When you call to mind the concept of cleaning your hardwood floors, it might conjure up the image of a weary soul who’s been lifting a sopping wet mop from a heavy bucket of suds onto a spattered floor. Thankfully, in real life, the process of cleaning hardwoods is much simpler—but it can be just as easy to make a mistake as it can be to get it right. Avoid these missteps and your floors will be shining like new in no time....
We love lavender because of its wonderful fragrance and purple blooms, but we’ve learned the hard way that not all lavenders thrive in the heat and humidity of the South. That’s why we’ve rounded up a few of our favorite types of lavender here. While they don’t all thrive in every corner of the South, there’s a lavender here for everyone. We’ve had success growing these pretty plants in our gardens and window boxes—including ‘Phenomenal’ lavender, which is a great one for the South because it’s so humidity tolerant....
The iconic crepe myrtle is the most widely planted tree in the South, and much of the credit goes to Southern Living. For 50 years, we’ve told you how beautiful it is in every season and how easy it is to grow. As a result, any house in a neighborhood without at least one crepe myrtle looks highly suspect. What are its occupants up to? When fall planting season approaches—the best time for planting most trees and shrubs—it’s a good bet many of you will be shopping for crepe myrtles....
Comic legend—and San Antonio native—Carol Burnett is turning 90 and everyone is invited to the birthday party. To mark the very special occasion, NBC is hosting a two-hour TV special in her honor. Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter + Love, will air on her birthday, Wednesday, April 26, starting at 8/7c on NBC. (The show will be available on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service the next day.) The show is billed as a retrospective packed with stars and songs from Burnett’s long Hollywood career from her Broadway debut in Once Upon a Mattress, to her iconic role as Miss Hannigan in Annie, and of course her beloved sketch comedy series The Carol Burnett Show, which ran for 11 seasons on CBS....
If Southern hosts had to choose an entertaining motto, they may be inclined to borrow one from the Girl Scouts: “Be prepared.” Whether it’s a highfalutin soiree at the club or a casual backyard barbecue, seasoned Southern hosts know better than to wing it (though, in a pinch, we’re pretty good at doing that too). But if you’re new to the entertaining game, don’t fret. We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeve, and if you ask nicely, we’ll gladly share our hosting how tos....
Does just thinking about the cold weather make you cold? Do you love being in nature in the winter months? Skiing enthusiast? If you answered yes to any or all of the above, do we have the pants for you. Ditto if someone in your life fits the bill and you’re looking for a practical holiday present for them this year. As one satisfied customer wrote, “My husband is always cold....
Whether it’s made from scratch or grabbed straight off a supermarket shelf, most types of bread freeze very well. Sometimes, I’ll pick up an extra loaf or two at the grocery store (especially if there’s a BOGO involved) to store in the freezer. If the bread is sliced or in roll form, you can pull out slices as needed for your morning toast or sandwiches. You can also freeze whole loaves of yeasted and quick bread if you prefer....
The holiday season may be the most wonderful time of the year, but the fun doesn’t have to stop come January. The easiest way to extend the merriment of the season is to think about what makes the holidays so special, from gifting presents to friends to honoring family traditions year after year. To avoid the holiday slump, we recommend taking a pen to paper and writing down what activities you most enjoyed or are excited for this season....
Whether we like it or not, we spend a great deal of time in our laundry rooms. Regardless of if your laundry room is technically the basement or conveniently located on the first floor, there always seems to be a load of whites to wash and a dryer full of towels to fold. Since the dirty clothes never stop, sometimes it’s a simple solution that help us keep our laundry routines efficient....
Of the countless activities we’re missing amid the coronavirus pandemic, wrapping up a meandering tour of IKEA with a heaping plate of Swedish meatballs ranks near the top of the list. Fortunately, with their stores closed, the furniture giant is more than happy to give the people what they want: the recipe for their famous Swedish meatballs. “We know that some people might be missing our meatballs, which is why we’ve released an at-home alternative which, using easily accessible ingredients, will help those looking for some inspiration in the kitchen,” said Lorena Lourido, country food manager at Ikea, in a press release....
When it comes to sending thank-you notes, the general rule is simple and steadfast: the sooner the better. If you’ve spent the weekend at a friends’ lake house, jot a quick message when you get home on Sunday evening. If you’ve received a little surcie or a birthday gift from a friend or neighbor, pen a note the very next day. There’s a bit more wiggle room for sending thank yous after a wedding: The happy couple has a few months to mail out words of gratitude on their new stationery....
Cookbook author and creator of Grandbaby Cakes, Jocelyn Delk Adams, built her brand based on celebrating her family recipes and traditions while giving her own unique take. She turned her passion into her purpose, creating a modern space for people to do what they’ve done for generations: share in a love of baking and being in the kitchen with loved ones. That’s a sentiment we can certainly appreciate, especially now that the coronavirus pandemic has kept us all home and looking for ways to stay occupied....
Good news for space enthusiasts! Florida’s Kennedy Space Center is expanding their offerings with two new tours that offer visitors the chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at our country’s early space program. Tour attendees are given never-before-granted access to areas of the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station previously closed to the public. For any budding astronauts in your life, a trip to the center may be the ultimate spring break destination!...
You know Dasher and Dancer, Prancer and Vixen. But do you know Aladdin? He’s the beloved Christmas Camel at Virginia’s Mount Vernon who each holiday season brings to life a unique piece of American history. Located just south of Washington, D.C., Mount Vernon is the former estate of the first U.S. President, George Washington. Back in the 18th century, animals played a vital role on the sprawling property. Sheep provided wool, mules plowed the fields, and cattle produced meat and dairy products....
If you’ve got a kid who wants to help out in the kitchen but isn’t quite old enough to be trusted with serious cooking tools, you’ll love this hand-powered food processor. Made by Zyliss, it’s a simple device that quickly and easily chops up food with a few pulls of a handle. The Easy Pull Food Chopper and Manual Food Processor gives budding cooks an important job to do while saving you loads of prep time....
There comes a point when no matter how cute our turtleneck sweaters once seemed or how excited we were to break out the black suede booties, we’re over winter. Come February, we’re dangerously close to reaching it. Southern women simply do not like the cold to overstay its welcome. In February, spring is still considerably far off, frolicking in the flower field of our dreams, and we’re just here watching the sun go down at five o’clock and with it our mood....
Nothing gets us in the holiday spirit like piling into a car with the family and heading out on a drive through the neighborhood to see all the twinkling lights and decorations on display. In downtown Johnson City, Texas, the Christmas lights show is unlike anything on Earth—because you can even enjoy it from space. Since 1989, the Johnson City, Texas Lights Spectacular Christmas display, centered around the historic Blanco County courthouse, drapes the town in thousands of twinkling lights for the holiday season....
If you want to attract hummingbirds to your garden—and who doesn’t?—you may already have all the tools you need. Preparing hummingbird nectar, a homemade version of the liquid that hummingbirds need for nourishment, is a prime strategy for making your yard hummingbird central, and it requires just two ingredients: sugar and water. The National Audubon Society has published a recipe that shows how easy it is to re-create hummingbird food in your own kitchen....
If you’re from the South, you’ve probably been to a meat-and-three. It’s the nothing-fancy, no-fuss type of place where you customarily order a main dish and three vegetable side dishes—and it’s always serving up the best grub in town. As far as the menu, don’t be fooled. Here, vegetables include macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, hash brown casserole, and corn pudding. It’s basically like Thanksgiving food, but you’re allowed to have it for lunch on a Tuesday....
While most Southerners didn’t grow up with an ALDI in the neighborhood, the supermarket known for great prices on affordable produce and unique exclusive products is popping up in more and more cities in our neck of the woods. While they do carry name-brand products, ALDI is able to keep its famously low prices on a wide variety of items because of their brand products that are exclusive to ALDI....
