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The holidays are without a doubt my favorite time of year. Being surrounded by family and good food makes the magic of this festive time all the better. Like most families, mine has a few traditions that are sacred: You’ll always find the Phelps family enjoying our Thanksgiving meal at our beloved family farm; Christmas trees go up the Saturday after Thanksgiving (Don’t rain on our merriment.), and Ukrop’s White House Rolls (as the store describes them, “uniquely soft and fluffy with a tiny dusting of flour) are a staple at every holiday meal....

It’s been an exciting time in the Hostess snacks world. If you love cupcakes, get ready to delight in a variety of superb new flavors and re-releases, including these oh-so-festive Iced Lemon Cupcakes, which come with creamy filling, now available for a limited-time only. Theses tasty treats have debuted as a Limited Edition flavor along with Mermaid CupCakes, frosted yellow cake with creamy filling and mermaid-inspired decorations. In addition to these two new CupCakes, two fan-favorite CupCakes flavors have returned, Mint Chocolate CupCakes (check out our article on these chocolate cupcakes with creamy mint filling here) and Strawberry CupCakes....

Laundry can feel like one of the most complicated of household chores between knowing how to care for certain fabrics, how often various clothes and home linens need to be washed, and when it’s time to replace various products. Bath towels can create plenty of confusion, as most of us aren’t replacing or washing them often enough—both of which can reduce their effectiveness. We chatted with Deanna WU, VP of Merchandising at Brooklinen, to learn how to best care for our bath towels to ensure they stay fluffy and effective for as long as possible....

Whether you use your iron every day or once a year (raises hand), it’s important to clean it out properly. There’s nothing worse than accidentally getting gunk on your clean clothes because you haven’t cleaned your iron in forever. Below, we’ve asked cleaning guru Sabrina Fierman who works for a high-end cleaning service for her best tips on how to clean and maintain your iron at home. How To Clean the Inside of an Iron First of all, you want to always check the iron manufacturer’s recommendations for cleaning out your iron....

It’s a Grumpy pet peeve—hiding your house behind a wall of overgrown bushes. Walking through my neighborhood, I often have difficulty seeing the actual dwellings huddled behind giant hollies, boxwoods, Loropetalum, gardenias, and privets. Plus, it raises questions in my mind. Why do these homeowners block their homes with overgrown, unsightly plants? Why Did This Start? This sad state of affairs has its roots in the birth of suburbia and the rise of the concept called “foundation planting....

The Labrador retriever has done it again! According to the American Kennel Club’s ranking of the most popular dog breeds of 2019, the Labrador retriever has retained its title as America’s top dog for the 29th year in a row. While the lovable Labrador’s continued reign shocked nobody, experts were surprised to see Queen Elizabeth’s beloved Pembroke Welsh Corgi break into the top 10 for the first time ever, unseating the small yet mighty Yorkshire Terrier from the 10th spot....

During these tough times of the coronavirus pandemic, we’ve been amazed at how many people—celebrities and regular folks alike—have devoted themselves to helping those in need. Now, we’re happy to hear this piece of feel-good news from Lowe’s, the home improvement store, which has just launched the “Home Team Roster,” a lineup of players from all 32 NFL teams working on various community impact projects in their respective NFL hometowns....

As the world mourns the death of Charley Pride, Mickey Guyton is sharing her gratitude for the man who helped pave the way for her trailblazing career. Pride, country music’s first major Black star, died from complications from COVID-19 on Saturday at the age of 86. In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Guyton shared just how much of an impact Pride’s journey had on her own. And how much she feels she owes the late pioneer....

While the aisles of Trader Joe’s beckon with plenty of decadent treats, the popular grocery store chain is also a jackpot for healthy eating finds. Nutritionist Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, recently tapped several dietitian pals to round up 19 Foods Nutritionists Always Buy at Trader Joe’s for Reader’s Digest. Read on for five of our favorites from the bunch and plan a trip to TJ’s pronto. Vegan Kale, Cashew & Basil Pesto This nutrient-dense sauce can be slathered on toast or added to pasta or spiralized veggie noodles for a tasty side dish....

The numbers were enough to make Caitlin Gooch cry, and cry she did until nearly 1:00 am. What brought Gooch, who grew up in North Carolina, to tears that night in 2017 was a report that showed the low literacy rate for low-income African American children had not changed in years. “How could this be?’’ Gooch wondered, as she grew worried about the future. Sometime later, Gooch’s sorrow was replaced with joy as she brainstormed on how to get children more excited about reading....

Despite what Marie Kondo might believe, sometimes the thought of tidying up doesn’t spark joy. Sadly, it still has to be done. The good news is that if you have just 15 minutes you can make a dent in many a mess. If you have 30 minutes or one hour, even better. To help you maximize your moments, we spoke to four folks who organize for a living for their best tips and trick for tidying up....

Whether it’s cooked or raw, extra chicken in your freezer is always a good thing. (Especially if there was a two-for-one special on drumsticks at the grocery store). Chicken is easy to freeze and defrosts beautifully… if stored properly. Here’s the best way to do it. How to Freeze Raw Chicken Even though most raw chicken is sold in plastic-wrapped containers, this packaging isn’t great for the freezer and can cause freezer burn....

Many people will tell you that Christmas cheer originates at the North Pole, but for most Southern hosts, the true source of holiday spirit is a much humbler place: the humming, whirring, stuffed-to-the-brim refrigerator in the garage. Surely you know what I’m talking about. My family’s is a white, pebble-textured model from the late ‘90s, exiled to the garage around the year 2014 to be replaced by a much sleeker, stainless steel counterpart with all the bells and whistles....

Hydrangea plants are fixtures of so many Southern yards. Not only do these plants thrive in the Southern clime, but they’re oh-so-pretty to look at. Planting hydrangeas is one easy way to instantly brighten up your yard. When it comes to caring for your hydrangeas, little effort is required to keep your shrubs happy and healthy. But some hydrangeas aren’t just pretty to look at—they can serve functional purposes, too. And we’re not just talking about maximizing your curb appeal; the leaves of the Hydrangea serrata can be used to make sweet tea....

Don’t panic, Southerners, but we have some news about Key lime pie. Turns out the official state pie of Florida may not be from Florida at all, but * gasp * New York City. New York City website Gothamist reports that there is an ongoing controversy surrounding the origins of the beloved lime tart. It all started when Stella Parks published her cookbook, BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts, which included diving into the pie’s history....

Let’s be real, this summer hasn’t exactly been the one to make an emergency appointment with your hair stylist just because you had a dream about Reese Witherspoon’s Sweet Home Alabama flippy bob and now you need a flippy bob. That’s why many of us are sitting at home with something of an, er, situation. Like a grown-out, lackluster, way too long, stringy situation. Those suffering from the same dreadful summer ennui when it comes to your strands, this is the time to make the metaphysical and literal chop heading into the fall season....

With our lives upended by the coronavirus pandemic, a surprising number of people are relying not on cellphones and computer screens for entertainment, but more old-fashioned forms of leisure activities. The New York Times reports that many are approaching this period of quarantine by turning to hobbies from the Victorian era. These include flower-pressing, scrapbooking, natural dyeing, embroidery, tending to windowsill herb gardens, and even learning to play new instruments....

At the beginning of the service for Passover, found in the special prayer book just for this holiday called, the Haggadah, its customary for the youngest child to recite the four questions. One of these questions is “Why is this night unlike all other nights?” There is has never been a year where that was more true—this will be unlike any other night. Just about entire world is under lockdown, observing various forms of stay-at-home orders by local governments because of the coronavirus....

If the South had to pledge loyalty to just one singular fruit, it would be wholly disrespectful to choose anything other than the peach. The soft, sweet, juicy, bright stone fruit stars in some of our favorite seasonal dishes, from fresh peach cobbler to homemade peach ice cream. Despite only being in-season for a short time during summer, we know to freeze and save some for whenever the hankering strikes later in the year....

Winter Haven is best known these days for its premier attraction: LEGOLAND Florida, an evolving theme park dedicated to brick builders of all ages. But this central Florida destination, nestled among hundreds of freshwater lakes, many of which are linked with canals, has a laid back, tropical charm that serves as an attraction in its own right. Thanks to its roots with the original theme park Cypress Gardens, Winter Haven’s Polk County is called “Water Ski Capital of the World,” and many past visitors have fond memories of daily dazzling water ski performances at Cypress Gardens featuring synchronized skiers....