The internet is sparse on Cousins Day history, but we figure the history of the holiday isn’t so important – what matters is the history of  your family. Your cousins are helpful for a variety of things: growing with them helps us frame our own change over time, they provide a familiar but separate perspective, and they’re always prepared to lend a hand in helping out with projects. I live near my cousins now and they’re always thrilled to help out with DIY projects; it’s like a small family reunion with a fun collaborative element. However, some projects with the family are much larger than others.

I remember when my town took the brunt of a hurricane – luckily, nobody was hurt except for our homes. A house down the street literally had a tree speared through its roof like an angry giant had rampaged through the neighborhood. The trees were more merciful to my house; one had fallen and somehow taken the shingling with it and my fence was broken in a few areas.

My plan wasn’t to call them up; I figured they had their own repairs to worry about. But a day hadn’t even passed before my cousins, George and Maria, were knocking on my door with toolboxes in hand; they were going to help me whether or not I wanted it (but of course I wanted their help). Luckily, George, who had been something of an older brother in my younger days, was a contractor who specialized in roofs (Convenient, right?). He told me not to worry about the shingles; Maria and I were to handle putting the fence back together.

So, we went to the hardware store, got a few saws, hammers, nail sets, cans of paint and brushes, and got to work. Fixing anything, I learned, is considerably easier with a partner. I handled sawing the wood and she put it right into place; after two days’ work, we had fixed several yards of my fence.

Maria actually proved herself more helpful than a contractor. After the fence was finished, I was content to stop and relax, but she kept pacing up and down the yard. I asked her what she was thinking about, and she replied that the fence would really look better painted blue. She explained that the flowers in front of my house were mostly blue, so the blue would frame the green of the lawn, which would look nice. A contractor would have fixed the fence, received his pay, and called it a day.

I decided to go with the idea, changing the white paint to a nice sky blue, and it turned out Maria was right: it was beautiful. My front yard had gone from a regular green suburban lawn to a picturesque arrangement of colors, and George’s shingling was the most precise I’d ever seen.

However, for some tasks, like the speared house up the street, not even my entire, gigantic Italian extended family could have restored its former glory. When even twenty family members can’t tackle a project, head to TalkLocal and we’ll find you the best contractor available for the task at hand.

Happy Cousins Day to you and your family!

Good meat needs good flavor and that’s why barbecue was meant to be done over charcoal. That uniquely American style of cooking has been around for centuries, but gas grills only a few decades, so there’s no better way to get an authentic flavor than a charcoal grill. And, while charcoal can be a little tricky to light, we have the tips to illuminate the process for you.

There are two ways to light a charcoal grill: one way uses lighter fluid, the other does not.

Lighting a Outdoor Charcoal Grill without Lighter Fluid

What You Need:
Newspaper
Chimney Starter

1. Place newspaper into the bottom compartment of the chimney starter and charcoals in the top. Set the chimney starter down on the grill.

2. Ignite the newspaper using a stick lighter. The newspaper will start the charcoals from beneath.

3. Once the charcoals are coated in gray ash and glowing, pour them out of the starter and spread them out.

4. Cook your heart out!

Lighting a Charcoal Grill with Lighter Fluid

1. Put the charcoals into a mound or pyramid and douse well in lighter fluid. Take care not to get any on your hands.

2. Before the fluid dries, light with a stick lighter.

3. When coals are coated in gray ash, spread across the grill.

4. You’re ready to cook!

Some brands of charcoal will come coated in lighter fluid. In this case, just put them in a mound and light. Afterwards, follow the instructions from the previous section.

Are you preparing for a cookout? Wow your guests with a bit of creative landscaping from one of the many trusted professionals at TalkLocal. Our free search system will find you the perfect pro before those coals turn gray.