The Latest: Jan 2018

(Image credit: Cathy Pyle) From Kitchn → 10 Easy Ways to Fill Your Kitchen with Positive Energy null

According to scientists, every 18 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone is leaning over to a semi-stranger and stage-whispering “You know, you can make yogurt in your Instant Pot.” It seems like we’re all in agreement that the Instant Pot does everything. It can make tender, juicy roasts; it can make perfectly poached eggs; and, if it had been asked, it would probably have found a way to avoid last weekend’s government shutdown.

If you look forward to busting out Scrabble or Monopoly as often as possible, we have good news. Every night is game night at this board game themed Airbnb in Claremont, Florida, outside of Orlando. Looks like Disney World and Universal Studios aren’t the only central Florida attractions. Dubbed Great Escape Lakeside, the 13 bedroom house sleeps a whopping 43 people and is basically a theme park in its own right. And with each room comes a different theme.

(Image credit: Syda Production) shutterstock From Kitchn → We Found a Broom-and-Dust-Pan Combo That Actually Works null

(Image credit: Apartment Therapy) From Kitchn → The Brilliant Dishwasher Hack for Your Plastic Containers null

If you find yourself daydreaming about selling all of your possessions, downsizing into a trailer or van and just hitting the open road man, you’re probably not alone. If you find yourself held back from that life by a sense of practicality, a mortgage or a love of a particular city, then Camp Weathered might be exactly what you need. An adorable furnished teardrop trailer could be yours for all the mini adventures you desire, without the total lifestyle commitment.

In an effort to meet consumers where they are, IKEA has started testing out furniture rentals and furniture buyback programs. With an eye toward sustainability, rentals and buybacks would allow the furniture giant to recycle and reuse parts, creating an environmentally friendly way to get commitment- phobic consumers through their doors. The company is looking at the buying habits of people in different cities, places where people may be less inclined to invest in setting up a permanent home.

The biggest fight I ever had with my husband in a public setting was over a TV. We’d decided to put a television in our living room after a few years of hiding the object in our bedroom and were at Target to pick one out. Facing off in the electronics department, we had an epic showdown over whether we’d buy a big, black box, smart TV or the super cute retro-style little Crosley number that would fit in scale and style with the room it was bound for.

Booking a stay at a traditional hotel is fine and dandy, unless you’re ready for accommodations that move you in a different direction – literally. Capitalizing off the architectural design theme of movement, Guntû is an upscale floating hotel that travels along the shores of Japan’s Seto inland sea. Japanese architect Yasushi Horibe created this unique vacation-themed vessel, which seems like the easiest way to kick up your heels and get your sea legs at the same time.

When the White House requested to borrow a Vincent van Gogh painting from the Guggenheim, the New York museum had a crappy counteroffer: a used gold toilet. In a September email published by the Washington Post, the White House’s Office of the Curator requested to borrow the post-Impressionist work, entitled Landscape with Snow, for the official residence (which, the Post notes, is a common practice).

Aiming to escape your responsibilities by “getting lost” in the wilderness? Well, you might as well do it in style. This charming “Lost Cottage“, located in the lush hills of southwestern Ireland, is the perfect place to wander aimlessly and take in your surroundings for a bit. Situated on 85 acres, the sweet escape is now available as a vacation rental.

The lack of movies and plays about Charles and Ray Eames is one of the great pop culture mysteries of our time. Not only did the couple leave an indelible mark on the design landscape, their merging of business and marriage greatly challenged the gender norms of the day. Bay Area choreographer, Kristin Damerow, has used the Eames’ story as inspiration for a new contemporary dance piece, Eames.