TODAY

If you made a feast for Thanksgiving or you’re gearing up for another over the winter holidays, you’re probably dreading the scrubbing that follows. There’s nothing like burnt-on residue from baking and roasting to give your elbows that unwanted extra workout. But with a few little tricks, you can make the cleanup just a little easier so you have more time for the fun parts. Clean everything from your stovetop to the inside of the oven and those often-used baking sheets that look like they’ve seen better days.

Read about the easy techniques to clean your cookware and ovens using items you may not have thought about, but probably have around the house.

See the hacks

Living an active life to age 100 and beyond isn’t a secret, it’s a way of life for people in five specific places around the world that have been dubbed the “blue zones.”

In these communities, there’s a combination of traditional whole foods and close-knit community that contributes to successful aging and what appears to be lower incidences of serious illness, according to author Dan Buettner.

Can following the traditions of places like Okinawa and Costa Rica translate to longer life for people in the U.S.? A group of people in Naples, Florida, set out to test the theory for 10 weeks. See what they found, the simple powerhouse ingredients in all the diets and how friendship helps below.

Even when we know people’s names, why do we go for days without using them? By using someone’s name, you help them feel seen and acknowledged — and that’s an act of kindness. According to kindness.org’s research in collaboration with the University of Oxford, doing a kind act increases happiness, well-being, trust and compassion. And it can have the same powerful effect on those who receive the act. Try it, and put a smile on both your faces.