I think the boy might turn out all right. Next year he goes to college, far from me and any bad habits I have left to teach. His name is Jake. When he was 11, I taught him how to cheat at cards. “You didn’t teach me,” he said. “I just caught you.” I taught him how to throw a punch at 12. He drew a peace sign on his shirt....
Parents and experts have long suspected that replacing screen time with good old-fashioned reading can have a positive effect on a young child’s brain development. And now, thanks to this shocking imagery, the evidence is irrefutable. Studies done by the Reading & Literacy Discovery Center of Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital include brain scans of 47 healthy children between the ages of three and five who had not yet started kindergarten. What they show should have parents everywhere reaching for a book....
Overall House Plan: Southern Living House Plans- The Ramble Farmhouse (SL2052). Windows and Exterior Doors: Marvin Signature™ Ultimate product line. Interior Trim and Wall Panel Installation: Buchanan Construction, LLC. Framing Contractor: Cool Breeze Builders LLC. Interior Windows, Doors and Mullions Paint: The Sherwin-Williams Company- Emerald ® Designer Edition ™ - SW 9530 Momentum. Painting Contractor: Landmark Painting Inc. Hardwood Flooring: Cochran’s Lumber Inc- European White Oak with Custom Stain. Hardwood Flooring Installation: One Stop Floor Shop....
Fall is an ideal time for a getaway to the Alabama mountain town of Mentone, whether you want to escape for a day or the weekend. There’s no shortage of small-town charm or breathtaking autumn leaves. Less than a two-hour drive from Birmingham, Atlanta, and Chattanooga, Mentone, Alabama, is conveniently located. Drive through the fall leaf-covered trees on your way to Lookout Mountain, and visit the town marked by a stone welcome sign....
It just wasn’t Thanksgiving till the shaking commenced. My mother’s turkey would already be out of the oven and resting on the stove-top, still steaming in a lake of butter and seasonings, the ancient, blackened roasting pan wedged in right next to a big pan of my Aunt Jo’s cornbread dressing. The biscuits were done, along with the mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, pinto beans and ham, creamed onions, and all the rest....
There’s no excuse for bad manners. Good manners are free of charge, easy to employ, and bona fide evidence that your mama and daddy raised you right. But sometimes, matters of etiquette prove trickier than you might expect. While it would be nice to have those tasty leftovers from your friend’s potluck party for tomorrow’s dinner, there are dos and don’ts when it comes to taking them. Can your host possibly eat all of that extra food?...
“We thought there was no way we would ever move back to Birmingham,” says interior designer Ellen Godfrey, who’d been living in Los Angeles for more than eight years with her husband, Matt. Instead of returning to their hometown, they were looking for bigger Southern cities to put down roots with their daughter, Irene. A Birmingham friend convinced the Godfreys to tour a 1928 Craftsman-style house in his Crestwood neighborhood, and the couple was sold on the welcoming, close-knit community....
There are a lot of myths about gray hair. Some swear you can go gray overnight. (You can’t.) Others think plucking a stray gray results in three more in its place. (It doesn’t.) Once the myth train leaves the station, it’s hard to stop. In reality, we think gray hair should be celebrated not feared. That’s some hard-earned silver, folks. So why does your hair turn gray? Dermatologists point out that gray hair is usually caused by run-of-the-mill aging, following what is called the 50-50-50 rule....
While every Southern dad is different and special in his own way, there are just some things that many of our fathers all seem to do. These “dad things” are particularly quirky, from never letting anyone touch the thermostat (even in the summertime) to being the family dog’s favorite (he swears that he didn’t want the dog in the first place) to insisting upon doing every home-improvement job himself (instead of paying someone)....
Aunt Vernelle just took a tumble—quick, break out the Pyrex and make her a good ol’ Southern chicken casserole. Sissy’s home with a new baby. Let’s surprise her with a breakfast casserole and a big pan of lasagna so she won’t have to cook. That sweet elderly deacon passed right before his 90th birthday. We’re carrying over a ham and a sweet potato casserole for his girls. What is it with Southern casseroles and Mama’n’em?...
The village of Cashiers (population around 150) evolved as a favored tourist destination from the late 1800s into the early 1900s, when travelers were desperate to find some respite from the mosquitoes and heat of the lowlands. The same promise of cool forests pulled Peter Kipp to the area as a young man, and he brought an unusual animal with him—a trained bird of prey. Kipp, of Curtis Wright Outfitters, has been practicing the ancient art of falconry for over 30 years....
Eight years ago, Kevin Grenot was exploring a wooded section of his small town in northeastern France with a metal detector when he came across a metal bracelet buried beneath a foot of dirt. He pocketed his find and began the trip back home. At one point he turned around to look back at the spot where he found the bracelet and, despite it not having rained that day, a vibrant rainbow appeared....
With the intense Florida heat and sandy soil, landscaping can pose a challenge to homeowners in the Sunshine State. Having lived here for more than 20 years, I understand the struggle of trying to maintain a lawn, nurture a flower bed, or grow a vegetable garden. Luckily, residents can turn to resources developed by University of Florida/IFAS Extension for tips on designing a garden, irrigating, fertilizing, composting, and more. If you’re looking to spruce up your Southern yard, follow these basic principles to create a sustainable, beautiful outdoor space....
Four gleaming minaret-style towers welcome visitors to Alys Beach and a stretch of the scenic highway flanked by towering palm trees. The appeal of this area is clear: stucco homes so white they could blind you at high noon; secluded courtyards cozied up within their walls; the pool at Caliza Restaurant, which looks like it’s straight from Bermuda; and a curated collection of shops and eateries that would feel right at home on the cobblestone paths of Capri....
I’m not here to point fingers. All homeowners do it. We move into a new home and immediately plant bushes on the front and sides to show pride in our new acquisition. They start out as two-, three-, or five-gallon plants that look so cute and orderly and we can’t wait for them to grow and fill in. They do so much quicker than we notice or expect. Ten years down the line, each cute little shrub is the size of a Stegosaurus....
Yes, there’s Netflix’s The Crown, but there’s also so much more to watch if you love the royal family. This weekend, dive into the wonderful (and often drama-filled) world of the royals with some of these series and movies that catapult you to Britain. We may all be hunkering down at home amidst the coronavirus crisis but that doesn’t mean we can’t let our minds travel to far and fascinating places....
When was the last time, you Christmas caroled for the first time? To riff on a line from a Darius Rucker tune, Christmas carol season is about to officially commence, and we couldn’t be more excited to hear the Southern rocker team up with violinist and songwriter Lindsey Stirling to perform the classic Christmas carol “What Child Is This?” on ABC’s CMA Country Christmas hosted by Thomas Rhett and Lauren Akins tonight, Monday, November 30 at 9 p....
The Louisiana Office of Tourism installed the first of many markers on the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail Monday. Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser and the Chase family were on hand for the reveal of a six-foot-tall steel silhouette of a protestor erected outside Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, the world-famous New Orleans eatery that served as a safe meeting place for civil rights workers. “Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in Tremé, the nation’s oldest African-American neighborhood, welcomed activists to Creole cuisine and a secret upstairs meeting room where extensive strategizing took place,” the trail’s website says of the historic restaurant....
Whether or not someone’s recommendation of a drugstore discovery or big box buy can indeed keep you from dropping stacks on your favorite Sephora-sold product depends on a lot. There are just some items that are worth the money whether it’s because of high-tech ingredients or sourcing practices. With others you’re paying for branding and fancy packaging. In the department of hair, it can be hard to tell whether or not a Target find can give you the same results as a salon-suggested line....
Headed to Myrtle Beach? We hope you’ve carved out some time to explore the funky eateries and bars along Main Creek in Murrells Inlet. While there, here’s one spectacle you definitely want to take in: Goat Island. As in, The Palmetto State has its very own island filled with the adorable creatures, at least for part of the year. Each April, goats are brought to the island, where they stay through November, helping to keep the isle’s vegetation under control....
