It’s always such a thrill when a package arrives at your front door, even if you know what’s inside. So, what if you and your partner sent your faves a basket filled with goodies for Halloween? Of course, you may not have any boo basket ideas for couples right now, and that’s where we come in.

After scouring the Internet for the best products, we came up with a ton of boo basket ideas — each of which comes with its own theme. Some of these baskets will treat your friend and their partner to an at-home date night. Others will get their beloved pet involved in the holiday festivities.

Be warned: Once you put the basket together, you may want to just keep it for yourselves and enjoy the bags of peanut butter cups and matching sweaters in the comfort of your own home. But, it’ll be so much

The Telegraph

Keir Starmer refuses to condemn police investigation into Darren Grimes

Sir Keir Starmer has refused to criticise the criminal investigation into interviewer Darren Grimes, saying that “there is a line that can be crossed”. When asked whether the police should be investigating the conservative commentator for a remark Dr David Starkey made during an interview, the former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) said that when the line was crossed there should be “involvement” and “in some cases prosecutions” He made the comments just hours after one of his predecessors as DPP, Lord Macdonald of River Glaven, said that the investigation looked like a “political stunt” which was “sinister and foolish”. The comments put Mr Starmer at odds with figures from across the political divide who have warned of the impact that the investigation could have on freedom of speech, which Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was “important”

From Good Housekeeping

Participating in community service is one of the most rewarding things you can do. No matter your age, giving back can help you build friendships, develop new skills, and increase life satisfaction — all while making the world a better place. It’s no wonder that in a Good Housekeeping poll of over 4,000 people, 19% of respondents said they typically volunteer once a month and another 19% said they volunteer even more than that.

Ahead, we’ve found the most impactful community service ideas for volunteers of all ages. Remember: these ideas are meant to be general. If one speaks to you, think of ways you can personalize it toward your interests and expertise. Don’t be afraid to think big either. While you could totally pick up litter at the beach by yourself, you’d cover a lot more land if you

Update, October 9, 2020: And we have some winners! Yesterday the city of Chicago announced that it had selected three designs from its Winter Dining Challenge contest to move on to the prototype phase. They are:

© Photo: ROBIN VAN LONKHUIJSEN/ANP/AFP (Getty Images)
Outdoor greenhouse dining in Amsterdam, May 2020

• “Cozy Cabins” with radiant floor heating, tiny enough to fit into a parking space, created by ASD | SKY, a design firm in Atlanta,
• “Block Party,” a series of modular cubes that can be assembled into larger dining areas, like giant Legos, with radiant heating mesh in the floors, designed by Neil Reindell and Flo Mettetal, two urban planners, and
• “Heated Tables,” modified Japanese kotatsu tables with the heating element built in and blankets to drape over diners’ laps, proposed by Ellie Henderson, a graphic designer

Each of the winners will receive $5,000.

The city also announced yesterday that it’s

The world of kitchens seems to produce ceaseless innovation. Amelia Thorpe picks out some of the latest looks and cleverest new ideas.

Elk Kitchens doing it differently

Architects George Gardner and Peter Foulk have set up ELK, producing bespoke kitchens that feature their own patent-pending storage solutions, which are designed to ensure that all cupboard and shelf space is used to the maximum. These include their striking, triangular-shaped V-drawers, intended as ‘function centres’, with contents visible and accessible.

‘Unlike most kitchens, which are built from boxes, ELK’s designs are based on a framework, which frees the designers from standard restrictions and uses less than 50% of the material of a conventional kitchen,’ explains Mr Gardner. Each kitchen is constructed at ELK’s workshop in Hampshire, using responsibly sourced timber engineered to produce a stable framework, often using light and dark woods for contrast and to highlight the unusual shape of the

There’s more to kitchen organization than stowing items away behind closed cabinet doors, clearing the countertop of bulky appliances, or divvying up your utensils into little dividers. As much as we love magnetic knife racks, labeled spice jars, and lazy Susans, these products aren’t necessarily a guarantee that your kitchen will be hardworking.

If you really want to set your space up for success, you’ll have to look beyond the cupboards into all the nooks and crannies where clutter tends to gather: the pantry shelves, the back of the sink base cabinet, the corner of the island. Keeping this holistic view in mind, we gathered 12 ideas that make for a truly clutter-free kitchen. 

There is a designated spot for every single item in Sarah Sherman Samuel’s walk-in pantry. The designer set the dimensions of the shelves

Your sorority sisters don’t have major plans for Halloween. However, you’re still planning on getting dressed up for a casual night spent in your backyard with tasty concoctions and a camera. On Oct. 31, you’re fully planning on posing with your pumpkin-shaped basket and other whimsical props for Instagram. You just need to decide which of these Halloween costume ideas for sorority sisters you want to bring to life on the spookiest night of the year.

Truth be told, there are so many options, so it’s probably best to decide what “theme” you’re going for. For example, do you want your costumes to make people laugh, say “aww,” or jump out of their seats? Do you want to look like your favorite TV or movie characters, or would you rather be mystical creatures like mermaids, or devils, or ghosts? Once you’ve made a decision, along with your big, little, or

There are many ways to enhance your walls and give it a character instead of keeping it plain and boring. Wall stickers are one of the easiest ways to spruce up your room. Not only are there numerous designs options when it comes to wall stickers, they are also easy to put on and take off, perfect if you live in a rental apartment.

Here are some fun ways to add a unique touch to your walls.

For your work station: Your work station and your desk is where you spend most part of your day. Hence, it is important that you feel motivated and inspired to bring out your best efforts.

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‘Work smart not hard’ wall sticker in black and red: BUY HERE for 60% discount at Rs. 359/-

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Dear Heloise: I am thrifty in the kitchen. I rarely discard cooking water from any vegetables and even save pasta and potato water. In the fall, I make tasty vegetarian soup from all these liquids; add tomatoes, vegetables, beans and or grains/pasta.

When my carrots got a little too old, I cooked them in enough water to cover, drained and pureed them in a blender, using the cooking liquid to get consistency. I froze the carrot puree in ice cube trays. I added several cubes to soup, stews, sauces, etc. Other things to freeze in ice cube trays: pesto, pimentos in their liquid, mashed bananas for smoothies, broth and tomato paste. — Reader in Ohio

CRUMBS

Dear Heloise: After family gatherings we find ourselves with small portions of various crackers, pita chips, etc. I grind them up in my blender and use them for breading pork chops,

Whether you’re attending a housewarming party or sending a gift to a new homeowner from a distance, finding the perfect item to welcome your loved ones into their new space may not be easy. A bottle of wine can feel cliche, or even out of line if they don’t drink alcohol. So how do you give a celebratory gift that’s memorable and useful?

The key is trying to make those final parts of moving in easier. “Anything you can choose to make a rough process easier is great,” says Julie Schechter, founder of care package startup Small Packages, based in New York City.

[See: 10 Ways to Save Energy and Lower Your Utility Bills]

To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of gift ideas to help you find