Today’s Solutions: January 15, 2025

Homelife

From creative interior design tricks that can improve your wellbeing to strategic plant arrangements that help you reap the most benefits from your leafy friends, this is the place to find everything you need to know to make your house feel like a home.

Meerkat playing with a carved pumpkin

How to sustainably dispose of your Halloween pumpkins

Halloween is officially over, but do you know what’s even scarier than ghosts and ghouls? That decomposing jack-o-lantern on your front porch. Rather than throwing your fuzzy gourds into the trash, use one of these more eco-friendly methods to dispose of your spooky decorations. Compost or bury Read More...

Five plant-based foods with mo

Five plant-based foods with more protein than meat

Our world is in a precarious environmental situation, and the way conventional livestock and agriculture industries function only exacerbate climate issues, which is why many people are switching to a vegan or vegetarian diet, or choosing to support farms that produce meat in a more sustainable Read More...

Two children in Alaska use binoculars to look at mountain

Study: Low-income parents spend direct payments on essentials for children

We’ve written about how direct pandemic payments were overwhelmingly used to pay for essential goods and services and helped lower poverty rates. New research from Washington State University (WSU) expands upon these findings with a study that finds that when low and middle-income parents receive Read More...

Female hands holding a pumpkin spice latte on a festive table

The science behind the pumpkin spice latte

It’s pumpkin spice latte season, and whether you love or hate this classic festive beverage, you can’t deny that there is a nostalgic power to its sweet brew. To explore why exactly we love pumpkin spice so much, a pair of perception researchers from John Hopkins University decided to look at Read More...

Sustainable renovation tips fr

Sustainable renovation tips from an interior designer

If you’re thinking of giving your interior space a facelift before heading into the winter season but want to go about it in the most eco-friendly way possible, Toronto-based interior designer Rebecca Hay has some inspirational home design ideas that prioritize style and sustainability. Reduce, Read More...

How to make a homemade bathroo

How to make a homemade bathroom air freshening spray

Nobody likes a stinky bathroom, but it’s especially unpleasant in the winter when it’s too cold to open the windows and air things out. Store bought air freshening sprays can help, but these can be costly and often contain toxic ingredients. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to make a DIY version Read More...

Person walking on a mossy log in the forest

Stuck indoors? Here are 7 ways to introduce more nature into your routine

We all know that spending time in nature is good for our physical and mental health, but between work and family commitments, it can be tough to find time in your day to soak in the great outdoors. Fortunately, there are simple ways you can work more nature into your life each and every day. Here Read More...

Man in pink shirt clutches bladder area in pain against a light blue background

Best bites and beverages to boost your bladder health

Here at The Optimist Daily, we talk a lot about what we should eat to support gut health and heart health, but that doesn’t mean we’re not paying attention to what works best for our other essential organs. This time, we’re discussing urologist James Kelley, DO’s recommended foods for Read More...

Young girl eating carrots and broccoli

5 ways to get your kids to eat more vegetables

Heading into Halloween and the winter holidays, ‘tis the season where your kids are bound to overload on sugar. Balancing out the pumpkin pie and gingerbread houses with hearty vegetables will help keep your kids healthy and energetic, but how do you convince your little ones to eat more veggies Read More...

Young man pops pimple while looking into magnifying mirror

So, you've popped a pimple. Here's what to do next, according to an expert

We all know that popping pimples is one of the worst things to do for your skin health—but that doesn’t always stop us from doing it. Here’s how to remedy this less-than-ideal situation, according to a dermatologist. Step away from the mirror First things first: “put the [magnifying] Read More...