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How to Add Organic Touch to Your Home’s Decor

May 7, 2015 by

Going organic doesn’t end at the grocery store. In fact, there are a number of different ways that you can incorporate organic elements throughout your entire home. Here are just a few great ways to add a natural touch to the decor in your living space.

  • Create a nature-inspired vignette. If you admire something beautiful on your morning walk, such as a unique branch or a particularly interesting stone, add it to a stack of books on a tabletop to create a flawless vignette.
  • Create stone hot pads. Glue smooth, flat stones to the surface of simple kitchen hot pads to keep your countertops protected from hot pots and pans.
  • Choose natural rugs. Soft, organic materials like jute and hemp look beautiful when woven into a rug, and they’re much friendlier on the environment than synthetic versions.
  • Create organic centerpieces. The next time you host a dinner party, fill a ceramic vase with foraged tree branches or add pine cones to a clear bowl for a unique centerpiece inspired by the outdoors.
  • Change up your drapes. One of the simplest ways to bring the outdoors in is by allowing as much natural light as possible into your home. Switch out heavy drapes with soft, sheer panels to maximize the light.

Decorating with Natural Elements [Better Homes & Gardens]
10 Simple Ways to Bring the Outdoors Inside [Freshome]
Decorating with Natural Elements from Natural Kitchen and Home [Pinterest]

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Challenge Your Brain With the Four Glasses Puzzle

April 16, 2015 by

First published in the "Mathematical Games" column in Scientific American magazine way back in 1979, the Four Glasses Puzzle continues to stump even the greatest minds. Using logic skills and mathematical thinking, this word puzzle is meant to improve your reasoning in a fun, challenging way.

The puzzle is also known as the “Blind Bartender’s Problem” because it envisions a fictional bartender. Four glasses are placed on each corner of a square lazy Susan, with some turned upright and some upside down. A blindfolded bartender is then asked to rearrange the glasses so that they are either all facing up or all upside down. The lazy Susan is rotated over and over again, and the same bartender is allowed to feel only two of the glasses after each rotation to determine which to flip over in order to ensure that they are all facing the same way after a finite number of turns. Once they are all facing the same way, a bell rings.

Can you develop an algorithm to ensure that the bell rings after five turns? Check your answer here!

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How to Brew Coffee at Home, Just Like a Pro Barista

April 2, 2015 by

If your daily coffee shop habit is starting to make an impact on your wallet, it may be time to start getting caffeinated at home. You don’t have to settle for an inferior cup, however; simply follow these tips to brew coffee just like your favorite barista!

  1. Start with high-quality coffee. It may seem obvious, but one of the best ways to brew a great cup is by using great coffee! Try to purchase coffee as soon after it was roasted as possible, such as from a local roaster. Also, buy it in small quantities to ensure its freshness.
  2. Just add water. Fresh, filtered water, that is. Because water is the foundation of your coffee, it should taste fresh and free of chemicals such as chlorine.
  3. Grind beans on the spot. Instead of grinding all of the beans at once at the grocery store, invest in a home grinder so that you can grind them as you use them. Also, be sure to vary the size of the grounds based on what type of brewing system you use. For example, use a coarser grind for a French press and a fine grind for espresso.
  4. Use the proper ratio. To brew the perfect cup of coffee, keep in mind that you should use a ratio of 5 tablespoons of coffee to 16 ounces of water. This amount will brew two standard size cups, but you can double it to make more.

How to Brew Coffee [NCA]
9 Rules for How to Make a Perfect Cup of Coffee [Eating Well]
How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee [Real Simple]

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Spruce Up Your Space With Finds From These Two Retailers

March 19, 2015 by

Did you know that there are many affordable stores that sell furniture and decorations made specifically for apartment dwellers? Here are two websites to shop for apartment-friendly decor items!

Ikea
Ikea is everyone’s favorite one-stop apartment shop, beloved for its hip, modern aesthetic and impressively low prices. Here you’ll find everything from the perfect trundle bed to an artistic temporary light fixture that won’t jeopardize your security deposit, as well as all of the rugs, photo frames, and plants in between. Ikea also carries a wide variety of space-saving solutions for small spaces, which will help you to organize your space and keep it free of clutter.

West Elm
If your budget is slightly higher, West Elm is an equally stylish website with a bit higher quality selection of apartment decor items. Midcentury modern-inspired sofas and end tables are comfortable and compact enough for an oddly shaped apartment living room, while the wide selection of elaborate bedding, curtains, and rugs add a splash of color and texture to a cookie cutter living space. West Elm also offers a wide assortment of kitchen wares that can maximize space any kitchen.

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Cooking Without Eggs? Bookmark These Two Websites

February 19, 2015 by

Food allergies sometimes make creativity a necessity when it comes to preparing meals on your own. Lucky for those afflicted with allergies, there are many great resources to help people cook delicious food without the ingredient that trigger reactions. If you need to prepare a dish without eggs, bookmark these two websites for help with substitutions.

  1. Cooking and Baking Without Egg Ingredients [Kids With Food Allergies]
    With this website, egg allergies won’t stop you from making your favorite foods like pizza, cake, and pie. Get those recipes, plus suggestions on how to substitute eggs when used in other baked goods.
  2. Egg Substitutions [Chef in You]
    Discover a list of foods that can be used as eggs substitutes in various recipes. They include unlikely items such as bananas, applesauce, and vegetable oil.

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Check Out Major Home Renovations on These HGTV Shows

January 22, 2015 by

There’s something so entertaining about watching skilled carpenters and designers take an old, outdated house and, with a few coats of paint or some new cabinets, turn it into something entirely fresh and modern. Follow along with some of HGTV’s most popular home renovation experts on these immensely entertaining shows.

Property Brothers
Hosts Jonathan and Drew Scott are some of HGTV’s most beloved hosts due to their quirky personalities and the always-entertaining bond between twins. On their HGTV show, Property Brothers, realtor Drew convinces potential homebuyers to buy a fixer-upper instead of the overpriced home of their dreams. Over the course of an hour-long episode, designer Jonathan completely renovates the more affordable (if less admirable) home into something even better than the house they originally imagined.

Cousins Undercover
On this equally entertaining HGTV show, cousins Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri are on a mission to reward do-gooders in a community with a well-deserved home makeover. The show’s recipients include selfless teachers, single parents, and dedicated doctors, the stories of whom will surely tug at your heartstrings. If you’re a fan of happy endings and beautiful home renovations, Cousins Undercover is for you.

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3 Brunch Cocktails to Greet a Lazy Sunday

December 18, 2014 by

From savory omelets stuffed with melted cheese to maple syrup-drizzled French toast, weekend brunch is arguably the best meal of the whole week, made even better by a sip of a bloody Mary or a bellini. Whether you're serving brunch to two people or twenty, these three brunchtime cocktail recipes will get your Sunday off to a great start.

Champagne Punch [Martha Stewart]
Not only does Martha's take on champagne punch taste great, it looks pretty in the pitcher. Her recipe combines fresh blueberries, raspberries, sliced peaches, ice, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a pitcher, then champagne is poured over top.

New-Look Bloody Mary [Bon Appetit]
This bloody Mary receives a spicy kick from the unique combo of sriracha sauce, horseradish, black pepper, and curry powder. Dill pickle and lemon juice brighten the mix, while celery stalks and lemon wedges provide the finishing touch.

Pamplemousse [Food & Wine]
Kick off your Sunday with this refreshing cocktail, which is relatively low in alcohol. The juices of grapefruit and lemon are shaken with gin and elderflower liqueur, then garnished with a basil leaf.

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Cooking 101: How to Sharpen a Kitchen Knife

December 4, 2014 by

It may seem strange, but sharpening your kitchen knives is actually one of the best ways to avoid cutting yourself while cooking. A sharp knife means an easier cut with less effort from you, which gives you more control and requires less force. Here are a few tips for sharpening kitchen knives at home.

  1. Place a whetstone, or a rough-surfaced stone made for sharpening knives, on top of a cutting board to offer more stability.
  2. Holding your knife by the handle, place it on a very slight angle against the whetstone (blade facing away, of course).
  3. With moderate pressure, glide the knife forward across the whetstone 10 times. Flip it over and repeat on the other side.
  4. The whetstone has two different types of grit, so flip the whole thing over to the finer side. Repeat the last step to smooth the knife's rough edges.
  5. Finally, hone the blade with a sharpening steel. Place the long, steel rod point-down onto the cutting board, just as you would a nail. Touch the part of the knife closest to the handle against the steel, then pull the blade toward you and slightly downward with a bit of pressure. Repeat this 10 times on each side of the knife, and again any time the knife needs a touch-up.

How to Sharpen a Knife [About Food]
Knife Skills: How to Sharpen a Knife [Serious Eats]
How to Properly Sharpen a Kitchen Knife [Le Cordon Bleu]

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Today’s Imponderable: Do Penguins Ever Get Cold?

November 20, 2014 by

Penguins sure are adorable with their silly waddle and their tuxedo-inspired coloring, but they’re actually much tougher than they seem. These cold-climate birds live in the snow and ice, and they make it seem pretty effortless. Don’t penguins ever get cold?

First of all, penguins are quite hefty for their size. Emperor penguins weigh around 66 pounds, much of which is a thick layer of fat underneath the skin, which means that it takes them quite a bit longer to cool off than it would smaller birds. Penguins’ feathers also help to shield them from the Arctic climate. Unlike most birds’ feathers, the feathers on a penguin are very short and have an under-layer of wool-like down, which keeps them warm and dry. As for their feet, penguins have a much more developed circulatory system that enables them to adjust blood flow to the feet depending on the temperature. And, if you’ve ever watched penguins in a zoo or on television, you know that they have the impressive tendency to huddle together in a group to keep one another warm!

Penguins don't freeze, but they do get very, very cold [New Scientist]
Do Penguins Get Cold? [Super Science]
How Penguins Survive Cold Conditions [Cool Antarctica]
Why Penguins’ Feet Don’t Freeze [Today I Found Out]

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How to Tackle Stubborn Coffee, Wine and Ink Stains

October 16, 2014 by

Your morning cup of coffee is a beautiful sight for weary eyes—but not when it's spilled down the front of your go-to work shirt. Keep these stain-fighting tips handy so you can meet common household stains with a plan of attack.

To remove coffee and tea stains:
Coffee and tea are categorized as "tannin" stains. These types of stains should be treated with detergent as opposed to soap. If the fabric is washable, you'll want to pre-treat the stain with a stain remover, then toss the garment into the wash with an enzyme detergent on the hottest water temperature permissible for the fabric. If you prefer, you can pre-treat the stain with a solution of one part white vinegar and two parts water, then wash.

To remove wine stains:
Also a tannin stain, wine stains are easier to remove when fresh. First, blot the stain using a lint-free towel to remove as much of the wine as possible. Before the stain can dry and "set" into the fabric, soak the garment in a solution of water and oxygen-based laundry booster. Afterwards, wash the garment in a regular laundry cycle of hot water.

To remove ink stains:
Place a towel underneath the stain, then blot the ink with another lint-free towel that's dampened with rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol will transfer the ink to the towel that's underneath the shirt, so don't use your favorite bath towel for this method!

17 Easy Stain Removal Tips [Lifescript]
Stain Removal Tricks and Shortcuts [Real Simple]
Quick 'n Easy Stain Removal [Ohio State University]
6 Easy Recipes for Removing Nasty Stains [Wonder HowTo]

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