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For those who celebrate Christmas each year, many of the fondest memories of the holiday season, from childhood to present day, center around the Christmas tree. With the twinkling of a new strand of lights and the clinking of ornaments being unwrapped for decorating, you can be transported back to a cherished experience. The Christmas tree itself serves as a beacon of cheer that needs only to be dressed up by loved ones old and new....

Josie Tuttle-Trimnal was 11 years old when her family received the news that her father, Army pilot CW3 William Tuttle, had died. At the time, Tuttle, a decorated Vietnam War veteran and Black Hawk helicopter instructor pilot, was stationed at Fort Campbell. He was recruited to help grow the unit now known as the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment or The Night Stalkers. “Every time he left, we did not know where he was going, and we didn’t know what he was doing,” Tuttle-Trimnal told WREG....

This past Christmas, my roommate gifted her mother a giant toilet paper roll, complete with metal stand. She says the gift was given in jest, but after spending the better part of my 2020 stalking Publix and Piggly Wiggly for toilet paper, I’m starting to think my roommate knew something then that the rest of us didn’t. This holiday season, I’m following her lead—though I’ll be opting to gift No.2’s pattern-wrapped rolls to my No....

Picking a Christmas tree isn’t all sugar plums and candy canes. Some—siblings, more often than not—play a tree tug-of-war of sorts every season. To be perfectly plump or symmetrically shaped: that is the question. Other times, the bickering is more broad, like choosing between the different types of Christmas trees altogether. While some think festive comes by way of fir, others say spruce is the most spirited of the season. Balsam fir smells spicy and divine, while Scotch pine makes for a rustic, bushy scene....

If West Virginia is almost heaven by default, then come autumn, which lingers into November here, it’s all out nirvana. Fall’s fiery painter’s palette licks its flames across mountainsides and paints snaking valleys golden, and an idyllic cabin escape with a side of soft family adventure awaits. Follow our lead for some of the sights you won’t want to miss in West Virginia this fall. Hike Along Long Point Trail Kid-friendly hikes abound in the Mountain State....

It might as well be a scene from a horror movie: You turn on the lights in that one special closet, or flip the switch to illuminate your basement. You slowly trudge toward your holiday decorations, and there you find the tangled, twisted, only-partially-functional strands of Christmas lights you hurriedly stuffed in a box last year when you just couldn’t look at them anymore. Never fear—help is here! This year, we’re going to make sure you’ve got a game plan heading into Christmas that will actually allow you to decorate with the end in mind....

Humans aren’t the only creatures in Hurricane Laura’s path. As the strengthening storm gets closer to the Gulf Coast, rescue organizations across the South are working overtime to remove animals of all shapes and sizes from harm’s way. With Laura set to make landfall in the Galveston area as a catastrophic category 4 hurricane Wednesday night, the Houston SPCA has evacuated more than 200 shelter animals. The organization reportedly transported 130 dogs, cats, and rabbits to the Austin Humane Society and 27 baby squirrels to the Austin Wildlife Rescue....

During times of darkness like the current coronavirus pandemic, we’re grateful we can lean on Dolly Parton for a little bit of much needed light. To help lift us all up, the Smoky Mountain Songbird shared a brief video message on her social media platforms this weekend with the simple caption, “Keep the faith.” Standing in what is presumably her Tennessee home, Parton leaned beside a short staircase and began her inspirational pep talk with a few lines of a cappella: “Well, hello, it’s Dolly, climbing the stairway to heaven!...

Even though salads are often considered the “obligatory” part of the meal, they might become your new favorite with these simple steps. Forget the Lettuce Don’t misunderstand me, lettuce can be great—but for most of us, we need to think outside the box before getting creative with lettuces again. Soft herbs make some of the best salads, giving both bright flavor and crispness (basil, flat-leaf parsley, mint, cilantro, etc.). Thinly sliced melon, cucumbers, peaches, and plums are sturdy enough to provide good structure for your salad while lending a refreshing sweet taste....

My what big teeth you have! The startlingly humanlike chompers of a sheepshead fish caught off Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head, North Carolina, whipped the internet into a bit of a frenzy this week. Angler Nathan Martin, from South Mills, caught the creature on Monday using a handtied rig and sand fleas for bait, WRAL reports. While sheepsheads aren’t particularly rare off the southeast coast, they are difficult to catch....

Garth Brooks is getting inked! The country crooner recently revealed that 2022 is the year he has to fulfill a promise he made to his daughter, Allie Colleen. “I owe my baby a tattoo… I owe my youngest a tattoo, and I’ve got to figure out what it’s going to be, but it’s got to be done this year in 2022,” he explained in a January episode of Inside Studio G on Facebook Live....

As my roommate and I were brainstorming potential edible gifts to give to our neighbors, the question came to my mind: Do sprinkles expire? My memory shot back to the sprinkle container that I remember resting in my mom’s spice cupboard for probably half of my childhood. I’m confident that the sprinkles were used once for a birthday party or bake sale and then forgotten about until we found them years later and quickly tossed them out....

‘Tis the season for all things romance. When February rolls around, we’re stocking the pantry shelves with truffle boxes and candy hearts. Whether we’re coupled or going solo, we love an excuse to celebrate—especially when chocolate is involved. This year, we’re treating ourselves and our loved ones to a fancy three-course meal—no reservation required. Dim the lights and set the table. This year’s elegant Valentine’s Day dinner is happening in your home kitchen....

Entering my parents’ house at the holidays is like watching the opening scenes of Home Alone, where multiple families converge on one house and absolute chaos ensues. We usually have over 20 people staying for the duration, including my parents, their four children plus spouses, and a dozen energetic grandchildren ranging from babies to teenagers. This boisterous crowd must be fed (hangry relatives are not to be trifled with), so the kitchen stays humming with the preparations for one meal starting just about as soon as the cleanup on the previous meal has ended....

Lainey Wilson won big at the 56th Annual Country Music Awards last night, but the star really wanted to shine a spotlight on her father, Brian Wilson. The Baskin, Louisiana, native grew up working with her father, a fifth generation farmer, and in a recent interview told Southern Living how much she learned from her dad growing up. “Daddy is the hardest working person I know. He taught me my entire life how to pull up my bootstraps and tell it like it is with grace,” said Lainey....

Actor Matthew McConaughey and Wild Turkey have teamed up for the fifth year in a row to honor everyday heroes who have demonstrated courage, conviction, and confidence in the face of adversity. This holiday season, McConaughey and the Kentucky-based whiskey brand have come together to recognize and reward five “Local Legends” who kept their local music scenes alive “during an exceptionally trying time” with $10,000 donations to community-based music initiatives of their choice....

On the day before Thanksgiving last year, my mom and I were in the kitchen with my grandmother (better known as Nana to me) as she was preparing the cornbread dressing for our Thanksgiving meal the next day. Just before she was about to peel the boiled eggs, she reached into one of her kitchen drawers and exclaimed, “I’ve got to show you my new egg chopper!” She then proceeded to pull out her Kitchenaid Egg Slicer ($11....

Once upon a time, in a land before the coronavirus pandemic, chocolate chip cookies at Chick-fil-A, a Blizzard at Dairy Queen, or a Krispy Kreme doughnut was perhaps a once weekly treat. Now, with the rampant stressors of daily life amid a global crisis, we’re trying to be kinder to ourselves—and sometimes that means indulging in a sweet treat a little bit more than usual. And when we caught wind of Popeyes’ new chocolate-filled beignets, boy do we want to indulge....

Reba McEntire has assembled a dream team for her new Lifetime movie, The Hammer. The upcoming television movie stars McEntire’s former Reba co-star, Melissa Peterman, who’ll play her onscreen sister, as well as her real-life boyfriend, Rex Lin. Peterman will reportedly play the country singer’s on-screen sister, while Lin has been cast as a “mysterious cowboy with unknown motives.” According to a news release, McEntire stars as the title character in the film inspired by the true story of traveling Judge Kim Wheeler, a “firecracker” lawyer who is appointed Judge of the 5th District of Nevada after her predecessor dies under suspicious circumstances....

It’s a good thing Reba McEntire brought an extra set of clothes to the inaugural Gateway Celebrity Fight Night! The country legend is a frequent supporter of the star-studded charity event that raises money for cancer research. In addition to emceeing this year’s fete, McEntire also auctioned off the chance to have dinner with her in Nashville. But that wasn’t the only thing the songstress gave away on that March night in Phoenix....