RaTINGS aRE IN foR faLL TVWhich shows to binge and which are probably doomed.

SHOPPING & SAVING

Shop SafE aT pop-up SToRESWhat to do if you need a refund post-Halloween.

HOME

auTuMN WREaTh IdEaSFour simple ways to create something lovely.

TECH & MEDIAINSID

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BLaCK TEa May hELp IN WEIGhT LoSSA look at the new study, and at what’s next.

HEALTH & FITNESS

Sick? Try a humidifierHumidifiers, which blow water

vapor or steam into the air, increase the moisture levels in a room and help combat stuffy noses, sore throats and dry skin, accord-ing to the Mayo Clinic.

There are several types, and all serve different purposes:

• Warm mist humidifier: This heats water until it boils and then emits steam. Some of these include min-eral filters that trap water, and these need to be changed occa-sionally, adding

an additional cost to consider. Many pediatricians caution against warm mist humidifiers for children, as they can be a burn risk, accord-ing to Consumer Reports.

• There are three kinds of humidi-fiers in the cool mist category: evaporative, ultrasonic and impel-ler. Evaporative humidifiers use a fan and blow air over a wet wick, and you’ll have to occasionally replace the wick for about $10. Ultrasonic humidifiers use a vibrat-ing nebulizer to emit the water, and impeller humidifiers use a rotating disk.

Tips to fall asleep faster

If your head hits the pillow but your mind is racing or filled with ideas, deep-breathing exercises can help quiet it, said Susan Ginsberg, founder/owner, Stop and Breathe Corporate Wellness Services, Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Breathe deeply so the air flows into your belly, not your upper chest,” she said. It can be helpful to place your hands on your belly and imagine you’re inflating a balloon.

Next, focus on exhaling for twice as long as you inhaled.

Another tip, based on an ancient yoga technique, is eight-16-32 breathing: Lay on your back and take eight deep breaths. Turn on your right side and take 16 breaths, then switch to your left side and take 32 breaths.

Kids’ social media useSome general recommendations

from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• Children 18-24 months should only use media that are appropriate for their age group and super-vised by parents and caregivers. Some good places to start include Common Sense Media, PBS Kids and Sesame Workshop.

• Children 2-5 years should have an hour or less of high-quality screen time a day that is educa-tional and promotes good social skills.

• For children 6 and older, place consistent limits on the time spent using media and on the types of media, and make sure media use does not take the place of adequate sleep, physical activity and other behaviors essential to health.

Tips & Tricks

P E R S O N A L F I N A N C E

TIpS foR ThE Lazy SaVER IN aLL of uS

By Deena Bouknight | More Content Now

How to adjust to the end of Daylight Saving Time

FALL BACK

Some countries observe it, oth-ers do not. Daylight Saving Time’s intention, when estab-lished in Canada in 1908 and

enacted by U.S. Congress 10 years later, is to save energy and make better use of daylight. The simple reminder of which way to turn clocks is to “spring for-ward” — set clocks one hour ahead in March — and “fall back” — set clocks one hour back in November.

This year the end of DST is Nov. 5 at 2 a.m. While this means that we all gain an hour of sleep Sunday, our bodies must adjust to light earlier in the morn-ing and darkness earlier at night.

According to studies, Americans are divided on the mandate. Half still think DST is a good idea, while the other half disagrees. Regardless of opinion, make a smoother transition to DST’s 2017 end by planning ahead.

“The Sleep Lady,” as Kim West, author of “Good Night, Sleep Tight,” is often referred to, offers specifics that

can help adults adjust: • Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than

usual on the Thursday before DST ends.• On Friday go to bed 30 minutes ear-

lier than usual.• On Saturday try to go to bed

45 minutes earlier than your usual bedtime.

• Eliminate all caffeine after 1:30 p.m. the week of DST ending in order to make it easier to go to bed earlier.

• If possible, also avoid alcohol, which negatively affects sleep, the weekend of DST ending.

A similar planning method applies to children. Over the course of the week prior to the time change, move bed-time back by 10 to 20 minutes each eve-ning. For example, a 7 p.m. bedtime might begin at 6:40 one evening, 6:30 the next, etc., until children are going to bed at 6 p.m. by the time Nov. 5 rolls around. Consider gradually adjusting naptimes and mealtimes, too, if they occur daily at the same times.

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TECH& MEDIA

By More Content Now

For more than 6,000 years, people have been making and subsequently enjoying wine. Along with being something for ancient peoples to drink, wine helped colonize the world. Today, wine is still enjoyed by millions of people after a long day or to celebrate a life event. Wine has also proven to beneficial to our bodies as wine promotes longevity, reduces risk of heart disease, reduces risk of Type 2 diabetes, reduces the risk of stroke, lowers risk of cataracts and lowers the risk of colon cancer. Whether you’re an aspiring sommelier or you’re just looking for a good bottle to uncork after work, here are some wine podcasts to listen to.

Wine for Normal People

Sommelier Elizabeth Schneider hosts and invites people to learn about wine in a way that makes sense. Along with husband M.C. Ice, Schneider gives listeners plenty of wine information, peppered with humor, pop culture and the technical side of the wine industry. Find it: https://wine fornormalpeople.com/media/about-the-podcast/

I’ll Drink To That!

Hosted by former som-melier Levi Dalton and featuring Erin Scala, the I’ll Drink To That! podcast features interviews with famous and knowledge-able wine personalities. Dalton talks to wine authors, exporters, wine-makers and beverage managers in his living room where the conver-sations are recorded. Find it: http://illdrink tothatpod.com/

GrapeRadio

GrapeRadio is hosted by Brain Clark, Eric Ander-son, Rusty Gaffney and Leigh Older and is a James Beard award-winning audio and video program that features topics such as the enjoyment of wine, wine news, industry trends and interviews with guest from the world of wine. Find it: http://www. graperadio.com/

The Wine Crush

Hosted by Laura Lawson and Michael Ambrose, the wine enthusiasts discuss the growing wine lifestyle trend and how to be a part of it. The weekly podcast helps listeners who are looking for an inexpensive bottle to take to a party or what kind of wine will compliment your meal. Find it: http://www.winecrush.com/

The best wine podcasts

New on Amazon Prime5150

Abandoned MineAlcoholist

American Horror Story: CultThe Americans: Season 5

Apartment 1303Awaken the Shadowman

Beauty and the Baker: Season 1Blair Witch

Blood HuntersBunker of the Dead

City of Ghosts (Amazon Original)CluelessElection

Escape from L.A.Fargo

The Fashion Hero: Season 1Fight for Space

Ghost WorldGhoulies

Ghoulies III Believe in Unicorns

Inside Edge: Season 1 (Amazon Original)Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1987)

Jack Reacher: Never Go BackJug Face

The LiberatorsLore: Season 1 (Amazon Original)

Margot at the WeddingMegan Leavey

NeedlestickThe Other Dream Team

Pet SemataryPet Sematary Two

PiQueens and Cowboys

Red Oaks: Season 3 (Amazon Original)Save My SeoulScareycrows

Sigmund and the Sea Monster: Season 1 (Amazon Original)

Snake EyesSong to Song

Texas Chainsaw Massacre IIThe Machinist

The Wall (Amazon Original)The Whistleblower

The Whole TruthUnlimited

New on Netflix1922

The Babysitter Belief: The Possession of Janet Moses

Christina P: Mother Inferior The Day I Met El Chapo:

The Kate del Castillo StoryDonnie Darko

The Final MasterThe Hateful Eight

Haters Back Off: Season 2Kingdom of Us

LEGO: City: Season 1The Meyerowitz Stories

(New and Selected) Meet the Robinsons

Mindhunter: Season 1The Mist: Season 1

MoneyOne of UsOtherLife

Patton Oswalt: Annihilation La Querida del Centauro: Season 2

The Skyjacker’s TaleShe Makes Comics

Slasher: Guilty PartySmurfs: The Lost Village

Strange WeatherStranger Things 2 (Oct. 27)Super Monsters: Season 1

Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

Voltron: Legendary Defender: Season 4Wanted: Seasons 1-2Wedding Unplanned

West Coast Customs: Season 6Wheelman

While We’re Young

New on demand

MovIe PRevIeWs IN haIku: Opening Friday, Oct. 27

“Jigsaw”

Starring: Laura Vandervoort, Tobin BellDirected by: Michael and Peter Spierig (“Predestination,” “Daybreakers”)Rated: R

Life-and-death games thatend in murder: Deja vu“Saw” villain returns

“All I See Is You”

Starring: Blake Lively, Jason Clarke, Ahna O’ReillyDirected by: Marc Forster (“World War Z,” “Quantum of Solace”)Rated: R

Loving husband cares for his blind wife, but does he?New sight threatens him

“Thank You For Your Service”

Starring: Miles Teller, Amy Schumer, Haley BennettDirected by: Jason Hall Rated: R

Soldiers’ struggles with PTSD, physical trauma back at home

“Suburbicon”

Starring: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Oscar IsaacDirected by: George Clooney (“The Monuments Men,” “The Ides of March”)Rated: R

Murder, deceit in idyllic ‘50s suburb With Coens’ dark wit

Matt Damon in “Suburbicon.” [BLACK BEAR PICTURES]

By Melissa Crawley | More Content Now

M idseason ratings are in, and while they can and often do fluctuate as the season goes on, networks take these early numbers seriously

when considering which new fall TV shows are worth their continued investment and which are not.

While some of the hotly anticipated series are liv-ing up to expectations, others are underperforming, putting them on the chopping block by or before May. Here’s a summary of the shows you should expect to spend time with until next spring and those that you’re probably better off saying goodbye to sooner rather than later.

• “The Orville,” Seth MacFarlane’s ode to “Star Trek,” is performing solidly for Fox and is likely to be renewed. You don’t have to be a fan of space exploration to enjoy this show, but it does help if you like MacFarlane’s (“Family Guy,” “American Dad”) sensibility. With a long and suc-cessful relationship with Fox, his homage to intergalactic work-family dynamics looks safe for now.

• Also on Fox, “Ghosted,” a comedy with a not too subtle nod to “The X-Files,” had a strong debut and is likely to stick around.

• Over on CBS, the future of several of its new series is less certain. “Wisdom of the Crowd,” featuring a tech bil-lionaire who creates a crowdsourcing platform to solve his daughter’s murder, is a tossup for renewal or cancellation. The storyline is contemporary, with issues ranging from privacy to surveillance, but it’s also hard to believe. The idea that only one character voices doubts about the obvi-ous negatives of the system doesn’t help. If similar shows are any indication (“APB,” “Pure Genius”), “Wisdom” is probably headed for cancellation.

• Performing better is “SEAL Team.” David Boreanaz is using his charm and man’s-man swagger to carry the story of an elite Navy SEAL unit, and the show is currently CBS’ second-highest-rated drama, making it likely to be renewed. (“NCIS” is the network’s first-place drama).

• On the comedy front, “Young Sheldon,” a prequel to “The Big Bang Theory,” is sure to be renewed while “Me, Myself and I” is a tossup.

• For struggling ABC, “The Good Doctor” is good news. It is the highest-rated series debut on the network in a year and is likely to be renewed. “Marvel’s Inhumans” is on the bubble while “The Mayor” and “Kevin (Probably) Saves the World” had slow starts, making them a draw. Mystery “Ten Days in the Valley” did little to capture viewers’ atten-tion and is very likely not to go beyond its 10-episode order.

• Audiences fell in love with “Will and Grace” all over again so NBC did, too. The series has already been renewed. The outlook is less positive for Dick Wolf’s “Law & Order True Crime: The Menendez Murders.” It has an even chance for renewal or cancellation, as does “The Brave,” NBC’s entry into the military procedural. Not looking good for the series, though, is the fact that it lost half of the audience from “The Voice” lead-in.

Fall TV reportTo watch or not to watch? The ratings are in

“The Orville” [FOX]“The Good Doctor” [ABC]

SHOPPING & SAVING

By Deena BouknightMore Content Now

Inherited book collections and antiques crammed into spare rooms. Kids’ keepsakes piled high in closets. A home office overrun with years of saved documents. Clutter induces stress. The National Association of Productivity and Organizing sug-gests storage units for temporary or long-term relief.

Offering tips in August, NAPO asserts: “The increased space … ulti-mately leads to an increased space in

the mind, allowing (people) to relax and mitigate the strain clutter can place on their psyche.”

Self-storage units have been a part of the American landscape for at least a century but the industry has exploded in recent years, with grow-ing cities and towns sporting rows of metal units and shows like “Stor-age Wars” and “Auction Hunters” revealing uses — and treasures.

NAPO proposes storing anything not needed on a daily basis. De-clutter non-productive areas. For example, a room filled with boxes

of tax records becomes an actual home office or homework room. Or, accumulated items in need of weed-ing out and organizing can be trans-ferred to a self-storage unit until time permits. Space is freed up; peace of mind ensues.

Maybe just not having enough space in the home is stressful. Spare-Foot.com, a storage-space reserva-tion site, points to a different way storage units can be solutions: Use them for a workshop, music practice room, art studio or tiny gym.

What does stress-relief cost?

SpareFoot found that the average monthly fee on popular 5-foot-by-10-foot units is $63, with 10-foot-by-10-foot units at close to $100 monthly. Of course, prices depend on region of the country. The Southeast’s prices are much lower than units in San Fran-cisco, for instance. Expect to add about $50 more monthly for temper-ature- and moisture-controlled units.

The key is to de-stress, so check out the self-storage unit before securing to ensure that it is 1) in a safe area, 2) has convenient parking and 3) is easily accessible.

Can a storage unit give you peace of mind?

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By Deena Bouknight | More Content Now

Mother Nature’s destructive forces have been harshly evident these past few months. Flooding in Texas, high winds

in Florida, and now out-of-control wildfires in California. FEMA and other disaster relief resources are stretched. However, there are still ways to help.

While it is “easy” to give online to large, familiar organizations, be careful about parting with money without checking out exactly how a particular nonprofit plans to use funds. Do a little digging to ensure donations target directly those in dire straits.

A few ways nontraditional to make a difference:

• If you have a place in the Bay Area, offer it on Airbnb free for evacuees and relief workers. Airbnb started its Open Homes program and expanded it recently to include San Francisco, Berkeley and Oakland. Hosts are asked to offer their spaces free of charge until at least Oct. 30.

• Donate funds to food pantries near areas hardest hit. Or, collect and send ready-to-eat, non-perishable foods that are easy to open and in non-glass containers.

• Donate to a specific community organization, such as Napa Valley Community Disaster Relief Fund.

• Since animals are also affected, donate to area shelters and other assistance groups such as Jameson Animal Rescue Ranch or Wine Country Animal Lovers.

• Fortune magazine on Oct. 12 suggested that area landowners who have not been affected by the wildfires consider opening up their spaces through Hipcamp, to allow displaced families to camp there until they can establish where they will live temporarily. Contact julie.kukral@hipcamp.com.

Also, Facebook has a new crisis response page, https://www.facebook.com/crisisresponse, that shares items needed at wildfire evacuation centers. It’s also a place to check on nearby friends, donate funds and volunteer to help.

How to help victims of wildfires in California

By Deena BouknightMore Content Now

Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $9.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federa-tion. Americans used to put out jack-o’-lanterns, hang an

autumn-themed door wreath and be done with it, but

now many are decking their halls and yards with elaborate lights and figures.

While big-box retailers, party stores and dollar stores offer much of what

shoppers want, pop-up shops typically emerge in

empty strip-mall suites to cash in on the fervor. However, since these spots tend to leave town after Oct. 31, how can shoppers

protect purchases? Good question. One that concerned Chicago’s

Better Business Bureau so much that it last year issued ways to “avoid a ghoulish” experience by:

• Checking local BBB records online (bbb.org) before shopping to learn if any complaints have been filed.• Purchasing from repeater pop-ups — ones that return to the area annually.• Asking about a return policy and keeping receipts.• Checking to see if the pop-up has a website.• Asking how long the store plans to stay in the area.• Using a credit card so charges can be disputed if necessary.

• Checking purchases before leaving the store to make certain all pieces are included, costumes are not damaged, and lights work (plug them in).

CBS Sacramento recently issued a scarier Halloween shopping caution: Avoid masks, costumes and wigs not in sealed plastic wrap, as they may have been tried on multiple times and be infested with hard-to-see lice.

Last fall, Steve J. Bernas, president and CEO of the Better Business Bureau serving Chicago and Northern Illinois, issued this statement: “Pop-up stores are easy to find ... they are every-where. But, the problem is, while they are easy to find today that may not be the case tomorrow.”

The same warnings apply to Christmas holiday pop-ups.

Tips for shopping safely at Halloween pop-up stores

By Melissa EricksonMore Content Now

The diaper need is real, according to a study from the National Diaper Bank Network and Huggies. “Dia-per need” is defined as the struggle to provide enough diapers to keep a baby or toddler clean, dry and healthy. Like the price of gas, the cost of diapers impacts a range of families representing diverse eco-nomic situations, education lev-els and employment statuses, said Joanne Samuel Goldblum, chief

executive officer of the National Diaper Bank Network.

Families on budgets may be inclined to leave a baby in a wet or dirty diaper for longer periods of time, which can lead to health prob-lems and quality of life issues for child and parent. For a child, a wet diaper leads to discomfort, fussiness and crying as well as diaper rash.

Parents may feel emotionally stressed if they’re struggling with trade-offs between buying dia-pers and affording other household expenses, according to the study,

which included information from 1,000 households with young chil-dren across the U.S. About three-quarters of all parents in diaper need felt they’re not being good parents when their children are left too long in dirty diapers, while one in three households in need experienced feel-ing stressed or overwhelmed by dia-pering always or often.

Over the past few years there’s been more awareness of diaper need, with the number of diaper banks increasing to more than 300 in 47 U.S. states and the District of

Columbia. Yet, 65 percent of fami-lies surveyed were unaware that dia-per banks offer diaper assistance in their respective communities.

Those interested in helping fami-lies in diaper need can support the National Diaper Bank Network by making a contribution at national diaperbanknetwork.org. Individu-als can also visit a local diaper bank or even host a diaper drive with your neighborhood, school or local organization. To find a diaper bank near you, visit nationaldiaper banknetwork.org.

Study: Many families choose between diapers, necessities

By Deena BouknightMore Content Now

Disasters like the recent hurricanes or the Las Vegas shooting compel people to donate some of their most precious commodity. However, stockpiling life-saving blood is what’s most beneficial. Don’t wait, is the ongoing message: Get blood drawn before disasters strike.

The American Association of Blood Banks indicates the U.S. daily need is great: approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells, 7,000 platelet units, 10,000 units of plasma. Offering the “gift of life,” as AABB expresses, means assisting someone in surgery, with on open wound, or even in the throes of cancer and other diseases.

Although millions are regular blood donors, many are not. Before looking for the nearest donation location on sites like redcross.org, aabb.org and americasblood.org, consider the donor guidelines:

• Must be at least 16 or 17 years old (depending on state of residency) and weigh at least 110 pounds.

• Must not have a cold or the flu.

• Must not have tattoos from an unlicensed professional.

• Must plan to have a well-balanced meal and drink plenty of liquid beforehand.

• Need a government-issued state I.D. (some require two forms of I.D.).

At the site, potential donors will be evaluated for such factors as:

• Adequate hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, pulse and blood pressure

• Medication issues

• Recent travel

• Body piercings

• Overall health

Also at the blood donation site, expect to register, fill out a health questionnaire, and submit to a mini physical exam that typically includes checking weight, pulse, blood pressure, temperature and hemoglobin levels.

The actual blood drawing procedure takes about 10 minutes, with time for rest, water and a refreshment after. Staffs at blood donation sites make certain all is well with donors before sending them on their way.

For the following 24 to 48 hours, AABB advises increasing fluid intake, avoiding strenuous physical exertion and eating balanced meals while the body replenishes red blood cells.

What to know before deciding to give blood

By Deena BouknightMore Content Now

While green tea has long been lauded for its health benefits, black tea stole the spotlight this fall. A recent study by researchers with the University

of California in Los Angeles Center for Human Nutrition, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found that black tea may have better fat-fighting properties.

While both green and black teas offer prebiotics, which stimulate the growth and activity of good bacteria in the digestive system, each has spe-cific properties to benefit a healthy lifestyle. Green tea’s cancer-fighting, brain-boosting and stroke-risk-lowering attributes cannot be ignored. But, with 1 in 3 American adults considered overweight, black tea offers some hope, especially since it already represents 78 percent of worldwide tea production and is a preferred drink in many Western countries.

UCLA researchers made the newsworthy dis-covery after giving mice both green and black tea in their diets over a four-week period. They learned that black tea molecules are larger and stay in the intestinal tract longer, meaning they have more time to boost the growth of friendly bacteria.

Explained Susanne Henning, the study’s lead author and an adjunct professor at the UCLA

Center for Human Nutrition, in early October: “Our new findings suggest that black tea, through a specific mechanism through the gut microbiome, may also contribute to good health and weight loss in humans.”

Both green and black tea originates from the same shrub, Camellia sinensis. The difference between black tea (think Earl Grey) and green tea is that oxidation results in a darker color and richer flavor. To produce green tea, the oxidation process is halted; to make black tea, it is not. The caffeine content is often similar, and both are packed with antioxidants, which may aid in disease prevention.

“Promoting healthy gut bacteria is always a step in the right direction,” said Kelli Shallal, regis-tered dietician in Phoenix, Arizona, and a nutri-tion counseling and communication expert with Hungry Hobby LLC. “Both tea and coffee are full of antioxidants and polyphenols which support health overall. However, beware of excess sugar and calories in tea blends as they often lead to weight gain.” Shallal was not associated with the UCLA study.

Before the study was released, Today’s Dietician magazine in May endorsed “tea-drinking as part of a healthful diet and as a superior choice to other beverages.” The brief encouraged registered dieti-cians to advocate consumption of two cups daily of freshly brewed tea — not processed canned or bottled tea, which can lose healthful properties.

Behind the new study

Black tea for weight loss

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HEALTH & FITNESS

HOMEB

IGST

OC

K

Tips on immunity-boosting foods from Elaine Magee, corporate dietician at ACME Markets in the New York City and Philadelphia areas:

• Dark green, leafy vegetables including spinach, kale and broccoli have the three vitamins thought to improve immune function: A, C and E.

• The pulp and membranes of citrus fruits contain their beneficial anti-viral compounds, including Vitamin C.

• Vitamin D is key. In addition to dairy products, get your D from mush-rooms, some of which have 100 per-cent Recommended Daily Value of the vitamin per serving and may have anti-viral and antibacterial properties.

• Zinc keeps the immune system humming. Good sources of this min-eral are lean beef, oysters, crab, dark-meat turkey, chicken, lamb, pumpkin seeks, clams, nuts and seeds.

— More Content Now

G O O d T i p !

Good foods for cold and flu season

Don’t you hate those mushy old pumpkins on front porches in November? You know they’re just hanging around from Halloween, unused, unloved.

But what can one do with the weeks-old fruit? First thoughts may turn to food, but if you wanted to save the seeds or flesh, the time to do it was before carving.

If you’re stuck with a janky jack-o’-lantern or three, try:• Donating it to a compost pile.

• Breaking it up for your yard’s birds and squirrels to feast on.• Turning it into a planter or birdfeeder.• Stacking them in threes to become “snowmen.”• Building a catapult or trebuchet and smashing pumpkins for science.• Turning small, stable gourds into candleholders.

— More Content Now

H E r E , T r y T H i s

What to do with pumpkins after Halloween

Disney character-themed goods are no longer rel-egated to kids’ rooms. In March a run of 500 limited-edition $280 “Beauty and the Beast” Le Creuset soup pots with lids sold out rapidly. As a result, the upscale cookware com-pany teams with Disney again, this time to offer 1,000 of the same type of pots at the same price, in yellow and blue varieties like heroine Belle’s favorite dress colors.

The enameled cast-iron pots — which feature the signature rose indicative of the fairy tale’s plotline, as well as the words “Be Our Guest” — are sold at lecreuset.com.

The pot holds 2 3/4 quarts.

— By Deena Bouknight, More Content Now

N i f T y N E w p r O d u c T

Enchant your guests with the Belle-inspired soup pot

PIXABAY IMAGES

By Deena BouknightMore Content Now

Here are four do-it-yourself wreath project ideas for the crafty and neo-phytes alike:

1. Hobby Lobby offers beginner-level instructions for a welcoming wreath, using the store’s chipboard “hello” cutouts. Paint one a gold color, let it dry, and affix it to a purchased grapevine circle with a hot glue gun. Select fallish dried florals and arrange them to surround the painted “hello,” affixing with the glue gun.

2. Purchase a Styrofoam ring or trace a wreath-size circle on a piece of thick card-board; with straight pins, attach one layer of silk fall leaves onto the sur-face, then use a glue gun to stick on another layer that cov-ers up the pins. Attach a fall-colored ribbon to the back of the wreath for hanging.

3. Purchase artificial or find live bitter-sweet vine (grows in the Blue Ridge Moun-tains and New England, to name a few places), which has orange-red berries. If live, spray the vine, especially the berries, with shellac and let dry. Then, whether artificial or live, begin to twist the vine in a circle, doubling or tripling rows to the desired wreath thickness. If live, take care not to knock off the berries. Affix a ribbon or hang from a part of the vine.

4. Purchase a wire wreath frame and a few rolls of wide burlap ribbon or garland. Weave the burlap in and out through the wire frame, making sure to gather sections together so that there is thickness to the burlap on the frame. When the wreath has the desired look and no wire is showing, use a hot glue gun to affix fall silk flowers, small artificial pumpkins or other autumn-themed elements. Attach a small piece of burlap to the back or a complementary rib-bon as a hanger.

wrEaTHs4 DIY ideas for autumn

LE CrEuSET

PERSONAL FINANCE

By Kimberly PalmerNerdWallet.com

With so many credit card issuers enticing new cardholders with sign-up bonuses, cash-back rewards and various types of points, it can be hard for con-sumers to keep track of when and where to look for their rewards. We canvassed major credit card issuers to ask how quickly cardholders can expect to see their rewards. Here’s what some said:• American Express: Points typically are available to cardholders within 60 days after the end of the billing period when

the purchases were made, assuming payments are received on time, Amex spokeswoman Charlotte Fuller says.• Capital One: Earned rewards usually are visible online within 10 days but can take up to two statement cycles to post to a customer’s account, says spokes-woman Meredith Reilly.• Chase: Nnew Chase Ultimate Rewards points are available with every billing cycle, says spokeswoman Ashley Dodd. In other words, you’ll typically see them posted at the close of each monthly bill-ing cycle, and you can use them at the beginning of the next billing cycle.

• Discover: At the end of each billing cycle, the rewards earned by the card-holder are calculated and then added to the account as cash back or miles, depending on the card, within two billing cycles, says Discover spokesman Jeremy Borling. Then, the time it takes to actu-ally receive the reward varies by chosen redemption option: Statement credits are more or less immediate at that point, while electronic deposits appear in card-holders’ bank accounts within 72 hours. Cardholders can also use cash back on Amazon as a payment method, once it appears on their statement.

How to follow up

If you’re still wondering where your rewards are, calling your card issuer and asking is the best way to get a clear answer. You might discover that the rewards are already there, perhaps buried in your monthly statement, and ready for you to put to use. A customer service rep may also be able to tell you the pending rewards on your account and when you can expect to see them posted to your statement.

The case of the missing credit card rewards

By Spencer TierneyNerdWallet.com

If saving money overwhelms you, maybe it’s time to try a new approach.

“Trick yourself to be lazy when it comes to savings,” says Dan Andrews, a certified financial planner at Well-Rounded Success in the Denver area.

In other words, make saving more automatic.

Set up automatic transfers

Using your bank’s website or mobile app, create a recurring transfer from checking to savings every month, or if you’re regularly paid twice or more monthly, consider setting one after each payday.

Automatic transfers free you from regularly deciding when and how much to save. And the setup can take just a few minutes. You need to know three things: which two accounts to use, how often transfers occur and the amount.

Experts recommend you save about 20 percent of your after-tax income. So if you take home $5,000 a month, aim to put away $1,000. If that’s ini-tially out of reach, start with a smaller amount and work your way toward that goal.

Split your direct deposit

If you’re tempted to skip saving money right after payday, this strat-egy might be useful. Instead of a direct deposit into one account, you can have income go straight to two or more accounts. This lets you separate your spending money from your savings right away.

This strategy won’t work for every-one. You need to receive your pay as direct deposits, and your company must be on board. Some employers don’t let you split direct deposits.

If split deposits are available, there’s another perk. Some banks offer sign-up bonuses when you open a new checking account with direct deposit. Just make sure a new account is a useful addition to your financial life and that you don’t get stuck with fees or high minimum balance requirements.

Open multiple savings accounts

Having multiple accounts is easier than it sounds. Start with a second sav-ings account for one purpose, such as stockpiling an emergency fund. Then create a recurring transfer, even if it’s a small amount — say, $50 — to gradu-ally reach your goal. Tracking progress is easy; just check the balance.

“I used to have just two accounts, checking and savings,” says Muriel Vega, a tech writer in Atlanta, “but they weren’t really working for me.”

Eight years ago, she opened a second savings account to use as an emergency fund. When her freelance assignments started ramping up, she opened a busi-ness checking account and a savings account to set aside money for busi-ness-related taxes. She also has a sepa-rate checking account to pay home and utility bills and a savings account for vacations.

“I have seven accounts now. That’s three checking and four savings,” Vega says. Most of her savings accounts are at two online banks that have attractive features such as competitive savings rates and no monthly fees.

On the day she gets paid, she has sev-eral automatic transfers ready to send funds to her various accounts. The result: no micromanaging of money required.

Tips for the lazy saver

By Amrita JayakumarNerdWallet.com

Debt consolidation is a personal finance strategy that rolls high-interest debts into a single, lower-interest payment. It can reduce your total debt and reorganize it so you pay it off faster.

However, consolidation isn’t a silver bullet for debt problems. It doesn’t address excessive spending habits that create debt in the first place.

It’s also not the solution if you’re overwhelmed by debt and have no hope of pay-ing it off even with reduced payments.

If you’re dealing with a manageable amount of debt and just want to reorganize multiple bills with different interest rates, payments and due dates, debt consolidation is a sound approach you can tackle on your own.

How does it work?

There are two primary ways to consolidate debt, both of which concentrate your debt payments into one monthly bill:

• Get a 0 percent interest, balance-transfer credit card: Transfer all your debts onto this card and pay the balance in full during the promo-tional period.

• Get a fixed-rate personal loan: Use the money from the loan to pay off your debt, then pay back the loan in installments over a set term.

Two additional ways to consolidate debt are tak-ing out a home equity loan or 401(k) loan. However, these two options involve risk — to your home or your retire-ment. In any case, the best option for you depends on your credit score and pro-file, as well as your debt-to-income ratio.

When it’s a good idea

Success with a consolida-tion strategy requires:

• Your total debt doesn’t exceed 50 percent of your income.

• Your credit is good enough to qualify for a 0 percent credit card or low-interest debt consolidation loan.

• Your cash flow con-sistently covers payments toward your debt.

• You have a plan to pre-vent running up debt again.

To begin to assess your chances with consolidation, first add up all your unse-cured consumer debts: credit card balances, medical debt and personal loans. Don’t count a mortgage, student loans or auto loans.

Compare the total with your gross annual income. If it’s less than half your income and you think you can pay it off within five years, you’re a candidate for debt consolidation.

For many people, con-solidation reveals a light at the end of the tunnel. If you take a loan with a three-year term, you know it will be paid off in three years — assuming you make your payments on time and man-age your spending. Con-versely, making minimum payments on credit cards

could mean months or years before they’re paid off, all while accruing more interest than the initial principal.

When it’s a bad idea

If your debt load is small — you can pay it off within six months to a year at your cur-rent pace — and you’d save only a negligible amount by consolidating, don’t bother.

However, if the total of your debts is more than half your income, and calcula-tions reveal that you can’t pay it off in five years, you’re better off seeking debt relief than treading water forever.

Debt settlement compa-nies negotiate with creditors to repay less than you owe, in return for a substantial cut of the savings. Damage to your credit is severe, and the pro-cess can take years. Bank-ruptcy is typically a faster, cheaper option than a debt settlement plan.

Debt management plans, offered through consumer credit counseling services for a monthly fee, usually bring reduced interest rates on credit card balances. You make a single payment to the agency, which pays creditors on your behalf. Typically you can’t use credit cards while participating, and a large percentage of participants don’t complete the plan.

What is debt consolidation?

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