Pets are great companions in our daily lives, but they are expensive. In limited circumstances, it’s possible for you to get some money off your taxes with them. SmartAsset lists a few circumstances where you’ve got the option to make a claim. We’ve talked about the benefits offostering an animalbefore. That covers food, shelter, veterinary bills, grooming costs, litter and bedding materials. Once you adopt an animal, you’re no longer fostering so you’ll lose that deduction....

Let’s look back at some of our most popular interviews of 2014. And that’s just a taste. He’s developed plenty ofcool scripts and apps, and even managed to find the time to author abook. And one of those dedicated engineers is Tina Wen. Smart people sometimes do dumb things. Prior to The Muse, Kathryn worked at The Clinton Health Initiative, focusing on vaccine access in Africa. How does he get anything done with only a four day work week?...

Windows: Program updates keep Windows computers safe and secure. We’ve covered the paidNinite Updaterbefore for updates and its companion the freeNinite bulk installer. Patch My PC is a free program that combines both functions. The program has around 100 different applications it supports, and can install or update them automatically. Patch My PC scans your box and looks for any programs that need updates. If you want to install other programs, just check them....

From cheese to peanut butter, here are a few DIY, delicious food projects. will taste better as a result. Besides having really fresh cheese, you could mix in other flavors if you like. And if you haven’t tried it already, you might want to make your ownbacon salttoo. (Who am I kidding? Go make some bacon salt.) You don’t even need a recipeto make vegetable stock. Bread There really is nothing quite like freshly baked bread....

Whether you makebrownies in the microwave,waffle ironorthe oven, they’re always a treat. Prevention has a bunch of different ways to replace the oil in a recipe. Some of them we’ve covered before likeapplesauceandyogurt. Other suggestions are a bit unusual like black beans and beets. You’ll cut down on the fat and get some fruits and vegetables in your diet. Check out the link for the proper proportions for substitutions. You’ll get some fruits and vegetables with your dessert and maybe some healthy fats and fiber....

Those thoughts and feelings change over time. Keeping your “love map” updated helps you understand your partner better. Your Tango has some fun ideas about putting together a great date night. If you’ve been with someone for a while, that person’s wants and needs could have changed. They explain: Do talk to each other and modernize your love maps. For example, one piece of information you might know is your partner’s favorite flower....

Need to take some secret spy photos? Make shows off a simple way to build a spy camera inside a coffee cup using an Arduino. This one’s about as silly as it gets, but it works well. If you’re caught, you’re able to rotate the cup to hide the camera. The build uses an Arduino, a cheap camera module, and an accelerometer to trigger the picture. you’re able to find the full build instructions over on Make....

Wool blankets are warm, comfortable, and they last forever. Cleaning them can be tough, though, if you’re trying to avoid shrinkage or other unwanted alterations. Some fresh, powdery snow can freshen up your wool blanket in no time with no worries. Shake out the blanket and hang it outside of a little while to let it acclimate to the cold. Find a nice, non-yellow patch of untouched powdery snow. Lay the blanket on top of it and cover it with some more snow using a broom....

Critical thinking is crucial for making better decisions andeffective communication. Considering other people’s thought processes canimprove your empathyand social intelligence. from different viewpoints: What would be an alternative? What is another way to look at it? Would you explain why it is necessary or beneficial, and who benefits? Why is [this] the best? What are the strengths and weaknesses of…? How are…and …similar? What is a counterargument for…? In addition to enhancing your critical thinking, you use socratic questionsto win arguments....

There are things you love to do, and there are things people pay you to do. Let’s look at how to pinpoint that balance. This post originally appeared on theCrew blog. AsAustin Kleonsays, what you love and what loves you back only overlap if you’re lucky. When You Love Doing Something People Don’t Want This is a hobby. Doing something you enjoy that nobody will pay you for is not a sustainable career....

YouTuberdeermeatfordinnerdemonstrates the simple process of honing your blade in this video. This will work the same as running the blade up and down a honing steel. Just be sure to take it slow and be careful as you do so. If your blade is dull, honing won’t do much to make it seem sharper. The Best Knife Sharpener in the World| YouTube

Iodine’s new Cold-and-Flu feature tells you exactly what to buy based on the symptoms you have. Just plug in your symptoms and the site will generate which medicine you need based on the active ingredients.

Whether it’s caffeine or a killer sweet tooth,bad habits are tough to ditch. Short-term “sprints” over time can make kicking those bad habits more feasible and a lot less daunting. Over time, he was able to see exactly how his changes benefitted him. Of course this doesn’t just apply to caffeine. You could use this approach to kick any bad habit. All you have to do is design a slow-and-steady sprint system and stick to it....