Navigating a cost of living crisis in a world where we can tap and spend without a thought is changing the way we manage our personal finances. Whether asking our boss for a pay rise or negotiating splitting the bill with friends, we have to confront our discomfort about discussing money. But the emotional stakes … Read more
The prosecution: Alexis I’m afraid our friends who have kids will ostracise us because of Peter’s attitude My partner Peter and I have decided to be child-free since we got together nine years ago. We are both 36 and happy with our decision. But recently, a lot of our mates have had kids and Peter is struggling … Read more
This week, London was crowned “wine capital of the world”. It’s worth noting, perhaps, that this shiny new title comes from the annual Knight Frank Wealth Report, and is based on how many restaurants serve fine wines from the world’s top 250 wine and champagne houses. If this is what matters to you when looking … Read more
When Bear stopped dead in his tracks, his nose turned towards some undergrowth, it was clear something was wrong. It was November last year – Bear’s 12th birthday, and his first proper walk after weeks of taking it easy while he recovered from serious surgery. The South Downs stretched before us. The sun had set and … Read more
A day after landing on the moon, the robotic Athena spacecraft built by Intuitive Machines of Houston is dead. In an update on its website on Friday, the company confirmed that Athena had tipped onto its side — the same fate that befell its first lunar lander, Odysseus, last year. With its solar panels unable … Read more
Because I truly am a midlife cliche, I do a lot of pilates. (It’s the best! Isn’t it the best?) And even when I’m mid-plank I’m never completely not thinking about clothes, so I have noticed something that I feel we need to discuss. Here goes: I think leggings might be over. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We … Read more
Fashion is often used as a tool to make an impactful entrance, but in 2025, it’s a dramatic exit that’s trending. At the Oscars, both The Substance’s Margaret Qualley and Wicked’s Michelle Yeoh wore diamond “backlaces” – necklaces that had been purposefully styled backwards so that they draped down the back of the spine rather … Read more
We all have that gadget we reach for in the kitchen; the everyday item that changes the way we cook, making chopping, zesting citrus fruit, flipping fish and grinding spices that little bit easier (plus, saving fingertips). A kitchen gamechanger doesn’t have to be fancy, though – Feast’s Georgina Hayden finds a tomato knife picked … Read more
I recently turned 40 and I feel that everything is coming to an end, rather than it being the middle of my life. I spent much of my 30s caring for my elderly parents while I lived in insecure share houses. I was single for all those years, apart from a couple of brief relationships. … Read more
Winning tip: cycling the Netherlands’ quieter flower route In the Netherlands the Keukenhof near Lisse is well known for the beauty of its bulb fields in springtime. But if you are looking for a cycling holiday away from the crowds you’re better off heading 40 miles north to the Kop van Noord-Holland. Here you will … Read more