Since I'm not very good at sitting still, I often take care of small household chores, some of which I might otherwise not find the time for, while I'm on the phone. Mindless tasks get taken care of quickly while I'm otherwise engaged. By the time the call's finished, my home has gotten a little extra TLC.

Last month I challenged myself to clear off my desk every night at the end of my work day. I'd found, like many people who work from home, that work can easily spill into the whole day. I was feeling overwhelmed. Clearing off my desk felt like a good way to tell my brain it was time to stop for the day.

Yesterday, Ali shared Jonathan Lo's, of Happy Mundane fame, trick with contact paper that transformed a generic Ikea desk from "ho hum" to "oh wow". He worked similar magic on the ENTERI shelving unit with similar "swear it was a mid-century modern piece" results. If you need a little inspiration for your own contact paper adventures, we've rounded up a little inspiration for you!

I don't know about you but each winter I become an eating, drinking, snuggling-at-home-on-the-couch-watching-movies slug. Not this year. This year I'm using my home to keep my body and mind healthy and cut down on the stress. Here's the plan:

Coconut oil's been getting a lot of press lately for its amazing health benefits. It's great to cook with, adding a subtle richness to foods and doesn't break down at high temperatures meaning that it's perfect for frying. And, it's also great outside the kitchen! Here are some of the ways you can use it around the house.

The other day I shared the evolution of my home office, from dining room to traditional office to lounge office. That was the outer change. But there was an inner transformation that was less apparent.

Whether you're the babysitter, the grandparent, the aunt or uncle or the parent, getting kids to clean up can be a challenge. Whether you need help with your chores or want them to take responsibility for a few on their own, here are some tricks we've used to motivate them to whistle while they work!

My dining room, which is just off of my kitchen, has gone through many transformations. Originally, it was a dining room, of course, with a rectangular square table. Sometimes it got used for dinner parties but most of the time it was hidden by drifts of mail. And then it morphed.

Two things I love for breakfast are a cafe au lait and scrambled eggs. Two things I hate are cleaning the pan I use for warming the milk and the one I use for cooking the eggs. Milk and egg residue seem to be resistant to hot water, to vigorous scrubbing, even to prolonged soaking. My mornings used to a be a dishwashing battle until I discovered two tricks that make clean up a breeze!

I have long, dark hair and lots of it. You'd know this if you went into my home even if you'd never met me because it is everywhere. Whether the hair in your home is your own or belongs to your pet, dealing with shedding hair is a challenge. Here, some tips on how to deal with it!