t need a full-blown shed yet. It has a convenient, horizontal size at 34 x 55 x 28 inches, the perfect dimensions for storing your fertilizers, pruning scissors, gloves, watering cans, sprays, and other tools. The construction is also high-quality—it’s made from a water-resistant resin material and features double-walled construction that resists leaking and denting.

Because it’s essentially plastic, this outdoor garden shed resists rot, mold, and insect damage as well. At $230, you get a high-quality product that can compactly store supplies for a small garden, and the assembly shouldn’t take you any longer than half an hour. The drawback is that it is relatively modest in size, so you’ll need extra storage when you expand your gardening toolkit. And while it can accommodate a lock and some shelving, you’ll need to purchase those items separately. Some reviewers have mentioned slight warping when you leave the shed outside for too long, so be careful about extreme temperatures!

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