(Image credit: Composite: Tara Bellucci; Image: Julie Clopper/Shutterstock)

The best parts of IKEA are the prices, the look of many of the pieces, and all the amazing “hacks” there are online to make your inexpensive furniture look ultra chic (I’m looking at you, RÅSKOG cart).

The worst part is everything else. You know what I’m talking about — the schlepping, the searching, the lengthy checkout lines, the loading of the furniture, then getting home and building an entire bedroom using only an allen key and sheer will.

Although the building part won’t change, everything else could get a lot easier starting in 2018. Reuters is reporting that IKEA will start selling products on third-party websites like — wait for it — Amazon.

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How To Make Sorbet with Any Fruit

(Image credit: Emma Christensen)

Did you ever order rainbow sherbet as a kid? I know I did, but mainly because someone had the ingenious idea to name a food rainbow. I remember it tasted fruity and creamy, but not as rich as ice cream. Then I encountered sorbets and got confused — were they really just the same kind of fruity frozen dessert?

The names sorbet and sherbet have been used interchangeably to some extent over the years, but there are distinguishing differences between the two, so let’s demystify them now.

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(Image credit: Leela Cyd)

Called namoora in Lebanon, basbousa in Egypt, and haressa in Syria and Palestine, this semolina sheet cake is often served throughout the Arab world and often during Eid Al-Fitr.

With only a handful of ingredients and a straightforward technique, it is perhaps one of the easiest desserts you’re not making. This version from Amanda Saab, the writer behind Amanda’s Plate, is drenched in a lemon and lavender syrup, giving this already-fragrant cake a floral update.

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A big hug for Dad from his kids on Father’s Day is enough to make him smile, but have the kids surprise him with an edible gift and he’ll really be grinning from ear to ear. These simple treats are easy enough for kids to assemble and, with a little help from a grown-up, they’re a sweet way to make Dad feel special.

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We all have those mornings when we wake up completely disinterested in starting the day. We hit the snooze button, pull the covers over our eyes, and casually pretend that no one will come searching for us if we just stay in bed all day. On those days, the only thing that just may get things in motion is a grumbling stomach. In that state of laziness, there’s no way a breakfast that involves a whole lot of effort is happening. Luckily, these 10 recipes are exactly what you need in that instant — low-impact but sure to quiet that grumbling stomach with something easy and delicious.

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Ramadan is both a physically and spiritually intense month of fasting. The fast allows time for self-reflection and purification of mind, body, and soul. Abstaining from all food and water from just before sunrise to sunset is no small feat, but taking the time to slow down and reflect can be be immensely rewarding.

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I often make shopping decisions based on form and not on function. I have dish towels that are way more pretty than they are absorbent. I have beautiful leather coasters that stick to the bottom of my glasses when you go to take a sip. And I have a cabinet full of adorable juice glasses that are too small for even a not-thirsty child.

I tend to prefer things that are nice to look at and am willing to adjust how I operate if it means getting to use something cute.

Yet, I happen to have a basket full of Scrub Daddy sponges, which I find to be incredibly cheesy. (Even the name is kinda cheesy!) And I couldn’t live without them.

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Some weeks our meal plan has a clear goal or theme that runs through it, and other weeks it’s just a collection of recipes that look delicious. This week’s challenge, though, is that most of what I’m craving right now — fast and fancy summer suppers — doesn’t feel super kid-friendly on paper.

So this week I’m sharing the meals I’m making, plus how I’ll adapt, rename, or rework these recipes to get — fingers-crossed! — my kids to try some new-to-them meals.

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(Image credit: Joe Lingeman)

What’s not to love about trail mix? It’s equal parts sweet, savory, crunchy, and chewy — a perfect snack no matter what you’re craving. Throwing all these elements into a soft oatmeal cookie yields a one-handed treat that’s easier to eat than trail mix, yet still offers that same satisfying mix of dried fruit, toasty nuts, sweet chocolate, and yes, even salty bits of crunchy pretzel. Let’s just call these little guys trailblazers (pun intended), shall we?

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