5 Holiday Hosting Disasters and How to Avoid Them

House Logic

Take a look at the most common things that can go wrong when you have guests and learn how to prevent them.

Imagine you're preparing to host your annual holiday party, and you're past the point of no return. The veggies and meats have been bought. Guests are already braving busy airports and crowded highways to get to your home-and then your oven won't turn on. Your home-cooked meal has quickly turned into a microwave dinner.

That's just one of many hosting nightmares that can end your holiday party before it even begins. Thankfully, some of the most damaging mishaps easily can be avoided. We collected five of the most prevalent issues and give you preventative tips to keep your holiday party on track.

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How to prep your mower, tools and home for winter

It's time to put some of your tools to bed and prepare your home for the cold months.

By Roy Berendsohn of Popular Mechanics

You may be prepared for the snow to fall, but you had better make sure your home and tools are ready for the cold months ahead. We'll tell you how to properly store those tools you won't need, and how to prepare the ones you'll be using this winter.

Mower

A mower used at the end of the season needs to be emptied of fuel. First, drain or siphon the gas tank dry. If the gasoline you've been using in the mower over the summer has a fuel preservative, you can store it until next spring or run it in your snow thrower. If the gasoline has not had a preservative added, you need to use it up as soon as possible. Allowing it to sit over the winter will cause the ethanol in the gasoline to separate and its other chemical components to degrade. It's also likely that condensation will form in the gas tank.