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Does your Instagram shout at you? Mine does. Every time I open it up – albeit with increasing reluctance – someone I didn’t previously know existed is sharing a “hack”. It could be for stopping my toddler from throwing a fit in the supermarket or how to button a shirt so I look less old. … Read more

Millions of people across southern England are subject to hosepipe bans after prolonged periods of extreme heat and reduced rainfall. On Tuesday, Thames Water, Britain’s biggest water company, announced a ban starting on Thursday. Here, the Guardian answers questions about what the restriction means for you. How do water companies decide to implement a ban? … Read more

The problemWe’ve all done it: picked up a lush, generous-looking pot of basil from the supermarket – full of promise and pesto plans, and within a fortnight it has collapsed into a dried-out, leggy mess. You assume you did something wrong. In reality, the plant was set up to fail before it even reached your … Read more

Name: Barkitecture. Age: 27 years old. Appearance: Plush provisions for posh pooches. It’s 27 years old? That’s hardly newsworthy. Well, there was Fred Albert’s 1999 book Barkitecture, about upmarket kennels. And then there was the 2020 Quibi platform show Barkitecture, where a Bachelorette runner-up made kennels for celebrities. Also, the Guardian has covered the term … Read more

Heating and burning The problem Whenever we burn anything inside our homes, we cause indoor air pollution, whether we’re cooking using gas, frying bacon, lighting a wood burner, an open fire, a cigarette or incense, or ruining the toast. “ We spend 80-90% of our time indoors,” says Prof Francis Pope, chair of atmospheric science at … Read more

I hope that, as you’re reading this, your veg patch is in full swing. Despite my slightly later than usual start to the season (spring was confusing, weather-wise!), my tomatoes, cucumbers and courgettes are growing well, and I have just planted out another round of lettuce and spring onions. Now we’re in midsummer, much of … Read more