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Whether your kids are all young or they’re grown up with their own little ones, these activities will bring you all a little closer together—the happy memories of time together and hours of entertainment are just a bonus. For planners and last-minute-activity-searches alike, here are 12 unforgettable family activities to do with your brood before they fly the coop for good. When choosing an activity, take a cue from the things that your kid loves....

If you’re looking for some Super Bowl recipe inspiration, Google is here to help! The search giant recently released a map of uniquely searched dip recipes (related to the big game) over the past week to see what people are searching for around the country. Not surprisingly, the results really spread across the spectrum of taste. Google divided the dips into five categories—meat, veggie, seafood, cheese, and other—and it’s clear that Americans go gaga over meat-based dips like chili cheese dip and Buffalo chicken dip—the most uniquely searched appetizer in a whopping 18 states, the most of any other dip....

Luckily, we’ve put together this handy guide that tells you exactly how much time your favorite proteins—think beef, shrimp, veggies, and more—need on the grill grates. In addition to rough estimates of cook times, which may vary depending on the type and model of grill you are using, we’ve also provided a range of internal temperatures for each food so you know exactly when it’s ready and safe to eat....

To offer some hope and advice to those of us who’ve had to struggle through this phase of life, we spoke with Shasta Nelson, a leading expert on friendship. She’s dedicated the bulk of her professional career to helping people understand why friendships are so important and how you can work to find new ones while maintaining the ones that you have. The challenge: It gets tougher to maintain friendships as we get older, busier, and more anxious....

The answer is easy: Yes. Everyone—from large corporations to small farmers or businesses to the average American—plays a role in the health of the planet, especially when it comes to the greenhouse gas emissions caused by our food system (which, by the way, contributes a quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions). From which products we buy at the supermarket to what we do with our empty water bottles, our day-to-day choices affect the environment in many ways....

In a September survey, remote work site FlexJobs found that 65 percent of people want to become full-time remote employees post-pandemic. Employers may not offer the option to continue remote work without prompting, so it’s important to ask—and to treat the ask like a business proposal, says Toni Frana, a career coach at FlexJobs and Remote.co. “Even though you may have personal reasons for wanting to work from home, what matters most to employers is usually your job performance,” Frana says....

What’s more, a growing number of employers have more affirmatively supported and celebrated the diversity of their employees, including LGBTQ+ individuals, by implementing inclusive training and educational programs, expanding benefits and health care to support gender diverse employees and family planning, enabling employee resource groups (ERGs) for LGBTQ+ employees and allies to create a deeper sense of community at work, and more. “Being dedicated and taking action to create equitable and safe work environments for LGBTQ+ staff is foundational in advancing equality and plays a significant role in creating companies that allow their employees to thrive as their authentic self,” said Keisha Williams, equality director at Human Rights Campaign....

Once your wooden cutting board is thoroughly cleaned, don’t forget to oil it. Not only will this help maintain the board’s shine, but it can also prevent cracks from forming. Here’s how to clean and maintain a wooden cutting board, step by step. Wood vs. Plastic Cutting Boards There are some advantages to plastic cutting boards, the main one being price. Plastic cutting boards can be purchased for just a few dollars, while high-quality wooden cutting boards can cost $70 or more....

You can clean your gutters yourself, with a little physical fitness, agility, and patience, but know that it’s a tough job. You can learn how to clean gutters yourself and save yourself a chunk of cash, or you can hire the professionals to clean your gutter for you—we’ll even give you a sense of how much it costs to clean gutters. Here, you’ll learn how to clean gutters, see the supplies you’ll need to get the job done, find out how often you need to clean your gutters, and more....

We started using Zazzle for my niece’s birthdays—she’s four and she loves seeing her photo on the presents so she knows they’re all hers—and it’s added an extra special touch to each gift. I can’t tell you how many people have asked where they can get their own photo wrapping paper like it, which is why I couldn’t keep this a secret any longer. There are endless ways to customize the wrapping paper and gift bags, including adding photos and custom text or changing colorways....

Here’s what to consider as you’re planning your backyard shade, and the shelter options you can choose from to create your perfect space. Determining Your Backyard Shade Needs There’s no one-size-fits all option for creating backyard shade. Depending on your backyard setup and your needs, you may opt for multiple shade options, from planting trees to umbrellas to permanent shady structures. Consider these questions before you shop. Why do you want shade?...

Anyone keeping roses around for an extended period of time—or turning to companies such as Rose Box, which ships roses preserved to last one year without any maintenance—will want to find out how to make the blooms part of their home, rather than a seasonal add-on. Incorporating roses into the home will make the whole space a little more cohesive, while displaying your favorite blooms front and center. Whether you plan on replenishing a vase of roses throughout the year or want to invest in an arrangement that will last all year long, you’ll want to find ways to make the cut flowers feel organic and natural in the home as part of the décor....

How to Dispose of Used Cooking Oil There are many ways to dispose of your cooking oil in a clean and healthy manner. Try some of the below options to make sure you’re responsibly throwing away your oil. Using one of these methods isn’t just conscious for our eco-system, it will also prevent any unwanted smells from lingering in your drain or trash can. RELATED: Yes, You Can Cook With Olive Oil Over High Heat—Here’s Why RELATED: 5 Types of House Plants Every Home Should Have

While we’d like to forget most everything that happened in the early days of the pandemic—when face masks were discouraged, social distancing was novel, and toilet paper was MIA—we really wouldn’t mind revisiting the enthusiastic motivation we felt in the kitchen. Cook every meal at home using just pantry staples? How fun! Yeah, I think sometime around June that How fun! attitude really took a nosedive. Summer was hot, exhausting, and the last thing anyone wanted to do was stand it a humid kitchen for hours painstakingly rolling out homemade pasta noodles or baking cinnamon buns....

Visit garden centers and gardens at different times of the year to get a sense of blooming schedules, foliage color, and what particular plants you are interested in look like all year round. “I actually think that we spend way too much time and thought on making sure the garden is evergreen,” says Putnam, “Many plants that lose their leaves offer stem color, early spring flowering, and some even have contorted stems or exfoliating bark that are beautiful in the winter landscape....