Lifestyle

The answer to today’s puzzle Earlier today I set you a puzzle about keeping homes cool in a heatwave. Here it is again with the solution. Imagine a room with a set of curtains. When the Sun is shining, its energy comes through the windows where it is absorbed by the curtains. The curtains get hotter and hotter until they reach a temperature at which they are radiating as much heat as they absorb. The curtains radiate 50 per cent of this heat back towards the window, and 50 per cent of the heat into the room. Continue reading...

The Guardian Lifestyle • 12 hours ago

Share your tip on a fun or fabulous waterway activity – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break There are few pastimes more relaxing than messing about on the river. Whether it’s paddling along an urban waterway, navigating a historic canal in a narrowboat, spotting the wildlife on an estuary walk, or a towpath bike ride, we’d love to hear how you like to spend time on your favourite river or canal in the UK or Ireland. The best tip of the week, chosen by Tom Hall of Lonely Planet wins a £200 voucher to stay at a Coolstays property – the company has more than 3,000 worldwide. The best tips will appear in the Guardian Travel section and website. Continue reading...

The Guardian Lifestyle • 14 hours ago

You told us your tried-and-tested tricks for keeping children entertained. Plus, the best eye masks and natural deodorants, tested • Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here If there’s one thing worse than a long journey, it’s a long journey with bored, fractious children. So what helps smooth things along? We asked for your best, tried-and-tested hacks for travelling with kids , from “fidget bags” to lollipops. On a long car trip from the UK to France with his kids, reader Tim Leadbeater attached small plastic baskets with string around the pillars of the front headrest: “They held everything from felt tips to half-eaten food, not only preventing stains on covers but also keeping everything reachable for kids in car seats.” ‘This is my bucket-list spot for wild camping’: Outdoors expert Sian Lewis answered your questions ‘It’s the first thing we set up’: parents on everything you need for camping with kids – and what you don’t The best camping tents: 10 expert picks for every outdoor adventure Do natural deodorants actually work? I put 18 to the test – here are my favourites The best walking sandals for women: 10 comfy and supportive styles for summer CurrentBody Multi Light Therapy LED mask review: hands down the best I’ve tested The best air coolers to chill your home during heatwaves – tested ‘Proof that delicious tomatoes can be grown in the UK’: the best supermarket vine tomatoes, tasted and rated How I Shop with Angela Hartnett: ‘The purchase I regret the most? Any fitness machine!’ The best fake tan for a sunkissed, streak-free glow – tested Continue reading...

The Guardian Lifestyle • 14 hours ago

Put the kettle on. The post What Living In London Taught Me About Slowing Down appeared first on Camille Styles .

Camille Styles • 15 hours ago

Perfect for an al fresco lunch spread, these bruschetta come together as quickly as they disappear … Fresh, light but filling – these bruschetta are beautiful to bring outside as part of a lunch spread. They take minutes to whip together (sorry) and, for extra Marie Antoinette at Le Petit Trianon vibes, pick mint (or/and baby courgettes) from your own garden. You can get ahead by making the whipped feta and lemon dressing in advance, and keeping the courgette ribbons and radishes in cold water until needed. Drain and dress the courgettes just before serving – they’re lovely with the contrast of the toasted baguette and cool cheese. Continue reading...

The Guardian Lifestyle • 16 hours ago

When I gave up washing my hair, the first two weeks were the worst. But I was determined to follow my barber’s advice ... In 2025 I’d not had a paid-for haircut in about five years, preferring to ask my ex to cut it with kitchen scissors in the bathroom. But now I was in my late 20s and single and I decided that it was time to look more grown up. Not knowing the first thing about looking after my hair, I felt that a trip to an establishment that offered something beyond a short back and sides – a trendy, gentrified place where a trim puts you back a cool £38 – was sorely overdue. “You need to stop washing your hair,” my barber told me bluntly. As they ruffled through my shapeless, overgrown mop I was warned about using too much shampoo, which can leave your hair dry, lifeless and coarse. I sat in the swivel chair feeling a bit embarrassed. My barber’s words were less a caution and more a diagnosis. I was instructed to drop shampoo immediately for at least two weeks. The dry variety was fine if I got desperate for a clean and I could maybe use a bit of conditioner as a treat. But for the most part, water was my entire regime. Continue reading...

The Guardian Lifestyle • 18 hours ago