Maybe we’ve been watching too many red-carpet specials (to be fair, it is awards show season), but we can’t get enough sparkly, shiny gold stuff. Gold salad servers? Sure! A gold crock to hold those salad servers? Duh! Gold lettuce? Why isn’t there gold lettuce?

Gold is always fun — and it’s especially fun for birthday festivities. You could show a little restraint with a touch of gold here and touch of gold there. Or you could add all the gold. You can’t really lose either way.

Luckily, there’s no shortage of glitzy party supplies and decorations available. Is your birthday coming up? Go for the gold with these ideas.

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When it comes to getting dinner on the table with minimal effort and just 30 minutes on the clock, I firmly believe that the sheet pan is your number-one ally to make it happen. This workhorse is one of the keys to miracle meals — that dinner you manage to pull off against all odds — with the added bonus of easy cleanup. Because they’re so reliable, it’s worth adding a sheet pan dinner to your meal plan at least once a week. If you’re looking for some good ideas, we’ve got 18 for you. From colorful chicken fajitas and crispy chicken thighs to steak and pizza, there’s a recipe here to save you some time.

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Even if you’ve never been to New Orleans, you probably have a picture of it in your mind: brass bands marching through narrow streets, brightly colored Creole cottages, Mardi Gras beads raining down from the sky, and of course the food: roast beef po’ boys, gleaming platters of oysters, bowls of steaming gumbo, and fat muffuletta sandwiches.

That was the picture in my mind anyway when I moved to New Orleans in 2014, having never visited before. I found that New Orleans, to be sure — it’s the one most visitors come here to see — but as a local I also came to know a less raucous (but no less delicious) side of the city, full of neighborly warmth and relaxed charm.

In our Bite-Sized Guide to New Orleans, we’ll offer a glimpse of the city everyone knows and loves — but it’s in this other, less travelled New Orleans that we will be spending most of our time, strolling slowly under the oak trees, sipping strong iced coffee, and chatting with some New Orleanians about what they love about this place. It’s going to be fun, y’all.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!)

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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.

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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?”

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