Lifestyle

When it comes to coconut oil, most people think cooking. But it might just be the next hot hair treatment. And some say it’s a silver bullet for treating dandruff, psoriasis and other scalp conditions.

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: This might sound like a “Reader Rant,” but it is a legitimate question, I think. Why do we consumers have to contend with so many varieties of lightbulbs? And how to find the right replacements for the obscurer ones, like my desk lamps and my infernal ceiling fans? Is there a way to figure out what bulbs I need when I remove the “dead” one and it has no numbers or revealing details that would enable me to figure out what I need? I’ve gone online and the choices are so huge and so many of these unusual bulbs look alike, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been stuck with the wrong thing. This shouldn’t be that hard!

The new Barbie movie starring Margot Robbie has sparked fresh interest in all things Barbie, including collectibles. Mattel, Barbie’s maker, estimates there are well over 100,000 active collectors, many of whom attend the annual Barbie convention (held in early July this year in Orlando, Florida).

The Galápagos Islands are a bucket-list destination for many travelers, bird lovers and nature enthusiasts, and it’s no wonder why: The biodiverse region of the world has been famous for centuries as a natural paradise.

Tara McFeeters sleeps in a crowded bed.

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I am retired, and although I generally enjoy less hectic days now, I keep busy. Part of my routine includes trying to squeeze in a nap on most afternoons. My wife tells me that I’m doing it wrong because I often wake up groggy. Is there a wrong way — or time — to nap?

Q. The kids are with me every few days. It’s a tough schedule, particularly when the kids are in school. We often forget things. This time their dad forgot to send our son’s teddy bear with him, and he wouldn’t take a nap. I knew his dad never locked his front door — it was the house I used to live in — and so I just went over there, even though my ex wasn’t home, and went inside to retrieve the teddy bear. When my ex found out I was in his home when he wasn’t there, he was livid. Was I that wrong? What’s good ex-etiquette?

A heat wave is affecting parts of the U.S., including much of the Southwest, through the Southeast and parts of Europe. When temperatures soar, the heat can take a toll more than just physically. Our well-being can suffer as well.

Finding ways to keep your body cool during extremely high temperatures is important, and so is ensuring your medications aren’t exposed to extreme heat.

This column is now on an every-other-month schedule, which gives me more time to plot revenge and to ponder the very crime-fiction word “deadline.” And, of course, more time to read.