Mashable

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a history buff.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 23, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Provinces of the pantheon

The words are related to history.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ancient Roman values.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Domain.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

NYT Strands word list for April 23

• Thunder

• Harvest

• Wisdom

• Domain

• Love

• Marriage

• Underworld

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Strands.

To be human is to love a good life hack. I like the part of Google's definition that refers to a life hack as a technique to "reduce chaos," because that's precisely how I find myself chronicling the mental benefits of keeping my household as low-waste as possible.

That psychological boost doesn't solely stem from feeling good about helping the environment — being more eco-friendly at home is one of the only habits that consistently helps me feel less overwhelmed about life. Like many other adults, my mood, emotional state, and ability to sleep have become heavily intertwined with the length of my to-do list. Living more low-waste minimizes the number of household tasks I need to worry about, making me feel a little more put together.

SEE ALSO: How to recycle Amazon packaging (yes, all of it)

So yes, while I find deep comfort in minimizing my plastic and food waste footprint for the planet's sake, I also find comfort in less trash to take out, fewer nasty smells, and less clutter overall. Those are all tangible results of the easy, eco-friendly changes that actively de-stress my daily routine. If the internet's traditional stress and anxiety hacks haven't worked for you, let me explain how creating less waste has helped me to protect my peace.

The psychology of a clean, de-cluttered space, but applied to trash

I firmly believe that my household's trash production and my anxiety level are positively correlated. The physical chaos of an overflowing bag, the tedious walk to the trash room, the wastefulness of it all — it's overwhelming. So I've implemented a few easy routine changes over the years that have seriously limited my garbage output by a long shot, and that control has done wonders to keep me sane when I'm spiraling.

You've probably heard of the connection between physical clutter and mental clutter. Maybe you read an article (or watched a TikTok) about it or found out that you are, in fact, more productive when your desk is tidy. Though most references to this connection are talking about your mind's subconscious reaction to visible clutter, my mind definitely counts concealed trash as clutter, despite the trash can living behind a cabinet door.

The mere thought of gallons of gross, sticky, smelly trash piling up in my kitchen feels just as disorderly and dirty as crusty dishes stacked in the sink.

Imagine how rarely you'd have to take out the trash if you weren't throwing food away

My Mill food recycling bin has put the biggest dent in the amount of waste my apartment makes, and I can't imagine living without it. It's basically the size of a traditional step-on kitchen trash can, and even has the presser foot.

Instead of putting plate scrapings, food prep scraps, or old leftovers directly into the trash, just about any food can be dumped into the Mill instead. Every night, before any of the meat or dairy or soggy spinach would start to stink up the place, Mill dehydrates and churns food into a soil-like consistency, which I then mail back to Mill to be repurposed into chicken feed.

Mill's massive filter traps nasty smells way better than any expensive scented bag could. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable That's around 246 pounds of food per year — think of how many garbage bags we've saved. Credit: Screenshot / Mill

Without food in the equation, my three-person household barely goes through one garbage bag per week. Trash duty is needed so infrequently that no one dreads it, especially because it's not that gross of a chore, either — no food means no mystery juice dripping from the bag onto your sock.

Pre-Mill, I was first introduced to the concept of compacting home food waste through Lomi. Most of those electric countertop composters aren't actually creating real "compost," but they're still drying and grinding your food scraps to a fraction of their original size. The result is a small bucket of "dirt" that won't reek if it then sits in your trash for a few days, and won't release as much methane at the landfill. Any of these countertop gadgets is a game-changer if you don't have a garbage disposal.

Plastic waste has been another leading source of the permanent pit in my stomach since 2018, when I learned that most plastic doesn't actually get recycled.

SEE ALSO: Texas resident used Apple AirTags to track her recycling. It ended up in the middle of nowhere.

All of the empty cleaning bottles and laundry detergent jugs that hogged so much space in my bin were basically destined to rot for 500 years. Awesome! For the majority of us who don't have curbside recycling, taking the recycling out involves extra walking or driving. For me, it's a dreaded elevator ride down to my apartment's sketchy basement — so I'm always trying to strategically stretch my recycling bin's life before I have to go down there again. The switch from plastic to paper packaging that can be folded or flattened creates more room to shove stuff in.

A low-waste lifestyle requires less chaotic storage at home

Pretty much my entire cleaning routine has been low-waste-ified, which plays just as big of a role in the organization of storage spaces as it does in downsizing my trash. And organization at home plays a critical role in my daily stress level.

There aren't a million plastic spray bottles clanking around in the cabinet under my sink. Multi-surface cleaning spray refills come in the form of a small Blueland tablet dissolved in the same glass bottle. My dissolvable laundry detergent strips come in a thin cardboard envelope, which is much easier to tuck away than a huge, crusty jug of laundry detergent. Stretchy dishwasher-safe silicone lids have fully replaced plastic wrap, and Swedish dishcloths (reusable paper towels that can go in the dishwasher) have freed my closet from a never-ending tower of paper towel rolls.

Laundry sheets, dishwasher pods, and carton of dish soap are easy to store in an apartment with limited space. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable Don't let me catch you using a Ziploc bag as Tupperware after this. Credit: Stasher

My parents have also had a positive downsizing experience on their lower-waste journey. My dad hasn't had to step around an industrial case of bottled water in the garage since they simply switched to a nice faucet filter. My mom took my robot vacuum and mop advice and got to free up precious shelf space that had previously been home to boxes of Swiffer WetJet refill pads. Seriously, don't underestimate the calming power of structure within your home's storage setup.

The low-waste route shrinks my recurring shopping list

I don't think enough people realize that switching to lower-waste home habits would mean that they won't have to restock so many household supplies all the time. There's serious freedom in severing your reliance on disposable items, plus shorter (cheaper) grocery store lists.

Replacement paper towels or Ziploc bags aren't permanent fixtures on the grocery list now that we've stopped relying on the disposable versions of either. When you don't burn through multiple garbage bags on a weekly basis, you rarely experience the rage of realizing you're out of fresh bags. Yes, some low-waste swaps do cost a little more up front, but their reusability pays for itself within a few months.

I'm a maximalist when decorating, but a minimalist when holding onto junk

The mental weight of stuff is real. Not "stuff" in a maximalist chic decor way, but "stuff" as in all the crap that's living in your home and your mind rent-free. You don't know what to do with it, so you just keep it (and then feel its dark presence hovering every time you're in that room). That overstimulating stress loop made it impossible for me to fully relax at home for quite some time. But after being in low-waste mode in my kitchen for a few years, the pipeline to all-over home decluttering came naturally.

Suddenly, I was inspired to clean out the drawers, shelves, and under-bed bins that had accumulated anxiety-inducing levels of junk — and then sit down and research how to sustainably get rid of that junk. It turns out that there are comically easy ways to recycle broken phone chargers, dried-out pens, dead batteries, old glasses, and so many other random knick-knacks that I held on to just because I'd feel just as anxious about sending them to a dumpster.

For unwanted items with a little more value, like clothes or old AirPods or decor that isn't my taste anymore, online resale apps have become core to mitigating my messy home restlessness. You'd be shocked at the range of niche items that shoppers are willing to take off your hands. If there was any level of sentimental attachment, I can breathe a little easier knowing the item is getting a second life instead of collecting dust on an overflowing Goodwill shelf.

SEE ALSO: The Suri recyclable electric toothbrush is my favorite eco-friendly self-care swap

I've realized that maintaining an uncluttered space isn't a challenge when you have clear-cut methods to properly discard unwanted stuff. I now have a pretty solid idea of what can be recycled where, even the really-hard-to-recycle stuff, and what might sell on eBay.

If I'm not sure, my reflex is now to research what to do with it instead of cramming it into a procrasti-clutter drawer. Similarly, I've been able to keep up with a weekly fridge clean-out schedule because I can casually throw anything in my Mill bin. I no longer put expired stuff back in just because it'll stink in the trash, and old leftovers are no longer piling up to the point that no new groceries can fit.

Now that my brain is rewired to take the path of least waste in most situations, I've gotten really good at acquiring less stuff in the first place. If I'm on the fence about a purchase, the first question I ask myself is, "Will this be a pain in the ass to deal with a year from now?" Am I really going to be excited about this item for longer than a few months? Is it high-quality enough to last for a long time? Can I find it secondhand on Depop? While I'll never deny the importance of getting yourself a little treat just because, intentional shopping is such an underrated method of stabilizing a swirling mind.

TL:DR: Visual Studio 2026 combines AI-powered coding, cross-platform tools, and real-time collaboration — now just $42.97 for a limited time.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 $42.97
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Modern development doesn’t have to feel like a grind, especially when your tools are built to keep up with how you actually work. Visual Studio Professional 2026 is Microsoft’s latest take on a full-featured IDE, now with deeper AI integration and performance upgrades that actually make a difference when you’re working on real-life projects.

Built as a 64-bit environment, Microsoft’s latest handles large codebases and complex solutions more comfortably, which is especially useful if you’re juggling multiple services or working across teams.

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But the real shift here is how much easier it is to stay in flow. AI-assisted coding tools like IntelliCode help predict and complete lines of code, while built-in refactoring suggestions reduce repetitive work and help catch issues earlier.

Cross-platform development is also front and center. You can build mobile and desktop apps with .NET MAUI, create modern web interfaces using Blazor, and test across environments including Windows, Linux, and containers — all from the same place.

Hot reload features let you see changes instantly, reducing back-and-forth during development.

Collaboration feels more natural, too. With Live Share, teammates can jump into your session to edit, debug, or review code in real time.

This version of Visual Studio makes it easier to access a professional-grade toolset without overthinking the investment.

Get Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 for just $42.97 (reg. $499.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Google's landing page for an Earth Day-related search brings up some relatable frequently asked questions: What should we do on Earth Day? If you'd like to do more than go outside and post a pretty tree on your Instagram story for Earth Day this year, consider making some eco-friendly swaps at home.

A quick look at the best Earth Day 2026 deals Best kitchen deal Reencle Prime Electric Composter $429.00 at Amazon (save $70) Get Deal Best cleaning deal Blueland Laundry Detergent Tablets (60 count) $23.99 at Amazon (save $6) Get Deal Best tech deal Pela biodegradable compostable phone cases buy one, get one free Get Deal Best entertainment deal "Planet Earth II" (4K UHD) $34.65 at Amazon (save $25.34) Get Deal

Like Prime Day, Earth Day sales are a great opportunity to stock up on home products that you already use every day — these versions just create way less waste. Swap plastic cleaning spray bottles for dissolvable cleaning tablets, swap tree-destroying toilet paper for bamboo toilet paper, or splurge on a countertop composter to shrink your household's food waste. We'll be keeping track of the best Earth Day deals through the end of Earth Week:

SEE ALSO: How to actually recycle electronics, beauty empties, toys, and more tricky items in 2026 Best home deal Opens in a new window Credit: Reel Reel Bamboo Toilet Paper save 30% with code EARTHLOVE30 Get Deal Why we like it

I've tried a lot of sustainable swaps for my home in the past five years, and Reel's bamboo toilet paper is easily one that's been repurchased the most. Not only is it three-ply and super soft — to the point where multiple guests in my apartment have inquired about the brand — but no trees were harmed in the making of this TP. Bamboo is considered the fastest-growing plant on earth, and making toilet paper out of it requires significantly less water and energy than your typical tree toilet paper. When it feels like there's news about new cuts to national parks and forests on a daily basis, I'll take my bamboo toilet paper usage as a W.

Countertop composters and food waste condensers

• Dreame Electric Composter — $199.99 $399.99 (save $200)

• Reencle Prime — $429 $499 (save $70)

Eco-friendly storage

• Stasher Silicone Reusable Snack Bag (12 ounce) — $7.79 $9.99 (save $2.20)

• Flip-It! Premium Bottle Emptying Kit (pack of 2) — $15.99 $21.99 (save $2.20)

• Rubbermaid Brilliance Glass Food Storage Containers (set of 4) — $34.94 $42.99 (save $8.05)

• Stasher Silicone Reusable Snack Bags (3 pack) — $41.50 $51.99 (save $10.49)

Air purifiers and water filters

• Levoit Core Mini Air Purifier (255 sq. ft) — $39.97 $49.99 (save $10.03)

• Culligan Water Filter Dispenser with ZeroWater Technology (23 cup) — $26.24 $35.43 (save $9.19)

• Blueair Blue Pure 311i Max Air Purifier (1,800 sq. ft) — $168.99 $229.99 (save $61)

• Blueair Blue Signature SP3i Air Purifier (498 sq. ft) — $239.97 $299.99 (save $60.03)

• Bluevua Countertop Reverse Osmosis System — $317 $454 (save $137)

• Dreame FurCatcher Air Purifier (3,708 sq. ft) — $424.99 $499.99 (save $75)

Mattresses and bedding

• Cozy Earth — save 15% on bamboo sheet sets

• Avocado Green Mattress — save 15% on organic mattresses

• Buffy — save 20% on recycled PET and lyocell comforters and pillows

• Birch — save 20% on natural mattresses, bases, and bedding

• Saatva — save $300 on organic mattress purchases of $1,000 or more

SEE ALSO: The Mill food recycling bin is the easiest indoor composter alternative, and my all-time favorite appliance Cleaning product deals

• Blueland Dishwasher Detergent Tablets (60 count) —  $16.79 $23.99 (save $7.20)

• Blueland Bathroom Cleaner Dissolvable Refill Tablets (10 pack) —  $20.40 $24 (save $4.60)

• Blueland Oxi Laundry Boost Powder —  $21.59 $26.99 (save $5.40)

• Seventh Generation Dishwasher Packs (45 count, 2 pack) —  $23.18 $29.74 (save $6.56)

• Blueland Toilet Bowl Cleaner Dissolvable Tablets (14 count) —  $23.19 $28.99 (save $5.80)

Outdoor deals

• Earth Pak Waterproof Roll-Top Backpack — $66.99 $85.99 (save $19)

• LifeStraw Personal Water Filter (4 pack) — $44.64 $59.95 (save $15.31)

• Rumpl Backcountry Puffy Blanket — $110.93 $149 (save $38.17)

Pet deals

• World's Best Multi-Cat Clumping Corn Cat Litter (15 pounds) — $19.15 $23.39 (save $4.24)

• Earth Rated Recycled Plastic Dog Poop Bags (240 count) — $31.49 $44.99 (save $13.50)

• Petkit Clump+ Tofu Cat Litter (5.29 pounds, 3 pack) — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

In 2025, content creator Gigi Bello (@okaycoolgigi) took her audience on a journey. She was determined to fix the “landlord special” — a peephole on the door of her New York City apartment that had long been painted shut. The video (and its subsequent follow-ups) went viral, landing the 28-year-old CPA a feature in People and a slew of new followers.

“Content creation kind of happened by accident after a few videos went viral, but I fell in love with it,” Bello says.

Please use these two blurbs in the weeks ahead, thank you!

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Bello's account has otherwise been dedicated to her adventures in sourdough breadmaking and her beloved starter, Eloise. But Bello says the peephole video made her realize that "no matter what I post, if I actually care about it, other people will too."

Bello adds, "Sometimes I feel like I don't want to be stuck making sourdough all the time (so sorry Eloise, I love you), but it made me feel better about posting other things I’m interested in and trusting that people will still care."

When it comes to capturing content, Bello uses a relatively low-tech setup in her apartment kitchen. We caught up with the creator about her favorite gear, her love of sourdough, and what it took to remove all those layers of paint.

Credit: Zooey Liao / Mashable / Gigi Bello / Getty Images / Google Images What are your content creation essentials?

iPhone 17 Pro

Bello uses her iPhone to capture both video and audio. "I need something convenient, since it's basically a one-woman show and I'm filming everything myself in my kitchen, so my phone just does it all," she says.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple / AT&T iPhone 17 Pro $1,099.99 at AT&T
  Shop Now

TikTok 

This is Bello's platform of choice and her editing software all rolled up into one. Bello says she uses TikTok for both the recording and editing of her videos.

"I find that editing in TikTok is just super convenient for me. It makes my life easier than having a bunch of random small clips in my camera roll, because I get to pause and resume recording in the same clip," she says. "And editing in TikTok is so user-friendly that I don't feel the need to use anything else if I don't have to."

Opens in a new window Credit: TikTok TikTok   Learn More

CapCut 

For the times that she needs an editing program with a little more oomph, she turns to CapCut.

"I mainly use CapCut when I have to edit a video for a brand, since it makes me feel 'safer' that my video won't randomly be deleted. (Yes, TikTok has done this to me before)."

Opens in a new window Credit: CapCut CapCut   Learn More

LED portable selfie light

"Sometimes (especially in the winter months) my kitchen doesn't have the greatest lighting, so the portable lights help a ton," Bello says. "I find that having the LED lights directly on me looks a little unnatural, so bouncing it feels more real."

LED portable selfie light $13.89 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $11.10   Shop Now at Amazon

iPad 

Bello says she uses her iPad for doing research and taking notes.

"I'll use my iPad to search for inspiration for recipes or just go down random rabbit holes when I'm trying to think of ideas," she says.

Apple iPad $299 at Amazon
$349 Save $50   Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Best Buy
What was the magic goop that got all the paint off the peephole?

Bello: CitriStrip! It's a paint and varnish stripping gel that I noticed a lot of restoration people using when trying to scrape old paint off door frames. I probably should've used a mask though; I had a headache for days after using it and accidentally breathing it in.

CitriStrip $16.85 at Amazon
$23.99 Save $7.14   Shop Now at Amazon Safe to say you're in your sourdough era?

Mashable: Talk to us about the journey there and any tools someone might need.

Bello: Honestly, the whole "in my sourdough era" thing makes me cringe (I'm sorry!!!). I've just always been someone who loves carbs. In 2024, I was scrolling and saw a lot of people talking about how hard it was to make sourdough bread; they also mentioned how much better it was for you. I decided [that] if I can successfully make sourdough, then I must be a genius. It was honestly just a test [of] my own capabilities and a way for me to have a hobby at home.

I don't think you need much to get started with making sourdough, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. Maybe the biggest thing you'd need to get started is patience.

What is your favorite loaf pan? 

Bello: My current favorite loaf pan is made by Nordic Ware. It’s super light, unlike a Dutch oven, and my recent loaves have been made using it, and they’ve come out really good.

Nordic Ware Pan $100 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon What do you love about what you do? 

Bello: I love that I'm able to do whatever passion project I want at the moment (Eloise being a big part of that) and share my experience with it, whether it fails or succeeds. My favorite thing is creating something from an idea, even if it seems kind of silly, and being able to make something and show it off is really gratifying.

I feel like I have a bit of a double life — my day job is more analytical and composed, but my natural personality comes out in my videos, where I get to be more creative.

Who is your ideal audience? 

Bello: My ideal audience is people who are just normal about things in the best way. Like, kind, a little nosy, and actually invested. People who enjoy the process, not just the final result, and who are okay with things not being perfect. Also, people who get my humor and aren't taking everything too seriously. I like when it feels more like we're all just hanging out versus me "posting content."

Any noteworthy achievements over the past year?

Bello: Being in People magazine for my peephole was definitely up there and something I never expected. Also, Eloise's second birthday — I can't believe I've been making sourdough for two years; it really puts it into perspective. And going to FoodiCon was something I feel really grateful for. I got to meet so many people I interact with online, and hearing that people went there to see me felt really wholesome, unreal, and a little crazy. I usually film by myself in my kitchen convincing myself none of this is real, so seeing it in real life was really fulfilling.

Does Eloise have anything she'd like to add? 

Eloise: I confess, I shoved Ophelia in the junk drawer.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage, meet The Mashable 101 to discover the internet’s most exciting voices, and tell us about your favorite creators today.

UPDATE: Apr. 22, 2026, 3:02 p.m. EDT Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story misidenified the NordicWare pan that Bello uses. This has since been corrected.