Food, homes and lifestyle news, video and pictures

Doll's houses Little windows on the past

At an exhibition at the V&A Museum of Childhood, a collection of doll’s houses offers an insight into the families who created and played with them

Little windows on the past
Self-help Do socks and forks have feelings?

Oliver Burkeman

Buying stuff, we’re told, will make us happy – but how happy is our stuff?

Do socks and forks have feelings?

- How to wear a blanket coat
  
  Jess Cartner-Morley
  
  You must layer it over clothes which have down-to-earth ruggedness, but a bit of snap
  
  How to wear a blanket coat
- Ask Molly Ringwald My mum hates tattoos – how do I tell her I have one?
  
  ‘We mothers can’t help but remember how we felt when you were born – all pink and perfect, without a blemish on your body’
  
  My mum hates tattoos – how do I tell her I have one?
- Experience I was a murder suspect for 18 years
  
  I grabbed the local paper from the doormat, glancing at it as I threw it down on a table. Then I froze. There, on the front page, was a picture of me
  
  I was a murder suspect for 18 years
- Beginner's guide Christmas party nails
  
  Can’t be bothered to invest in sequins and a blow-dry this Christmas? Just do your nails
  
  Christmas party nails
- You can’t detox your body. It’s a myth. So how do you get healthy?
  
  There’s no such thing as ‘detoxing’. In medical terms, it’s a nonsense. Diet and exercise is the only way to get healthy. But which of the latest fad regimes can really make a difference? We look at the facts
  
  You can’t detox your body. It’s a myth. So how do you get healthy?
- Winter chic Dress like a French woman
  
  It’s cold outside, but that’s no reason to resort to fleeces and puffer jackets. Experiment with layers, menswear and subtle accessories
  
  Dress like a French woman

Private lives My girlfriend had an abortion and we split up, but I can’t move on

I was against the abortion but I loved my girlfriend and supported her. Then three months later we split up, and a year on I haven’t been able to start a new relationship. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it

My girlfriend had an abortion and we split up, but I can’t move on
Recipe ideas Roasted veg, but not as we know it

Back to Basics: Roasted vegetables can be deeply satisfying, and so much more than bog-standard student nosh. Find our revelatory tips here

Roasted veg, but not as we know it
Wonder Woman Secret history of a feminist superhero

Her creators were ‘sex radicals’ and she was designed to represent the suffragist as pin-up. Newly discovered private papers tell the secret history of the world’s most famous female superhero

Secret history of a feminist superhero
Running New Zealand's Great Walks Hallucinations, frozen extremities and near-drownings

Last month, Patrick Kinsella wrote about his imminent adventure: running New Zealand’s nine Great Walks in as many days and setting a new speed record. Did he make it?

Hallucinations, frozen extremities and near-drownings
Gardening What is a rare plant?

When it comes to rare plants, it’s all about economics: from the theft of the world’s smallest waterlily to a snowdrop bulb that sold for £725. But is the accepted definition of a ‘rare plant’ missing something vital, asks Robbie Blackhall-Miles

What is a rare plant?
Quiz Is your partner happy with you?

Is your relationship in trouble? Are you sure it’s not? Really, really sure?

Is your partner happy with you?
Lunch box Batch cooking for a busy December

This is probably the month when you are at home the least – cooking in batches is frugal, saves time and can be delicious

Batch cooking for a busy December
Street food Without the side-effects

Follow these simple rules when travelling to enjoy delicious street food

Without the side-effects
Lefthandedness Blessing or curse?

A lifetime of being left-handed has prepared me for the news that, like 12% of the world, I’ll probably earn less than right-handed folk

Blessing or curse?
Birth guidelines For midwives, they are preaching to the converted

Midwives at St George’s hospital in London say outcomes are better for women giving birth in midwife-led centres and at home

For midwives, they are preaching to the converted
The 10 best Messaging apps

Technology means there’s no longer any excuse for not staying in touch

Messaging apps
Total pants Why I hate Y-fronts

This Christmas, Y-fronts are 80 years old – and it shows.

Why I hate Y-fronts
You're doomed! Say no to positive thinking

If you really want to be happy, focus on all the ways your life could go wrong

Say no to positive thinking
Best and worst Political Christmas cards

This year’s offering from the Blairs is questionable on many levels. But have festive designs from other politicians ever caught the right mood?

Political Christmas cards
The pyjamas game Embrace your inner Audrey Hepburn

That drooping grey T-shirt is not allowed, but lounging in a pair of designer PJs is a definite must, so channel classic movie-star style and get cosy

Embrace your inner Audrey Hepburn
Sexual harassment in schools A boy in my class told a rape joke

Sixty per cent of girls and young women aged 13 to 21 reporting sexual harassment at school or college, according to the Girls’ Attitudes Survey

A boy in my class told a rape joke
Get fit in 2015 Five of the best running, cycling and swimming events

Planning to start the new year with a training plan and a health kick? Here are five major events to sign up for

Five of the best running, cycling and swimming events

What should we teach our children about money?

Tim Lott

I struggle with the idea of the value of money, especially when so much of it supposedly disappeared after the crisis in 2008

What should we teach our children about money?
Women! Stop being so ostentatious

Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett

So Nigel Farage thinks breastfeeding mothers should go and sit in the corner. But why stop there if you want women to stop causing offence?

Women! Stop being so ostentatious
Childbirth is as awful as it is magical, thanks to our postnatal ‘care’

Marina Hyde

Giving birth in hospital these days is a hallucinatorily exhausting experience – and the cuts mean it’s about to get even worse

Childbirth is as awful as it is magical, thanks to our postnatal ‘care’

- If you wear Primark to posh events and can pronounce ennui, you’ve made it!
  
  Holly Baxter
  
  According to a survey on ‘having it all’, most people seem to covet long driveways and Agas. I’d say there’s more to life
  
  If you wear Primark to posh events and can pronounce ennui, you’ve made it!
- What should we do with private schools?
  
  David Kynaston
  
  All politicians favour people moving ‘up in the world’. So why has social mobility in Britain gone into decline? For social historian David Kynaston the answer begins with our elitist and divisive system of education
  
  What should we do with private schools?
- Why we should stop worrying and learn to love Zoella
  
  Zoe Williams
  
  She dispenses vapid tips to teenage girls online, but so what? Teenagers are entitled to their private cultural spaces
  
  Why we should stop worrying and learn to love Zoella
- Sit back, relax and ignore your email inbox. Nobody expects you to read it all
  
  Oliver Burkeman
  
  In the future, maybe you’ll be able to respond to everything. For now, tame the information overload by turning off those notifications
  
  Sit back, relax and ignore your email inbox. Nobody expects you to read it all
- Victoria’s real secret? It makes the Miss World pageant seem a bit upmarket
  
  Hadley Freeman
  
  Hadley Freeman: The lingerie retailer’s ‘fashion show’ had the air of a Playboy mansion party minus the weird old man in a silk bathrobe
  
  Victoria’s real secret? It makes the Miss World pageant seem a bit upmarket
- Zero-hours contracts are forcing me out of teaching
  
  Anonymous
  
  When I can’t afford to support my child due to job insecurity the time has come for me to leave the profession I love
  
  Zero-hours contracts are forcing me out of teaching

I’m no fan of the porno-industrial complex but these new rules are unworkable

Suzanne Moore

Restrictions on what can be depicted in UK-made online pornography are bizarre, random and won’t protect our kids

I’m no fan of the porno-industrial complex but these new rules are unworkable
Genuine question: what shall we do with the drunken sailors?

Susan Smillie

There are grumblings on the marina about wannabe sailors buying yachts online after a few drinks. The trouble is, booze and boats are an irresistible combo

Genuine question: what shall we do with the drunken sailors?
Should you ever criticise teenagers for what they wear?

Were Elizabeth Lauten's comments about Sasha and Malia Obama just those of a foolish adult or a toxic revelation? Our panel considers the evidence

Should you ever criticise teenagers for what they wear?
Ugly Christmas Sweaters had their moment, but you are not Mark Darcy and you never will be

Jennifer Gerson Uffalussy

Tis not the season for ‘irony’

Ugly Christmas Sweaters had their moment, but you are not Mark Darcy and you never will be
If we truly valued motherhood, we would do something to help pregnant women

Jessica Valenti

For all of the court cases and conservative rhetoric, we’re failing global norms on nearly every policy that would support mothers, parents and families

If we truly valued motherhood, we would do something to help pregnant women
Celebrities, do your worst with verse – just don't call it poetry

Myf Warhurst

PJ Harvey can be trusted to produce the good stuff, but when other arty types flex wax poetic, the results – and reviews – can be mixed

Celebrities, do your worst with verse – just don't call it poetry
Analysis Hospital births have never been safest – Nice is right to reverse this myth

Joanna Moorhead

Since the 1960s, UK births have increasingly taken place in the stressful environment of hospitals, but as this week’s guidelines highlight, there was never any proof that this was the safer option

Hospital births have never been safest – Nice is right to reverse this myth
Face it: Girl Scout cookies aren't good. That you can order them online is great

Jess Zimmerman

Nostalgic TV shows you barely remember. Snacks you had to buy from humans. How can you not love life when everything’s just a Google search away?

Face it: Girl Scout cookies aren't good. That you can order them online is great
The Claridge’s breastfeeding incident is absurd – I refuse to be offended

Deborah Orr

If men and women can’t unite to insist that babies should come first, there’s no hope for humankind

The Claridge’s breastfeeding incident is absurd – I refuse to be offended
I believe Shia LaBeouf – a person doesn’t have to be likable to be a victim

Lindy West

The actor’s history of bizarre behaviour doesn’t mean we should take his allegations less seriously. That would be as bad as dismissing them because he is a man

I believe Shia LaBeouf – a person doesn’t have to be likable to be a victim
Reality TV badly needs a dose of reality

Viv Groskop

I’ve binged on Strictly, X Factor and I’m a Celebrity, and they’re making me sick. The Nativity could teach them about narrative

Reality TV badly needs a dose of reality
Dead, naked and famous – what the ‘most searched for celebrities’ list says about us

Stuart Heritage

Exposed body parts, female pop stars, dead people – the Microsoft search engine Bing has produced a disturbing reflection of what people are curious about

Dead, naked and famous – what the ‘most searched for celebrities’ list says about us
Cashiers at the bank must now stand all day. What if they have a tummy ache?

Michele Hanson

The charming young man at my local NatWest tells me he can take a break and sit down, but that’s not good enough

Cashiers at the bank must now stand all day. What if they have a tummy ache?
Keep complaining! It's good for you!

Oliver Burkeman

Terrible train delays. Absurdly high prices. Monday. If you think about it, a little moaning goes a long way

Keep complaining! It's good for you!
When it comes to expletives, context is everything

Lauren Laverne

Culturally we’ve relaxed our attitude to ‘bad’ language. The average child even hears six different swear words a week. Is it time to appreciate the expressiveness of swearing?

When it comes to expletives, context is everything
Why I decided to stop being my daughter’s personal assistant

Noelia López-Cheda

After joining a WhatsApp group for mothers, I found myself managing every aspect of my daughter’s school work. But this is no way to equip someone for the future

Why I decided to stop being my daughter’s personal assistant
The cultural idiocy gap between parents and kids is getting wider

Tim Lott

My kids are far ahead of me on technology - much like the culture gap that once existed between my parents and me

The cultural idiocy gap between parents and kids is getting wider

Spheres of influence Meatballs to make your mouth water

Sabrina Ghayour wraps up her Residency with kofta using festive cranberries and spiced yoghurt

Meatballs to make your mouth water

Cooking for kids Banana and sesame biscotti

These are great for lunchboxes, will keep well and, unlike many shop-bought snack bars, don’t include a huge amount of sugar

Banana and sesame biscotti
Mellow yellow Soft banana ice-cream

A creamy sorbet, with a crunchy topping

Soft banana ice-cream
Back to basics A punk pasty to peeve the purists

There are now rules dictating how a Cornish pasty must be made. We’re going to ignore them.

A punk pasty to peeve the purists
Midweek supper Nigel Slater’s tuna with miso, edamame and wasabi

A quick and tasty fish meal

Nigel Slater’s tuna with miso, edamame and wasabi
Mama knows best How to make a great Persian stew

Sabrina Ghayour's recipe for a Persian chicken and apricot stew

How to make a great Persian stew
Breakfast of champions Arnold Bennett’s omelette

This rich, smoked haddock omelette is still served at the Savoy hotel in London

Arnold Bennett’s omelette
Two lip-tingling curry recipes

Nigel Slater

Whether you make your own curry paste from freshly blitzed ingredients or not, a tasty Thai dish is just what this gloomy weather calls for

Two lip-tingling curry recipes
The weekend cook Venison picadillo and chipotle sprouts

Chillies have so many nuances of flavour and different heat levels that the hardest thing is knowing which one will work best in which dish

Venison picadillo and chipotle sprouts
Ruby bakes Steamed custard buns and spotted dick

A tea-flavoured currant affair, and a gently exotic dim sum delicacy

Steamed custard buns and spotted dick
10 best recipes Nordic delights

Take a leaf from the Scandi cookbook and turn to a platter of gravadlax, spicy butter cookies, fruity venison or a bowl of beet soup

Nordic delights
Back to basics A good meringue is hard to beat

Whether you like them chewy or crispy, do yourself a favour and use an electric whisk

A good meringue is hard to beat
Thanksgiving in a lunchbox What to do with leftovers

Why not pack a pumpkin pie for lunch?

What to do with leftovers
Jack Monroe's recipes for life Lardy cake

This sweet, fatty, carb-laden treat is a satisfying, occasional comfort on a winter’s day. Just don’t eat it every day!

Lardy cake
Nigel Slater's midweek dinner Chicken wings with barley

A warming dish for a cold winter’s night

Chicken wings with barley

Let's move to ... Dartmouth, Devon

It may not be an important port any more, says Tom Dyckhoff, but this attractive naval town has history, boutique bistros and just enough grit

Dartmouth, Devon
Problem solved I feel duty-bound to spend Christmas with my mother but I don’t want to

I dislike my selfish brother who gets to spend Christmas where he wants, but I’m always expected to celebrate it with my mum

I feel duty-bound to spend Christmas with my mother but I don’t want to
Drink aloud To mull, or not to mull? Wine and the festive season

Mulled alcohol is as much a part of Christmas as sprouts and stockings. But should it be wine, cider or rum-spiked eggnog?

To mull, or not to mull? Wine and the festive season
Stylewatch Daniel Craig on the James Bond red carpet

Craig subverts the occasion by going smart-casual when the dress code was clearly black tie

Daniel Craig on the James Bond red carpet

Mrs Cameron's Diary Dave, can’t we DO something for sari victims?

How Mrs Cameron might have seen John Galliano at the British Fashion Awards

Dave, can’t we DO something for sari victims?
Dan Pearson on gardens December checklist

As the year closes, use this breathing space for a winter clear-up, pruning and planning for a burst of seasonal colour, says Dan Pearson

December checklist

Cool christmas The best jumpers

Christmas is fast approaching so, naturally, our thoughts turn to festive jumpers. Here are some of the most fun yet tasteful options, without a Rudolph in sight

The best jumpers
The edit Party flats

Put a sparkle in your step (and dance all night) with our pick of the best party flats

Party flats

Bling rings Top 10 Christmas wreaths

Deck your doors and hang your halls with a festive wreath

Top 10 Christmas wreaths
Christmas Seven failsafe gifts for men

Gift solutions for the hard-to-buy-for men in your life

Seven failsafe gifts for men
Marsala zone How to wear Pantone's colour of 2015

Marsala, that dried blood, rusty brown, beech shade, is Pantone’s colour of 2015. With that in mind, here are some of the best marsala-inspired pieces around at the moment

How to wear Pantone's colour of 2015
Step into the past Extreme footwear at the V&A

Extreme footwear will be explored in Shoes: Pleasure and Pain, a 2015 fashion exhibition at the V&A next summer. Lauren Cochrane looks back at fashion’s relationship with heels

Extreme footwear at the V&A

PJ tips Perfect pyjama sets

Classic PJs are back. And what could be nicer than slipping into a crisp set of jim jams on a winter’s night? Whether you’re settling down to a Netflix binge or want to treat someone to a timeless gift, here’s our pick of the best pyjama sets on offer

Perfect pyjama sets
The beauty spot The best new metallic lipsticks

Shimmer your way through the party season

The best new metallic lipsticks
The best Christmas party shoes

Whether you need a pair of sparkly flats for dancing all night or some shiny high heels, we’ve got your Christmas parties covered

The best Christmas party shoes
Fun buns How to French twist and pin your hair

A few twists, some strong pins, and you are out of the door in two minues

How to French twist and pin your hair
What our fashion editors are buying for Christmas

What should you buy for the fashionista in your life if your budget doesn’t stretch to Chanel? The Guardian’s fashion team share their affordable festive solutions

What our fashion editors are buying for Christmas
Frock on The 50 best party dresses

From feathered hems to long-sleeved shifts, from floor-length sequined gowns to little black dresses, we’ve got all the party dress bases covered

The 50 best party dresses

Dear Jeremy I have self-diagnosed myself with Asperger’s – what jobs can I do?

Work advice: All the signs point to me having the syndrome. I know what my strengths are but need some advice on how to further my career

I have self-diagnosed myself with Asperger’s – what jobs can I do?
- Dear Mariella My mother beat me and now I can’t trust anyone
  
  A 24-year-old man, badly abused in childhood, feels desperately helpless. Mariella Frostrup says his letter shows his determination and advises professional help
  
  My mother beat me and now I can’t trust anyone
- Sexual healing I’m 23 and have never had sex. Should I tell my new boyfriend?
  
  I have never shared the romantic connection I feel is necessary, but I’ve met someone with whom things look promising. I don’t know whether to tell him about my lack of experience Pamela Stephenson Connolly advises a reader
  
  I’m 23 and have never had sex. Should I tell my new boyfriend?
- Consumer champions O2 insists we went to Iceland when we only went on a ferry trip to France
  
  When we got home we faced a £22 data charge
  
  O2 insists we went to Iceland when we only went on a ferry trip to France
- Ask Molly Ringwald Ask Molly Ringwald: my mum hates tattoos – how do I tell her I have one?
  
  ‘We mothers can’t help but remember how we felt when you were born – all pink and perfect, without a blemish on your body’
  
  Ask Molly Ringwald: my mum hates tattoos – how do I tell her I have one?
- Problem solved I feel duty-bound to spend Christmas with my mother but I don’t want to
  
  I dislike my selfish brother who gets to spend Christmas where he wants, but I’m always expected to celebrate it with my mum. Annalisa Barbieri advises a reader
  
  I feel duty-bound to spend Christmas with my mother but I don’t want to
- Ask Hadley Is buying your girlfriend lingerie for Christmas touching – or just creepy?
  
  Hadley Freeman: Bad lingerie can be tacky and uncomfortable. Good stuff costs the earth and can disintegrate in days. But it is entirely possible that your girlfriend would be happier with something else
  
  Is buying your girlfriend lingerie for Christmas touching – or just creepy?
- Dr Crotchety Cerys Matthews: My boyfriend’s buying new clothes and grooming more. What songs can I play to uncover the truth?
  
  Our musical agony aunt’s alter ego Dr Crotchety offers playlist advice for a worried girlfriend
  
  Cerys Matthews: My boyfriend’s buying new clothes and grooming more. What songs can I play to uncover the truth?
- Private lives My girlfriend had an abortion and we split up, but I can’t move on
  
  I was against the abortion but I loved my girlfriend and supported her. Then three months later we split up, and a year on I haven’t been able to start a new relationship. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it
  
  My girlfriend had an abortion and we split up, but I can’t move on
- Dr Dillner’s dilemmas Will a bad marriage ruin my health?
  
  Luisa Dillner: An unhappy marriage could break your heart. Is it better to leave a difficult relationship that might make you ill – or to fix it?
  
  Will a bad marriage ruin my health?

Ask the experts How can I find a short-term loan to refurbish a new property?

Property advice: I need money to buy and overhaul a smaller property before selling my current home – but I can’t find a lender to help

How can I find a short-term loan to refurbish a new property?
Ask Alys Ask Alys: your gardening questions answered

I have a Juliet balcony so can only grow things in pots. How can I grow celeriac successfully? Alys Fowler offers a potted answer

Ask Alys: your gardening questions answered
Ask Jack Can I use an external microphone to make recordings on a smartphone?

Stuart has an HTC Android smartphone and would like to connect an external microphone

Can I use an external microphone to make recordings on a smartphone?

Christmas taste tests Best biscuits

The West End stars of East is East are biscuit conoisseurs, so what would Jane Horrocks, Ayub Khan-Din and fellow cast members make of this year’s Christmas selections?
Spoilt for choice Chocolate boxes

Firefighters tackle Flaming puds

Wolf em up Dog treats
- Spoilt for choice Chocolate boxes
- Firefighters tackle Flaming puds
- Wolf em up Dog treats
Best biscuits
Christmas made easy Interactive gift guide

Browse hundreds of the best Christmas presents from independent designers, brands and boutiques, all available to buy online

Interactive gift guide
Beauty Christmas gift ideas

Sali Hughes

Don’t waste money on a pack of smellies that no one wants – there are some brilliant beauty products out there, whether you have £2 or £120 to spend
Sorted Secret Santa gifts
- Sorted Secret Santa gifts
Christmas gift ideas

Pull the other one Comedians test Christmas crackers

If a cracker joke can make a professional comic crack a smile, it must be good
Christmas cakes

Festive fizz
- Christmas cakes
- Festive fizz
Comedians test Christmas crackers
How to beat the pre-Christmas blues

Seven ways to survive the run-up to the festive season

How to beat the pre-Christmas blues
Top 10 personalised Christmas presents

Personalisation doesn’t have to be pricey. Annalisa Barbieri picks 10 of the best gifts with that all-important personal touch

Top 10 personalised Christmas presents
Five tips Have a stress-free Christmas in the kitchen

Thinking of the turkey as just a large chicken tens to calm the nerves
Fiona Beckett on wine The Christmas spirit
- Fiona Beckett on wine The Christmas spirit
Have a stress-free Christmas in the kitchen

Jeremy Lee's perfect Christmas lunch Turkey with all the trimmings, potted crab and clementine sorbet

The chef’s secrets to the main Christmas event: delicious turkey and all the trimmings

Turkey with all the trimmings, potted crab and clementine sorbet
Christmas The best vegetarian recipes

Parsnip rosti, goodwill pie and veg and a chestnut galette: all you need for meat-free menus from Christmas Eve through to Boxing Day. By Anna Jones

The best vegetarian recipes
Don’t listen to Mary Berry, here’s how to plan for Christmas

Rhik Samadder

The Bake-Off queen is right to advise early preparations, but her 1 December start date reveals her rank amateurism

Don’t listen to Mary Berry, here’s how to plan for Christmas
My Christmas rituals 21 celebrities reveal what they do on 25 December

Noel Fielding, Sarah Millican, Jenny Agutter, Tom Kerridge, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and a host of others reveal the strange and quirky family rituals that make the big day special for them

21 celebrities reveal what they do on 25 December
10 of the best Christmas attractions in the UK

The Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen-designed Christmas ‘wonderland’ may have been a turkey (it closed after one day) but there are plenty of fantastic festive attractions and events to enjoy this December

Christmas attractions in the UK
Christmas on a budget Skint Foodie’s six-week plan

If money is tight, you can still enjoy a festive feast with careful planning and these shopping tips and recipes from the award-winning blogger the Skint Foodie

Skint Foodie’s six-week plan
It might be gauche to love Christmas, but I’m afraid I just do

Lauren Laverne

Is it cool to hate yule? If you get over yourself and give in to the fantasy, you’ll find the day is everything you wished for

It might be gauche to love Christmas, but I’m afraid I just do
In the mood for Christmas traditions

Katharine Whitehorn

We’re united by celebrating the holidays – though we all do it in our own unique way. By Katharine Whitehorn

In the mood for Christmas traditions
Frozen toys Rated by kids and their parents

Abandon hope: the Frozen juggernaut is inescapable this Christmas. So give in, and get some quiet time with these toys chosen by a panel of mini-Elsa, Annas and Kristofs

Rated by kids and their parents
Quiz How well do you know your Christmas jumpers?

Truly, ridiculous jumpers are now part of the fashion's festive vernacular. But how well do you know them?

How well do you know your Christmas jumpers?
Nigel Slater recipes Five Christmas pies

Stuffed with sausagemeat, topped with herby shortbread and filled with Christmas flavours, these pies are satisfaction guaranteed, says Nigel Slater

Five Christmas pies
Chosen by comedians Alternative Christmas cracker jokes

Cracker jokes can fall apart in the middle, so we asked 10 comedians to come up with their own festive groaners …

Alternative Christmas cracker jokes
The wish list Christmas baubles

The best baubles and festive ornaments to hang from your tree this Christmas

Christmas baubles
The ultimate Christmas jumper that has a real message of peace and joy

It has inevitably been described by some as political correctness gone mad, but this unisex knit hopes to unite people of all faiths and none in the true spirit of Christmas

The ultimate Christmas jumper that has a real message of peace and joy
Leaders send Christmas greetings – and political messages – in festive cards

Nick Clegg goes for photobooth japes, David Cameron stresses status, and Ed Miliband does ‘family guy but leader too’

Leaders send Christmas greetings – and political messages – in festive cards
The whole point of Christianity is to create a deeper form of humanism

Giles Fraser

Giles Fraser: It seems that making the human stand out as morally particular requires some sort of leap of faith

The whole point of Christianity is to create a deeper form of humanism
Review White Christmas review – as fresh as a field of snow
4 / 5 stars

Taking all the best bits of the Bing Crosby film, this festive-themed jukebox musical is a big-hearted celebration of the genius of Irving Berlin, writes Alfred Hickling

White Christmas review – as fresh as a field of snow
The 10 best Christmas story paintings

From Bruegel to Botticelli, Laura Cumming chooses her favourite depictions of the Christmas story

The 10 best Christmas story paintings
Taste test: the Mother Goose kids nosh novelty chocolate

While the older cast members were enjoying their bubbly, we got the Hackney Empire panto’s young ‘uns to rate the Christmas chocolate that makes them melt

Taste test: the Mother Goose kids nosh novelty chocolate
Taste test: it’s feeding time at London zoo as keepers rate the best mince pies

Homa Khaleeli: Putting down the penguins they are in charge of, the keepers turn their attention to the merits of mince and the price of the pies

Taste test: it’s feeding time at London zoo as keepers rate the best mince pies
How PRs can survive the Christmas party season: dos and don’ts

Anonymous

As invites to Christmas parties begin to flood your inbox, this week’s anonymous PR blogger shares some important tips

How PRs can survive the Christmas party season: dos and don’ts
Bad Santa? He could be so much worse

Peter Bradshaw

Peter Bradshaw: It’s been over a decade since someone made a really misanthropic Christmas movie. Surely we deserve something grim?

Bad Santa? He could be so much worse
E-cards for a happy (and green) Christmas

Much reviled in the past, some zippy innovations mean the e-card is not as awful as it once was

E-cards for a happy (and green) Christmas
From the archive, 5 December 1985: Skinheads put boot in Christmas

Originally published in the Guardian on 5 December 1985: A company with links to the National Front is offering to liven up your Christmas party with a ‘bootagram’

From the archive, 5 December 1985: Skinheads put boot in Christmas
Aldi chops Christmas tree price to £19.99

Nordman fir trees from Scotland at discount supermarket are cheapest available to festive shoppers

Aldi chops Christmas tree price to £19.99
Tesco joins retail stampede to social media in bid to create brand chatter

Evidence that shoppers engaged via social media spend more is forcing retailers to radically change the way they communicate

Tesco joins retail stampede to social media in bid to create brand chatter
Christmas tree growers get ready for the fir to fly

Traffic jams and frayed tempers at south Wales farm that is supplying No 10, on busiest weekend of the year for tree sellers

Christmas tree growers get ready for the fir to fly
The worst things inflicted upon human ears this Christmas

We appraise some of this year’s more ‘interesting’ festive musical releases: the bad, the worse, and the really quite odd

The worst things inflicted upon human ears this Christmas
Taste test: Midwives deliver their verdict on Christmas chocolate boxes

Kim Lomax: For our hardworking group of testers, this is a labour of love as they sample the delights of chocolates swaddled in fancy boxes. And not a jelly baby in sight …

Taste test: Midwives deliver their verdict on Christmas chocolate boxes

Take That and the difficult post-tax-avoidance album

Marina Hyde

The new album, III, makes no reference to the band’s obligations to the taxpayer – but it is implicitly asking them to foot the bill
Lost in showbiz Are One Direction going in different directions?
- Lost in showbiz Are One Direction going in different directions?
Take That and the difficult post-tax-avoidance album
- 16 years inside a Russian jail Violence breeds violence
  
  Tatyana Gavrilova was convicted of murder in 1999. On her release from prison she speaks about ongoing abuse inside the country’s notorious penal system – and her determination to fight to improve the rights of inmates
  
  Violence breeds violence
- Zoe Quinn All Gamergate has done is ruin people's lives
  
  The first target of the controversial Gamergate campaign tells how death threats, hate mail and misogyny became the online smash of the summer
  
  All Gamergate has done is ruin people's lives
- Jacqueline Gold I do feel like Boudicca sometimes
  
  The Ann Summers boss talks about the rise of sex in Britain, the importance of resilience and why she’ll always choose to fight back
  
  I do feel like Boudicca sometimes
- Saffron Burrows I’m really proud of my family and who they are
  
  Socialist Worker, teen model, Hollywood star … at 42, Saffron Burrows has already had many lives. Now returning to acting after the birth of her baby boy, feels it is time to go public about her marriage to Alison Balian
  
  I’m really proud of my family and who they are

Why David Hockney is my style icon

A new documentary about the seminal British artist reveals that he has always been a fashion trailblazer

Why David Hockney is my style icon
My family values Jerry Hall

The model talks about her glamorous mother making clothes for her to take to Paris and leaving home without telling her father

Jerry Hall
Clowning around Britain's funniest women

Female comedians are finally enjoying equal billing to their male counterparts – and they’re beating them to the awards

Britain's funniest women
Agyness Deyn From queen of the catwalk to indie film star

She was the down-to-earth supermodel with the peroxide crop – now Agyness Deyn is making it in the movies

From queen of the catwalk to indie film star
Annette Bening I like being a veteran, I have fewer illusions

The actor talks about her three new films, raising teenagers with husband Warren Beatty, and her co-star Robin Williams

I like being a veteran, I have fewer illusions
Mel B exclusive interview I do have a big ego. And I'm in love with myself

Melanie Brown is back – surprise star of The X Factor and bolshier than ever

I do have a big ego. And I'm in love with myself
How I get ready Pat Cash

‘I’ve got good genes, my mum didn’t have a wrinkle until she was about 60’

Pat Cash
Jerry Lee Lewis What do I most dislike about my appearance? Nothing – I still look good

‘What do I most dislike about my appearance? Nothing – I still look good’

What do I most dislike about my appearance? Nothing – I still look good
Toy story The most famous thumbs on YouTube

Mysterious toy-unboxer DC Toys Collector – formerly DisneyCollector – was the most popular YouTube channel in October with 400m views

The most famous thumbs on YouTube
Kendall Jenner in Dazed The high-low magazine movement rolls on

The second-youngest Kardashian features on three different covers for Dazed magazine, bringing mass attention to a niche style title – as Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift have before her

The high-low magazine movement rolls on
What happened to all the Changing Rooms stars?

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen is back in the news after claims his Magical Journey attraction is ruining Christmas. But where did his colleagues on the once-all-conquering show end up?

What happened to all the Changing Rooms stars?
Valérie Trierweiler It’s more dignified to shut up? Is that how we serve the cause of women? I don’t think so…

Valérie Trierweiler talks about being ‘betrayed and humiliated’ by President Hollande, her supposed suicide attempt, and why first ladies come last in French politics

It’s more dignified to shut up? Is that how we serve the cause of women? I don’t think so…
Diane von Fürstenberg Don’t waste your time! Be hard on yourself

Four decades on from the dress that made her, its creator shares her secrets on success, sex and Andy Warhol

Don’t waste your time! Be hard on yourself
Anjelica Huston I wanted a perfect romance and a lovely husband

The affairs and the scandals of a life among Hollywood royalty – and where Renée Zellweger and Jennifer Lawrence get it wrong. By Emma Brockes

I wanted a perfect romance and a lovely husband

Fashion for all ages Magic monochrome

How to work monochrome, whatever your age

Magic monochrome

Post early Vintage Christmas reminders from the Royal Mail

Glad tidings they bring ... these magical mid-century designs made sure people popped their festive parcels and cards in the letterbox in good time

Vintage Christmas reminders from the Royal Mail
Fancy that Elegantly embellished fashion

Make an entrance in opulent print, sumptuous fabrics and shimmering embroidery

Elegantly embellished fashion
Moving meals Last Bites cinemagraphs

A selection of popular cinemagraphs used in the series Last Bites in the Guardian’s Cook section

Last Bites cinemagraphs
This means raw Extreme dieting and the battle among fruitarians

Fruitarians believe that eating nothing but raw plants promotes health and happiness. But all is not well within this community of extreme dieters

Extreme dieting and the battle among fruitarians
Starry, starry night British Fashion awards

Awards ceremony held at the London Coliseum attracted scores of celebrities, including Tom Ford, Lewis Hamilton and Victoria Beckham

British Fashion awards
Last bites Richard Corrigan’s final meal

The Irish chef would linger over a lavish ‘surf and turf’ of oysters and suckling pig

Richard Corrigan’s final meal
Devil in the Detail A short play about the politics of fashion

Three women, two dresses, one lesson

A short play about the politics of fashion
Red hot The beauty of a red-headed man

The Red Hot 100 exhibition challenges social stigma towards ‘gingers’ by celebrating the modern-day, red-haired male

The beauty of a red-headed man
Rick Edwards on style Men's bags

Buying a bag can be fraught with problems if you’re a man. Here’s our guide (and not a carrier bag in sight)

Men's bags
My wild life Growing up at Chester zoo

June Mottershead’s father founded Chester zoo in 1931. It was also the family home and as she grew up many of the animals became her friends – especially Mary, their first chimpanzee

Growing up at Chester zoo
Breakers The people paid to wear your jeans for you

Hiut Denim in west Wales employs 50 denim breakers to wear in jeans before they’re sold, or auctioned, to customers. One breaker explains how it works

The people paid to wear your jeans for you
Prairie tales Women's denim and knitwear

Denim is a huge trend for the new season. Team fringed skirts or flared culottes with patterned jumpers and cosy knits to keep warm this winter

Women's denim and knitwear
All shook up Wet puppies

Shake Puppies by Carli Davidson is a new book that captures freeze-frames of puppies as they try to dry their soaked fur

Wet puppies
Insider chic The fashion label created behind bars

Rosie Swash

Project Pietà, an intriguing new brand of clothing created by inmates in Peruvian prisons, chimes with Hood by Air and Alexander Wang – and highlights the longstanding relationship between prisoners and fashion

The fashion label created behind bars
Tea for two The prettiest fry-ups in Britain

It started by accident: one perfect, symmetrical breakfast for two. Four hundred cappuccinos and a huge Instagram following later, the man behind the prettiest fry-ups in Britain shares his favourites

The prettiest fry-ups in Britain
Get On Up Five reasons James Brown was a style god in the 60s

As the biopic Get On Up hits cinemas, we pay our respects to James Brown’s style in the 1960s – quiff and all

Five reasons James Brown was a style god in the 60s

General knowledge The daily quiz: fish food and flags

In our weekly reader-set quiz, Steven Palmer tests your knowledge of dead composers, golf terms and US presidents

The daily quiz: fish food and flags
Alan Connor on crosswords Araucaria’s final crossword: the handwritten solution

A grid filled in by the setter himself shows he was setting puzzles the traditional way until the end, says Alan Connor

Araucaria’s final crossword: the handwritten solution
- Cryptic crosswords Cryptic crossword No 26,435
  
  Cryptic crossword No 26,435
  
  Cryptic crossword No 26,435
- Thomas Eaton The Weekend quiz
  
  Which major planet is missing from Holst’s The Planets? Let Thomas Eaton show you the light
  
  The Weekend quiz
- Sudoku Killer sudoku 426
  
  Normal sudoku rules apply, except the numbers in the cells contained within dotted lines add up to the figures in the corner. No number can be repeated within each shape formed by dotted lines
  
  Killer sudoku 426
- Prize crosswords Prize crossword No 26,436
  
  Prize crossword No 26,436
  
  Prize crossword No 26,436
- Kakuro Kakuro 1,424 hard
  
  Fill the grid so that each run of squares adds up to the total in the box above or to the left
  
  Kakuro 1,424 hard
- Quick crossword No 13,909
  
  Quick crossword No 13,909
  
  Quick crossword No 13,909

Quick crossword No 13,908

Quick crossword No 13,908

Quick crossword No 13,908
Quick crossword No 13,907

Quick crossword No 13,907

Quick crossword No 13,907
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Quick crossword No 13,906

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Quick crossword No 13,903

Quick crossword No 13,903
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Quick crossword No 13,902

Quick crossword No 13,902
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Quick crossword No 13,901

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Quick crossword No 13,900

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Quick crossword No 13,894

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Quick crossword No 13,891

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Quick crossword No 13,890

Quick crossword No 13,890

Quiz Is your partner happy with you?

Is your relationship in trouble? Are you sure it’s not? Really, really sure?
Then again Are you happy with your partner?
- Then again Are you happy with your partner?
Is your partner happy with you?
Fashion tips Layering without cardigans

Layering isn’t easy. Here's how to do it without looking bulky and not just relying on a cardigan

Layering without cardigans
We test The Doritos crust pizza

Pizza with a cheese crust and charred corn chips on top. Could this be the worst pizza ever? Or a snack filled with sublime surprises?

The Doritos crust pizza

Coming out stories The closet is a terrible place

Gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, it’s hard to be happy when you have to lie about who you are. Here’s how coming out transformed five lives

The closet is a terrible place
Ask Hadley Is buying your girlfriend lingerie for Christmas touching or creepy?

Bad lingerie can be tacky and uncomfortable. Good stuff costs the earth and can disintegrate in days. But it is entirely possible that your girlfriend would be happier with something else

Is buying your girlfriend lingerie for Christmas touching or creepy?
Getting upset over trivial matters? There’s a rational explanation

When truly bad things happen we have recovery mechanisms, but they don’t work when our problems are smaller

Getting upset over trivial matters? There’s a rational explanation
Myth or miracle The truth about probiotics

The market for pills and yoghurts containing ‘friendly’ bacteria is worth $28bn, but can they really alter our gut flora? And are we healthier if they do? You may find the answers surprising

The truth about probiotics
Sexual healing I’m 23 and have never had sex. Should I tell my new boyfriend?

I have never shared the romantic connection I feel is necessary, but I’ve met someone with whom things look promising. I don’t know whether to tell him about my lack of experience

I’m 23 and have never had sex. Should I tell my new boyfriend?
Male readers reveal their favourite women's beauty products

In response to an article last week about women’s grooming products that are great for guys, here are some our male readers suggest

Male readers reveal their favourite women's beauty products
Easy fit 10 ways to get more exercise – without really trying

Wish you were fitter but can’t stand the thought of jogging or joining a gym? These easy steps will make exercise part of your daily routine

10 ways to get more exercise – without really trying
Mindy Lahiri The greatest TV character of the year?

Like all great sitcom characters, Dr Lahiri is deluded, egotistical – and very funny. The only difference is, she is a woman

The greatest TV character of the year?
Dr Dillner's dilemmas Will a bad marriage ruin my health?

An unhappy marriage could break your heart. Is it better to leave a difficult relationship that might make you ill – or to fix it?

Will a bad marriage ruin my health?
The cutest cult Happy birthday Hello Kitty

It’s 40 years old and worth billions. But what is it that drives people so crazy for the little Japanese toy? Our writer joins the Hello Kitty anniversary celebrations

Happy birthday Hello Kitty
Dr Crotchety My boyfriend’s buying new clothes and grooming more. What songs can I play to uncover the truth?

Our musical agony aunt’s alter ego Dr Crotchety offers playlist advice for a worried girlfriend

My boyfriend’s buying new clothes and grooming more. What songs can I play to uncover the truth?
The joy of no sex I know what I’m about and I get it now

A society of asexual people is trying to promote greater awareness of those who do not feel sexually attracted to others

I know what I’m about and I get it now
On the cusp The countdown to big birthdays

The big birthdays are meant to be the scariest, but new research shows that we take the year before them the hardest – having affairs or running marathons

The countdown to big birthdays

Popular in lifestyle
Popular across the guardian

Doll's houses Little windows on the past

Self-help Do socks and forks have feelings?

Beginner's guide Christmas party nails

Winter chic Dress like a French woman

Recipe ideas Roasted veg, but not as we know it

Wonder Woman Secret history of a feminist superhero

Running New Zealand's Great Walks Hallucinations, frozen extremities and near-drownings

Gardening What is a rare plant?

Quiz Is your partner happy with you?

Lunch box Batch cooking for a busy December

Street food Without the side-effects

Lefthandedness Blessing or curse?

Birth guidelines For midwives, they are preaching to the converted

The 10 best Messaging apps

Total pants Why I hate Y-fronts

You're doomed! Say no to positive thinking

Best and worst Political Christmas cards

The pyjamas game Embrace your inner Audrey Hepburn

Sexual harassment in schools A boy in my class told a rape joke

Get fit in 2015 Five of the best running, cycling and swimming events

Analysis Hospital births have never been safest – Nice is right to reverse this myth

Spheres of influence Meatballs to make your mouth water

Mellow yellow Soft banana ice-cream

Midweek supper Nigel Slater’s tuna with miso, edamame and wasabi

Mama knows best How to make a great Persian stew

The weekend cook Venison picadillo and chipotle sprouts

Ruby bakes Steamed custard buns and spotted dick

Thanksgiving in a lunchbox What to do with leftovers

Cool christmas The best jumpers

The edit Party flats

Bling rings Top 10 Christmas wreaths

Christmas Seven failsafe gifts for men

Marsala zone How to wear Pantone's colour of 2015

Step into the past Extreme footwear at the V&A

PJ tips Perfect pyjama sets

Fun buns How to French twist and pin your hair

Frock on The 50 best party dresses

Christmas made easy Interactive gift guide

Pull the other one Comedians test Christmas crackers

Five tips Have a stress-free Christmas in the kitchen

Jeremy Lee's perfect Christmas lunch Turkey with all the trimmings, potted crab and clementine sorbet

Christmas The best vegetarian recipes

My Christmas rituals 21 celebrities reveal what they do on 25 December

10 of the best Christmas attractions in the UK

Christmas on a budget Skint Foodie’s six-week plan

Frozen toys Rated by kids and their parents

Quiz How well do you know your Christmas jumpers?

Chosen by comedians Alternative Christmas cracker jokes

The wish list Christmas baubles

Review White Christmas review – as fresh as a field of snow