A small pry bar isn’t exactly a home-toolbox essential, but it is quite handy, whether you need it to open a stuck window, lift a corner of a bookcase for shimming, remove a piece of baseboard, or pry up a floor register.

After three veteran carpenters pulled nails and separated boards with seven leading pry bars, they chose the Stanley 55-116 8-inch Nail Puller.

All avid gardeners have their preferred tools of the trade. So getting your favorite gardener a gift that relates to their area of expertise could leave you feeling trapped between the technical (what is the best hose, anyway?) and the utterly useless (gazing globe, garden gnomes). The picks on this list are a combination of tried-and-true yet not strictly necessary (aka not something they already have).

Highlights include a push-pull wonder that makes short work of weeding, our staff’s favorite trowel, and a beautiful hummingbird feeder. Each item is a joy to have on hand, especially if your beloved gardener’s hands are happiest in the dirt.

Looking for more gardening info? Check out our guides to shovels, pruners, and even fire pits.

Most of the little joys in my life are accompanied by the word “free.” Free samples at the grocery store? Suddenly, errands become way more fun. Free lunch at the office? Happy day! But silicone-free hair-care products? No thank you. I love my hair shiny, soft, and frizz-free, so I’ll take my shampoo with a serving of silicone, please.

That might surprise you. After all, “silicone-free” is a common label on shampoos and other hair products. But silicones can actually lead to shinier, softer, and more-resilient hair.

The truth is that silicones, which are synthetic polymers derived from silica (commonly found in sand and quartz), are seriously high-performing ingredients, especially for people with stubborn frizz (including yours truly!). I spoke with hair-care experts about what silicones can do for your hair and why “silicone-free” shouldn’t be your North Star.

When temperatures soar, cranking your AC to the max might seem like the only way to beat the heat. But there’s actually a smarter strategy: Run your ceiling fan in tandem with your AC.

Working simultaneously, this combination can quickly produce a more comfortable, less frigid climate without jacking up your energy bill or putting more strain on your local power grid.

It’s a trick that’s so effective, it may seem a bit like magic.

And it kind of is.

Ceiling fans have no real effect on a room’s ambient temperature — they can’t change the number on a thermometer — but for anyone located beneath one, they can have a significant effect on how cool you feel.

While that effect can’t be objectively measured, the Department of Energy estimates that turning on a ceiling fan should allow you to raise your thermostat and adjust your AC by 4 degrees or so, depending on factors such as how much clothing you’re wearing, without sacrificing your comfort.

That, in turn, can help keep your energy bill in check. “Every time you turn on an air conditioner, you should have a fan on, [because] there will be substantial energy savings,” Stefano Schiavon, a professor of architecture and civil and environmental engineering at the University of California Berkeley, said in a video interview.

Keep reading to find out just how much you can save on your utility bill, and why many people prefer the feel of an AC-and-fan combo.

For parents, the tenet that “there’s no bad weather, only bad clothing” can feel like a smug and thinly veiled critique. In moments of vulnerability, I’ve found myself wondering, “Am I a bad mother because my 6- and 8-year old daughters would rather be cozy inside than make mud pies in the freezing rain?”

I usually aspire to free myself from unhelpful self-criticism. At the same time, I can admit that there’s truth to the saying: My kids are much happier playing outside when they’re properly suited up.

Different scenarios call for different levels of coverage. So for this guide, I considered a wide variety of fun and functional apparel and gear. Then I recruited a small crew of kids — ranging in age from toddler to tween — to help me test six umbrellas, 20 rain jackets, seven pairs of rain pants and bibs, and six rain suits and sets. The result: eight great options that’ll keep kids comfy and dry, so they’ll be ready to make those mud pies, if and when inspiration strikes.

Android phones are available in various sizes and at assorted prices, ranging from cheap handsets with modest screens to expensive foldable models that can turn from a tablet into a phone.

After spending hundreds of hours testing Android smartphones, we’ve found that the Google Pixel 10 is the best Android phone for most people. It offers a bright screen, long-lasting battery life, one of the best cameras we’ve seen on an Android phone (plus some useful AI photography features), and guaranteed software updates for seven years. But like the previous-generation Pixel, the latest model costs as much as the entry-level flagships made by Samsung and Apple, so buying one of Google’s phones is no longer the deal it once was.

Bike thieves are a persistent plague. The first line of defense: a good bike lock.

To find the best bike lock, we ordered 35 of the toughest we could find and then sawed, chopped, and cut them to pieces.

We learned that almost any lock can be defeated in under a minute, but the Kryptonite Evolution Mini-7 offers enough of a security advantage over other locks in its price range to keep a modest commuter bike from becoming an easy target for thieves.

“People who get their feet wet must learn to take their medicine,” Mary Poppins declared as she dispensed a mysterious liquid from an unlabeled bottle to her wary charges in the 1964 film. We now know that you can’t actually catch a cold from being wet and cold, but parents are still just as passionate about keeping children’s feet warm and dry.

Great rain or snow boots can assist with this worthy endeavor. After testing 36 pairs, we have eleven to recommend, in sizes from toddler to tween. Some excel in snow; others are made for splashing. But every boot on this list will help kids brave the elements with comfort, style, and resilience.

Everything we recommend

Like love itself, flowers can be delicate and unique. And that is exactly why it’s so tricky to get both right.

In our many years of testing for this guide, we’ve found that online flower delivery services are spotty. Think shipping delays and cargo jostling, extreme temperatures, and variability in when and how buds will open up. Plus, they’re not cheap.

To that end, we think most people are best served by a reliable local florist who can deliver their own bouquets at peak bloom, without shipping complications or additional overhead. But if you don’t know of a local florist, online services can be a useful and convenient option.

Over the years, we’ve tested more than a dozen services at different times of year, ordering various arrangements to ship to multiple locations around the country. Only one service — our top pick UrbanStems — has regularly met our standards for reliability, longevity, and a crowd-pleasing assortment of stylish bouquets. We also recommend Costco, a trustworthy option that offers more classic flowers for incredible value.

Imagine you’re putting together a room — either refreshing a space you’ve grown tired of, or starting in on it from scratch — and you’ve carefully chosen the furniture, the art, and lighting.

You’re ready for those last few touches to really put an exclamation mark on this new expression of your style.

You need a rug.

Maybe you want a soft neutral to blend in, or maybe you want to make a bold statement. Maybe you just need something to cozy up the joint. Maybe you have kids or pets. Maybe you have a sky’s-the-limit budget, or maybe you’ve got a few hundred bucks.

We can help.

We’ve assembled 12 area rugs for you to browse through, across a range of styles and materials, and we plan to keep adding more gorgeous options as we find them. We also share the advice of design pros regarding which rugs function best in high- and low-traffic areas and what rug size to buy. So get reading — this is the fun part.