My decorating skills do not extend to cakes. Slathering store-bought frosting and sprinkling M&Ms on a Devil’s Food is about as far as my confectionary brilliance goes. But today is a new day, and Martha Stewart’s cake stencils are going to save my pastries.

When I’m at home, I spend much of my time in the kitchen—cooking, munching, cleaning, opening mail, drawing up grocery lists, planning schedules, packing lunches, reading the newspaper, and chatting with family and friends.

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