Lifestyle - Tuesday, June 9, 2026

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Still hoping to meet ‘the one’? While you’re waiting, one dating expert says you should romance someone you’re not totally smitten with. It could be the start of something beautiful Name: Practice dates. Age: The term date – to mean romantic dating – was inadvertently coined by American columnist George Ade in 1896, when he described a “date book” used by a shop cashier to record all her meetings with suitors. Practice dating is a 2026 concept. Continue reading...

Whether it’s water-saving showerheads or natural sponges, these easy swaps cut waste and make your bathroom a little kinder to the planet • The best refillable beauty products for a sustainable routine As a sustainability journalist, I’ve often despaired at how unsustainable our bathrooms are – from water use to plastic bottles to chemical-heavy cleaners. However, there are ways to reduce their carbon footprint. As water becomes increasingly precious, hacks for our loos that cap its usage are useful, as are smart showerheads that cut down on water, particularly as baths these days feel like a guilty indulgence. Swap plastic-packaged and chemical-loaded products, such as bleach and multipurpose sprays, for eco-friendly ones, and buy secondhand good-as-new fixtures. From bamboo loo roll to solid shampoo bars, here are my tips for a more planet-friendly bathroom. Continue reading...

Keep things simple, outsource and prep ahead where you can, and never forget the golden rule of canapes … My daughter is getting married: what vegetarian and vegan canapes can I make at least a day ahead? Sue, by email “Canapes need to be no more than two mouthfuls,” says Barney Desmazery, author of One Dish Four Ways , “unless you’re going to provide something to eat them from, but in my book they’re then no longer canapes.” You’ll not want anything too labour-intensive. “Sue is going to be making them tens or hundreds of times over, so outsourcing some work with store-bought ingredients is an easy win,” says Richard Makin, AKA School Night Vegan and author of Stress-Free Dinners . Also remember that, as with most things in life, less is usually more: “Good ingredients always triumph over complicated recipes,” says Desmazery, who recalls a wedding he once attended in Liguria, Italy: “There was a round of aged parmesan with knives for guests to break off shards, and that was great.” Granted, parmesan isn’t one for Sue’s vegetarian/vegan spread, but you get the idea. Got a culinary dilemma? Email feast@theguardian.com Continue reading...

Felines have long been associated with feminine power – and these women are embracing a cliche used to bring them down To support 700 cats, you need roughly 1,350lb of food a week. But that’s just the dry stuff, which isn’t a balanced enough diet for a cat. You also need 1,000 cans of wet food. Next, 600lb of litter, because cats, like all living things, need a place to do their business. Sixty rolls of paper towels to clean up the many messes that will occur. Nine gallons of laundry detergent, six gallons of dish detergent, 200 large trash bags and 400 kitchen trash bags. Continue reading...

Socks from Arsenal Football Club have a new life helping rescued donkeys and horses heal from injuries.

Matosinhos was built on fish, but today its retro seafood restaurants and canneries sit alongside great art spaces, museums and landmark architecture This once declining industrial city is on the up, but not so much that it has been ruined – yet. See it now, mid-gentrification, before its humble seafood restaurants become overpriced and its beautifully curated museums and galleries overrun. Continue reading...

Served with a sauce full of sweetness and acidity – and a splash of sherry – this is a simple but deeply Spanish dish Duck is one of those ingredients that feels rather special, but is actually very simple to cook. It’s something I always enjoy taking my time with, so it’s tender and full of flavour, and for me what really makes this particular dish are the cherries, even more so when they’re picotas from Extremadura, where I’m from. They’re small, sweet and full of sun, and a crop we wait impatiently for every year. When you cook with them, they bring a beautiful balance of sweetness and acidity to the rich duck, while the addition of a touch of amontillado transforms this simple dish into something that’s deeply Spanish. And remember, it’s always worth using a good sherry and enjoying the rest with the meal. Continue reading...