The July Reset: Catch the Small Stuff Before It Gets Expensive

The year is officially half over, which feels impossible, but here we are. The start of July is a strange and useful little checkpoint. Winter is a distant memory, summer is in full swing, and fall is still far enough off that you have time to get ahead of it. That makes right now the perfect moment for a quick home reset: a walk through the house and yard to catch the small stuff before it becomes the expensive stuff. None of this takes long, and future you will be grateful. Here’s your mid-year checklist.

Continue reading The July Reset: Catch the Small Stuff Before It Gets Expensive

Summer Entertaining: How to Host People Without Losing Your Mind

Somewhere along the way, hosting got complicated. We started treating having people over like a performance, with a spotless house, a three-course menu, and a stress level that peaks about ten minutes before the doorbell rings. Here’s a secret the best hosts already know. Nobody is coming for the perfection. They’re coming for the company. With summer in full swing and the evenings stretching long and golden, this is the easiest season of the year to have people over. Here’s how to do it without losing your mind.

Continue reading Summer Entertaining: How to Host People Without Losing Your Mind

Beat the Heat: Keeping Your Home Cool Without Cranking the AC

There’s a certain kind of summer afternoon when the house just won’t let go of the heat. The sun has been hammering the west-facing windows since noon, the air conditioner has been running for hours, and you can already picture the power bill. The good news is that keeping your home livable in the heat isn’t only about the thermostat. A handful of smart, mostly free habits can take a real bite out of how hot your house gets and how hard your AC has to work. Here’s where to start.

Continue reading Beat the Heat: Keeping Your Home Cool Without Cranking the AC

America Turns 250

Every Fourth of July is worth celebrating, but this one is different. This summer marks 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, a milestone the country only hits once. Add in the fact that the Fourth lands on a Saturday this year, giving everyone a full weekend to work with, and you’ve got the makings of a celebration worth planning a little extra around. Here’s how to make the most of it close to home.

Continue reading America Turns 250

Road Trip Playbook

There’s a moment on every great road trip. It usually hits somewhere between the third hour and the first glimpse of something genuinely jaw-dropping, when everyone in the car goes quiet. Not bored quiet. Awestruck quiet. That’s the moment you realize you live in one of the most spectacular road trip regions in the entire country, and you should probably do this more often. Here’s how to pull off a summer road trip worth talking about all year.

Continue reading Road Trip Playbook