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After Hurricane Laura pummeled down on Lake Charles, Louisiana, in August, all locals knew it would be a long road back to recovery. A group of volunteers who go by the moniker “Picking Up The Pieces” knew they wanted to help their cherished Pelican State community for the better. For those who followed the story online or on TV, you may remember the devastating footage of the heavily damaged Capital One building (photo below), perched on the shoreline of Lake Charles itself....

Trying to choose your favorite garden flower is about as difficult as choosing your favorite confection in a box of chocolates. We love them all, right? We fill our yards with flowers to attract hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies, and we make sure we have a good selection of cutting flowers for fresh bouquets to adorn our home. Above everything else, however, Southern gardeners love the heirloom plants - the azaleas, camellias, irises, and shasta daisies, to name just a few - that have been passed down from family and friends and fill our yards with color and sentiment....

Turtle researchers in Florida managed to find a silver lining in the tragic death of a sea turtle last week. In the early hours of Wednesday, May 12, a disoriented 400-pound female loggerhead sea turtle was struck and killed by vehicles while trying to nest just south of Paradise Beach in Brevard County. “In the case of this turtle, there were very clear signs on the beach that she had emerged from the ocean and tried several times to dig a nest,” Erin Seney, assistant research scientist with the University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research Group, told Florida Today....

Legendary bluegrass banjoist Sonny Osborne died on Sunday October 24 at his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bluegrass Today reports. He was 83 years old. Sonny was born in the coalfields of eastern Kentucky on October 29, 1937. He first picked up the banjo around the age of 11 and began playing music professionally a few years later at just the age of 14. By the early 1950s he and his older brother Bobby, who sang and played the mandolin, were performing together as the Osborne Brothers....

While Southern mamas take Christmas completely over the top, we have a sneaking suspicion that deep down, some of the ladies enjoy a traditional Southern Thanksgiving more. There’s no pressure to buy gifts that will please the in-laws, no lights to string, pageants to rehearse, or credit card debt to rack up. There’s only food—wonderful food—served on a pretty table that welcomes the whole family back together, maybe for the only time this year....

Seven-year-old Grayson Mulligan was crushed when he accidentally left his stuffed bear named Teddy on a flight from Dallas to New Orleans to visit his Granny and Pawpaw over Thanksgiving. “I freaked out,” Grayson told KTVT. “I play with him a lot. I carry him around a lot.” Mom Christina immediately sprang into action. “I was in contact with all of the baggage claim, TSA, I think I called the lost and found repeatedly,” she recalled to CNN....

The rise in popularity of the dump cake did not come from it being a dessert that is eloquently named and elegantly presented. It came from being downright delicious and undeniably easy to make at home in minutes. Often calling for just boxed cake mix from the grocery store and very few other ingredients (including lots of butter), dump cakes are designated as such because you’re able to leave the electric mixer in the cabinet and throw the ingredients into a baking dish with gusto....

Mickey, Minnie, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Pinocchio have a lot more in common than the man who dreamed them up. In addition to a knack for getting into trouble, you may have noticed that Walt Disney’s earliest cartoon characters all share an affection for gloves. What’s up with that? What are animals doing wearing gloves? As animation historian and professor at NYU John Canemaker explained to Vox, the reason some of our favorite cartoon characters wear gloves has nothing to do with fashion, and everything to do with early animation techniques....

The Fountain of Youth is calling your name—just like it called to the Spanish explorers more than 500 years ago. Maybe it’s those gorgeous beaches, or maybe it is something in the water. Either way, there is lots to explore in this charming city on Florida’s Atlantic coast. Check out this travel guide for St. Augustine before your next Florida trip. Florida’s Historic Coast Most people don’t realize St. Augustine is the oldest continuously inhabited European settlement in the United States....

There’s no arguing bacon’s place in the breakfast hall of fame. Baked or fried bacon strips can upgrade anything from a humble piece of toast to a weekend pancake tower. But have we been doing it wrong all along? The latest social media trend says yes. As seen on TikTok, Instagram, and Good Morning America, impossibly crispy, twisted bacon is all the rage. This viral video by the account House of Keto exploded over the internet last week, sending thousands of curious minds to braid and twist their bacon strips prior to baking....

There’s nothing worse than cutting into a big, delicious looking melon and finding out that what you expected to be a juicy, refreshing treat, is actually a dry, tasteless flop. It happens, and if you eat enough melon, you’re bound to run into the occasional dud. The question is, what to do with said dud? Do you throw it away or simply force yourself to eat its sad, sugarless flesh?...

If you’re like us, you can’t wait to get Christmas decorations up the minute it’s time (let’s be honest, sometimes even before it’s time). There’s no doubt that the star of the show is the Christmas tree, but we believe every room in your home should lift your spirits with a bit of Christmas cheer. Whether you’re a minimalist, a maximalist, or somewhere in between, there are so many ways that you can add a festive touch to make your Christmas season feel extra joyous....

During her 30 week ultrasound scan, Austyn Evans got the news no mom-to-be wants to hear: her son Conrad had a fetal lower urinary tract obstruction (LUTO), which caused a rare and complex kidney condition. To make matters worse, there was no amniotic fluid around him. Knowing the gravity of the situation, doctors at Austyn’s local hospital in Florida transferred her to Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women in Houston where they were more equipped to handle Conrad’s life-threatening condition....

All You, a destination for the value-minded women looking to live well for less, is closing its doors–but don’t worry, you will still be able to find smart ways for saving money and time, getting meals on the table faster, and preparing for the holidays with ease through Southern Living. We’re committed to providing you with the tips, tricks, and tools you need for quick, easy, and budget-friendly living. Southerners love to cook....

It’s a wild horse baby boom! The Corolla Wild Horse Fund (CWHF) introduced the public to a second new foal (which is actually the fourth born to the herd this year) on social media this week. The colt was given the name Cyclone in honor of his father, Hurricane, who died tragically last year. All wild foals born this year will have names that start with the letter “c.” Caretakers of the famous Outer Banks herd began using an alphabetical formula in 2020....

She’s one of the most-honored female country performers of all time, but when it comes down to it, Dolly Parton is just like us… OK, well, sort of. In an interview for WSJ Magazine’s “My Monday Morning” column, Parton divulged some fascinating tidbits about her morning routine. The 76-year-old cultural icon discussed everything from her penchant for wigs and her must-have products, to the reason she keeps her makeup on when she goes to bed....

We’re all for getting a burst of happiness however we can these days. Sometimes, that rush comes in the form of an unexpected piece of snail mail from an old friend. Sometimes, it’s the thrill of finally mastering a new knitting technique. Sometimes, it’s witnessing a spread of beautiful, pink-tinged clouds, even if only from our window. Or, how about a sweet treat? With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we know we’ll be whipping up plenty of desserts, but when we want someone else to do the legwork, we know where we’ll be headed — Dunkin’....

With America’s classrooms profoundly altered by the coronavirus pandemic, two Florida teachers have gone out of their way to make sure their students find joy, not fear, in their surroundings. Patricia Dovi and Kim Martin, first grade teachers who share adjoining classrooms at St. Barnabas Episcopal School in DeLand, spent a week transforming their students’ desks into little Jeeps. The women turned trifold sneeze guards into windshields and side windows, and added construction paper tires, headlights, and even little license plates....

The Derby HatWhether you’re in the infield or a box in Millionaire’s Row, hats are a must at the Derby. They can be simple or grandiose, custom-made or off the rack, just make sure to have one perched atop your head. “If you don’t wear a hat to the Kentucky Derby,” says Sheila Nobles of C.K. Nobles, the official milllinery designer for the Kentucky Derby Museum at Churchill Downs, “you’ll feel like the woman who wears jeans to a little black dress party....

While Southerners are in agreement on one thing—the fact that pralines are delicious—they find themselves divided on another praline-related issue: pronunciation. These melt-in-the-mouth, butter-and-brown-sugar confections are Southern-favorite treats from Savannah to San Antonio and every town in between. The spoken word, though, is another subject entirely. The confection dates to the 18th century, when it grew in popularity in Louisiana and took inspiration from French roots and Creole cuisine. They can be tricky to make, but the ingredients are basic and the results are delectable....