The Origin of the “No White After Labor Day” Rule

Rooted in both high society exclusivity and seasonal practicality, the old adage banning white after Labor Day has become a lasting piece of American fashion folklore. During the late 19th century, society ladies were engaged in an invisible battle with the nouveau riche, a term used to describe people who had recently become rich rather than having benefited from generations of wealth. One of the subtle jabs that the old money crowd used to distinguish themselves from the nouveau riche was to make wearing white after Labor Day a fashion faux pas. Others believe that the rule is related to the "vacation theory." After Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894, it came to symbolically mark the end of summer. Around this time, vacationers packed away their breezy white dresses and linen button-down shirts in favor of darker-hued clothing, like navy suits and gray sweaters. Today, “No White After Labor Day” is considered outdated, as modern fashion is less about following rigid standards and more about self-expression.

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Debt-Stricken Single Mom Pays Off $25,000 Debt in 5 Months by Decluttering

Ellie Titmus, a British mom who racked up $31,000 in debt, has paid back $25,000 in just five months by decluttering and selling 410 household items on eBay and Facebook Marketplace. The 32-year-old says her debt began to snowball after she became a single mom in 2022 and took out a short-term loan for $20,245 and another loan for $10,797 to get by. Over the next four years she found herself spending money on “silly things” like carry-out food and online shopping — $1,349 in one month using three credit cards, for instance. Despite making some payments over the years, her debt was still overwhelming. That’s When Ellie combed through her house and sold off 410 household items, including toys, clothing, jewelry, kitchen gadgets, and room decor items, online. Through her job she took the opportunity to invest in stocks and bonds, and when they had matured last month, she cashed in $17,545 worth, putting $15,295 toward her debt. She estimates she has paid back $25,000 so far by saving on random purchases. She still has $11,742 in interest to pay off, but she’s made a lot of progress, thanks to being willing to let go of things she didn't use.

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The Ugly Truth About the Snooze Button

When you snooze, you lose – literally. In a world where we never seem to get enough sleep, trying to snag an extra 10-20 minutes of sleep in the morning by hitting your snooze button over and over isn’t actually going to help. What it does is wreak havoc on your body and destroy your quality of sleep. While it might seem harmless to stay in bed just a little bit longer, you’re actually confusing your body and brain. Every time your alarm goes off again, your body and brain are startled out of sleep, and you wake up groggy. There’s even a scientific term for the sleepy state of falling asleep and waking up in the morning — it’s called “drockling." The trouble with drockling is the more you do it, the more confused your body feels. Your body needs routine and consistency. At worst you’re abusing the heck out of your nervous system. At best, you’re training your body to ignore itself. So, how do you break this bad habit? Some sleep tips for waking up refreshed include:

• • limiting technology before bed
• • putting your mind at ease by reading before bed
• • avoiding stimulants close to bedtime
• • exercising and eating healthy foods
• • spending time outside during the day
• • taking a Vitamin D supplement
• • ensuring you have low lighting and an ideal temperature
• • training yourself to get up with that very first alarm

 

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Puppy Learns to Operate Fireplace — Now It’s His Thing

How much household knowledge can a curious dog really pick up? It turns out they can pick up quite a bit when they're paying close attention to how things work. Dogs can learn to associate buttons, sounds and movements with familiar outcomes. In the case of a young Bernese Mountain Dog named Billy, curiosity also played a role. Curious about a button, he used his nose to push it. To his surprise, the fireplace activated. His behavior is particularly amusing because he seems to have learned both parts of the routine. He not only knows how to activate the fireplace, but how to make himself comfortable and enjoy the roaring flames. What started as a simple curiosity has seemingly turned into one of his favorite activities. Billy’s newfound ability also had on some social media looking ahead to what he might learn next. “Just wait until he learns to turn on the AC,” one commenter wrote.

 

 

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