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There are many reasons to visit Fairhope, Alabama, especially in the off-season. If you love the Gulf Coast, there are few places more scenic, with historic homes on streets lined with live oaks and a charming, walkable downtown. Fairhope sits on bluffs that overlook Mobile Bay, so you’re never far from a view of the water. It may not have the white sand beaches of the Florida panhandle, but it has a laid-back vibe that lowers your blood pressure—which may be the only reason you need to go....

Making home renovations that won’t increase your house’s resale value can be a waste of money and time. Even worse, there are some improvement mistakes that deplete the value of your home. We tapped Home Expert Bailey Carson, at Angi to share which home renovations you’re better off avoiding altogether. “If you’re a few years away from selling and the change will help you enjoy your home for the rest of your time there—without hurting its value—then go for it,” says Carson....

“If you don’t like the weather, just wait five minutes.” While many places claim this adage applies to their region (and Samuel Clemens, who wrote under the pen name Mark Twain, is said to have quipped an iteration of this quote first, in reference to New England weather), there’s no denying that Southern weather can be notoriously fickle. Sunshine and warmth one minute, a swaying downpour the next. All before the clouds clear and the sky erupts into a fiery orange-pink sunset, of course....

Whether you’re a seasoned train traveler or simply looking forward to an annual long-distance train journey, many of us miss the wispy joys of whizzing through unseen terrain or treasured stomping grounds alike on a train. For now, amid the coronavirus outbreak, we’re all trading our wanderlust for reminiscing about travels past and daydreaming of journeys to come. We can’t think of a better way to do that then with these superb books about train travel....

Hungry for an amazing excursion on vacation? Set your sights on Charleston, friends. For Tripadvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Things to Do Awards, the company ranked the Top Food Experiences around the world, based on ratings from travelers who experienced them first-hand. Claiming the top spot was none other than Undiscovered Charleston: Half Day Food, Wine & History Tour with Cooking Class. The excursion is hosted by acclaimed local chef Forrest Parker and guests have the chance to learn about the culinary influences that shaped Charleston’s food culture in an amazing outing that consists of a historical walking tour, live cooking demonstration at a restaurant, and lunch and wine pairing....

It’s amazing the things we remember. No matter how many hours I spent memorizing multiplication tables, diagramming sentences, and unsuccessfully trying to remember the capitals of all 50 states, what I recall most from my childhood school days are the lessons that probably weren’t in the plan. I’m grateful I can make a pillow, sew on a button, and identify nearly every breed of dog from Afghan hound to Yorkshire terrier, all of which I have to thank for these gone-rogue days where the plan likely took a sharp turn for one reason or another....

In the aftermath of a pair of wildfires that caused the evacuation of roughly 11,000 homes and damage to at least 100 structures last week, a wedding venue with ties to Dolly Parton is stepping up to keep love alive in Sevier County, Tennessee. Red Top Destinations announced that Red Top Mountain Lodging, the Sevierville home-turned-venue once owned by Parton, will be available for free for couples affected by the wildfires between April 1 and May 1....

During the Easter season, homes and churches alike are adorned with the gorgeous, fragrant white blooms we know as Easter lilies. The plant’s scientific name is Lilium longiflorum, but along the way, it picked up the common name “Easter lily.” Have you ever thought about where these flowers came from, or how they got their monikers? As you pick out a lily arrangement to show off on your Easter table, you can take a little extra knowledge (and some tips from our very own Grumpy Gardener) with you....

Cracking the Fine-China Code Learn how to decipher common labels when buying or selling your sets. Ceramic vs. PorcelainCeramicOften used for everyday dinnerware, ceramic is a clay-based material that’s hardened by kiln firing at low temperatures. Because of its porous makeup, it tends to be soft and slightly more fragile. On the plus side, it’s usually a lot more affordable. PorcelainThis is often synonymous with “special occasion” dinnerware—and for good reason....

Joey and Veronica Kennedy have dedicated their lives to helping others. Married for more than 40 years, both were English professors at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). As their honorary daughter Sara Denton puts it, “their impact on young minds over many years has been remarkable.” While Veronica is retired, Joey remains one of the most popular professors at UAB. A talented writer, he won a Pulitzer Prize in 1991 for a series of editorials analyzing Alabama’s tax system for The Birmingham News....

Get ready to get amok, amok, amok with the Sanderson sisters again! Executive producer Adam Shankman shared that filming on Hocus Pocus 2 has wrapped, and the highly anticipated sequel is set to premiere on Disney Plus in time for Halloween. “SISTAAAAAHHHHSSS! Aaaaand that’s a WRAP!!!” Shankman wrote in Instagram last week. “Congratulations to the amazing team @bettemidler @sarahjessicaparker @kathynajimy @567and8 @mrsleshem and the WHOOOOLLLEEEE cast and crew!!! Coming to you #halloween #2022 on @disneyplus”...

We’ve all been there. You’re standing next to the washing machine, glasses on, puzzling over the tag on your brand new shirt, trying to figure out what a circle inside a square might mean. With a hat tip to the experts at Whirlpool and Tide, we have put together a guide to interpreting those laundry-room hieroglyphics. Before we dive into the details, here’s a quick cheat sheet to clothing tag symbols:...

Love it or hate it, candy corn is as synonymous with Halloween as the costumes. In fact, National Geographic once called the iconic treats the Halloween equivalent of fruitcake: “a holiday food that everybody has, but nobody actually eats.” Yet despite widespread condemnation, candy corn has persevered for well over a century. Which, if you ask us, means it deserves a bit of respect. So how did good old candy corn come to be?...

The skin around your eyes may be the first area of your face to show aging, but the hands truly give away your age. The reason? Our hands typically aren’t given the same anti-aging line of defense as our face and neck—two areas you’re probably already religiously slathering with sunscreen, retinol, and serums. If you’ve been neglecting your hands, don’t worry, Goldfaden MD’s Anti-Aging Hand to Heart Cream is specially formulated to combat signs of aging that have already begun, and I put it to the test....

The quest for thicker-looking, volumized strands is not an easy one. It’s often a personal journey of many twists and turns, all for the sake of convincing thin strands to plump up a bit and show themselves. Luckily, you can feign thicker-looking hair using products and techniques that help you achieve extra definition and body at home. Start with a flattering haircut for thin hair, and then follow these three easy fullness-boosting tips to tweak your routine without completely overhauling it....

When Jenné Claiborne left her Georgia hometown for New York to pursue a degree in acting, it came with some big city side effects. “I felt pressure to look a certain way, which made me want to start cooking healthier, plant-based meals for myself,” she recalls. But Claiborne’s memories of her Nana’s hearty, homemade Soul food, from sweet potato pies to fried and blackened fish sandwiches, lingered in the back of her mind....

The ladies in Matthew McConaughey’s life couldn’t be prouder of the multi-hyphenate star. And honestly, who can blame them? Today, the actor’s wife Camila celebrated the release of his highly anticipated memoir by sharing a photo of him and his proud mama on Instagram. The candid photo (below) shows family matriarch Kay sitting on Matthew’s lap while displaying a hardcover copy of his new book, Greenlights. “One proud mamma! #Greenlights book out TODAY!...

The coming winter is looking like it could be a real doozy. The 2022 edition of The Old Farmer’s Almanac is predicting a winter so cold they’re calling it a “season of shivers.” In fact, the almanac’s editor, Janice Stillman, said that it could even be “one of the longest and coldest that we’ve seen in years.” The newly released 2021-2022 winter forecast predicts above-average precipitation and below-average temperatures in New England, throughout the Ohio Valley, in northern portions of the Deep South, and even in southeast New Mexico....

I don’t know how it is where you live, but here in central Alabama, water costs a fortune. I’m an admitted cheapo, and the sight of city water running down the curb or evaporating in the hot sun makes me want to cry. I don’t, of course, because I am a manly man and crying just wastes more water. What’s needed is a way to capture free water every day, even when it doesn’t rain....

The variety of an apple really matters when you are cooking it—perhaps more than any other type of fruit. Whether you’re at a farm stand or the grocery store, there are so many to choose from—and you’ve got to choose wisely. An apple that tastes great eaten out of hand might break down in the oven and become too mushy for a pie filling, for example. Here are our Test Kitchen’s best apple picks for whatever dish you’re baking....