Home & Garage

Fix it, build it, maintain it. The house is the biggest thing you own — act like it.

The BRO Code. What to do, what not to do, and a few laughs on the way.

Plant Garlic in Fall and Mostly Forget About It Until Summer

Garlic is the laziest crop you can grow and the only one you plant now to eat next year. Here's how to time it for your zone and not rot the bulbs.

GuideRecipesWes DunbarNov 5, 20266 min

Braised Short Ribs That Fall Apart After Three Hours

Four pounds of bone-in short ribs, one heavy pot, 325 degrees. The oven does the work while you do almost nothing.

Ask BRO

Build me a revision plan that I will actually stick to

Ask it

GuideMeal PlansCal BrennanNov 5, 20266 min

One Dinner, Four Plates: A Week for the Picky Eater's Family

Stop cooking two dinners. A week of build-your-own meals where the pickiest kid always has something to eat and nobody runs a short-order kitchen.

Coconut.com — Tell us when. We find where the sun is.

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Life5 min read

Nobody teaches you how to show up for bad news

Nobody pays you to be good in the worst week of someone's life, but everyone you love will need it from you eventually.

Poll

Where does your phone charge overnight?

GuideGuides & ChecklistsWes DunbarNov 5, 20267 min

Build a fire pit your kids can sit around without you flinching

One Saturday, a shovel and some fire-rated block. Plus the family rules that keep the best spot in the yard from turning into the worst.

GuideHow ToRay OkonkwoNov 5, 20266 min

How to fight a denied insurance claim and get it paid

A denial letter looks final and usually isn't. Answer the reason they gave, in writing, before the deadline, and know who to call when they dig in.

GermProof.com — An invisible germ barrier on your skin for hours

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GuideBooksMarcus ValeNov 5, 20265 min

Six American novels, read in the order it happened

From Boston in 1774 to a Wyoming valley in the 1880s, a clean shelf of historical fiction that teaches our story better than a textbook did.

Quiz

Does your wardrobe actually fit you?

Five questions, honestly answered, and a plan for the next two weeks.

GuideCivicsMarcus ValeNov 5, 20265 min

The headline said the court ruled. Read what it actually held.

Most coverage of a Supreme Court decision is somebody's summary of somebody's summary. Here's how to read the opinion itself in twenty minutes.

StoryHistoryMarcus ValeNov 4, 20265 min

Thirteen Dollars a Month and Half a Continent to Patrol

The Buffalo Soldiers got a private's pay, leftover horses and a hostile reception. They also got the job done, from Texas to Cuba.

Ask BRO

What should I wear to this?

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GuidePreparednessWes DunbarNov 4, 20265 min

One page that speaks for you when your doctor can't

A dead phone, a closed clinic and a stranger asking what your pills are called. Here's the single page that handles all three.

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GuideSurvival & Self-DefenseWes DunbarNov 4, 20265 min

Build the roof before you strike the match

A fire feels like rescue, but when you're wet and the wind is up, it's the wrong first move. Here's the order that actually keeps you safe.

Poll

When did you last ask for a raise?

GuideCan You Fix ItWes DunbarNov 4, 20266 min

Your squeaky hinge needs grease, not a quick spray

A squeak means metal is dragging on dry metal. Find the hinge, pull the pin, wipe it, grease it. About a minute a hinge and five dollars.

GuideFoodWes DunbarNov 4, 20265 min

Eggs at 7 p.m. are dinner, if you stop cooking them so hot

Breakfast ran late, lunch never happened, and now you're starving. Cook eggs slower than feels natural and build a real plate around them.

Shirts.com — Design it with AI. Wear it this week.

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GuideGarden & YardWes DunbarNov 4, 20265 min

All Those Flowers and Not One Zucchini? Check the Calendar First

Most squash plants that won't set fruit aren't broken. They're early, overheated, overfed or alone. Here's how to tell which, and what each fix costs.

Quiz

Is your money actually in order?

Six questions. No email required, no sales pitch at the end.

Dogs & Pets5 min

Stop Spending Your Dog's Recall on Bad News

Recipes6 min

Cast Iron Steak With a Butter Baste That Builds a Golden Crust

Ask BRO

Pressure-test my business idea

Ask it

GuideMeal PlansCal BrennanNov 4, 20266 min

Three cuts of beef, seven nights, and nobody guesses the budget

A chuck roast, a flank steak and two pounds of ground beef feed two adults for a week, and the plan comes with a grocery list and a Sunday schedule.

Dude.com — 16 AI advisers who listen, talk and are here with you

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Life5 min read

Say "I was wrong" first, and people start believing the rest

The man who owns his mistakes quickly makes every other thing he says worth more. Here's how to do it without groveling or caving.

Poll

What was your first ever job?

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