In the middle of summer, Georgia can heat it up with the best of them. So when you are a little pink petunia and get a Plant of Distinction Award, that is saying something. Such is the case with Supertunia Mini Vista Pink Cloud petunia.

This rings true for all of the Supertunia Mini Vista petunia varieties. But Pink Cloud is new, making its ...Read more

SAN JOSE, Calif. — For Angel Romero, every detail of her car is a reflection of her history. The shining purple paint job accents sleek gleaming chrome that flashes bright in the light of golden hour. Pinstripes adorn the hood and the roof of the car — which hovers mere inches from the road, floating on white-wall tires — and the trunk is ...Read more

Once you spot the telltale signs of writing generated by artificial intelligence, you can’t unsee them.

They appear in the chipper press releases that crash my inbox, opening with “I hope this note finds you well!” The perfectly crafted text from your friend who typically has awful grammar. The barrage of self-promoting LinkedIn ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m 28 and have been seeing a guy around my age for a few months. We clicked fast in conversation — texting every day and even saying good night, sharing long voice notes, that kind of early-stage excitement — but because of work and conflicting schedules, we’ve only managed a handful of actual dates.

Last week was my ...Read more

Today, let’s look at two different questions from two different clients. As always, if one person asks, I can only assume it is applicable to a larger audience.

And, interestingly enough, you’ll see that these questions are applicable to any gender and any age.

Q: I wanted to have a conversation with (him) about his more long-term goals ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Inside a dim New Orleans-style bar in Hollywood, dozens of strangers mingle under the thump of pop music while nursing complimentary cocktails. Each person is sporting a name tag along with a personality sticker, or a few, that best captures their vibe. Neat freak. Plant parent. Night owl. Craft beer aficionado.

The scene reads ...Read more

There are days I feel like the last surviving gatekeeper to tradition. My mission is to keep the holidays from crashing into one another.

In my rich fantasy world, Labor Day is followed by Halloween, Halloween is followed by Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving is followed by Christmas. Never do they meet, mix or mingle. Welcome to dreamland.

The ...Read more

Q. My daughter comes home from her dad’s house telling me that her father lets her stay up until 10 o’clock at night and doesn’t cook dinner. She’s 6. She needs her sleep and nourishing food. I get so worked up; I don’t want her to go. And I don’t know exactly what to say to her when she tells me these things. What’s good ex-...Read more

Dear Kid Whisperer,

I can’t believe I am doing this, but I am actually writing to you to ask about dealing with my boyfriend’s behavior. I have been with him for 10 months and our relationship is not the best, and not the worst, but I really don’t like the way he treats my 9-year-old son. Some background: My son was a real handful in the ...Read more

CHICAGO — Claudia von Thrift — which is not her real name, but we’ll get to that — wants to make something clear. She is not one of those don’t-buy-anything-this-Christmas people. She is not looking to take an activist stance against conspicuous consumption. “I am as bougie as they come,” she said, reaching into her utensil drawer ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — A wheel cranks on the machine at the Independence Visitor Center, slowing with every turn until: CLINK! A reward drops out the bottom waiting to be collected.

It’s a familiar, elongated penny. In its new form, Honest Abe’s head is swapped for an illustration of Rocky — naturally.

Philadelphia — along with other cities ...Read more

I may not be the chief cook in my house (that would be my wife, Sue, without whom I would have starved to death long ago), but I am the chief bottle washer.

And I don’t wash only bottles. I also clean glasses, mugs, cups, saucers, bowls, plates, pots, pans, tongs, whisks, spatulas, ladles, forks, knives, spoons and, most important, ice cream ...Read more

How did Skims grow to become worth more than Victoria’s Secret and Under Armour combined? A good portion of Skims devotees look past Kim Kardashian, the reality-TV megastar and face of the brand, for an answer.

Instead, those customers say it’s the product itself that has them on board. Given the label’s success, it’s hard to write it ...Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Under the harsh overheard lights of a small theater stage, the comedian commandeered the microphone and unfurled a short set laced with jokes about poop anxiety and penis size.

"My preschool had these communal restrooms — just five toilets lined up ... no barriers, no doors. It was like a Roman bathhouse," the performer said, ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m a 29-year-old guy and I’ve been with my girlfriend for about a year and a half. We’ve always had what I thought was a solid, committed relationship. We live separately but spend most nights together, talk about future plans, the whole thing. I trusted her completely. Last week, while she was showing me something on her ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- I spent part of Halloween hanging out in a cemetery.

I wasn’t there to commune with the dead. Instead, I was getting reacquainted with the dying art of driving a stick shift car.

In Roselawn Cemetery in Roseville, Minnesota, I met a stranger who agreed to let me drive around the quiet tombstone-lined roads in his personal ...Read more

As you read this, it will almost be National Poinsettia Day, which is Dec. 12. The day honors Joel Poinsett, the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico. He is credited with introducing this beloved Christmas plant to the United States.

The Garden Guy is writing about it now in hopes that you will help end the holiday affliction known as Poinsettias ...Read more

I set off the alarm at the grocery store over the weekend. I wasn’t going to mention it, but it’s always best to get ahead of a breaking news story. My story, my spin.

I’ve never set off an alarm before.

I take that back. I set off the smoke alarm in the kitchen about once month, but high heat with cast iron does that. Other than that, ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- If you ever meet Bill Hawj at a party, there’s a good chance his ice-breaker is better than yours. The 49-year-old Uber driver from Roseville might tell you that he was the first Hmong baby born in Minnesota.

Bill’s parents, Dang and Shoua Hawj, were the first Hmong refugees to come to the state, an illustrious distinction ...Read more

Every day, I get the question, from both clients and friends, “Should I pay for the dating apps?” And when they are referring to the apps, they are referring to the ones like Hinge and Bumble where the basic services are free but there are in-app upgrades. (Sites like Match.com and eHarmony require payment in order to communicate with people...Read more