I love to eat outside whenever possible, even on a sunny winter day. But when warm summer weather hits, outdoor dining is a definite preference, whether it’s a formal sit-down dinner or a casual picnic. A picnic can take many forms. Sometimes, it’s setting places at a table in the backyard, but it can also…
BURLINGAME, Calif. — Sarah Jane Bradley was an unmarried, “spiritual but not religious” professional in her early 30s, with a rowdy group of friends and a start-up when she moved out of her communal house and into a convent. A bunch of friends went with her. They called the project Nuns and Nones, and they…
Many people use so-called feminine hygiene products — such as intimate cleansers and wipes, douches, and even deodorants — hoping to feel clean and fresh. Do these products really help maintain genital health? In this Spotlight feature, we investigate. Is it ever advisable to use ‘feminine hygiene’ products? In high school, I used to take…
Name: Kodi Smit-McPhee Age: 22 Hometown: Adelaide, Australia. Now lives: In a two-bedroom apartment in Marina del Rey, Calif., that he shares with a roommate. Claim to fame: Mr. Smit-McPhee, who is in the next “X Men” movie, and has appeared in a short film for the fashion label Kenzo, is a rising star who…
HOTBOXInside Catering, the Food World’s Riskiest BusinessBy Matt Lee and Ted Lee James Beard, Martha Stewart, Ina Garten, Giada De Laurentiis, Carla Hall: Where were they before they became masters of the food universe? They were catering. If this is news to you, it’s not your fault. While restaurants and the life and times of…
When Patricia Park celebrated the publishing of her first novel at a Brooklyn bookstore in 2015, Brett Taylor’s gift to her did not come in a card or in a vase or in a gift-wrapped box. It came in a keg, filled with her favorite beer. “He brewed me a batch of India pale ale,…
You’re reading this week’s At War newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every Friday. Email us at atwar@nytimes.com. On Monday, the United States observed Memorial Day, a federal holiday that capped a three-day weekend of events honoring those who died in American military service. Each year, this weekend pushes into…
Traveling — even for fun — can be tough on our bodies. Hours spent in airline seats, heavy meals and long stretches of touristy walking or standing can leave muscles and joints stiff and achy. I asked two well-known fitness trainers, Elisabeth Halfpapp and Fred DeVito, for some simple exercises that travelers of any age…
Choose any beach vacation town, and you can expect to find a few things — water, sand, probably ice cream, possibly a Ferris wheel. But it takes a little more to make a spot the kind of place that people from the nearest big town and beyond return to summer after summer, sometimes for generations.…
Send questions about the office, money, careers and work-life balance to workfriend@nytimes.com. Include your name and location, even if you want them withheld. Letters may be edited. You Are Not the Snack Czar My workplace provides a variety of free snacks. These usually include bananas, and there is no problem with taking one or three…