LIFESTYLE

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In 1929, the Guardian asked readers what they would say to potential inhabitants of Mars. Their answers ranged from requests for cancer cures, to a cricket team challenge • Don’t get Cluesletter, our weekly puzzles newsletter, delivered to your inbox? Sign up here If you could send a message to the…

When it comes to ginger, personal taste often trumps strict precision, say our experts as they get to the root of the issue Why do so many recipes state the amount of fresh ginger in “thumbs” or centimetres. With it being so variable in shape, why don’t you use weight? Nick, by email Let’s gather…

Some do need a rest to complete their growth cycle, but for others this hack could be stressful The problem Winter plant advice is full of contradictions. Rest your plants; don’t rest your plants. Move them to a cooler spot; keep them warm. One common tip is to put certain houseplants in a dark,…

With six light wavelengths and almost endless ways to combine them, CurrentBody’s latest sets a new standard for red light therapy devices • The best LED face masks CurrentBody’s LED masks have long been my favourite. They’re comfortable, simple to use and effective. My previous favourite, the…

All it took was one or two careless teenage girls giving the vermin a taste of their snacks and they became the most well-fed animals imaginable I’ve written a fair amount about my boarding school years in Nigeria in the 90s, but never about the rats that accompanied my school experience. Picture…

Ahead of Netflix’s Chronicles of Narnia dropping early next year, we discover the fantastical landscapes that fired the Belfast-born author’s imagination On the gable walls of the tough, working-class streets of east Belfast, the mystical beasts of Narnia vie for brick space with balaclava-wearing…

Quick, simple finger food that children will love for Halloween: pumpkin and carrot fritters with a chilli-coriander relish, and pumpkin baked into a dark chocolate slice It would be lazy to write, with a rueful shake of the head, that Halloween gets bigger every year. Halloween is huge . I have…

The solution to today’s puzzles Earlier today, I set a puzzle by UCLA professor Terry Tao, who is widely regarded as one of the world’s top mathematicians. Here it is again with solutions. a regular plant produces a single coin per day a mother plant produces a single coin and two seeds per day. (A…

In her new book, Envy, Stacy Kim explains how to understand the feeling, identify your deeper desires and use them to achieve your goals In the 16th-century poem The Faerie Queene, envy is a ghoulish figure riding a ravenous wolf, sad to see the fortune of others and “wonderous glad” of their…

Heated airers claim to dry your clothes without costing the earth in energy. We put 19 to the test over two years, from covered options to winged racks • The best electric heaters Rising energy bills and perma-drizzle are conspiring to keep the nation’s laundry damp, not least by making it such a…

Batch-cook a load of rice, cool it, then whip up this comforting shellfish fried rice This gently seasoned rice has become such a comfort blanket that I now make it at least once a week at home. That’s quite surprising, really, given that I’m guilty of drowning most of my food in chilli crisp oil,…

Share a tip on your favourite trip to Scotland’s wilder regions – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break With dramatic wild landscapes of mountains and lochs, rugged coastlines and remote islands, Scotland is the perfect place to really get away from it all. We want to hear about your…

No matter what the cause, airports are ruthless in issuing PCNs if a car stops in a red zone. But there is a get-out clause I had to stop my car for 18 seconds in a red zone at Leeds Bradford airport to deal with a wasp. It was buzzing in front of my face and making safe-driving impossible. The…

One large ski chalet in the French Alps and 17 strangers. An organised trip for solo travellers is a leap into the unknown Everyone had their reasons for joining the trip. Louisa from south London was putting her life back together after a split from her partner; first-timer Tim was strapping on…

An age-old Russian favourite, rich and full of flavour, in nine easy steps Stroganoff is a richly savoury dish of sautéed beef in soured cream named after a 19th-century count (though no one seems quite sure exactly which one). But it was only as recently as the 20th century that this age-old…

‘Ugly’ shoes, once the preserve of the catwalk, have gone mainstream. Why are so many people taking a walk on the wild side? Until recently, a busy commuter train would be packed with people wearing low-key, unobtrusive shoes. An elegant and inoffensive pump, a sporty trainer or a polite and basic…

Ines and Ross shared a high sex drive, but things calmed down a bit after their daughter was born • How do you do it? Share the story of your sex life, anonymously Our desire hasn’t diminished , but I’m content with a cuddly, loving shag these days Continue reading...

Gondolas on demand, electric piste-grooming and chemical-free snow cannons – how Laax is ‘greenstyling’ its future It’s the worst ski resort nightmare: hillsides of shaggy yellow grass streaked with slush under a leaden sky that’s coughing up sleet. Parts of Europe – places previously accustomed to…

You cannot fake fabulous by simply buying in cool crockery and a freezer full of someone else’s pastry In my misspent youth, I’d head to Glasgow to watch the likes of Fields of the Nephilim and Hawkwind at the Barrowland Ballroom , drink snakebite and buy posters from the touts on Gallowgate to…

Your feelings are understandable. Exploring and accepting them may help you move on I was with my ex-partner for more than 20 years. We were mostly happy and I expected us to be together for life. For well over half the relationship, I was the sole breadwinner and, at my ex’s request, managed our…

Actors Peter Houghton and Anne Browning played lovers onstage, but a shared sense of humour and a magazine horoscope flipped the script on their real-life relationship Find more stories from the moment I knew series Anne and I met in Melbourne in 1997 when we were cast in a production of Hamlet. We…

From chainmail-wearing pop stars to high-fashion catwalks, the spirit of the middle ages is erupting into the zeitgeist Medieval knights used to joust on warhorses with wooden lances, but this week in east London, two men jousted on Lime bikes with PVC pipes. This contemporary spin on a medieval…

From Alison, Harry Bailey and Madame Eglantine to the slipper limpet and trumpet tube worm, test your knowledge with the Saturday quiz 1 Which islands lie at the geographic centre of the western hemisphere? 2 Esme Pepper is which writer’s 135th book? 3 What phenomenon did Einstein dismiss as…