Living & Home

Forest Acres, S.C. – October 29, 2026 -- Before paying for a repair call, homeowners whose furnace has stopped working can run through a handful of simple checks that often fix the problem, according to a new HelloNation article.

The guide advises staying calm and ruling out minor issues before assuming a major failure. In Forest Acres, where temperatures can shift quickly, a malfunctioning heating system can cause discomfort if it is left unaddressed.

Start with the thermostat

An incorrectly set or unresponsive thermostat can stop a furnace from running. The article says to make sure it is set to heat and adjusted above the current room temperature. HVAC experts, including those at Mid-State Heating and Air LLC, frequently see thermostat problems as an early cause.

Berlin – October 28, 2026 -- Leaving fallen leaves in your garden this autumn protects soil and roots, produces free humus and gives hedgehogs, insects and birds a place to overwinter, according to German environmental group BUND. Its garden expert Corinna Hölzel urges homeowners to put the leaf blower away.

A 2-to-10-centimeter leaf layer works as mulch

Leaves should come off the lawn, Hölzel says, but they belong on beds, under hedges and around tree bases. A layer of roughly two to ten centimeters guards against drying out and erosion, keeps soil temperature stable and suppresses weeds. It also feeds earthworms and microorganisms.

As the leaves rot, they release humus and nutrients that plants use to grow, so gardeners need to fertilize less. Before mulching, loosen the soil and clear weed roots, and leave out sown seeds and young seedlings. Perennials, shrubs and fruit trees benefit most.

Düsseldorf – October 28, 2026 -- Infrared heaters deliver warmth at the push of a button and are easy to install, but running them for long periods can drive up electricity costs, according to energy provider Grünwelt Energie.

Infrared heaters work best as a supplementary heat source

Infrared heaters warm rooms with direct thermal radiation. Grünwelt Energie says they are strongest as an add-on heater, for example in a bathroom or guest room. The devices are relatively cheap to buy, usually need no regular maintenance and stir up little dust.

Converting electricity directly into heat limits efficiency

The main drawback is that these heaters turn electricity straight into heat. Long operating times can therefore mean higher costs. As the only heating source, especially in poorly insulated buildings, they are less economical.

Bad Zwischenahn – October 28, 2026 -- Food brand Rügenwalder Mühle has named Saarland the "Meister des Feierabends" (Master of After-Work Time) after a nationwide survey found that 40 percent of Germans often can't fully switch off in the evening.

Germans value their evenings but struggle to unwind

The "Feierabend Monitor" is a representative online survey of 2,257 people, run by september Strategie & Forschung in May and June 2026 for Rügenwalder Mühle. For 74 percent of respondents, the end of the workday is an important retreat. Another 63 percent link it to time with people who matter to them, and 85 percent say dinner is a fixed part of it.

What gets in the way: private worries (50 percent), inner restlessness (45 percent) and unfinished to-dos (42 percent).

Saarland residents rely on small rituals more than anyone else

Respondents from Saarland report fixed wind-down habits more often than the national average:

Leavenworth, Kansas – October 28, 2026 -- Homeowners weighing a home equity loan against a home equity line of credit (HELOC) face one core choice: take the money all at once or draw it as needed. A new HelloNation article compares how each product delivers and repays funds.

A home equity loan pays out once, at closing

Both tools let homeowners borrow against built-up equity. The difference is how the money arrives and how it is paid back. A home equity loan provides a single lump sum at closing. Repayment follows a set term, usually with a fixed interest rate and a predictable monthly payment.

Brunswick, Md. – October 28, 2026 -- Gilded Dragonfly Gallery has joined Brunswick's growing arts district, offering one-of-a-kind handcrafted art jewelry and fine craft by local artists.

A metalsmith opens her own gallery

Jayme Marshall, a metalsmith and jewelry designer, founded the gallery to show her own work alongside a curated collection from local makers. Visitors can also support independent artists and small creative businesses.

Marshall completed the Jewelry Certificate Program at the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2001. She kept developing her skills through workshops and continued study, and began selling her work while she worked a thirty-two-year federal career in behavioral health program development. After retiring, she committed to her art and small business full time.

Revere – October 27, 2026 -- If a drain backs up again within days or weeks of a professional cleaning, the problem is probably deeper in the main sewer line than the clog that was removed. That is the message of a HelloNation article featuring Mark Meads, a Sewer and Drain Expert from Revere, Massachusetts.

Standard cleaning clears the surface, not the cause

Drain cleaning removes grease, hair, soap residue, and food debris near the surface of the pipe. When a backup returns quickly, the article explains, the cleared obstruction was likely a symptom of a condition further into the drainage system.

Two backed-up fixtures point to the main line

The main sewer line carries wastewater from every fixture in the home to the municipal sewer connection or a septic system. Backups in two or more fixtures at the same time are a reliable sign that the problem sits in the main line, not in a single branch drain.

CHARLOTTE – October 27, 2026 -- If you smell natural gas, leave immediately and call Piedmont Natural Gas at 800.752.7504 or 911 from somewhere safe. The utility issued the reminder as temperatures fall and furnaces switch on.

Mercaptan gives odorless gas a rotten-egg smell

Natural gas has no smell on its own. Utilities inject an odorant called mercaptan, which smells like rotten eggs, so leaks are easy to notice.

Leaks can also be seen and heard

Smell is not the only warning sign. Piedmont says leaks can cause bubbling water, blowing dirt or dead plants. Sinkholes or exposed pipe may also appear, and a hissing sound can come from near a gas line or meter.

Neu-Isenburg – October 27, 2026 -- Anyone who signs a green electricity or natural gas contract on eprimo.de from October 27, 2026 has a chance to win free energy: every tenth successful contract gets either 300 free kWh of electricity or 2,000 free kWh of gas.

The prize covers about one month of use in most German households

According to eprimo, the free kWh are enough for an average German household for a full month. That works out to roughly one twelfth of an annual bill, returned as a credit.

Existing customers can enter too

Customers who already receive green electricity or gas from eprimo can still take part, because every additional new contract counts. All tariffs concluded on the eprimo website during the promotion period go into the prize draw.

Snowshoe – October 27, 2026 -- Homeowners building in steep terrain can reduce water damage by combining proper grading, gravel-based drainage and planned snow placement, according to a HelloNation article featuring Jim Weese of Tygart Valley Construction in Snowshoe, West Virginia.

Grading decisions made before construction prevent costly repairs

Weese stresses that shaping the land so water flows away from the structure keeps moisture from collecting against foundation walls. Mountain environments naturally accelerate runoff, which raises the risk of erosion and water damage if drainage is not addressed early in the design process.