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My fiancé and I just came off a wonderful, three-week trip. You see, we moved to California six months before the pandemic—and were so excited to see our family and closest friends in Chicago and New York. But, somewhere in the pre-planning phase between scheduling our social calendar and relearning how to pack nearly a month’s worth of stuff into a tiny carry-on, it finally dawned on me: What are we supposed to do with our plants?...

Whether we’re dressing up for Christmas supper (even if no one will see us but family), baking a towering confection for the sideboard, or decorating a tree that could grace the cover of, well, Southern Living, Southerners have a certain flair for the dramatic around the holidays. One area where we never rein in the spectacle is the tabletop. Once we’ve shined the silver, set out Grandma’s vintage tablecloth, and grabbed our favorite china pattern from the cabinet, it’s time for the crystal to make its grand entrance....

People might say that a watched pot never boils, but we’d argue that an unwatched pot is what really needs attention—it has a tendency to boil over. One second you’re innocently washing dishes, and next, you’re running over to a steaming stovetop. Even if you manage to sprint across the kitchen in time, the unwatched pot doesn’t necessarily calm down right away—causing you to scoop boiling water out before it overflows....

When I got home from vacation, I had one question bouncing around my head for my house sitter: Who puts a red towel in with white towels? I was thinking about the question because my favorite white towels were found in the dryer alongside a deep red, deeply ugly commemorative towel I had been planning on donating. Now the white towels were a pale pink. Not to name drop, but the tiny tragedy was compounded by the fact that the white towels were Frette, purchased in a bid to stave off a bout of post-vacation blues and make my house feel more like a hotel....

Wynonna Judd has decided to turn what would have been The Judds’ final tour into a star-studded tribute to her late mother. During Sunday’s public memorial for the country legend, Wynonna told the crowd that she would continue with the tour that she and Naomi had planned for later this year, in honor of her mother. “The show must go on, as hard as it may be,” she said. “It’s so devastatingly beautiful what happened here tonight, so we will continue this spectacle....

It would have been easy for Baltimore restaurateur John Minadakis to sit by and watch as his competitors were shuttered by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Instead, the co-owner of Jimmy’s Famous Seafood chose to help them. “I guess I could have just sat back and said, ‘You know, I’ll just wait for all my competitors to go out of business … (and) when things get back to normal, I’ll be the only one left,’” Minadakis told Today....

Reese Witherspoon’s hotly anticipated movie adaptation of Where the Crawdads Sing has a release date! According to Deadline, Hello Sunshine’s production of Where the Crawdads Sing is set to premiere this summer on July 22. It was previously scheduled for a June 24 release. Where the Crawdads Sing, starring Daisy Edgar-Jones as Kya, was filmed in and around Houma and New Orleans. Like the book, the movie is also set in two different time periods....

Hello, Christmas decorations. How we’ve longed to dust thee off since, oh, March of this year. (In fact, so desperate were we for a bit of holiday-infused joy that Americans across the country turned Christmas lights on this past spring as a symbol of hope amidst the coronavirus pandemic.) Now that it’s November, we’re officially giving ourselves permission to put up our trees, hang our wreaths, light our cozy Chirstmas cookie candle, and do pretty much everything short of leaving Christmas cookies and a note out for ole Saint Nick....

Canola and vegetable oil have a lot in common—you might even confuse them from time to time if the bottles are side-by-side in your kitchen pantry. Both of these workhouse oils are pale yellow in color, neutral in flavor, inexpensive, and have high smoke points, which makes them good for high heat cooking like frying. So what’s the difference between these two oils, and why would you choose one over the other in the grocery store?...

Waco’s first couple, Chip and Joanna Gaines, have done so much to help keep us delighted and entertained amid the difficult times of the coronavirus pandemic. From quarantine cooking videos to beautiful, zen-inducing photos of the family’s Texas farm, we feel lucky that the former Fixer Upper stars share glimpses into their personal lives with their fans. Now, we’re melting by the sweetness of a beautiful message Chip penned to his beloved Jo in honor of their wedding anniversary yesterday....

No dinner party is complete without a stunning main course, and a perfectly-cooked rack of lamb is a surefire way to impress the guests. You may only be used to cooking lamb for the holidays, but our editors are here to make a case for cooking lamb on any old Tuesday. “In our opinion, lamb doesn’t necessarily need to be limited to being a holiday centerpiece. It’ll work just as easily into your weeknight routine,” our editors write....

With emergency dispatchers across the country overwhelmed by record-breaking call volume due to the coronavirus pandemic, right now, it’s essential that 911 is reserved for true medical emergencies. Instead of dialing 911 with general COVID-19 questions or to find out where you can be tested for the deadly virus, please consider calling (478) 292-6843. As Lifehacker points out, this number will connect you to your state’s coronavirus hotline, freeing up emergency lines and first responders for true emergencies....

Anyone with a bird feeder knows the drama they can bring to even the most peaceful of backyards. And while dinnertime might look like chaos, data has shown that bird feeder dynamics are the result of a clear social hierarchy among the species that frequent them. According to a recent report by The Washington Post, there is, quite literally, a bird feeder pecking order. Since 1987, backyard birders participating in Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Project FeederWatch have reported the species they saw at their feeders during the winter....

A large part of Dolly Parton’s enduring appeal is her willingness to put it all out there. Embarrassing moments, childhood tales, even stories that border on TMI. Throughout her half century in the spotlight, the beloved songstress has been a veritable open book. Except, of course, when it comes to her longtime husband Carl Dean. “My husband is not one who wants to be just thrown out there,” Parton explained in a 2016 interview with Vogue....

Former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees finally got the send-off he deserves. Brees, who was at the Caesars Superdome for the NBC broadcast of the Saints’ Thanksgiving game against the Buffalo Bills, was honored with an emotional halftime tribute Thursday. With Brees back in the stadium for the first time since he announced his retirement at the end of the 2020 season, the Saints pulled out all the stops as they bid farewell to the icon....

Gardening knowledge is built upon wisdom, advice, folklore, and old wives’ tales. Much of this know-how originated when farmers had a good harvest and, without scientific research to rely on, they looked for factors that may have contributed to that success. Did they plant during a full moon? Were the clouds low or high in the sky? Let’s review some of the more common old wives’ tales about gardening and see which ones are worth trying....

Calling all garden gurus and flower arranging fans. This fall grass is making appearances in centerpieces, wreaths, and even wedding bouquets more than ever before. With its dramatic stature and plume-like flowers, the striking look of pampas grass makes it a trendy pick for Southern yards. But unlike some trends, growing pampas grass is a landscape choice that’s here to stay. That’s because it is perfect for a warmer climate—it thrives in hot, sunny conditions....

The “Greataste Reese’s Doughnut of All Time” is a title that can now be proudly claimed by the Reese’s Classic Doughnut. In July, Krispy Kreme brought back three of the greatest Reese’s doughnuts from the last three years for a limited-time only through August 16—the Classic Reese’s Doughnut, Reese’s Outrageous Doughnut, and the Reese’s Original Filled Chocolate Lovers Doughnut—and asked fans to share their greatest, most creative reviews of their favorite of the trio to help the company decide which would secure a spot on Krispy Kreme’s permanent menu....

If you could use a mid-week dose of retail therapy, no one has you covered quite like Lilly Pulitzer. Known for its bright patterns and cheerful colors, the brand’s clothes and accessories are guaranteed to put a smile on your face — and right now, it’s having a rare sale just in time for spring. Fans of Lilly Pulitzer know that its sales are few and far between, so this unexpected one is a welcome surprise....

The oldest living American celebrated a remarkable 116 years of life this weekend. Or is it 115? Hester Ford is so old there’s a bit of a debate surrounding her true age. Either way, she’s earned quite a party. On Saturday, Ford’s family, friends, and neighbors marked the incredible occasion with a giant drive-thru celebration organized by two of her grandkids: Mary Hill and Clayton Harris. Well-wishers honked and waved as they drove past the Charlotte home where Ford has lived for the last 58 years....