There’s something to be said for holding a handmade ceramics piece in your hand. There’s so much heft and character to it. The tactile effect is cool and soothing, whether the finish is smooth or cratered and bumpy. It feels like holding a piece of history, even though the piece may be recently made.  Whether just for display or everyday use, handmade ceramics are a wonderful alternative to big box store cookie cutter dishes, serving bowls, vases and more.

Setting off on a road trip with friends is a quintessential summer experience: sweet tunes are blasting, snacks are passed around and new landscapes roll by as you chart your course to unknown places. Whether your sense of adventure is being called forth by the mountains, the desert, the beach or just the open road, planning a trip can be almost as fun as the journey itself. But you still may need a few tips from our road trip planner.

The often-overlooked kitchen can actually be quite a fun place to decorate. And a great way to spruce up any kitchen space is with food art prints, posters and illustrations. They're relatively easy and inexpensive solutions that can add a lot of character. Prints and posters are also a fantastic solution for renters who might not be able to paint, change light fixtures and make other more permanent decorating changes.

Green spaces in cities are a key happiness booster, suggests a recent study published in the Journal of Psychological Science. Researchers came to this conclusion by analyzing data from a national survey that followed United Kingdom households for 17 years between 1991 and 2008. Among the more than 10,000 individuals surveyed, participants with more access to green space reported greater well-being and life satisfaction than those without access to parks and gardens. Even when controlling for other happiness factors, greener spaces were linked with lowered mental distress and improved life satisfaction.

Hydrogen peroxide is a clear liquid composed of water and oxygen. It is a germicide and considered the world’s safest all natural effective sanitizer. You can use it for just about anything involving getting rid of bacteria, breaking up mucous, or scrubbing away scum, both in your body and around the house. 

One of my favorite things is visiting thrift shops, yard sales, estate sales, auctions and the like. "One person’s trash is another person’s treasure" is more than just a cliche for me--it’s a part of my life. Looking around my home, I realize many of my furniture pieces are thrifted or gifted and much of my home decor has been DIY. I’ve had a long history of being thrifty because it directly impacts both my wallet and the environment.

Bed bug infestations are frustrating because they're nearly impossible to treat. And there's even a not-so-flattering social stigma attached as well. But you don't have to resort to extremes like spraying harsh chemicals or even ingesting bed bug pills to exude bed bug pesticides from your skin. While they can be effective--bed bugs feeding on ivermectin-laced blood die within three hours--chemical treatments pose health concerns. Try one of these two eco-friendly treatment methods instead.

White flour may not be the best addition to your diet, as it is essentially stripped of nutrients, but it is actually a godsend around the house and in your beauty routine. White flour harnesses a host of uses, from hair removal to ripening avocados. Incorporate the following 10 unusual ways to use white flour in your life, and you have yourself a cheap and effective solution to common problems.  

Have you been a crabby grump bucket lately? It’s probably because you haven’t been getting enough sleep. Sleep—or rather lack of it—affects so much of our waking lives. It messes with the quality of our work, our relationships and our happiness. Don’t let a lack of Zs make you grouchy and sluggish. Try these 10 natural (no sleeping pills here) tips to help you drift off.

Incorporating color in our homes can be so scary for many of us. It's a commitment issue. What if I paint the walls red and then change my mind a few months later? What happens when the trend changes? Here are 5 ways you can incorporate color into your home without having to truly commit to a specific color, theme, or trend.