Suffering from itchy skin? This mild stress response typically happens when your immune system overcorrects itself. Fortunately, these research-backed all natural, steroid-free eczema creams will tone down itch and calm inflammation without using harsh chemicals or steroids. Ultimately, you’ll need a “barrier cream” that protects the skin barrier– which usually means a lotion or cream […]
Cool Ideas
The 6 Best Reef-Safe Zinc Sunscreens of 2026 (Most Effective + Elegant Formulas)
Reef-safe zinc sunscreen– which always contains physical UV blockers rather than chemical SPF– is better for coral reefs because these formulas don’t contain avobenzone, oxybenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, octisalate, or homosalate– six active chemicals that are known to be toxic to precious marine ecosystems. (And they’re not great for the human endocrine system, either!) It’s important […]
The 5 Best Eco-Friendly Down Alternative Comforters of 2026
When it comes to getting better sleep, your choice of a comforter couldn’t be more important. If you aren’t already using a weighted blanket to encourage deep, restful sleep, these eco-friendly, hypoallergenic down alternative comforters are the next best thing to a prescription. Trust me! This is in part because staying cool is key to […]
How Cold Therapy Became a Pop Culture Phenomenon: Ice Baths, Cold Plunges, The Wim Hof Method & Beyond
Amid the discerning consumers of post-pandemic wellness culture– in which the prospects for future thriving look increasingly like things we used to do in the past— ice baths and cold plunges are having a pop culture renaissance. I first heard about cold plunging almost ten years ago, when the talking heads in the New York […]
How To Roast Fresh Chestnuts in The Oven
Roasting fresh chestnuts in the oven is the modern equivalent of “chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”, the iconic lyrics to one of the most quotable American Christmas songs in the canon. Every year when winter comes around, securing a bag of locally-grown chestnuts and roasting them in the oven is a local food lovers’ […]
5 Cool Clean Beauty Stores in NYC (For Your Bucket List)
New York City’s clean beauty and natural skincare game– while this may at first pass seem to be a very “California” thing– is actually quite excellent. The Big Apple is the fashion capital of the world, after all, and what would a fashion capital be without a copious number of places to explore the world […]
Kiwi Picking in Virginia is The Fall Activity I Didn’t Know I Needed
Yes, you can go kiwi picking in Northern Virginia! Chances are you are reading this because you were like, “What?! I didn’t even know kiwi picking was a thing! I want to do that!”– and so here are the details, my friends: Kiwi picking at Virginia Golden Kiwi in Vienna, Virginia opens each Fall for […]
At This Charming Paw Paw Festival in Maryland, America’s “Secret Fruit” Shines
Momentum is growing behind a beautiful Paw Paw Festival that takes place at a 25-acre homestead in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Frederick, Maryland– an event that’s fast becoming one of the DMV area’s best-kept secrets in the realm of local food. Organized by permaculturist and landscape designer Michael Judd of Ecologia […]
The 9 Best Birthday Cake Bakeries in San Antonio, Texas
Whether you’re looking for a delicious, artistic birthday cake or a bespoke-themed celebration cake, the best birthday cake bakeries in San Antonio, Texas, can do it all. From franchised Food Network-approved bakeries to small Mom & Pop bakeshops, the people making birthday cakes in the fine city of San Antonio each bring their own unique […]
Understanding Ho’oponopono: A Beautiful Hawaiian Teaching About Forgiveness
People who struggle with the concept of forgiveness– both for themselves and for others– often find comfort in a deeply healing age-old practice that comes from Hawai’i. The beautiful Hawaiian teaching for Forgiveness is called “Ho’oponopono” (pronounced HO-oh-Po-no-Po-no), and it’s lovely. This ancient Hawaiian practice of forgiveness functions as both a communication concept for reconciliation […]