February is the shortest month of the year, yet for many of us, it reliably feels like the longest. The holidays are behind us, spring is still far off and winter’s routines have settled into something heavy and familiar. But a recent study finds just five to 10 minutes of joyful activity pe…
Grandmothers are becoming some of the most influential voices in American food culture, drawing large audiences by cooking the way they always have. On TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, these “grandfluencers” are reshaping what authority looks like in the kitchen, trading polish and speed for l…
If you grow houseplants, you probably know that sinking feeling you get when you notice the almost imperceivable movement of a dot, fine webbing between a leaf and its stem, or a leaf that just looks off.
Maybe it’s a scratched-up old sideboard found at a yard sale and turned into a snazzy media console. Or a couple of well-traveled vintage trunks given a new home as bedside tables.
It’s that time of year again, when the fuzzy socks are working overtime, the heat is cranking and somehow lots of homes are still freezing.
Three-quarters of Americans say they plan to trade down, forgoing more extravagant purchases in the future. For decades, the markers of success in America followed a familiar script: bigger homes, newer cars and a steady stream of conveniences. But in 2026, the latest status symbol won’t be …
NEW YORK — The crisp crinkle of fallen leaves beneath your feet. The swish and trickle of water moving through a stream. A breath of crisp, fresh air.
I’ve been growing herbs in the garden long enough to know they don’t require much. Just water, sunlight and my best intentions.
With inflation affecting household budgets into 2026, financial planners say many families now view modest spending habits as a source of comfort and control. Living below your means, once associated with financial strain, is emerging as a new form of luxury for many Americans.
Many people start the new year thinking about ways to improve their health, be more organized and manage their finances. Experts say there is one area that touches on each of those resolutions — home care.
Americans spend more than half their food budget eating out or grabbing takeout; this is significant given that food prices at grocery stores and restaurants continue to increase. While convenience makes ordering to-go seem like a good plan, eating at home is both more economical and better …
What to buy, what to serve, which events to attend — December is typically full of decisions. Here’s one more for you to contemplate: What are you going to do with your Christmas tree?
On a recent December day, Mark Latino and a handful of his workers spun sheets of vinyl into tinsel for Christmas tree branches. They worked on a custom-made machine that’s nearly a century old, churning out strands of bright silver tinsel along its 35-foot length.
So, you want to grow an avocado tree from seed? It’s not only a fun off-season activity, especially for kids, but it’s also very easy.
The holidays are a time of merriment, festivity — and, for many, tense family gatherings.
Instead of hiring a florist for her October wedding, Emily Day decided to grow her own flowers in her front yard in Calgary, Canada — a creative challenge that turned into a lesson on the hidden climate costs of the global flower industry. She said her homegrown arrangements were just as bea…
The whole “pets are family members” idea isn’t just a sweet sentiment. Data shows that pet owners are increasingly buying food that resembles their own diets.
They’re cute, even cuddly, and promise learning and companionship — but artificial intelligence toys are not safe for kids, according to children’s and consumer advocacy groups urging parents not to buy them during the holiday season.
According to the Acosta Group Shopper Insights, 68% of households have someone who uses their phone at the table during mealtime, and that number climbs to 72% at dinner. Scrolling, texting or checking notifications is a small habit that says a lot about how our lives have changed since phon…
There are now more than 200,000 registered Little Free Library book-sharing boxes. What started in 2009 as one small box of free books to share in Wisconsin has grown into a worldwide movement. The first little library inspired thousands of copycats, and now they exist in neighborhoods acros…
The cocktail renaissance has transformed happy hours across the country. Now, it’s time to raise your home bar game. No more slapping a bottle of bottom-shelf vodka and a six-pack of tonic on your kitchen counter and calling it a party. This holiday season, you’re going to master the fine ar…
It’s the end of the gardening season, and those of us who’ve endured a less-than-perfect layout may be itching to move shrubs around. But proper timing is imperative.
Fox Business reports that a signed first-edition cookbook by James Beard was recently listed for $1,200. A tattered spiral-bound collection of church recipes or a first edition of Julia Child’s “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” might look like ordinary kitchen bookshelf fare. Yet in toda…
Departing from the stereotype of young women learning to cook and sew, Gen Z rewrites the story of home economics in high school. Family, Career and Community Leaders of America, the student organization for family and consumer sciences, reports a membership of more than 240,000 teens. Stude…
As produce reaches peak ripeness, home cooks turn to the freezer and not just for leftovers. Freezer conservation is also a trendy and efficient way to preserve the season’s best ingredients.
Wild Foods Day on Oct. 28 focuses on the flavors that can be found outside of grocery aisles. Foraging, once essential for survival, is now a growing trend that helps communities connect with the land and expands possibilities in the kitchen. From urban green spaces to rural trails, this cel…
The National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey projects Halloween spending to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, and it’s not all trick or treating. From historic cemeteries to themed escape rooms, Americans flock to haunted attractions in growing numbers each fall. Ghost tours…
WAPPINGERS FALLS, N.Y. — The pumpkin in Tony Scott’s backyard weighs almost as much as a small car.
Every year, growers raise giant pumpkins and compete in annual weigh-offs against other colossal fruits. How do they get so big?
Sustainable San Mateo County — an environmental, economic and equitable sustainability nonprofit — released its yearly report Oct. 1, focusing on how municipalities in the county can reduce emissions related to food consumption and waste.
Garden Media Group reports searches for Monstera, a common but beloved houseplant, shot up by 600% on Google Trends in the last year. From a single succulent to a mini-jungle, the indoor gardening trend continues to blossom around the country.
LONDON — The summer holidays are over, and all those great times you had on vacation have been memorialized in hundreds of smartphone photos. Now what?
It’s September, and I still haven’t harvested a single red tomato. The beets are still grape-size and, so far, my four plants have produced only two zucchini. But the green beans? They’re suddenly coming in faster than I can eat them.
On Sept. 13, kitchens across the country will get louder, messier and a lot more fun. Noodles may be dyed crazy colors, candy may sneak into sandwiches and parents will be politely told to step away from the stove. For one day, kids are in charge and the chaos is part of the plan.
Millions of Americans are facing record heat with temperatures frequently over 90 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat often impacts people of color and low-income residents the most. Mortality records from cities across the country have shown that heat kills along socioeconomic and racial lines. Experts say planting more trees and creating green spaces can help. In Phoenix, efforts are underway to grow the tree canopy. In New York, laws are being passed to increase the tree cover over the next decade. And in Texas, the Houston transit authority is working to redesign bus stops to provide relief from the heat.
Fertilizer, water and commitment — this is Rolando Bertini’s simple but effective key to making passersby stop in their footsteps to check out his expansive blooming backyard in Redwood City.
Federal incentives for home energy improvements are running out at the end of the year, so it’s decision time for anyone who has been thinking about a heat pump. The right decision can depend on where you live, how much you have to spend and how deeply you want to cut emissions.
It’s true. Modern dishwashers are federally regulated to use no more than 3 1/2 gallons of water per wash, while hand-washing can waste nearly 30 gallons. Dishwashers are in 73% of all homes, so why do more than 17 million American homeowners still run the faucet?
Shopping for school supplies has become both easier and more complicated for families. The websites of major retail chains generate lists of recommended items by school and grade, allowing parents to shop with a click. Some schools partner with vendors to sell premade boxes of student essentials. Despite these conveniences, many families start shopping months before Labor Day to find the best deals. Analysts say concerns about price increases from new U.S. tariffs on imports have motivated early shopping. One market research company estimates back-to-school spending in the U.S. will reach $33.3 billion from June through August. Some of the biggest chains are advertising selective price freezes on key products to hold onto customers.
For about two weeks every spring, my letter carrier, delivery drivers and just about everyone else who walks into my yard comments on the deliciously strong scent emanating from the two lilac shrubs flanking the front gate. Most days, the breeze carries the fragrance all the way to the front…
When I was a kid, my aunt and uncle grew tomatoes in plastic buckets lined up like soldiers on the cement patio in their tiny Queens, New York, backyard.
Taking home a magnet, T-shirt or postcard can bring back fond memories of a vacation. Souvenir shopping fueled a $13.79 billion industry in 2024 — but edible souvenirs engage your senses if you truly want to transport yourself back to the wonder of a travel destination. From a jar of sauce, …
Americans have one more reason to celebrate this Fourth of July. A market research company's preliminary data shows that getting all the gear needed to host a pool party costs less than it has in years. Consumer data provider Numerator said in an analysis prepared for The Associated Press that the total price to buy beach towels, a beverage cooler, bathing suits and other accoutrements of summer fun averaged $858 in June. That was the lowest amount for the month since 2020. The finding from the firm's seasonal snapshot comports with broader economic measures indicating that U.S. consumers so far haven't seen major impacts from President Donald Trump's vigorous application of tariffs on foreign goods.
Fifteen percent of dads say they want a change of pace this year — no gifts at all. Racks of novelty ties and socks, last-minute gift cards and grilling tools often mark Father’s Day. But in 2025, American dads hope for something a little different.
The United States Department of Agriculture estimates grocery store prices will increase 3.2% this year — on top of the nearly 25% increase since 2020. Experts say that drives a push toward saving money, global flavors, health-focused dishes and sustainability for 2025.
Nearly 1 in 3 millennials say butter dishes, French doors and even old-style teapots are making a comeback in their homes. Interest in cottagecore — driven by a desire for simpler times and embraced by celebrities like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles — stays strong in 2025.
The United States Department of Agriculture estimates more than 30% of food goes to waste each year. That costs families hundreds of dollars. But saving money on groceries might come down to simply using more of what you already buy.
Some 30 million Americans sew, and their ages now trend younger — TikTok shares nearly 3 million posts with #sewing and related terms. The rise of slow fashion, DIY and sustainability has reversed years of declining home economics classes and trends of purchasing popular brands to create the…
A month into opening, Peninsula Flock Knits — a new yarn store open in Burlingame — is bringing a farm-to-needle approach to knitting with the goal of building community.
Businesses and lawmakers are trying to address the U.S. affordable housing crisis by turning to alternative ways to build homes. These include 3D printing houses out of concrete, building homes in a factory and shipping them to their final destination, and even using the hemp plant in construction. The 3D printing technology is far off from making a dent in the crisis, but proponents hope its speed in building walls can bring down construction time and costs. Modular and manufactured homes, built inside a factory, are gaining ground in the U.S., with homes built in a matter of days. Hemp, a plant related to marijuana, has also shown promise when combined with other materials to build more cheaply and efficiently.
Exclusive film screening in San Mateo Read moreA LITTLE FELLOW: THE LEGACY OF A.P.GIANNINI
Yosemite Says said:
Until the bike lobby's undue influence in the legislature is overcome, cities are left to do what they can for public safety.
Dirk van Ulden said:
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