Candles, cleaning and cupcakes: how I reclaimed Diwali

Gifts for prosperity and joy; women’s autumn style essentials; and the best leaf blowers, tested

• Don’t get the Filter delivered to your inbox? Sign up here

As a kid, Diwali was five days of sensory overload: flickering lamps, friends and relatives you hadn’t seen since last Diwali, and mithai served on repeat until joy curdled into sugar-induced despair.

Growing up in Wales in the 90s, I rejected almost all of it. Being Asian felt like a marker of otherness, and when your teenage mission is fitting in, a celebration of being Indian wasn’t all that appealing. So I joined in half-heartedly, but longed for the escape hatch of a sweaty metal gig with my friends where identity didn’t feel quite so loaded.

The best leaf blowers: 10 favourites to speed up raking – plus smart ways to reuse your fallen leaves

Season of the witch: 40 stylish, mystical treats, from crystal rings to pumpkin prints

‘Dreamy in a dirty martini’: the best vodkas, tested

The nine best electric blankets and heated throws, tried and tested to keep you toasty for less

‘It caramelised beautifully’: the best (and worst) supermarket chickens, tasted and rated

‘Just have fun. Smile. And keep putting on lipstick’: 10 ways to master Diane Keaton’s style

‘Once a fortnight would save people hundreds’: how to make your bike last longer, according to experts