Lifestyle - Thursday, May 21, 2026

Replacing your phone’s apps with dedicated devices can help pry you from their grip and live in the moment Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things As a freelance writer, I’m a chronically online person. When my phone buzzes, I have to look. Did that editor reply yet? Did I receive any new cool product pitches? Even when I turn on do-not-disturb mode, I find myself opening my phone to check my muted notifications. At home, it is a nuisance I can live with. But on recent trips to Las Vegas, Barcelona and London, I started to notice that my phone was preventing me from connecting with new places. On a serene bus ride between Barcelona and Andorra, I found myself ignoring the Pyrenean peaks out the window to respond to inconsequential emails. Travel journal: No Particular Order Off the Grid Prompted Travel Journal Watch: Casio AE1200WH Digital Watch Continue reading...

Barbecue whiz Rob Sonderman and celebrity chef Carla Hall recently debuted neighboring fast-casual chicken restaurants.

Although it might seem like a minor irritant, the consequences of email incivility can be far-reaching Received a rude email at work? You’re not alone. When I was weighing a move from full-time to freelance work, a terse email from a colleague – demanding I redo a task from scratch over a technicality – settled the matter instantly. I quit on the spot. Around the same time, thousands of US government workers received an email requiring them to justify their employment “with approx 5 bullets of what you accomplished this week” – or resign. Clarissa Brincat is a freelance health and science journalist Continue reading...

Retreating from reality is a brittle way to feel better, writes advice columnist Eleanor Gordon-Smith. Find people who feel as you do and then face these problems together Read more Leading questions I’m 21, and all my life I’ve been anxious about the future. It’s not getting better. There are a lot of things that worry me – no job prospects even with a degree under my belt; I won’t be able to find a partner who will respect me; I’ll never own a house. And outside these, of course, I’m worried about climate change and global politics. The advice I have been offered is to “not think about it” or “focus on what I personally can control”. But I have dreams and aspirations; I want to be a writer and an artist and I am working harder than ever to make those things happen, even if AI might make those fields even more competitive. So my question is: How do I balance my dreams and aspirations practically, and take care of myself, without living in a bubble? Continue reading...

Plus, what she keeps in her zero-waste kitchen (and what she never buys). The post A Backyard Lunch With Camilla Marcus—and Her Approach to Intentional Cooking appeared first on Camille Styles .

What to know about energy efficiency, contracts and avoiding shady financing deals.

Our Place’s non-toxic, non-stick titanium pans can handle 1000F temps and the dishwasher – and they’re currently up to 42% off for Memorial Day The seven best non-toxic cooking pans in the US, tested in a food lab Sign up for the Filter US newsletter, your weekly guide to buying fewer, better things If you, like me, are trying to detox your kitchen from Pfas forever chemicals and microplastics, I have great news: the pan collection that beat out a dozen others to win our test of the best non-toxic pans is finally on sale. The premium chrome and gold edition of Our Place’s Titanium Always Pan Pro is now 10% off, and the rest of the brand’s titanium line has even steeper discounts of up to 42% off as part of its Memorial Day sale. For two weeks in a real commercial kitchen, our partners at the Drexel Food Lab tested 13 pans free of harmful Pfas, PFOA, BPA and PTFE chemicals. After reviewing each on heat rate, heat retention, non-stickiness and cooking and baking performance, they named the 10.5in Always Pan Pro the best overall. “The Titanium Always Pan Pro stood out for its combination of lightweight handling, impressive non-stick performance and genuinely useful design,” the research chefs at Drexel wrote. It heated evenly and eggs slid right off. Continue reading...

Carrie Joy Grimes’ new book The Joy of Money offers tip and tools for middle-class Americans seeking out stability and security Carrie Joy Grimes wants you to know you’re not going to get rich – or even out of debt – just by practicing “latte celibacy”. She decries the online “shame gurus” who promote the financial equivalent of crash diets, and believes “the economy’s just become harder and harder for everyone to navigate.” Still, she argues, there are tools and tricks that can help many people save money and secure a slice of the American dream. But you have to know where to find them – and that’s where she comes in. Continue reading...

“Everything you do, winning or losing, good or bad, it’s feedback, not failure,” the tennis legend said.

Letter writer is grateful wife packs their lunch everyday but wishes strands of her hair weren’t included.