‘Weird.’ ‘Devastating.’ ‘Liberating.’ Readers share their deep feelings on selling the family home For most people, the idea of home is fundamental to our identity, to our memories and to our sense of comfort and security. It’s the place where we spend the most formative, if not the majority, of our years. For many, home […]

My ninth-grade biology teacher would wipe his chalkboard with a smelly wet rag that he only washed when it stuck to the wall. He had other eccentricities as well. When we dissected squid, he pre-emptively fired up the classroom Bunsen burners. Once we had popped open the ink sac and sketched the tentacles, he told […]

No longer ‘on the clock,’explore your own rhythms  When Solomon Noy retired from his nearly 20-year career as a correctional officer, he was used to 12-hour days on the job. His typical schedule was 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. or 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. In the decade since he retired, he says he has […]

With all due respect to the beleaguered, hairnet-wearing, spoon-wagging, stereotypical lunch ladies of yesteryear — who did their best with what they had — today’s lunch ladies and lunch men have raised the bar. In most school districts, the days of breaded, fried fish sticks, instant mashed potatoes and syrupy sweet fruit cocktail have given […]

Richard “JR” Pelletier doesn’t think like the rest of us. When he looks at a pile of door knobs he sees eyes staring back. Forks, knives and spoons become spines, arms and claws. Shovels and rakes? Oh, baby. The sky is the limit. Everywhere JR looks, he sees art. And every single piece of it […]

Can organizing your batteries make you happy? Gretchen Rubin believes it can. Because little things do matter. Rubin is the author of seven books, including bestsellers “The Happiness Project” and “Happier at Home.” Her books have sold more than 2 million copies, she writes a popular blog, and she does a weekly podcast with her […]

It’s a mixed bagof treats out there This year, Americans will spend an estimated $62.75 billion on pet products, some unknown billions of which go to toys. That is a reasonable amount, because pet toys rarely last long. For instance, give your dog a toy – a rawhide chew, a tennis ball, or even this […]