Posts

Laundry used to be an all-day process, involving lugging and boiling water, scrubbing shirts, rinsing, and wringing. Drying clothing could take days and ironing, well, ironing is still laborious. The invention of the washer and dryer transformed our society back in the day and continues to be an incredible convenience. Modern laundry appliances make it easy to clean up—just add soap, dirty clothes, and hit a button or two. However, just because these gadgets save time and give us peace of mind, still doesn’t make doing the laundry a completely mindless task....

We all wish we could have hair that looks straight off the beauty parlor chair every day, but unfortunately that’s only in our wistful beauty dreams. In the South, we face seasonal mood swings from our hair that leave us reeling. In the summer, we fight the seething humidity and frizzy locks. In the winter, our hair decides it might relish the respite from the heat with waking up dry and dull....

In turbulent times amid the coronavirus crisis, classic stories offer much comfort. But whether you’re turning to F. Scott Fitzgerald or Jane Austen, the bible or Shakespeare, sometimes your eyes need a break from reading written word. That’s why in recent weeks we’ve been particularly grateful for shows and movies that help teleport us to wonderful worlds of yesteryear, whether it’s the Pride & Prejudice movie or the Sherlock TV series on the BBC....

Recil Troxel, 92, is obsessed with getting mail. “He sits here in this chair looking out the window every day,” his daughter, Liz Anderson, told KSWO. “When the mail is here, he’s like the mail is here, we better go get the mail.” But unfortunately, the World War II veteran from Marlow, Oklahoma, doesn’t get a whole lot of it these days. “It’s exciting when he gets it because he will sit there and hold it....

I used to spend more time at my waxing salon than I care to admit. I’d show up every two to three weeks, like clockwork, to get the pesky peach fuzz on my upper lip removed and have my eyebrows waxed into shape. Not only was this time-consuming and expensive, but it was also pretty painful, leaving my skin raw and red after each visit. But when a friend introduced me to the Finishing Touch Painless Hair Remover, I was finally able to break up with my waxer for good (sorry, Heather)....

Those of us lucky enough to call the South home, already know it’s the best place to live. That said, it’s always nice when someone agrees with us. Case in point: U.S. News & World Report, who put four Southern cities in the top five of its rankings of the Best Places to Live. To make their determination, U.S. News looked at data on the country’s 150 most populous metro areas, including the cost of living, job market, crime rates, quality of education and more....

Finally! HomeGoods is online! The beloved home décor chain launched an e-commerce store on HomeGoods.com today… just in time for holiday decorating. That’s right y’all, no more roaming the aisles in hopes of striking gold. (Though, who are we kidding? We love that too!) The company’s previous website offered a store locator, gift cards and other features, but shoppers couldn’t buy anything. Now, customers can explore and shop amazing finds through an online experience that offers “high-quality merchandise from around the world at incredible prices,” a news release boasts....

The South’s signature pecan pie is actually a relative latecomer to the Southern table. Recipes for milk-custard-based pecan pies can be found as early as 1824 in Mary Randolph’s The Virginia Housewife, but it wasn’t until the 1930s when promotional recipes for a syrup-based pecan pie appeared on the labels of Karo syrup bottles that its popularity soared. Some historians credit the original recipe to the wife of a Karo executive, but an even earlier version of the syrup-based pie appeared in the Texas Brownwood Bulletin in 1921....

Whether it’s a special brunch or just your typical Friday morning, there is perhaps no greater joy than eating a hot, fresh donut. Treats like homemade apple butter donuts or the most recent seasonal special at Krispy Kreme are so good it’s almost impossible to eat just one! If there is a rare occasion you don’t devour the entire dozen in one sitting, you will need to store the rest of your donuts properly, so they’re not stale the next day....

Sea turtle nesting season has officially begun along the southeastern coastline! Scientists and environmental groups in Georgia, Texas, and the Carolinas are celebrating the start of the pivotal period for the endangered creatures. There are four sea turtle species that nest on mainland U.S. beaches: Kemp’s ridley, loggerhead, green, and leatherback. Kemp’s ridley, the smallest of the species and the most critically endangered sea turtle in the world, primarily nest on the Texas Gulf Coast....

Krispy Kreme has teamed up with Hershey’s to close out the summer with a campfire-inspired treat—no matches required. Introducing Hershey’s and Krispy Kreme’s S’mores Doughnuts. Available beginning today (“National S’mores Day”) for a limited time at shops across the U.S., fans can enjoy two, all-new S’mores-inspired doughnuts that combine Hershey’s beloved chocolate with the one-and-only Krispy Kreme doughnuts. “We’re teaming up with Hershey’s, one of the key ingredients for any s’more, to give fans doughnuts that satisfy their marshmallow-graham-cracker-chocolate desires in an amazing new way” Dave Skena, Chief Marketing Officer for Krispy Kreme, said in a news release....

I’m a big fan of the everything bite. Why settle for peanut butter, M&M, or funfetti cookies when you could have a combination of all three? Simplicity is not key where my ideal cookies are concerned. I want it all – a heaping helping of butter, a dash of nutmeg, a cup of chopped almonds, and any other ingredient that’ll take the confection from basic to slap-ya-mama delicious. When I stumbled upon the Laura Bush’s Cowboy Cookies, I knew I had met my metaphorical match....

Very few drinks bear the distinct honor of close ties to a region and major event like that of the mint julep. The epitome of a Southern classic, the highly-esteemed cocktail was born just below the Mason-Dixon line in Virginia, and soon became the signature mixed drink served at the Kentucky Derby and genteel summer soirées in the South. During the first weekend each May, more than 100,000 mint juleps are served to the Churchill Downs set, with even more sippers raising their pewter cups and highball glasses from home at Derby parties around the country....

When it comes to fall in the South, things aren’t exactly as idyllic as they are in our favorite movies and TV shows, like “Gilmore Girls” and “When Harry Met Sally.” However, it’s certainly worth the wait to enjoy the autumn leaves and the season’s bounty of fruits and veggies from apples to pumpkins. In fact, the Southeastern climate actually allows us to enjoy a few of those quintessential fall foods sooner while still reveling in summer favorites, like heirloom tomatoes and okra....

The next time you find yourself standing at the stove flipping pancakes, do yourself a favor and make an extra batch (or two) to tuck away in the freezer. Cooked pancakes freeze beautifully and can be reheated in the oven or microwave at a moment’s notice—for quick weekday breakfasts or whenever a pancake craving strikes. Here’s how to flash freeze them for the best results: 1. Make the pancakes Just about any pancake recipe will freeze well—even pancakes with fruit, whole grains, or nuts inside them....

Prior to welcoming his second daughter Mae in May 2021, Ben Napier spoke with Country Living about fatherhood and the surprising parallels he’s found between woodworking and parenting—a relationship illustrated by the crib he made for his firstborn Helen. The Home Town star shared that he’s always been fascinated not just by antiques, but the stories behind them as well. “The way furniture reflected how people lived and worked,” he explained....

Allow us to introduce you to one of the most overlooked and undervalued elements of kitchen design: the toe kick. The toe kick is the little cove beneath your cabinets that, like its name suggests, houses your toes. As Apartment Therapy explains, the toe kick is a helpful ergonomic detail that prevents you from having to lean over awkwardly while you work at your countertop. Think of the discomfort you’d feel if you didn’t have that handy little cave for your toes!...

As long as pecans and peaches have been able to grow in the South, so have persimmons. The uniquely sweet, plump, squishy fruits come into season during the late fall and winter from around October to February. Largely lesser-known in the produce section, they’re highly underrated as a dessert ingredient, salad topping, and fresh snack. Here’s what to know about persimmons. What Are Persimmons? These fruits come in multiple varieties, primarily stemming originally from Asia....

If you happen to turn on the news during hurricane season and a storm is a-brewin,’ there’s a good chance that one of the anchors will mention a tropical storm has been upgraded and is now designated a Category Two, a Category Three, or heaven forbid a Category 5 storm. If you live in the South, the mention of a Category 4 or 5 storm gives you flashbacks to Hurricane Katrina or Andrew or Charley or Irma or Florence or any of the many, many storms that have battered the coast over the years....

When it comes to color in our homes, Southerners always welcome a splash of blue or a punch of coral or a pop of electric yellow to brighten our spaces. And while neutrals are always tried-and-true comforts, brights always find a way into our homes. When lockdowns were in full swing, we understandably clung to what made us feel cozy. And—in our sudden clamor to finally make over the spaces we’d be spending so much time in—that included paint colors....