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Comfort Zone

In this together

During the coronavirus pandemic, Comfort Zone is a place to find ideas and tips for keeping ourselves, our kids, our minds entertained, or at least distracted.

COMFORT ZONE
New Kid Joey McIntyre on his new feel-better song
As the musician says: “I didn’t intend it to be a love letter to Jamaica Plain, but ...”

What to watch at the online Boston Asian American Film Fest
A virtual lineup includes Wayne Wang's 2019 family drama “Coming Home Again.”

IN THE FAMILY WAY

When can my child go to school? A COVID-19 primer

Two of the Boston area’s top experts (and parents) weigh in.

Boo hoo? How to have a safer Halloween

We shouldn’t strip kids of normalcy, experts say. Here’s how to trick-or-treat, pandemic-style.

COVID-19 is forcing women out of the workforce. Transparency and openness is the only way forward

Now is the perfect time to establish new norms at work and at home.

As we adjust to a new normal, lessons in grief and gratitude

It’s natural to mourn for the lost rhythms of daily life, but gratitude helps us move forward. Here’s how.

At New England Wildlife Center, a Halloween tradition becomes ‘a big virtual hug’
This year's Night of a Thousand Faces fundraiser promises storytelling filled with mystery and animals.

Jim Carrey’s Biden impression is a below-average Joe
It’s a misguided choice that makes me think more about Carrey and his style than about Biden while I’m watching.

Shooting stars: Tips for photographing the night sky
Here's the gear you'll need for astrophotography, and how to make the best use of it.

Earnest Drinks makes an earnest go of it in Kendall Square

Cheese dogs, Kool-Aid pickles, and idiosyncratic humor are on the menu.

The industry that helped make Made In a success is now in dire straits. So they’re cooking up ways to help.

BY THE GLASS

Tested by wildfires, these Oregon winemakers are staying the course

Peter Singer, a foremost philosopher on animal rights, is featured speaker at annual Boston Veg Food Fest

He says veganism has "got to become the mainstream, not only to reduce the suffering of animals and slow climate change, but to reduce the risk of future pandemics."

Ocean Spray gets serious in its mission to cut all plastic waste by 2025

In September, it launched a partnership with waste management firm TerraCycle to clean, melt, and turn its packaging into new products for retailers, such as benches and picnic tables.

These sardines will have you hooked

Large, meaty, and flavorful, the sardines from Portugal aren’t smoked but cooked before they are hand-packed in either olive oil, hot vegetable oil, or mild or spicy tomato sauce.

most read

Heritage and history found along the journey with the African American Trail Project

Cape Cod Canal celebrates 100th anniversary

A Cambridge hotel bravely debuts in an uncertain market

Ten (mostly) outdoor museums to take in some art and history this fall

MORE LIFESTYLE HEADLINES

Jeff Bridges, noted for ‘The Big Lebowski,’ says he has been diagnosed with lymphoma

Actor Jeff Bridges took to Twitter Monday evening to share that he has been diagnosed with lymphoma, channeling his legendary character from “The Big Lebowski” in the process.

COMFORT ZONE

At New England Wildlife Center, a Halloween tradition becomes ‘a big virtual hug’

This year's Night of a Thousand Faces fundraiser promises storytelling filled with mystery and animals.

COMFORT ZONE

Shooting stars: Tips for photographing the night sky

Here's the gear you'll need for astrophotography, and how to make the best use of it.

COMFORT ZONE

Starry, starry nights: Check out these all-star stargazing locales

Things may not be looking up, but people are.

Cold feet or cancel the elopement?

Tell this reader whether to elope ... or break up.

COMFORT ZONE

Dolls, books, and ‘The Bachelor’: Historian pair reflects on their American Girls podcast

Mary Mahoney and Allison Horrocks revisit the books that accompany the dolls and analyze them from a feminist point of view.

COMFORT ZONE

Exploring Connecticut’s witchcraft past

“Salem gets all the attention, but we have a much longer history.”

Artist hikes length of Vermont, painting along the way

Rob Mullen is hiking the 272-mile Long Trail that runs the length of Vermont and over its highest mountains from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts state line and painting sights along the way.

COMFORT ZONE

4 candy shops for sweet family field trips

These stops feature everything from international treats to old-fashioned confections.

Can I reach out to someone who ghosted me?

Help this letter writer with her ghosting problem.

Why this business owner is closing her shop during the busiest season of the year

Sofi Madison says shuttering during the holidays — her busiest, most profitable season — is not an easy decision, "but everything about 2020 is different."

HELP DESK

What to do when a thief hacks your eBay account

It was time-consuming and frustrating trying to regain control of my account and finances. I’m just glad I was paying attention. Here’s what I learned.

IN THE FAMILY WAY

When can my child go to school? A COVID-19 primer

Two of the Boston area’s top experts (and parents) weigh in.

Boston Children’s Museum has a few tricks in store for a happy COVID-era Halloween

The last week of October brings holiday-themed happenings in a socially distanced setting.

10 cool events for kids at libraries, zoos, and science museums

There's no shortage of great science, music, and public art programming for all ages.

NAMES

Liam Neeson and the cast of ‘Honest Thief’ on Boston accents, pandemic life, and their fondness for filming in Worcester

Neeson said it felt a bit like “being back home in Northern Ireland.”

Ask Amy

These office mates cannot be friends

Train gift may derail one relationship — or another

Patient friend becomes ‘comfort bot’

Midlife crisis tears family apart

Kindhearted husband has nagging problem