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Where to Shop Unique Art and Wall Decor for Kids’ Rooms

December 17, 2015 by

Your kids' bedrooms should be the most fun rooms in the house when it comes to decorating, and that means that you likely want to keep them as colorful and creative as possible. If you’re looking for wall art designed especially for the little one that will add some flair to their bare walls, these are three great places to shop.

Minted
This hip wall art retailer has an entire section of its site devoted solely to art for kids. Expect to find minimal prints of cute quotes, personalized designs with your child’s name. and watercolor paintings of animals, crayons and other sweet scenes.

The Land of Nod
The Land of Nod is a favorite amongst stylish parents with a flair for all things mid-century modern, and its selection of kid-friendly art is just as adorable. It includes handmade weavings and tapestries in bright colors and soft neutrals, as well as framed prints, fun maps, Periodic Tables, and other educational prints.

Etsy
If you’re looking for something truly unique, Etsy has a number of sellers who create their own handmade art just for the little ones. Simply search for children’s art to discover the best the site has to offer.

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How to Make the Perfect Apple Pie

November 19, 2015 by

New to baking? Keep these smart techniques in mind the next time you make an apple pie from scratch, and your dinner guests will be none the wiser!

  1. Keep the crust ingredients cold. One of the most important things to do while mixing and rolling your pie crust is to keep all of the ingredients cold. Your crust will only become dense and flaky if the butter is kept in chunks rather than melting, creating layers between the flour and water mixture.
  2. Use real butter. Dessert is not a time to worry about your diet. Make sure that you always use real, full-fat butter (instead of margarine or another butter alternative) to achieve the best results possible.
  3. Use your hands. While kitchen stores boast a wide variety of tools for creating the perfect pie crust, the best thing to use is your hands. Knead the dough between your fingers to get it to the perfect consistency, and don’t forget to lick your fingers to make sure that it’s not too salty or too sweet.
  4. Let the filling sit overnight. To get the best taste out of your apples, let them sit overnight with the rest of the ingredients to really draw out that lovely apple flavor.

The Food Lab's Top 9 Tips For Perfect Apple Pie [Serious Eats]
Your Grandma's Apple Pie Recipe Is Good. This One Is Better [Bon Appetit]
How to Make the Best Apple Pie Ever [Good Housekeeping]

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How to Spruce Up a Windowsill

October 22, 2015 by

Do you have a bare windowsill in your home that’s just begging for some decoration? Here are a few great ways to spruce up that unused space, no matter how large or how small it may be.

  1. Make a garden. Gather some plants in attractive pots and arrange them all over your windowsill. Choose plants that do well in bright light, as the windowsill will likely fill with sunlight during the day.
  2. Create a reading nook. If your windowsill is large enough, create your own reading nook using some comfortable throw pillows and a stack of books. Add attractive bookends to make your own miniature library.
  3. Fill it with candles. Add candles in varying heights to create a romantic effect that even looks beautiful from the outside of the house.
  4. Use it as extra storage. On a wide window ledge, add small storage boxes and use them to hold those extra odds and ends.
  5. Add picture frames. Frame some family photos in frames that stand up on their own and line them up across the window’s width.
  6. Start a crystal collection. Many people think that crystals add good energy to a room, and your windowsill is a great place to display your budding collection.

6 Ways To Decorate & Dress Your Window Sills! [Homedit]
10 DIY Window Sill Displays [Top Dreamer]
10 Fabulous and Cheap Ways to Decorate Your Windowsills [Small Room Ideas]

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Where to Shop Double-Duty Furniture Pieces That Won’t Break the Bank

September 17, 2015 by

Adding furniture pieces that can play double-duty with multiple uses is one of the best ways to maximize space in a rental, but these types of versatile, multipurpose items can be difficult to find if you’re on a limited budget. Here are a few great places where you can shop multipurpose furniture items that won’t break the bank!

Beds from IKEA
The Swedish design staple is consistently a go-to for smart, functional furniture that’s still really stylish. If you’re looking for a bed with a built-in dresser, a comfy futon with hidden blanket storage, or even trundle beds for when unexpected guests stop by for the weekend, you’ll find it all for affordable prices at IKEA.

Wayfair’s Storage Ottomans
Add a chic storage ottoman to get your living room mess under control when you shop the vast selection from Wayfair. You’ll find small, round ottomans with hidden storage compartments that are perfect for studio apartments, as well as spacious storage benches that are better suited for larger living areas.

Wayfair’s Apartment Storage Solutions
From lift-top coffee tables that double as desks to multipurpose room dividers with decorative shelving on the sides, Wayfair is home to a number of creative apartment storage solutions that you might not have even considered.

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Need-to-Know Facts About Energy and Energy Consumption

August 20, 2015 by

Driving a car, turning on a light, heating or cooling our homes and offices—it all takes energy. But where does this energy come from? Read on to find some fun facts about energy.

1) Energy has many sources. Most of the energy we use is sourced from fossil fuels, nuclear power, or renewable sources like the sun. New sources, like biofuel, are being developed to help with the growing demand for energy sources.

2) Electricity is not a primary source of energy. Instead, it's considered a secondary source of energy, and it comes from primary sources that include coal, wind, and natural gas.

3) Electricity is a hot commodity in modern America. The demand for electricity in the U.S. is predicted to increase by 26 percent by 2030. Electricity is the second-most used energy source in American homes, second only to natural gas.

4) Heating our homes in the winter consumes the most energy. Space heating consumes the biggest chunk of energy in residential homes, ahead of large appliances such as laundry machines, computers, dishwashers—even refrigerators!

5) The U.S. sources 84 percent of its energy from fossil fuels. What's more, the U.S. consumes 20 percent of the world's total energy. To help with our growing energy needs, many companies have made an effort to cut back on energy usage. Large household appliances are becoming more energy efficient, and the government has mandated that in 2020, all new cars must average 35 miles per gallon. The automobile industry has also been focusing on creating electric cars to help decrease the use of energy.

For more information on energy, read What You Need to Know About Energy on The National Academy of Sciences website.

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Stylish Storage Solutions for Arts and Crafts Supplies

July 23, 2015 by

Whether you’re an avid crafter or your children are often doing art projects at home, you know how difficult it can be to find storage space for all of those paints, markers, fabrics, crayons, and other supplies. Here are just a few stylish ways that you can keep your arts and crafts supplies neatly organized until your next DIY project.

Mason Jar Storage System [redtri.com]
Turn your storage solution into an art project in itself. This colorful DIY idea involves covering old mason jars in fun, pattered washi tape, then using those jars to store everything from markers to paint brushes and even loose buttons.

Kids’ Craft Apron [www.bhg.com]
If your child has trouble keeping his or her craft supplies together while doing a project, you can make this simple apron as your next family art project. Simply take an old gardening apron, use the belt to tie it to the side of your child’s crafting table, and fill the spacious pockets with all of the essentials.

Hanging Storage Bins [apartmenttherapy.com]
Screw a metal rod from any home goods store into your wall, then attach S-shaped hooks and hang bins in all sizes from each hook. You can use these to keep your art supplies within reach but off of your tabletop.

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Don Your Thinking Caps to Learn About Tour Puzzles Online

July 9, 2015 by

If you’re addicted to puzzles, you’ve probably already tried all of the jigsaw puzzles, Rubik’s cubes, word games, and logic problems that you can get your hands on. If you’re tired of your usual puzzles and want something new, tour puzzles are a fun and exciting alterative.

Tour puzzles use one token that represents a traveler.
The token is you, the person attempting to solve the puzzle, or you may have numerous different tokens that you must control. These are the objects that move around the board.

There is usually a designated beginning and end to a tour puzzle.
The player starts at the starting line and attempts to make it to the finish, and there are sometimes certain items to retrieve along the way. Some tour puzzles have special rules at different points in the puzzle.

Tour puzzles come in a variety of forms.
Mazes and labyrinths require the player to navigate through a series of confusing twists and turns without crossing the walls or borders. A knight’s tour uses a chessboard and attempts to visit every square at least once, and logic mazes are mazes with special rules and requirements for completing them.

To learn more about tour puzzles and to find out where to play them, visit here.

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How to Style a Sofa With Pillows

June 18, 2015 by

Tossing some throw pillows onto your sofa seems like a no-brainer, but if you want to create a designer-worthy look, it requires a little effort. Here are a few genius ways to choose the right pillows and arrange them on your couch in the most flattering way.

  1. Create symmetry. Begin by choosing two anchor pillows in a pattern or shade that matches the rest of your sofa. These will go on either end to create a balanced effect.
  2. Mix and match. To avoid a drab look, choose a few more pillows in varying shapes, sizes and patterns, keeping in mind the main color that ties it all together.
  3. Add texture. Add at least one textured pillow in a fabric like faux fur, cable knit, or velvet.
  4. Use odd numbers. Most designers agree that using an odd number of pillows is usually best, as it helps you to create a lived-in look that is easy to rearrange again and again. Line them up across the whole sofa, or add more on one side and less on the other.
  5. Think of the sofa’s usage. If your sofa has to accommodate a large number of people, choose smaller pillows or use less of them. If it’s more for show, feel free to go wild with pillows.

9 Pointers for Perfectly Styled Pillows [Houzz]
Throw Pillows: 4 Tips to Style Your Sofa [HuffPost Home]
Tips On Choosing Throw Pillows [DécorLove]

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Houston’s Most Popular Independent Coffeehouses

June 4, 2015 by

Though Texas is known more for its barbecued meats than its coffee beans, Houston’s many independent coffeehouses are surely starting a new dialog in the area. Check out these two great Houston coffee shops and taste a cup for yourself.

Boomtown Coffee
This artisan coffee roaster and retailer aims to unite the world’s coffee growers with the coffee drinkers, and it does this by developing relationships with growers and importers from around the world. Each small batch of coffee is roasted on-site daily, and the selection always includes favorites from a number of different countries. Boomtown Coffee’s welcoming, relaxing cafe also offers a full food menu of items made with local ingredients to pair with your perfect cup of joe.

Catalina Coffee
Houston’s Catalina Coffee brews coffee from Amaya Roasting Co., a local roaster that uses only responsible, fair trade practices and the finest ingredients. The shop itself is located in Houston’s Sixth Ward neighborhood and offers a cozy, rustic feel with dim lighting and a few tables scattered about. It’s not uncommon to see people sharing a fresh pastry and a Chemex of coffee with a friend, though because the shop doesn’t offer Wi-Fi, this isn’t the best choice to catch up on work.

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Watching Your Waistline? Check Out These Weight Loss Tips for Women

May 21, 2015 by

Just about every website and magazine today claims to offer miracle diet tips, but the only real way to lose weight is by exercising regularly and watching what you eat. These smart (and realistic!) tips can help keep women on track to shedding those extra pounds.

  1. Determine your individual calorie intake. Sure, counting calories is important for everyone, but not every woman’s body requires the same amount of calories each day. Work with a doctor to determine your recommended daily amount based on your weight loss goals.
  2. Practice portion control. Even if your diet already consists of mainly lean meats, fruits, and veggies, many people go overboard when it comes to portion control. Measure out your portions beforehand to stay on track.
  3. Forgo diet treats. Every American supermarket is filled with “diet” versions of unhealthy treats, but in most cases, you’re better off opting for a smaller serving size of the real deal. That way, you won’t be tempted to overindulge.
  4. Balance cardio and strength workouts. Most people prefer one or the other when it comes to their gym habits, but it’s important to balance both types of exercise if you really want to lose weight.
  5. Amp up your workouts. Practice short bursts of intense activity, which burn far more calories and help you to lose weight faster.

Our 75 Best Tips for Losing Weight [Women’s Day]
7 Weight Loss Mistakes Even Healthy Women Make [Prevention]
7 Weight Loss Challenges and Tips for Women [ShareCare]

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