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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.

My parents own an internet famous cat named Pompous Albert. With more than 140,000 followers on Instagram, appearances on People Magazine, Inside Edition, The Dodo, and BuzzFeed, (not to mention commercial deals with Honda), he has quickly risen to fame. Meanwhile, I’m a grownup with a college degree and full-time job just trying to survive adulthood. Pompous Albert and I both had a normal childhood.

We’re not sure why everything is just plain cuter in miniature, but one thing is for certain: a complete scale model of your own home, both interior and exterior, made entirely out of LEGO, just might be the sweetest thing ever. Inspired by her twins and a lifetime love affair with building miniature homes, Shari Austrian recently launched Little Brick Lane — an Etsy shop that will turn photos and plans of your house into scale models built from LEGO.

Today was the one year anniversary of Donald Trump’s inauguration—and one year minus a day since more than two million people around the world marched in what was likely the largest single-day demonstration in recorded U.S. history. Both events kicked off a turbulent year marked by protest: days later, for instance, demonstrations erupted across airports following the ban of visitors and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries.

We love Costco — and its famously generous return policy — but is there a point at which consumers abuse their rights to, well, always be right? Does a woman in California returning her dead Christmas tree in January fall into the category of shameless retail returns that should not be refunded?

If you fly a lot, it makes sense to get a credit card with airline rewards. Now, if moderately priced Swedish furnishings are your thing, IKEA just released a card for you. The retailer announced back in January their plans to launch a branded credit card in the United States that will also provide additional financing options for “major home projects,” as initially reported by trade publication Chain Store Age.

Welcome to dystopia. Here, magazine ads contain both coupons and pregnancy tests. Yes, you can now pee on an IKEA ad to see if a) you qualify for a discount, and b) you’re pregnant. This very real ad will tell you if you’re with child and if you are (mazel tov, by the way), you’ll receive a coupon for cribs. According to a story in AdWeek, Swedish advertising agency Åkestam Holst created this, um, innovative ad to run in Swedish women’s magazine, Amelia.

Did you have Polly Pockets as a kid? I sure did. Those tiny little choking hazards lived in minuscule worlds tucked inside jewel-toned compacts. And like many things I wish I still had even decades after they got passed on to cousins or thrift stores, I often contemplate hunting some down on eBay. And apparently, I’m not alone. Well it turns out, if you’re stricken with the nostalgia bug, it could cost you.

We’ve talked a bit about ASMR here in the hallowed Apartment Therapy halls, with this Oddly IKEA video and this post about ASMR improving one writer’s sleep life, but haven’t fully investigated this internet phenomena. Well, now there’s a series of ASMR videos that incorporate none other than Harry Potter.

We probably wouldn’t have pegged the Queen of England as one of those holiday decor stragglers, but it turns out that Elizabeth II is a February type of gal. According to Architectural Digest, the Queen and Prince Philip keep their halls decked until February 6th every year. That means they’ve got tinsel and candy canes kicking around until almost Valentine’s Day!

While we can get swept up in all the holiday cheer, it’s possible to forget that not everyone is having a jolly happy season. Non-profit organization Option B is sharing ways you can help out your friends and family who are having a hard time during the holidays. Option B is an organization started by Sheryl Sandberg that’s meant to help build resistance in the face of adversity, such as grief, discrimination, or assault.

My mom ends every phone conversation with me “drive carefully.” I could be sitting on the sofa in my living room (frankly in most cases I am) and those will still be her parting words to me. On New Year’s Eve – and most other holidays—that salutation gets even more emphatic given all the alcohol flowing this time of year and the heightened potential to encounter drunk drivers on the road. In fact, a new analysis from Alcohol.

One pet hotel in India is completely redefining what “pampered pooches” actually means, with amenities for your doggos during boarding or day care that take “lap of luxury” to the next level.

If you’re a politically minded person settling in for a long holiday break of doing not very much and you’re ready to get your stream on, you may find yourself facing a dilemma. You want to watch something good, or at least entertaining, but you don’t want to support the work of, well, creeps (pause while I cover my bases— alleged creeps).

New year, who dis? We can’t believe it’s almost 2018, and Netflix is cementing that fact by letting us know everything that’s due to hit the streaming service next month. After a month of holiday parties and cheer, it’ll be a welcome distraction to cuddle up and dig in to some new—and old—favorites. Here’s what we’re looking forward to.

Way back in 2014, Mindy Kaling and her TV show alter ego graced us with one of the most punny holiday decor items to ever exist: A wreath decorated with photos of Reese Witherspoon. A Wreath Witherspoon, if you will. Well, the style statement is back—perfect for the big year both women have had. To recap: In season 3, episode 11, aptly titled “Christmas,” celeb-obsessed Mindy Lahiri arrives as boyfriend Danny Castellano (played by Chris Messina) is decorating the tree.

They may be a couple of royal tykes, but Prince George and Princess Charlotte may never really call Buckingham Palace home, according to Marie Claire. The younger generations of England’s monarchy seem to have a different view royal life, that doesn’t include actually residing in the 775-room estate.

Jennifer Aniston isn’t on Instagram, but today, her house was. The A lister is popping up on SmartWater’s feed and stories, as the brand spent the day at her house in Bel-Air. jen making the most out of her day. ☁️? A post shared by smartwater (@smartwater) on Dec 4, 2017 at 8:08am PST There’s a peek at cozy, yet minimal living room, featuring a curved gray sofa, a fuzzy pillow, and some brass… lighting? Wall decor?

After photos of Carrie’s home went viral, we asked her to share her feelings about it. The following has been edited for length and clarity. Think about some of the comments you’ve heard while touring people through your home. Chances are good that guests have said things like, “Oh, I love your art collection,” “That sofa is amazing,” or “Your home is so cozy and bright!

At a time of year when family tensions run high, and travel stress and politics can make you lose your faith in humanity, we’re grateful for these Instagram dogs whose Thanksgiving posts are just too pure for this world. Yes, I am one of those “dog moms” who created an entire Instagram account for her pups and their rescue (@KeepAustinWhippet, if you’re so inclined).

Next week marks the beginning of every traveler’s least favorite time to fly: the holiday season. Between busy airports where human beings are on their absolute worst behavior to flight cancellations and delays, it’s a stressful time to be on the move.

Britney Spears is an undoubtedly an artist of her generation—and now she can claim that title in a more traditional sense. The pop star can add “painter” to her resume, and one whose work even sells for $10,000. All in the name of charity, of course. In early October, the pop star posted a video to Instagram spending a whimsical afternoon in her Southern California home.

It’s been over six weeks since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico on September 20, and the island is still having major issues restoring power. That means (among many other things) businesses haven’t been able to reopen so that people can return to work. But employees at HomeGoods and its sister stores have one less thing to worry about.

If you wandered over to Instagram or Pinterest at all during October, you probably saw your share of carved pineapples instead of pumpkins (yes, this is apparently a thing). Not satisfied with just being a symbol of summer, the tropical fruit is also aiming to take over Christmas by standing in for your fir or pine.

Nowadays whenever an airline is making headlines, it’s usually ranges from bad news to very bad news. But Southwest Airlines just released some news that is…good? Bad? It sort of depends on your general outlook; the airline will now offer surprise, pop-up, in-flight concerts.

As holiday party season quickly approaches, you may find yourself revisiting all of your party habits. Do you show up early, same bottle of wine in tow? Arrive late empty-handed but full of good cheer? Keep a series of excuses in a draft folder on your phone and just sit the whole thing out all together?

Do you typically reserve your usage of Google Maps for finding places to go and things to do that don’t scare the crap out of you? If that describes you, then a) welcome to the fearful fold, fellow reluctant Halloweeners, and b) you probably won’t be mapping any of the locations on this list of 31 haunted places to visit that the search engine has taken painstaking measures to compile.

Check the attic.

If glamour and camping equal glamping, that must mean floating while camping can succinctly be described as flamping, right? Who knows, but that’s our (really weird) attempt at describing The Shoal Tent by Smith Fly, an inflatable floating raft with a tent topper that allows campers to sleep on the water. Obviously, traditional camping rules don’t apply if you’re using this tent.

A lot goes into planning a vacation. Where should you go? When can you take time off? What gets you the most bang for your buck? Should you do a lot of long weekends or a few big trips? At times all of the run around and crazy planning can seem like it just isn’t worth it, how can you enjoy your vacation when you’re not doing it right. Luckily, science is here to remove some of the guess work.

Of course everyone’s favorite young adult thriller writer would share his office with a skeleton, a giant cockroach, and a real-life version of his famously homicidal ventriloquist dummy, Slappy. This week on the New York Times‘ video tour series The Daily 360, we get a peek inside R.L.

They may be HGTV tycoons these days, but that wasn’t always the case for Chip and Joanna Gaines. The duo, who recently announced that they’re ending their beloved home renovation show Fixer Upper, say they learned their best lesson about money over a decade ago, when Chip was tossed in the county jail after he was busted for having $2,500 racked up in tickets.

The Minimalists didn’t invent decluttering, but they sure are spreading the message. The popular duo are currently on a nationwide tour to help people purge themselves of stuff and the emotional baggage that goes along with it. Today, The Cut has an in depth feature on the Ohio bloggers, as well as the stories of people whom they have helped.

Your emoji keyboard is about to get an update. Apple announced this week that iOS 11.1 will include 56 new emojis based on the most recent Unicode update. Unicode 10.0 was announced back in July, but now we know exactly what Apple will be including, and what they’ll look like.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to traipse New York City and see its streets through the eyes — and stiletto-clad heels — of Carrie Bradshaw, then now is your chance. Sarah Jessica Parker has partnered up with Airbnb Experiences to offer four lucky fans the chance to shop and tour Manhattan for a day — not just alongside a legendary New Yorker, but with the actual actress who played Carrie Bradshaw (for six seasons and two movies) as your tour guide.

If your bargain loving self thrives in the face of disorganization and feeds off the thrill of the hunt, then we have a website redesign that you’re going to love. This week, The Onion nails perfectly what it would be like to shop your favorite discount retailers—if their websites were just like their stores. Like the digital equivalent of throwing spaghetti against the wall, The Onion’s fake T.J.

Pagans of the good times will love this design award-winning church conversion loft in London, which is now available for rent for approximately $1,000 per week. Hallelujah, travel gods. In the North East London borough of Waltham Forest, just about 10 miles by Tube to downtown London via Charing Cross station, the Chingford chapel loft on Buxton Road features two bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms, dining for 12, and enough designer appeal to bring one to their knees.

As anyone who loves someone who snores can attest, getting a good night’s sleep is one of the hardest things to come by in your day-to-day life. But it’s pretty important for a happy relationship, according to a new study featured in the New York Times yesterday.

This week on Millennials Kill Things, we present the generation’s latest victim: the doorbell. On Monday, the Wall Street Journal wrote a piece about how young people are no longer using the humble buzzer to announce their presence, and are instead texting, DMing, Snapping, or whatever to alert their friends that they’re downstairs. My Millennial might be showing, but honestly, same.

The news swept the internet last week that due to their acquisition by Amazon, Whole Foods was going to start dropping prices on a variety of items as of today. Several news outlets have visited different locations of the organic grocer and are reporting on just how much savings there is to be had.

Summer might be coming to a close, but at least a new month means new stuff on Netflix. Make sure to get all that adulting done so you can soak up a few episodes of a new show, guilt free. There’s a ton we’re excited about that’s coming up in September, so check out our picks (and the full list) below: Everything leaving Netflix in September Already missing Shark Week?

Welcome to the Love List, a new series where Apartment Therapy editors share what they’re crushing on this week, whether it’s an article, a product, or something else entirely! Ever wonder what our editors are obsessing over? This week, some of the folks behind Apartment Therapy share their favorite finds, including some lovely lemon wallpaper, star patterned tile, a sports podcast, cheeky clutches, and more.

Slate Vault has uncovered some drawings for an alternate vision of one of America’s greatest public spaces: New York City’s Central Park.

Europeans have been doing the wine thing so well for so long that it’s no shocker they felt the need to take things up a notch. Dig deep and (literally) dive into these two wild new wine experiences.

Last month, we announced that we’re partnering with Annie Selke for their first ever Rug Design Challenge, tasking fourteen design bloggers to create their very own rug designs. And here’s where you come in: Now is the time to vote for your favorites! To recap how it’s going to work: Your favorite bloggers and digital influencers will take part in a year long project to design a custom rug for the brand.

Many homeowners will tell you that securing their home is a top priority, however, that doesn’t mean home invasions aren’t a very real threat for Americans. According to a new survey by Eyewitness Surveillance—a commercial surveillance company based in Maryland—a burglary occurs every 13 seconds in the United States, resulting in a startling 2.5 million home intrusions reported every year.

That Amazon Prime membership may become even more valuable soon: IKEA just announced that it’s going to start selling its products on websites other than its own beginning in 2018.

As much as we love spending time on social media, some of the unexpected burdens it brings kind of make us want to log off permanently. Just kidding – that probably won’t ever happen, but while we’re sharing, we shouldn’t allow ourselves to become so blinded by the likes that we stop prioritizing the need to protect ourselves online.

Do you miss the days when phones were for calling people, batteries lasted more than four hours, and the only distraction available was playing Snake? Good news, luddites, because Nokia is bringing back their beloved 3310, the dumb phone to end all dumb phones. “Serial leaker” Evan Blass announced on Twitter that Nokia would be debuting the resurrected 3310 later this month at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, along with a few Android-based smartphones.

If conveying your innermost thoughts via the written word isn’t exactly in your wheelhouse, allow us to kindly encourage you to knock the dust off those essay-writing skills you acquired back in the day. Because the only thing that stands between you and some cushy lakeside digs are a mere 200 words. According to Curbed, the owners of this gorgeous Catskills cabin are holding an essay-writing contest with plans to give the Bethel, NY home to whoever comes up with the most convincing words.

Big news from Pinterest today. The social network and image sharing platform debuted a suite of visual discovery tools today, one of which turns your camera into a search tool. “Humans are visual creatures. We use our eyes to decide if something looks good, or if it matches our style,” the company says in its announcement blog post. “Pinterest is built for open-minded discovery. Just like when you’re out window-shopping.

After much contemplation, we are still having trouble thinking of a moment in which wine wasn’t winning, and this year has been no exception. The much talked about beverage is arguably the cool kid of boozy drinks. As if they’d been stored in a cellar until optimal maturation, the multitude of wine-inspired ideas that continually gushed forth in 2016 prove that nearly everyone and everything wants to be associated with wine.

Anyone who grew up in the ’80s remembers Teddy Ruxpin. The talking bear with the cassette tape in his back hit the market in 1985, scared us all with his uncanny valley face and low battery voice, and faded into oblivion for awhile. Until now. In case you need a refresher: MommyandGracieShow got a look at the new Teddy at the Dallas Toy Fair and he’s ripe to terrify a whole new generation. Produced by Wicked Cool Toys, the biggest visual difference is in the eyes.

Quite unassuming from the outside, you’d hardly guess this building was the creative refuge of The Purple One. But at Paisley Park in suburban Minnesota, Prince recorded nearly 30 albums. Take a look inside: 55,000 square feet on nine acres, Paisley Park was completed in 1988 and houses four recording studios, a video editing suite, and a 12,500 square foot soundstage.

Molly and Daniel are true blue partners in crime. They live together in a 1920’s-era Los Feliz apartment, work together as business partners, and support each other’s freelance work goals. They’re also great storytellers, fun to be around, and, as far as cute couples go, they’re like Olympic ice skating team cute. Here’s life with Molly and Daniel… The story of Molly and Daniel starts off with a simple twist of fate.

Most of us eat three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But this isn’t true all over the world, and it hasn’t always been the case even in America. Several historical references make mention of a mysterious fourth meal — a second or ‘reve’ supper. Although we may think of our standard of three meals as the norm, it’s not just hobbits who eat more than three meals a day.

I grew up in the South, and that means I had a grandma who was an excellent cook, but it also means that, throughout my childhood, I was exceedingly confused about what the word ‘dinner’ meant. Most people I knew used dinner to refer to the evening meal and lunch for the mid-day one, but at grandma’s dinner happened at noon and there was another meal, supper, in the evening. Were my relatives trying to confuse me? What, exactly, did it all mean?

I swear I’m not obsessed with bathrooms, but this discussion came up during one of our editorial meetings the other day. We obviously take our jobs VERY seriously and no topic is too detailed, or too inappropriate for us to write about. “Crumplers” (as demonstrated in the lead photo above) are devil-may-care types who want to get in and out of the bathroom fast, with the least amount of fuss.

Many of the terms you use around the house are actually trademarked. (“Grab me a kleenex, will you?”) Or at least they were at one point, before we all started using them as if they were just a regular part of the English language. And actually, a few of the brands on this list have lost the right to enforce their trademark because the term became so commonplace. So here they are in one tidy list (a little ammunition for your next trivia night).

Chances are good you’ve dismissed clear plastic furniture covers as tacky, uncomfortable, and best left in the past. But we’re here to tell you to take a second look. Here’s why: 1. Protection: Just as you use a cover to protect your mattress, you should do the same for other furniture as well. Furniture can be a large investment, so why not extend its life as long as possible? That large blue ink stain will otherwise bother you for years…. 2.

In response the the uproar about their discontinuation of EXPEDIT, IKEA released photos of the KALLAX yesterday. Like many of you mentioned in the comments, the KALLAX is a slight tweak on the beloved shelving system: a more scratch-resistant surface, slightly rounded corners, and thinner outer boards, but the same internal dimensions (see the full side-by-side image after the jump).