So you took our advice and decided to build yourself an indoor fort. Yay for you! We totally support indoor forts staying up as long as possible — after all, you did go through all that effort — but if you’re not sure how long is too long, just ask yourself these five questions.
New Orleans is definitely a contender for most delicious city in the United States (the world?). If you are planning a visit, you are basically guaranteed to leave very full and very happy — and with a list of things to do as long as the one you arrive with. The only real problem (and it’s a very good problem to have) is figuring out what to do now and what to save for your next trip.
A former resident and frequent visitor, my trips to New Orleans are a balancing act between the new restaurants that has everyone buzzing and the places I can’t not visit whenever I’m in town. And I have to confess: My list of things I always do hasn’t changed much in the past decade. Here’s what makes the cut.
It’s hard to beat the taste of freshly popped popcorn. When it’s extra fluffy, crisp, and still warm, polishing off a whole bowl seems like an easy task. Chances are, however, that you may slow down and be left with enough in the bowl for another snack session. The problem is, though, that popcorn can get stale pretty quickly. Rather than tossing it and starting from scratch, there’s actually a quick and easy way to refresh the leftovers and get them tasting like new.
Today feels like the first day of summer in New York, even though it’s February. If you, like me, are suddenly craving a cold beverage in hand, I have just the accessory that will keep the vision alive until it’s actually July. These two copper mugs (plus a cute matching shot glass!) are on sale right now on Amazon for $29. They normally go for $70.
When homeowners Judy and Don sat down with their architect, Gary Tran of Tran Architecture, to redesign their Houston abode, they made one huge (and surprising) decision: to flip the layout. They put the kitchen and living room on the second floor and all the bedrooms on the first floor. This way, the public spaces would have a view over the treetops. They also kept the bedrooms on the smaller side to force the family to hang out together in the common rooms. (Sneaky!)
There might be nothing better than a snow day — especially as an adult. Getting one is rare because it basically requires enough snow that it cancels every single thing you’ve got going on — including work.
If the opportunity does present itself, take full advantage. Instead of going full-on hermit, invite some friends over. (Ideally, you have friends in walking distance — we don’t want to encourage driving when the conditions are bad. That would be irresponsible!) Just tell everyone to bring one thing: a thermos.
(Image credit: Roger Kamholz)
Maybe you’ve recently perused a cocktail menu and noticed the many varieties of bitters in the lists of ingredients. Or perhaps you’ve noticed small bottles labeled “Angostura bitters” while browsing your local liquor store (the distinctive label that looks too big for the bottle might have caught your eye)? And maybe you’re wondering, “What exactly is this mysterious ingredient, and does it belong in my home bar?”
All January and early February, as glacial winds smacked us in our face on the walk to school — and somehow back too (uphill, both ways, etc.) — I counted down the days until we would go to Florida to visit my parents (who winter-as-a-verb there like all the other smart retirees of the Northeast) and thaw our bones for five days. Instead, the warm weather found its way here and apparently it’s been full-out spring while we were away but I’m not mad, how could I be, I was sitting on a beach in the middle of winter and it was exactly what we needed, or at least the 3/4 of us that are willing to let our feet touch the sand. Spotty wi-fi, falling asleep shortly after the kids did each night (one who learned a new word “mom-MEE!”) and great heaps of fresh fruit at the hotel’s breakfast buffet (shamelessly one of my favorite resort things) all contributed to an overall feeling of wellness that I hope to carry with me at least for the next 15 minutes, because I believe in keeping expectations reasonable.
[Somewhere in here is a wry observation of how far this is from the kid-free cocktails-on-the-beach style vacations we’ve taken other years, but if there’s anything that the retiree population of Florida makes clear it’s that you get those days back, although you might spend them cooing over other people’s tiny children and telling them how much you miss those exhausting days. I’ll spare you.]
Leftover popcorn? I know, I know, but it happens. So if you somehow find yourself staring down half a bowl of popcorn at the end of movie night (or even a few handfuls), don’t be so quick to toss it. That snack still has plenty of life left in it, and it’s totally worth saving. Here are a few smart ways to give it a second chance to curve your salty, crunchy cravings.
(Image credit: Lauren Volo)
Chex Mix is sometimes referred to as party mix, which honestly might be the most obvious name for any food ever, given it pretty much feels like a party whenever you dig into some.
So why even upgrade something that’s so genuinely tasty already? Well, because of just how much more fun classic party mix can be. There is so much room for extra zing and pizzazz — be it in the form of spicy or sweet stir-ins. And the best part is that you don’t even need to make Chex Mix from scratch: All of these fun new combos and flavors can start with a bag of purchased Chex Mix. So get the party started with one of these 10 awesome tiny recipes.