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For interior designer Sara Hillery, Christmastime provides a fun opportunity to flex her creativity. “I apply the same approach to holiday decor as I do to interior design and never repeat a look,” explains Hillery, who dreams up a new theme for her Richmond home every year, leaving her family and friends to wonder what will come next. “I love the element of surprise!” One thing that never changes? Hillery’s incorporation of beloved traditions, including her husband’s from New Orleans and her own from Virginia....

During Christmas, the biggest gift of all is getting to spend quality time with loved ones. Well, and the food, particularly if you’re from the South. My family loves casseroles and towering cakes and cranberry molds as much as the next Southern brood, but we’ve now traded in the big, fancy, heavy Christmas dinner for something decidedly more, well, tiny. Since appetizers are hands-down the best part of any party anyway, my grandmother decided to switch up our usual spread one year to instead throw a party with the biggest cheer and littlest portions, which we now dub “The Tiny Feast....

The need for green is hitting us hard this year. We’ve even managed to move beyond the garden, venturing into the great indoors. From rubber plants to bonsai trees, we’ve yet to meet a type of houseplant we don’t want to call up our neighbor and spread the word about. But as Southerners, we must admit we have a special place in our hearts for all things pineapple. As symbols of hospitality, we love what they stand for and the jolt of joy we get every time we see the spiny-skinned tropical fruit....

All over the South, each and every day, hometown heroes are working hard to make their communities better places to live. One such individual who works tirelessly to improve the lives of individuals, especially kids, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and the larger area, is Dontay Hampton, CEO of youth mentor program and outreach group, Y.B. Normal. With an ethos of “Why be normal? Be extraordinary,” Dontay and his team travel around the Tennessee Valley working as youth mentors, hosting motivational speaking events, and doing general community outreach....

This season, think beyond holiday movie marathons and reintroduce Christmas traditions from years gone by that are bound to make this season extra merry and bright. Whether it’s a retro decoration or a traditional recipe, there’s familiar comfort in bringing these throwbacks back to your holiday celebrations. Here, 12 old-fashioned Christmas traditions are just begging for a holly jolly comeback. Tinsel Trees While we love a fragrant Douglas fir, opt for a festive and retro aluminum Christmas tree to change things up....

Silver­­ haired beauties know that there’s power in their pigment (or lack thereof)—and know how to use it to their advantage. Among its many other virtues, gray hair is an embodiment of wisdom and elegance manifested from the woman who wears it. Though commonly reserved for women in their more mature years, even ladies in their 20’s are starting to take notes. (I mean really, where do you think they came up with the idea of ash blonde hair?...

The best-selling handheld vacuum is lightweight at only 2.4 pounds and is easy to maneuver around all of the different areas of the inside of a car where debris loves to hide. Thanks to its 106W motor, pet hair and snack remnants easily get sucked right up into the device and with the option to plug it into a 12-volt auxiliary outlet or cigarette lighter, you never have to worry about the battery running out....

On a recent episode of the TODAY show, Blake Shelton caught up with Hoda Kotb and Carson Daly (who also hosts The Voice, on which Shelton is a coach) about adjusting to life during the coronavirus crisis , spending time on his Oklahoma ranch with Carson, and to perform “Happy Anywhere,” his new song with girlfriend Gwen Stefani. On the show, Kotb references how she was moved to see Stefani share a tribute to Shelton on Father’s Day on social media, and what a thoughtful gesture that was....

Chick-fil-A is on a mission to make drive-thru ordering as quick and painless as possible. As such, the Georgia-based chicken chain is testing a dedicated drive-thru lane for mobile orders they hope will be “the quickest and easiest way to order and pick up a meal yet.” “The express drive-thru lane is a game-changer for our busy customers and our team members,” Jonathan Lassiter, a senior integration leader on Chick-fil-A’s Service and Hospitality team, said in a news release....

If you’re wondering what to do with oil after frying food, consider trying out this cooking oil solidifier from Fryaway. Made from plant-derived fats, the powder safely and effectively solidifies cooking oil right in your pan, so you can easily shovel it directly in the trash—no mystery freezer container necessary. All you have to do is sprinkle the powder into hot oil, wait for it to cool down and solidify, then throw it away....

If you’re like me, you have countless table setting photos saved, full of ornately folded cloth napkins that coordinate perfectly with matching china. The reality of my everyday table is much different, the cleanup depending on paper towels ripped carelessly off the roll and shoved to the side of a dinner plate. While the meal is still delicious, the appearance doesn’t quite add up to the carefully curated pictures. I justify using up that paper towel roll....

Don’t keep the Queen of Country waiting. Indeed, if you ever find yourself with a calendar hold from Dolly Parton herself, you best be sure you arrive to your meeting early, as we learned in a 2011 interview with author and film critic Thelma Adams for Parade magazine. In response to being asked what ruffles her feathers, Parton replied, “People being late. I hate if you’re at a meeting and waiting on somebody....

We’ve heard of pets being surrendered for being “too big and too strong,” but “too affectionate” is a new one. “Too affectionate” is what Jerry’s owner told the Humane Society of Broward County when she abandoned him at the shelter just before Christmas. “Jerry was given-up because his owner said he was too affectionate and too vocal. He would greet her at the door,” Susan Leonti, the digital marketing specialist at the Humane Society of Broward County told Southern Living....

One Georgia pastor is using a catchy song from Hamilton to assure his congregation that they will, in fact, be back together once the threat of COVID-19 has passed. Reverend Lonnie Lacy of St Anne’s Episcopal Church in Tifton is going viral for putting his own spin on “You’ll Be Back,” one of the songs from the hit Broadway musical. “Social distancing got you missing church? You’ll be back!” the video’s YouTube description reads....

Alexa and Carlos PenaVega are returning to Hallmark Movies & Mysteries this weekend with the second installment of their series, Picture Perfect Mysteries: Dead Over Diamonds. In this movie we see the return of town wedding photographer, Allie Adams, played by Alexa and Willow Haven Police Department’s newest detective, Sam Acosta, portrayed by Carlos. The two find themselves working side by side again, this time on the hunt for a jewel thief turned murderer....

A Southern woman’s beauty basics are quite simple: Never leave the house without a swipe of mascara, a sweep of blush, and a fresh coat of color on your nails. Manicured nails are an essential ingredient to starting each and every day with confidence and ease. Some go to their loyal nail technician every week, and others apply a fresh coat while watching Hallmark movies on the couch. Each are worthy techniques, but an at-home application is certainly more accident-prone....

You may not get home for Grandma’s birthday celebration this year, but that doesn’t mean you can’t contribute to the party. Find a way to show you care by mailing a specialty baked good or family recipe that will surprise whoever receives it and leave a smile on their face. Whether shipping a few miles or across the ocean, these easy methods make sending a taste of home as easy as pie....

The hydrangea can be a finicky flower, and determining what’s wrong with your plant can be half the battle. From spotted leaves to powdery mildew, the issues that can arise from either insufficient or over-watering are many. But, even if you’re giving your plants the perfect amount of water, the technique that you use to water them matters too. According to David Doggett, president of the Alabama Hydrangea Society and Advanced Master Gardener with certification in hydrangeas, hydrangeas are more vulnerable to water loss than other flowering shrubs and bushes because of their large leaves....

Any home baker who’s ever attempted to bake cookies on a non-greased sheet pan knows they’ll never attempt that disaster again. Trying to dislodge stuck pieces of gooey cookies from a tray is a task no one should have to do—especially since you’ll likely be left with baked goods that are rather lopsided. For those who swear by parchment paper as the solution might want to test out a different product, one that’s not only sustainable but also Jennifer Garner-approved....

What’s small, round, and the color of coffee? The largest diamond discovered at Crater of Diamonds State Park this year! The Arkansas park revealed in a news release that after a decade of searching, Adam Hardin found what he was looking for on April 10: a 2.38-carat brown diamond. Hardin, a frequent visitor to the Arkansas park, was wet-sifting soil from the search area’s East Drain when he found the rare gem....