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Chris Erskine: Human beings are so overrated. But the good ones make up for it

What do I know about anything? But these pre-measured meals are helping us kick the winter doldrums.




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Tomato fans: How you can get free ground cherries and goldenberries for your garden

Tasty ground cherries and goldenberries deserve room in your garden. They're easy to grow in the garden or in pots, and prolific producers.




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The 7 things you have to spot in L.A. before you can really say you live here

On Netflix's "You," you can't say you're really from Los Angeles until you've seen the seven totems. It's a good start. But here's how to level up.




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Culture and history are everywhere you look in Old Town Torrance: Four Hours

There's something for everyone in Torrance's historic downtown district, and the parking is free: Here's how to spend four hours there.




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Those Ruggable ads taking over your Instagram feed? We talk to the genius behind it all

Ruggable's two-part rug system is driving social media crazy — in a good way. We talk to the Los Angeles-based entrepreneur behind it all, and she explains how it all started with her dog, and an accident. And a rug empire was born.




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Home of the Week: Inward-outward in South Pasadena

The Midcentury Modern home in South Pasadena is just one of 32 homes designed by architect James Allen Walter. Asking price: $2.25 million.




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I'm going to make it easy on you, she said. And then she broke up with me

There was no anger. She understood what I was going through. She had been divorced for over a decade, and had been in a few relationships since. And I was just coming to realize that I wasn't ready to be in a committed relationship just months after ending a 23-year marriage.




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He lovingly restored a midcentury gem. Now, you can tour it

Lawrence Welk is newly hip at Modernism Week in Palm Springs: The late entertainer's home has been lovingly restored, and is now opening its doors.




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Now there's cushy camping on L.A.'s trail from Pacific Palisades to Malibu

A new outfitter brings all-inclusive camping to the 67-mile Backbone Trail.




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Americans are lonelier than ever. Here are 20 ways to connect

America is in the midst of a loneliness epidemic. Here, we offer 20 ways to combat social isolation and loneliness in the new year.




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Out of unique ideas for Valentine's Day gifts? We're loving these geography pillows

These sweet pillows designed by Catstudio husband-and-wife artists Terrell and Carmel Swan could be a cozy reminder of someplace special in your relationship — meeting at USC, for example, or that romantic trip to Yosemite or a honeymoon in Santa Barbara.




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Malibu's hidden history is lying in plain sight. Here's how to find it

Malibu has long been associated with cars full of beachgoers and staggering cliffside mansions — but there's much more to these "21 miles of scenic beauty."




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L.A. Affairs: I was in L.A. to cover the Oscars. But on the red carpet, love found me

I was still determined not to be the girl who moved across the country for a guy, but what would happen if I loosened my grip on that idea? After we dated almost a year, I applied for a job in Los Angeles and I got it. Just try it, I told myself. If it all falls apart, New York will always be there.




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Shop like a celeb, eat like a royal and party like a rock star on the Sunset Strip: Four Hours

Within four hours you will get to shop at one of L.A.'s most seminal retail stores, eat at a swanky Parisian-chic plant-based restaurant, browse a storied bookstore and see a live show at a renegade music spot along the Sunset Strip.




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Before & After: See how the 'Red Queen' author reimagined her dream home

Ultra white modern farmhouses are trending, but they can also be cold. See how bestselling "Red Queen" author Victoria Aveyard and designer Christine Markatos Lowe transformed a colorless Cape Cod-style home into a feminine and youthful California beach house.




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Seven beauty treatments for your future Oscars moment

Stars aren't the only ones who should look great, right? Here are fresh beauty and skin-care options around L.A. worth trying.




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Erskine: In this common house, we raised four uncommon kids

We raised four kids in this old house. There were birthdays and proms, bloody knees and Scout meetings. We changed a million diapers here. We matched a lot of socks.




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Seating solutions that won't make you dread guests stopping by

Want to entertain more at home and be ready for drop-in guests? Then you need extra seating. Here are some solutions.




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Garden Calendar: 'Bonsai-A-Thon,' bird watching and mushroom walks

Gardeners: There's so much to do outdoors right now. No need to wait for Spring. Let's get started.




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Backyard landlord: What to know before building an ADU or granny flat

Homeowners in neighborhoods zoned for single-family residences now have great ability to build accessory homes — sometimes dubbed "granny flats" — as a way to creatively address the region's housing shortage. Here's a look inside a few ADUs and some design tips from residents who've taken the plunge.




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He broke up with me by text. But I wish he had just ghosted me

Ghosting gets a worse rep than it deserves, in my opinion. As both a former ghoster and a ghostee, I find it way more merciful than a text with stupid excuses.




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Add this to L.A.'s luxury car lairs; it's part Pantheon, part Batcave

The secret car lairs of L.A. are under the radar and plentiful. Check out one of the latest: a state-of-the-art garage near LAX that is part Pantheon, part Batcave. Cigars? They have that too.




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Vegan cuisine, rave gear and a pawn shop in West Covina: Four Hours

Tucked away in the San Gabriel Valley, West Covina offers a bit of an escape from the traffic-and-concrete of Los Angeles. While the big source of commercial business is at the Plaza West Covina, there several shops to explore off the beaten path.




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My therapist's orders: Go on 35 first dates

My therapist was pushing me to date more, which is hard when you're a teacher and can't go out "on a school night." But I'm getting myself out there. L.A. traffic willing.




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A unique housing solution in the tough L.A. market: Make her gym her home

Like any good fighter, kickboxer Kendra Smith figured out a way to tackle the insane L.A. housing market: Move into a storefront where she could live and work.




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Tomatomania starts earlier than ever, with sales kicking off this weekend

This is the earliest Tomatomania has started in its 30-year-plus history, with 11 sales events scheduled between Santa Barbara and San Diego counties.




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L.A. Affairs: I never told her how much I loved her

Although she is gone now, she still reminds me that we can find love in the most unlikely of places. I wonder if she knew the many lives she touched.




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All the ways I failed miserably trying to live plastic-free for a week

No matter how hard I tried, plastic kept sneaking its way back into my life.




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10 steps to take to start becoming plastic-free

Don't get overwhelmed. Start with doable goals in your quest to cut back on plastics.




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L.A. Affairs: I stopped dating and took a 'man-cation'

I told my two roommates I was taking full sabbatical from dating. Taking a 'man-cation' was not a difficult decision. My last two dates had been total duds.




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Zero-waste refill stations in and around L.A.

Zero-waste refill stations let you reduce plastic waste and potentially save money because you pay only for what you take. Here's where to find them.




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The L.A. garden tours you won't want to miss this spring

Stroll and get inspired at 2020 Southern California garden tours.




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When the world feels scary, I want to garden. Here's what to plant right now

Don't stress—make a garden. Here's what to plant in SoCal now




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Erskine: Are you ready for some football? In March? Meet the XFL's cheeky upstarts

There's sloppy play and misfires. At times, it's like you're watching a blooper reel. But L.A. Wildcats games are a Lambeau-leaping hoot. And a great value.




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How to make compost and maybe save the world too

How to make compost and (help) save the world.




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Would you pay $275 for a plant? At this 'plant drop,' you might

Collectors seeking rare plants flock to "plant drops" at Highland Park plant shop Leaf and Spine.




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Working from home is awesome. Here's how to excel at it

Millions of people around the world might be working from home for a while. Try to enjoy it.




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Coronavirus: Do I have to work from home?

A conundrum: Your boss says you're all supposed to work from home, but you really don't want to. Do you have to work from home?




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L.A.'s beloved native plant garden tour canceled: But there's (virtual) hope

The coronavirus claimed another victim Friday, when the Theodore Payne Foundation for Wild Flowers & Native Plants canceled its popular two-day garden tours of 42 landscapes heavy on native plants and water-wise enhancements.




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Is it safe to hike Runyon Canyon? Or work out at the gym?

Feeling housebound? Get out and hike, an expert says, as long as you keep your six-foot distance.




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I've been dating him my whole life: Guess the joke is on me

Together we had woven a 10-year on-again-off-again story so obnoxious, the jokes we made about being like a couple straight out of a sitcom started feeling like a twisted reality.




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Bidet sales soar as toilet paper sells out amid coronavirus fears

As consumers panic-buy toilet paper in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, bidet sales spike.




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The ultimate guide to hanging out virtually with your friends

Just because you're staying home doesn't mean you have to be lonely. How to set up video chats for a dinner party, game night, karaoke session and more.




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L.A. Affairs: I thought we'd get married. But a house came between us

I wasn't going to plead or beg her to stay. I felt my actions of the past week — and during the more than three years we had been together — had done all my talking for me.




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The upside of social distancing: How hygge can help

Let's lean in to "hygge," an Norwegian word for "well-being," cozy togetherness," "fun," "safety and shielding from the world," "the absence of annoyance" and the notion that your home is, literally and metaphorically, giving you a "hug."




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A happy little miracle in dark times: The plant nursery business is booming

Plant nurseries are now offering curbside service: 'A resurgence of victory gardens'




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No IRL hookups? This might be the perfect time for online dating

It's not easy searching for virtual alternatives to social interactions and intimacy during a time of unprecedented social distancing. Here's how a pandemic is changing the game.




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Their design prescription: Laid-back luxury, homeyness and warmth

This trio turned commercial, residential and fashion design experience into the Transition State firm. Next up: a line of throw pillows.




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The Theodore Payne garden tour is happening this weekend — virtually

Theodore Payne offers 30-plus virtual tours of native plant landscapes.




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Why Goodwill is begging all of us: Stop leaving your stuff at our door!

Goodwill SoCal has closed its doors and appealed to Los Angeles residents to stop leaving discarded items at donation centers. It can create a health hazard.