HowStuffWorks Newsletter
Alia is an Atlanta-based freelance writer who has contributed content to HowStuffWorks for going on a decade now, with a specialty in health writing. She’s also been published by TLC, Animal Planet, and a number of corporate clients. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!), and might someday get around to setting up a professional website. Until then, check her out on LinkedIn.
She and her husband are proud parents to three handsome, too-smart-for-their-own-good boys. Alia is a passably not terrible tennis player, lover of all things dance and music, brownie-obsessed, avid reader and off-key car singer. Her two favorite types of people are those who have a healthy sense of humor and those who actually read articles in their entirety before posting comments.
Volunteering is an excellent way to help others. It's also an awesome activity you can do with your kids to teach them how to give back to the community.
By Alia Hoyt
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, people who were previously vaccinated are now being asked to get booster shots. Is there a way to know whether your previous shot might still be valid?
By Alia Hoyt
All that listening to podcasts and music can get your AirPods dirty! Here's an easy way to clean them.
By Alia Hoyt
Advertisement
Whether they have great chemistry onscreen or are close friends offscreen, some actors tend to work with each other over and over. How much do you know about these acting pairs who've starred together in multiple movies?
By Alia Hoyt
Yes, you do have to clean the machine that cleans your clothes! Fortunately, it's easy to do.
By Alia Hoyt
Think you can't have cheese or steak to eat a healthy diet? We're here to tell say you can. With some stipulations, of course.
By Alia Hoyt
With the rising cost of veterinary care, many people are considering getting pet insurance. But is it worth the cost?
By Alia Hoyt
Advertisement
Time to get nutty! How much do you know about all of the different types of nuts out there? Take this quiz and find out!
By Alia Hoyt
You probably like a lot of Animalia (that's the scientific name for animals), but how well do you know their formal monikers? Every animal has a two-part Latin name, with the first word capitalized, for classification purposes.
By Alia Hoyt
If a friend or relative is undergoing chemotherapy, you want to help them but may not be sure of the best way to do so. Here are eight great ideas that almost any patient will appreciate.
By Alia Hoyt
News headlines predict dire shortages of goods for the holiday season. But there are tons of gifts out there that don't depend on the supply chain from overseas.
By Alia Hoyt
Advertisement
It's a phrase appropriate to Thanksgiving as well as other times of the year. But the most popular origin story has a disturbing explanation.
By Alia Hoyt
Fancy yourself a cinema buff? Take the quiz and find out how well you really know these iconic movie lines.
By Alia Hoyt
Turkey and stuffing are traditional for Thanksgiving, but they're not the only things to serve. Try mixing it up this year with some unexpected international cuisine, too.
By Alia Hoyt
Dishwasher tablets are great for doing dishes, sure, but there are so many more cool uses for them.
By Alia Hoyt
Advertisement
It's freezing when you get into your car and you notice a light on your dashboard saying, 'check tire pressure.' You figure it's something to do with the cold, but must you fill up the tires fast?
By Alia Hoyt
Some books come out hot right out of the gate with iconic openers. How many of these literary works can you correctly guess based only on the opening line?
By Alia Hoyt
Many items enjoyed by people of all abilities were originally designed to help people with disabilities. Here are some inventions you may use every day that were originally for the disabled community.
By Alia Hoyt
Aluminum foil is one of those everyday kitchen items that we don't really give much thought to, but it can be used for a lot more than wrapping leftovers.
By Alia Hoyt
Advertisement
Vanished hikers. Disappearing backpackers. Missing children. Are these mysteries in the great outdoors due to accidents, mistakes and bad luck, or evidence of something more sinister?
By Alia Hoyt & Becky Striepe
True crime is often stranger than fiction. How much do you know about some of the strangest and most notorious criminals out there like Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper and the Night Stalker?
By Alia Hoyt
Never wish a jockey good luck by saying "break a leg." Horses with broken legs might face a grim future, but does that mean they must be euthanized?
Many states (or territories) that are now part of the U.S.A. were once independent, even if not recognized as such by other countries. We'll look at some of them.
By Alia Hoyt
Advertisement
If your sweet tooth is aching, what are you likely to reach for? Ice cream, cheesecake, any cake? If you're American, you're most likely to pick one of these 10 desserts.
By Alia Hoyt & Sarah Gleim
Vaccine hesitancy has a long history in the world. Why is that and what can be done to change it?
By Alia Hoyt
