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Date night, how we love and long for thee. Paying the babysitter? While we adore and appreciate the amazing caretakers of our children, doling out the cash doesn’t exactly rank high on our list of favorite things to do. If you’ve been curious about what the average rate per hour for babysitters in 2020 is, you’re not alone. Now, for the ninth year in a row, UrbanSitter, an online and mobile babysitter-booking service, has released their ninth annual childcare survey—and the results may surprise you....

Have a special teacher in your or your child’s life? Imagine giving these deserving men and women an incredible classroom makeover — well, Wayfair Professional wants to make that fantasy a reality for one lucky teacher in their Annual Dream Classroom Giveaway (last year’s winner, Mr. Tavares Perkins, a teacher at Classical Studies Magnet Academy in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and his classroom, is pictured below). The contest will gift new classroom furniture and decor to one incredible teacher in the United States, giving their students a beautiful and functional place to learn for the 2021-2022 school year (pending coronavirus restrictions)....

While the South boasts a whole bevy of top-notch restaurants and culinary destinations, it’s no secret that Southern culinary tradition starts in the home kitchen. In Mama’s kitchen, we gained our early culinary educations; standing at her side, we learned how to crimp a pie crust, how to fry chicken to a gorgeous golden-brown, and how to stir the pitcher of sweet tea just the right way. The pantry was always stocked with a few choice ingredients (why were there so many cans of condensed milk?...

If you’re having trouble getting your hands on Grape-Nuts, you’re not alone. The high-fiber cereal is reportedly the latest casualty of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as more people continue to eat breakfast at home. Kristin DeRock, Grape-Nuts Brand Manager, told USA Today that supply chain constraints and higher demand for cereal have led to shortages of Grape-Nuts, though the product is expected to be “fully back” on shelves in the spring....

Stephanie Beasley is thanking God and her dogs after a fire destroyed her family’s Madison, Tennessee, home early Tuesday morning. The mom of four, whose nephew was also staying with them at the time, said the house she was renting didn’t have smoke detectors. Instead, Beasley says it was the incessant barking of her two dogs, Stormie and Kash, that woke her up and saved their lives. “I rounded the corner, and then it was so bright and orange I just started screaming,” she recalled to WSMV....

One of the most beloved holiday traditions in the South is going virtual. For many, Biltmore’s iconic tree-raising is a spectacle that marks the beginning of the Christmas season, not just in Asheville, but across the country. This Christmas, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the pageantry will be shifted to the internet so revelers can tune in from the comfort and safety of their homes. The Christmas at Biltmore: Virtual Tree-Raising is a free, online experience documenting the 35-foot Fraser fir’s journey to becoming the seasonal centerpiece of America’s largest home....

Many people ask me how to turn their pink hydrangea blue⁠—a lot more than those who ask how to turn a blue hydrangea pink. The South loves the blues, I guess. I answer just like everyone else, with the caveat that it takes a lot of patience. The flower color of a French aka bigleaf hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla) depends on whether the soil is acid (below pH 7.0) or alkaline (above pH 7....

Asparagus is a quintessential springtime ingredient. It can turn basic quiches into a seasonal delight. It adds green bounty to side salads. It can also be the go-to side dish for steak and chicken, or fish and grilled tofu. In short, asparagus is an ingredient of multitudes. Asparagus is also great because it can be a bit of a chameleon. On its own, the naturally green, grassy flavors are mild enough to not overwhelm delicate fish or chicken....

Does anyone else buy new gym clothes only as motivation to exercise Hello? Nobody? Not even you in the back? Well that’s how I stumbled upon the best thing about 2020 (not saying much, I know). It was a Hail Mary attempt to muster up the inspiration to get active. And to my utter amazement, it worked. The Exercise Dress has done the undoable. I look forward to my daily workouts....

Southern Living posted an article with the headline “Texas-Native Patrick Mahomes Misses Whataburger So Much, He’s Bringing It to Kansas City.” As an Alabamian married to a Kansas City native, I love any and all Mahomes news. The comments section was filled with homesick Texans like him, but plenty of posters asked him to also bring a Braum’s to KC. Braum’s? I’d never heard of it, but it must be pretty good to implore help from an NFL quarterback....

In these divisive times, the nation is now collectively mourning Civil Rights icon, John Robert Lewis, who died last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer at age 80. Over several days, the Troy, Alabama-born man arrested dozens of times for getting into “good trouble,” is being given a hero’s farewell. Yesterday, ahead of today’s arrival at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., Congressman Lewis took one last symbolic journey across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama....

Raised in several small towns around Chattanooga, Kane Brown is now playing stadiums all over the U.S. and electrifying audiences with his deep voice and powerful catalog of hit songs that draw from different genres. But the path to success hasn’t been easy, beginning with an unstable childhood and brushes with homelessness. On our Biscuits & Jam podcast, he talked about the positive influence of his sheriff grandmother, her signature lime punch, and why he loves working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America....

Candy canes are one of our favorite holiday sweets, and you’d be hard-pressed to introduce us to a flavor we don’t adore. Well, we come bearing good news for sweet tooths this week: Kellogg’s has launched Froot Loops Candy Canes. Available nationwide while supplies last at Kroger and online at GalerieCandy.com here ($3.99 for a box of 12; in-store suggested retail price is $2.99) Each candy cane is a swirl of Toucan Sam’s colors and the flavor is reminiscent of the beloved breakfast cereal....

A video of a young girl enjoying a wheelchair-accessible swimming pool for the first time is warming hearts all over the world. Mom of four, Katrina Placzek recently shared a video of her eight-year-old daughter Dallas using a special pool-friendly wheelchair at Tiff’s Place, a wheelchair-accessible vacation home in Chuluota, Florida. Dallas, who was born premature at 28 weeks, has quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy. The condition affects her limbs and makes it difficult for her to walk....

When it comes to decorating your outdoor space, there’s nothing that brings people together like a fire pit. In what other setting do friends and family sit closely together with minimal distractions to spark up conversations, tell stories, play games, and sing songs all at the center of a mesmerizing flame? And the s’mores and fire-roasted hot dogs are always a plus. If you’re looking for a fire pit for small outdoor gatherings this year, this basic option from Walmart is the perfect choice....

How’s this for feel-good inspiration? 17-year-old Noah Myers has hiked 100 miles in the Great Smoky Mountains. An impressive feat for anyone, but especially impressive for Noah, who has autism and is nonverbal. “He’s autistic, and he doesn’t like things that challenge him. And then we said, ‘you know, he’s old enough to understand that sometimes you just gotta do hard things’” Noah’s mother Angela Miles told Knoxville, Tennessee’s WBIR-TV....

Can you imagine NBC’s hit singing competition show, The Voice, without Blake Shelton serving as coach? We can’t either. But what if we told you that Reba McEntire was the original pick for the popular television series? Hmmmm…maybe we could envision someone else in Shelton’s coaching chair, after all. Well, as it turns out, McEntire was actually tapped by the show to serve as a coach for the show’s first season—which aired in the spring of 2011—though the country star decided to turn down the opportunity....

Anything goes when it comes to holidays, and that includes not having to wait until December to decorate your Christmas tree. All over Instagram people have been sharing their take on the trend, and it’s definitely a fun way to celebrate the season. Don’t break out the ornaments just yet, though. The autumnal Christmas tree is all about decorations styled in warm tones and lots of pumpkins (naturally). Not that we need an excuse to embrace this trend, but we’re home more than usual so we may as well have some fun, right?...

I must admit that while I enjoy cooking, my least favorite part is the cleanup that comes along with spending time in the kitchen. That’s exactly why I love a good one-dish dinner. My parents first introduced me to the recipe for Lemon-Rosemary-Garlic Chicken and Potatoes a few years ago and it’s since become a family favorite. In addition to being delicious, it’s easy to make, requires few ingredients, and of course yields just one pan to clean once supper is over....

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last year, you’ve likely heard and can even sing along to “Fancy Like” by Walker Hayes. The bubbly pop-country tune took over the airwaves, created a TikTok dance craze, and even inspired Applebee’s to reinstate the Oreo Shake to their menu. But Hayes, who recently spoke with Southern Living, doesn’t want you to think it was an overnight success. That’s not his story....