(BPT) - Patio season has arrived, and opportunities for outdoor social gatherings will abound in the coming months. Birthdays, graduations, showers, holidays and any other reasons to enjoy warm weather will call for unique outdoor party solutions that differ from indoor events. Here are a few ideas to make al fresco entertaining a snap.

(BPT) - Warmer temperatures often mean a busier social calendar. So whether you’re planning a meal to enjoy al fresco, or whipping up a sweet treat for a neighborhood block party, it’s a great time of year to experiment in the kitchen.

(BPT) - Summer is a time to switch out our wardrobes, exchange coats for swimsuits and boots for flip-flops. But if the winter months took a toll on your waistline you may not want to shed those extra layers. Lighten up for warmer summer days by making simple swaps and conscious diet decisions. 

(BPT) - The inspiration for a great taco can be found in many places – from farmers markets to food trucks to upscale restaurants. All across the country, chefs and home cooks alike are reinventing the taco with global flavors and fresh ingredients.

(NAPSI)—Adding a small seed to your diet may offer big benefits. That’s the word from experts who say that flaxseeds are an excellent way to improve your health.

(NAPSI)—When the party is at your place, impress guests with a winning dish and this expert cheat-sheet from author and "Top Chef" judge, Gail Simmons.

(BPT) - Going out with co-workers or friends after work is a great way to relax, but when you host a happy hour at home, you have full control over the guest list, atmosphere, music and, most importantly, the menu. Use these simple tips to entertain your friends, and your home may just become the new happy hour hot spot.

(NewsUSA) - Crunch, munch, dip, dunk, sip and savor. We are a nation of snack fanatics!

(BPT) - If you’ve been thinking about selling your home, there’s no time like the present. House hunters come out of the woodwork in warm weather months and “for sale” signs pop up everywhere. Your job is to set your home apart from all the others. In most areas around the country, it’s a buyers’ market. So how do you get a leg-up on the competition?

(NAPSI)—Here’s a bright idea: You can easily enhance your home with a few simple, colorful, practical and decorative elements—without having to spend a lot of the green stuff. These hints on how from home expert Ginny Bean may help:

(BPT) - Busy families face the dinnertime challenge every day. Not only do they need to find a nutritious meal the entire family will enjoy, but they need to do so in a limited amount of time. With a few tricks, it’s easy to get out of the dinner rut and score big with tasty, wholesome meals that use pantry staples in creative ways.

(BPT) - For generations, families have passed down home-spun remedies that can help loved ones feel that even during those sniffles and sneezes, they’re cared for. Having a bowl of grandma’s famous soup or your aunt’s special healing concoction can help your body heal and set your mind at ease. Recently, a group of Latina mom bloggers shared their families’ home remedies that bring comfort to loved ones.

(BPT) - Even with the best intentions, many of us who resolve to live a healthier lifestyle in 2013 will fall back into old, familiar habits much sooner than we would like. To maintain motivation and create a routine that is both sustainable and effective, it’s important to invest in the right tools for every room in your house.

Seeing as big companies make them, appliances can often seem as much more complicated as devices than they really are. This is as true of blenders as any other appliance, and fixing a busted blender is surprisingly an easier task than you would expect.

(BPT) - Dreaming of spring despite the cold weather outside? You’re not the only one. Many people start thinking of warmer temperatures as soon as the mercury drops. Instead of sitting inside this winter, use these tips to “think spring” so you’ll be ready when the thermometer rises again.

(NAPSI)—A great way to warm hearts—and stomachs—during winter weather is with delicious comfort foods. What many find even more comforting is that you can make them heart-healthy with simple ingredient swaps and healthier cooking techniques. To help, there’s the “Comfort Your Heart” Recipe Collection from CanolaInfo.

Christmas in the Caribbean is a time to put a fresh coat of paint on the house, hang new curtains and seasonal decorations and listen to holiday music. It’s also a time to serve up some wonderful food.

But you can prepare the same dishes whether you’re in this Jamaica or that Jamaica, Glendale or Guyana, Astoria or Aruba, thanks to several Chronicle readers with island roots who were kind enough to share their recipes for the traditional dishes and sweets that make their Yuletide so memorable.

(StatePoint) Holiday cooking is no easy feat. Meals tend to be more time-consuming and complex to prepare than standard fare.

(BPT) - The new year is widely accepted as a time to start fresh, and every year people make resolutions to better themselves. For many, this means vowing to make lifestyle changes to improve how they look and feel. However, sticking to restrictive diets and intense workout programs can be difficult and not sustainable for most people. Before you get hooked by the annual flood of diet tips and gym promotions, focus on a few key areas to commit to a healthier lifestyle for 2013.

(NAPSI)—A growing number of health-conscious Americans have turned to juicers and blenders to give their diets a needed boost.

(BPT) - This time of year, homes across the country are bustling with friends and family celebrating the holidays with festive foods and drinks. Dairy products like butter, milk, cheese and cream are standard ingredients in celebratory dishes, but one area where dairy can play a starring role is often overlooked – the cocktail glass. Instead of just offering wine or beer, the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) has put together cocktail tips and tricks for making every gathering a happy hour at home.

Going out on your own is never easy, whether it be as a freshman in your first dorm, or leaving your folks’ home for your first apartment. There are a number of consumer goods out there to make your life a bit easier.

One game does not a career make, but much ballyhooed prospect Matt Harvey bolstered beleaguered Mets fansí spirits by living up to the hype in his major league debut as he struck out 11 while allowing no runs against the Diamondbacks. Miraculously, the Mets bullpen didnít blow the game, despite the best efforts of Jon Rauch and Bobby Parnell to put the tying runs on in the eighth and ninth innings, respectively. Mets SNY voice Gary Cohen noted how rare it is for a Mets pitcher to win his first-ever game.

Harveyís win couldnít have come at a better time. The day before, the Mets completed a winless homestand, losing 5-1 to the Nationals, for their 12th defeat in 13 games. Tempers had flared as reliever Tim Byrdak started jawing with catcher Josh Thole, and later pitching coach Dan Warthen, after surrendering a two-run dinger to Adam LaRoche that put the game out of reach.

“Larry Crowne” purports to be another film that reflects the tough economic times that all too many Americans are facing. While it’s an innocuous way to spend 90 minutes, it is certainly no “Up In The Air.”

The titular character, Larry Crowne (Tom Hanks), is a hardworking team leader at a San Fernando Valley U-Mart, a big chain retailer modeled after you know what. Despite being well-like by colleagues and having been named “employee of the month” eight times, Larry is called into a meeting with store executives and told that he is being let go because he lacks a college degree. While the film implies that he is a victim of downsizing, it seems that he is instead hurt by a new, sudden “up or out” philosophy at the store since he is told that without the sheepskin he can never be promoted.