We wanted a portable fire pit for our patio, and my wife insisted that it be as smokeless as possible, so we settled on an East Oak Smokeless Fire Pit. I was pretty dubious about the smokeless part, but much to our delight, the East Oak burns all kinds of wood (from split firewood to 2x4 scraps) with almost no smoke once it gets going. We got the 21-inch version which is large enough. It is made of stainless steel so it has withstood standing outside for all seasons well. The retail price is listed as $270, however recently it has been selling for $160 or less. (Reminder you can use Camelcamelcamel to alert you to a target price on Amazon.) — KK

The only reliable way to deter squirrels from bird feeders is to use hot peppered bird seed. Squirrels (and other rodents) hate the taste of capsaicin, but birds are immune and happily chow it down. Train your neighborhood squirrels by starting out with 100% of hot peppered seed like Wild Delight Sizzle N Heat Bird Food and then gradually dilute this expensive seed with regular stuff. I have not tried this, but you can make your own by mixing a cayenne oil like Flaming Squirrel Sauce with your usual seed. — KK