neon rock totems in desert southwest

Beyond the Grand Canyon: Awesome Places to Visit in the Southwest

In Europe, it’s not uncommon for someone to leave their home on a Friday for a weekend trip that includes crossing international borders. For much of the EU, a few hours drive or train ride will land you in another country—or perhaps a few countries over. In the United States, that same scenario is pretty rare due to the sheer size of the country. Residents of many states can drive for hours without ever leaving the boundaries of their home state, much less the country.

It is perhaps for this reason that the most common destination spots for US travelers are within the borders of the United States. While many people visit Disney World in Florida or The Statue of Liberty in New York City every day, it’s less common that these US travelers know about or visit places such as Antelope Canyon, Seven Magic Mountains, or White Sands National Monument. Check out some of the craziest, coolest, and most intriguing destinations for your next vacation right here in the Southwest United States.
inside Mat Bevel's Kinetic museum in US southwest

Mat Bevel’s Museum of Kinetic Art, Tucson, Arizona
Lose yourself in the intoxicating space where science meets arts meet technology and magic! Located in Tucson, Arizona and billed as “High Art for the Whole Family” this museum is definitely worth the stop. This museum features nearly 100 found-object moving sculptures, a surrealistic pop science theater, hands-on learning experiences and digital media arts.
light beam falling inside Antelope Canyon

Antelope Canyon, Page, Arizona
Thanks to social media, and especially Instagram, this spot has become the most-photographed and most-visited slot canyon in all of the American southwest. Millions of years of wind and water erosion have formed the smooth and flowing shapes found in this spectacular canyon. This area is extremely dangerous as it is prone to flash flooding but can be visited through professional guided tours. You can find this stunning natural wonder in Page, Arizona.
Remnants of famous signs at the "Neon Boneyard" in Las Vegas, Nevada LCCN2011636073

Neon Boneyard and Mob Museum, Las Vegas, Nevada
While most people visit Las Vegas, Nevada for the gambling or shows on the Strip, this funky collection of decommissioned neon signs is an impressive stop not far from the action of Fremont Street. To get the most out of your experience, purchase the combo ticket that allows you entry to both the Neon Boneyard and Mob Museum, visit the Museum during the day and schedule your guided tour of the Neon Boneyard just before dusk to experience the signs in natural light as well as lit up.
neon rock totems in desert southwest

Seven Magic Mountains, Sloan,Nevada
Located just 10 miles outside of the heart of Las Vegas, Nevada this art installation features seven 30 foot tall fluorescent “totems”. Visitors can walk up to the stacked works of art, take stunning photos, and even listen to a guided audio tour via their personal cell phones. If you want to see this attraction, you’ve gotta act fast–this installation is only on display until May 2018!
White Sands National Monument.jpg

White Sands National Monument, Alamogordo, New Mexico
When you think of miles of white sands, you probably think of the beach. Not the case in this southern New Mexico attraction! This area is covered in undulating pure gypsum dunes, the most active of which move in a northeasterly direction at a speed of up to 30 feet per year! A reserve can be found at this park which features specially adapted plants and animals, but for a truly unique experience, purchase a sled and try out some dune sledding!

Bonus: If you’re going to be in the Alamogordo area anyway, make sure to stop by the World’s Largest Pistachio! While it’s (probably) not worth the trip to the area just to see this record-holder, it’s another way to spice up your trip to this area!

inside of meow wolf in Santa Fe new mexico

Meow Wolf, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Diving head first into a toilet might not sound like your idea of a good time, but wait until you see the adventure that lies within. Nothing is what it appears at Meow Wolf, an interactive choose-your-own-adventure art and experience gallery which houses the House of Eternal Return, the first permanent installation in Meow Wolf’s collection (and supported by Game of Thrones’ George R.R. Martin).

highway 66 symbol painted on highway

Musical Highway, Tijeras, New Mexico
Located just outside Albuquerque, New Mexico is the famous Route 66. While many people have heard of this famous southern highway, this particular stretch has a novelty of it’s own: It sings. Driving on this stretch of highway at exactly 45 mph treats vehicle passengers to a rumblestrip rendition of “America the Beautiful” over a quarter-mile stretch.
The United States is filled with so many great attractions, tourist destinations, and things to do and see. Have you fallen in love with the weird, wacky, and wonderful Southwest? From Arizona and Nevada to New Mexico and beyond, you’re sure to find the perfect place to call home on RealtyHive.

#Adulting: Landscaping for People Who Kill Everything

There’s usually no defining moment that stands out as “The Day I Learned to Landscape” so it’s typically long and arduous process filled with errors, aha! moments, and usually a handful of dead plants. When you first buy your home it’s easy to envision how it will look with window boxes filled with flowers and a vegetable garden in the back, but if your thumb is more brown than green, you may want to slow down.

Like the ability to drink black coffee or appreciate contemporary classical music, landscaping seems to be one of those things you magically get better at with age. One day it’s a sea of sugary frappuccinos and dead houseplants, and the next, it clicks. Your once bitter coffee is now mind fuel and your once wilted potted plants become a bed of flowers.

Or something.

Either way, your new home is lacking landscaping and you don’t really want to spend all your money on plants you’re probably hopefully not going to kill. So what’s a new homeowner to do? It’s time for some outside #adulting.

 

woman smelling flowers

 

Be Realistic
Sure, you might dream of an insta-worthy backyard filled with the lush orchids you saw on your honeymoon in the islands, but you’re not getting hibiscus in Minnesota. Not outdoors and not easily. Likewise you might dream of a big ol’ sugar maple you can tap in the spring and watch grow over the years, but that’s simply not going to happen if you live in Arizona.

The goal is to find something that works well for your climate. If you find things that can grow wild where you live and you’ll know you’re on the right track. Local horticulture and gardening groups will be your best resource to find plants that are hearty and well-suited for your particular area.

 

people's feet while looking at garden

 

Enlist Assistance
The do-it-yourself trend makes it easy to believe that after reading some articles and watching some videos, you can figure out pretty much anything. While that might lead to some success when it comes to fixing a washing machine or opening a wine bottle without a corkscrew, if you use that same mentality for gardening you’re apt to fail. Don’t get us wrong, do-it-yourself gardening is a great way to really get your hands dirty (literally) and learn about what you’re doing, but do-it-yourself shouldn’t mean do-it-by-yourself. If you’ve got a habit of killing your plants or you don’t know where to get started, enlist some help. If there’s a local gardening or horticulture group you can join, great! If not, look for Facebook or other online social groups in your area. These groups tend to be filled with gardeners of all skill levels and they can be more than happy to help you figure out where to start or what comes next.

 
woman in shrubs
 

Don’t Pick Things That Will Die
If keeping your house looking fresh and landscaped throughout the year is important to you, you’ll want to pick things that look good for most of the year. While blooming flowers are pretty, they only last for a few months max and then you’re left with barren space. Expert gardeners and landscapers are able to plan so that each spot has the appropriate flowers for each season, but if you’re starting out you may want to consider shrubs instead. Shrubs are designed to be hearty, add color, and last year round making them a much better value as well as easier to care for.

 
woman walking in garden nursery
 

Read the Directions
So you know what to plant according to where you live, but you’ll need to do a little more research before you can just put the plant in the ground and call it a garden. Does your plant need more sun or shade? Does it like a lot of water or would drier be better? Plants bought as nurseries or big box store gardening sections tend to have this information available–sometimes right in or on the pot you take home. Read and heed these directions, that’s the best way to ensure your plant will thrive.

If you try these tips, and still have trouble cultivating the garden you desire, remember the words of Janet Kilburn Phillips,

“The are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.”

person holding mug filled with snow

Forget Snow Birds, Snow Babies are the Newest Trend in Real Estate

For better or worse, real estate is an industry ruled by trends. Whether you’re considering moving from the cities to the Leave It to Beaver suburbs (1950s) or from your McMansion(1990s) to a tiny home (2010s), it’s possible that you’re part of the current real estate trend.

As we near the end of a decade, a decade of gallery walls, Moroccan Poufs, reclaimed wood, and gray interior walls we’re seeing a new trend in real estate: a northern migration.

While people of a certain age (and those who don’t like the cold) have been long partaking in what is known as “Snowbird” behavior, spending the summer months in the northern states and the winter months in southern states, we’re beginning to see this trend reverse. Rather than chase a life of 70 degree days throughout the year, some adventurous and hearty souls are enjoying the most extreme weather the United States has to offer by spending the winters in the northern states.

The Great Northern Migration

Why would someone choose to live in a land aptly named “The Frozen Tundra”? In addition to the great people and healthy cheesy, delicious foods there are some real advantages to making the northern migration!

snow covered cars
1. Plenty of Exercise

When those who don’t regularly get weather below 32F think of winter, they mostly think of being cooped up indoors because it’s just too cold to do anything else. Northerners? 32 degrees sounds like a great day! But while you won’t see many runners or other typical “exercises” going on, living in an area with large volumes of snow means each morning can be an impromptu workout! As any hardened snow bunny will tell you, there are many kinds of snow. Looking for a light workout? Hope for small flurries with light, fluffy snow. Need to train for your Crossfit competition? Fingers-crossed for some dense, wet snow. Want to drive your car? Grab a shovel! Want to open your door? Grab a shovel! After one session of shoveling you’ll realize how much of a total-body workout you can really get!

snowy road

2. Adrenaline Junkies Unite

Have you ever driven to work and thought, “Wow! That was really boring!” or “Man, I wish there was something strong than coffee to get me going today!” Northerners have found the perfect solution to this issue–winter driving! Whether the roads look perfectly clear (usually black ice) or terribly sloppy (good ol’ fashioned snow) you’re sure to have an adventure! Pair this with the fact that most northern states have an extremely difficult time keeping up with road work–those seasons are tough on pavement!–and you’ve got yourself a fun little obstacle course of potholes and bumps!

snow house

3. Low Maintenance Yards

While the residents of some states have year-round accessibility and use of their yards, the Northerners get a break from October to April. Sure, it would be great to grill out on the patio, but you’d also have to cut the grass, clean the pool, or otherwise make your yard presentable. Northerners put yard work out of sight, out of mind, and buried under a foot of snow–at least for part of the year. The exception to this rule may be Green Bay, Wisconsin where locals will shovel and plow the yards of their home for parking, proving there’s no maintenance like snow-maintenance for a Packer fan!

Want to get in on this burgeoning trend? Ready to make the northern migration? Find your perfect snow baby palace here!

baseball field from above home plate

Home Field Advantage: The Best MLB Cities in the US

America’s favorite pastime officially kicks off the 2018 season today with all 30 teams playing on the same day–for the first time in 50 years! While other major league sports have relatively short seasons, basketball and hockey each have 82 games in the regular season. While the NFL has a paltry 16 per team, baseball takes it to another level with a seven-month, 162-game regular season. Each year, baseball fans can expect to see their favorite team play approximately 81 games in their home field, making these cities the perfect place for superfans to call home.

If you’re a fan of the sport, but not a particular team, there are many cities where you’ll find your own home field advantage. Looking for a great deal? Try Detroit. Want to cheer for the most-winningest team in MLB history? You’ll be headed to the Bronx, New York to cheer on the New York Yankees. Want to enjoy great weather from spring training to Game 7? Cheering on the Padres in San Diego is right up your alley. Here’s where you can find the right home base to cheer on a major league baseball team!

Looking for a home team where you can afford a home? Check out these teams!
 

above view of oriole park stadium

 

Team City Median Home Price
Detroit Tigers Detroit, Michigan $44,500
Cleveland Indians Cleveland, Ohio $71,396
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee, Wisconsin $114,900
St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis, Missouri $129,990
Baltimore Orioles Baltimore, Maryland $135,000

 

Is price no object when it comes to root, root, rooting for the home team? What about one of these great cities?
 

 san francisco baseball field

 

Team City Median Home Price
San Francisco Giants San Francisco, California $1,195,000
Toronto Blue Jays Toronto, Canada $825,000
Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles, California $750,000
Boston Red Sox Boston, Massachusetts $749,000
New York Mets Flushing, New York $720,000

 
Want to cheer on the home team with a large crowd? You’re sure to find other fans in these major league-sized cities.
 

packed baseball field

 

Team City City Population
New York Mets Flushing, New York 8,175,133
Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles, California 3,971,883
Chicago White Sox &
Chicago Cubs
Chicago, Illinois 2,720,546
Toronto Blue Jays Toronto, Canada 2,600,000
Houston Astros Houston, Texas 2,296,224

 
Wanting to streamline your roster? These are the smallest cities with MLB teams.
 

pittsburgh baseball field

 

Team City City Population
Tampa Bay Rays Tampa Bay, Florida 257,083
Cincinnati Reds Cincinnati, Ohio 296,943
Pittsburgh Pirates Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 304,391
St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis, Missouri 315,685
Los Angeles Angels
of Anaheim
Anaheim, California 350,742

 

atlanta braves baseball field

 
If baseball is a way of life for you and your crew, these are the cities with the right weather to keep the games rolling all year long.

Team City Average Temp Opening Day Average Temp Last Day Regular Season
Kansas City Royals Kansas City, Missouri 58 72
Washington Nationals Washington D.C. 58 73
St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis, Missouri 59 74
San Francisco Giants San Francisco, California 62 71
Oakland Athletics Oakland, California 63 73

 
Love baseball, but want your off-season weather make you long for spring training? Check out one of these cold weather teams.
 

little boy cleveland baseball uniform

 

Team City Average Temp Opening Day Average Temp Last Day Regular Season
Cleveland Indians Cleveland, Ohio 45 66
Toronto Blue Jays Toronto, Canada 42 61
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee, Wisconsin 44 63
Chicago White Sox
Chicago Cubs
Chicago, Illinois 47 66
Boston Red Sox
Detroit Tigers
Boston, Massachusetts
Detroit, Michigan
48 66

 
If what you’re really after, though is a city with history of being world series champs, these are the most winningest teams and cities.
 

yankees alex rodriguez

 

Team City Number of World Series Winds
New York Yankees Bronx, New York 27
St. Louis Cardinals St. Louis, Missouri 11
Oakland Athletics Oakland, California 9
Boston Red Sox
San Francisco Giants
Boston, Massachusetts
San Francisco, California
8
Los Angeles Dodgers Los Angeles, California 6

 
However, if you’re a fan of underdog victories and long shots, you might just find your Cinderella story in one of these cities. None of these teams has ever won a World Series Championship.
 

empty seats in baseball field

 

Team City
Milwaukee Brewers Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Colorado Rockies Denver, Colorado
Washington Nationals Washington D.C.
Texas Rangers Arlington, Texas
Seattle Mariners Seattle, Washington
Tampa Bay Rays St. Petersburg, Florida
San Diego Padres San Diego, California

 

Ready to play ball and purchase your own home-field advantage? Check out some of the great homes available here.

Shenanigans Galore! Where to have the best St. Patrick’s Day EVER!

Only 11% of US residents claim Irish ancestry (the second highest motherland after Germany), but on St. Patrick’s Day everyone’s Irish! Whether you’re planning to celebrate with some corned beef and cabbage or a pint of Guinness, there are plenty of ways sham-rock this St. Paddy’s Day! Looking for the best place to find a little slice of the Emerald Isle right here in the US? We’ve got the 5 P’s to find the perfect Paddy’s Day party spot!
 

People
 
st patrick's day party person
 
More than 30.5 million people in the United States claim Irish ancestry–that’s more than 6 times the current population of Ireland. If you’re hoping to spot a leprechaun, these may be the best US states to look!
 
States with Most Irish Descendents (as percentage of the population)

Massachusetts 22.5%
New Hampshire 19.5%
Rhode Island 18.4%
Connecticut & Delaware 16.6%
Vermont 16.5%
Pennsylvania 16.1%
New Jersey 15.9%
Maine 15.1%
Montana 14.9%
 

States with Most Irish Descendants (total number of people)

California 2.62 million
New York 2.45 million
Pennsylvania 1.98 million
Florida 1.65 million
Illinois & Texas 1.51 million
Ohio 1.45 million
Massachusetts 1.43 million
New Jersey 1.34 million
Michigan 1.07 million

 

Potatoes
 
french fries with greens
 
While Ireland is famous for potatoes, thanks to the Great Potato Famine, it isn’t the home of the potato (that would be Peru) nor is it a top global producer. If spuds are your St. Patrick’s Day food of choice, there are 30 US states that grow potatoes. Idaho is the largest producer by far followed by Washington, Wisconsin, and Ohio.

Countries with Highest Potato Yields (2016) (in hectogramme/hectare)
United States 490203
New Zealand 489883
Germany 444210
Denmark 424786
Netherlands 419961
Australia 404096
Jordan 400507
Ireland 391111
France 390052
United Kingdom 386547

 
Provisions
 
pints of beer for st pat's day
 
What would St Patrick’s Day be without a bit of beer or whiskey? While the Irish may cringe at the American custom of green beer, they will definitely “sláinte“ over a pint of Guinness or a pour of Jameson. On average, an Irish person will consume 25.76 gallons (97.5 liters) of beer per year.
 
Average Gallons of Beer Consumed per Person per Year
North Dakota 43.3
New Hampshire 42.2
Montana 40.5
South Dakota: 38.1
Vermont 35.9
Wisconsin 35.8
Nevada 34.9
Maine 34.8
Nebraska 34.2
Iowa 33.2
 
Parties
 
girls dressed for st patrick's day party
 
Planning to go “out on the lash” for St. Patty’s Day? These cities have some of the best festivities around to celebrate, but make sure you get there early–these events are sure to be jammers!

NYC: World’s largest St Patrick’s Day celebration– more than 2 million people come to watch the parade which lasts about 6 hours! This parade has no floats or cars, but about 150,000-250,000 people participate as bands, bagpipes, and dancers. This parade dates back to 1762 making the parade older than the US!

Chicago: The Windy City gets in on the St. Patty’s Day action by dyeing the Chicago River green! It only takes about 45 pounds of environmentally safe vegetable dye to turn the otherwise murky river a vibrate shade of green. After the dye ceremony, a parade kicks off at noon for about 400,000 spectators.

Savannah, GA: With a crowd of more than 300,000 people, Savannah gets into the Irish spirit with a parade featuring horses and a variety of floats. Other attractions for the day include a celebration on River Street with vendors, music, storytellers, and more!
 

Parks
 
green space and field in park
 
Ireland is known for having tons of beautiful green landscapes. Since most Americans live in the city, some of the best places to recreate that fresh field feeling is in public green spaces. If your idea of a great St. Patrick’s Day celebration is a little less “pubs” and a little more “parks” here are the US cities with the most parks per capita.
 
Minneapolis, Minnesota
St. Paul, Minnesota
San Francisco, California
Washington D.C.
Portland, Oregon
Arlington, Virginia
Irvine, California
New York, New York
Madison, Wisconsin
Cincinnati, Ohio

lady still in the waves of the shore on the beach

5 Easy Tips for Instagram-worthy Beach Pics

Close your eyes and imagine a beach. You’re almost undoubtedly thinking about a sunny day, soft sand, and water in some shade of blue. It’s so easy to picture the perfect beach day that it’s almost easy to forget how difficult those memories are to turn into good photos. What you see and remember as a perfect day full of sunshine shows up in your vacation album as overexposed photos with stark shadow lines across your face no matter what you tried. If you’re planning your next beach adventure, whether it’s to the white sands of the Caribbean or the shores of Lake Michigan, here are the tips you need to keep in mind to keep your photos flawless.
 
couple kissing on beach at sunset
 

  1. Timing is (almost) everything
  2. Like a homerun baseball hit or quick save before disaster, timing is crucial for photographic success. While the magic hour will vary depending on the time of year and geographic location, it is hard to get a bad photo about an hour before sunset. This witching hour casts a lovely, soft glow over your subjects and scenery and the glare of the sun has toned down enough that sunglasses can come off. If you’re not planning to stay at the beach until sunset, you can still take great beach photos, but keep in mind there’s a reason they call it a “golden glow”.
     
    view from beach with boat and rock
     

  3. Find a point of interest
  4. In paradise, it’s hard to find a bad photo opportunity, but it can be surprisingly easy to find boring ones. When you’re in the moment, you have the movement of the water, the smell, the sounds, and all the other stimuli to really help round out your perception, but in a photo, you only have an image. Inexperienced photographers will often forget that without the context provided by the other senses, even photos of beautiful beaches can come across as bland. This is why having a point of interest, be it a person, lighthouse, seagull or anything that catches your eye, is so important.
     
    hand holding a pina colada on the beach
     

  5. THE RULE OF THIRDS
  6. This one is so important, we capitalized it. Unless you’re looking for a portrait-style picture, your best bet is to almost always follow the rule of thirds. This is such a helpful trick that most digital cameras (including phone cameras!) will actually place a grid over your photo so you can correctly line up your shot. If you’re not familiar with the rule of thirds, this means that the subject of your photo should take up either ⅓ or ⅔ of the photo’s frame, either horizontally or vertically. Photos that take up the whole frame or half of the frame often look like they were accidentally captured or haphazardly cropped. The one exception to this rule is close-up pictures of details, as the whole frame is needed in this situation.
     
    girl at beach holding camera to her face
     

  7. Learn the Equipment
  8. Cameras today have so many amazing features outside of just pointing and shooting. One of the biggest challenges to shooting nice beach photos is that your pictures often turn out over exposed. The best way to attempt to combat this is to take your camera out of “auto” mode and try to adjust it to meet the conditions. For a newbie, this might mean just trying the “landscape” or “beach” setting on your camera (check your settings, you may have this and never noticed!) or for more experienced/adventurous photogs this could mean changing the settings manually.
     
    black and white photo of the beach
     

  9. When all else fails, try Black and White
  10. Let’s face it: not every day at the beach looks like a day at the beach. Sometimes it’s overcast, other days the water is a suspicious shade of green, and still other times your subjects are a burnt shade of red. If the colors aren’t what you’ve imagined, it’s worth it to see if you like how the photos look in black and white. This also helps with the overexposure problem since you’re not having to worry about colors, just shades. Bonus: Portraits look better in black and white which is great news if you’re feeling salty, sweaty, and wind-blown.

A 25 foot tall house of cards and other crazy records held by Texas

From beauty queens (the most Miss USA titleholders) to chili con carne dreams (4,800lb–the world’s largest serving!), it really does seem that everything is bigger in Texas. Check out some of the other Guinness World Records set by Texans!
 

 
Largest Frito Pie
Snackmaker Frito-Lay calls Plano, Texas home so it’s no surprise that Texas is the home of the Guinness-certified World’s Largest Frito Pie. Created in 2012 at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas, the pie was assembled in a U-shaped chaffing dish measuring 133sq ft, produced 5,000 individual servings, and weighed 1,325 pounds!

For non-Texans, a Frito Pie is a meal comprised of Fritos corn chips, bean-less chili (in this case, Hormel brand), and shredded cheddar cheese. This record-setting pie required 635 bags of Fritos, 660 cans of chili, and 580 bags of shredded cheese!
 
Largest Pecan Pie

The El Paso Diablos Baseball Club set the world record for largest pecan pie in 1999, shattering the record previously held by Okmulgee, Oklahoma. The Texan pie weighed just under 19 tons, was 50 feet in diameter and was produced using 1,500lbs of pecans, 13,350 lbs of sugar, 9,700lbs of corn syrup, among many other (large quantities of) ingredients.
 

 
Tallest Free-Standing House of Cards
Set by Texan Bryan Berg in 2007 during the annual State Fair of Texas, the structure measured 25 feet, 9 7/16 inches at its tallest point. As the record name implies, the structure contained no glue, adhesives, or other bonding or support agents. Berg also holds the Guinness World Record for largest playing card structure.
 
Largest YMCA Dance
During the Sun Bowl, a college football matchup featuring teams from the ACC and Pac-12, the world’s largest “YMCA” dance was achieved by 40,148 participants on December 31, 2008. The dance lasted for 5 minutes and 34 seconds and the accompanying music was sung live.
 

 
Largest Gingerbread House
Traditions Club, a private golf club in Bryan Texas, is the holder of the world’s largest gingerbread house! Created in 2013, the house was 60 feet long, 42 feet wide, and 10.1 feet tall at its highest point. The house was created as a fundraiser to build a new trauma center at St Joseph’s Hospital and visitors were able to meet Santa Claus inside the gingerbread house with a donation.
 
Oldest adoption
This is a heartwarming two-part record, both set by Texans. The oldest person to ever be adopted was Mary Banks Smith who was 76 years and 96 days old when she was adopted by Muriel Banks Clayton aged 92 years, 322 days. Mary, Muriel’s first cousin by birth, had been raised by Muriel, but was officially adopted on June 9, 2015 in Dallas.
 

 
Most Tennis Balls Held in the Mouth – Dog
Augie, a golden retriever from Dallas, Texas, holds the world record for most tennis balls held in the mouth at one time by a dog with five regulation sized balls.
 
Tallest Donkey
Romulus, an American Mammoth Jackstock owned by Cara and Phil Yellott of Red Oak, Texas holds this record. The Yellott’s confirmed the record in Waxahachie, TX on February 8, 2013.
 

 
Largest Makeup Painting
Texas is the land of sky-high hair and pageant queens, so it’s no surprise that Mary Kay cosmetics calls the Lone Star State home. In honor of the company’s 50th anniversary in 2013 a mural was commissioned in Dallas, Texas measuring 76 feet long by 8 feet high and was created entirely out of Mary Kay makeup using only makeup brushes and sponges.

paint colors palette options

Color Me Happy: Using Color to Effect the Mood of Your Home

Blue
Blue comes in a sea of colors, but whether you think it’s cool as a river or calming as the ocean, this is the color to choose if you’re looking for your home to be a haven.
Effects/Emotions: Relaxing, calming, serene, focus, communication
Best Use: Bedrooms, offices, hallways
Rooms to Avoid: Gym–the calming nature of blue isn’t great for high-intensity workouts

Yellow
There’s nothing mellow about yellow! This sunshine-y shade works great throughout homes and can be used as an unexpected alternative to a pure white without being overwhelming.
Effects/Emotions: Lively, Energetic, Cheery, Sunny
Best Use: Entertaining areas and public spaces like the kitchen, dining room, bathrooms and living/family room
Rooms to Avoid: Bedrooms

Orange
Orange is a very boisterous color and can be an unexpected hue for decor, but when done correctly sets a great tone for the rest of the room. While it’s often used as an accent color because of the attention-grabbing nature, tones such as terracotta and burnt sienna have been very popular in the United States southwest decor for ages.
Effect/Emotions: Warm, energizing, exciting, creative, social, confidence
Best Use: Bar areas, kitchens, patios, gyms
Rooms to Avoid: Bedrooms

White
Pure as the driven snow. Bridal white. Pearly white. White is heavily linked to cleanliness and freshness which makes it the perfect canvas for any other colors or a powerful color to leave on it’s own. The difficulty of keeping a crisp white color in decor has also led to the association with class, privilege, and luxury.
Effects/Emotions: Purity, Clarity, Thoughtfulness, Openness
Best Use: All rooms. This blank canvas is a great way to layer in other colors without being too overwhelming or can be used on its own for a clean, pure aesthetic.

Green
With many shades of green from lime to forest, you can find a green for any room with the darker hues having a classy, rich feel and light shades eliciting sunny emotions like near-spectrum yellow.
Effects/Emotions: Balance, harmony, tolerance, understanding, connection, fresh
Best Use: All rooms, depending on shade
Rooms to Avoid: Avoid bright, lime shades in bedrooms as they take on the qualities of yellow rooms

Turquoise
Turquoise is the unofficial color of the tropics for good reason–it’s easy, breezy, yet fun and effervescent nature is perfect for anywhere you want the “Don’t worry, be happy” vibe of the islands to follow!
Effects/Emotions: Cool, calm, healing, happy, peaceful
Best Rooms: Bedrooms, bathrooms, yoga studios, dens
Rooms to Avoid: Gyms or anywhere high energy is needed

Pink
Pink is the color of cotton candy, bubblegum, and all things baby girl so it makes sense that this fun, lighthearted color is the perfect choice anywhere you want to keep the mood light and tension down.
Effects/Emotions: Playful, nurturing, love, sweet, dissolves anger
Best uses: Bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms
Rooms to Avoid: Office, library, or anywhere directness and focus are required

Black
Traditional design wisdom says to avoid ink-colored walls, but black is surprisingly versatile and elegant when used as an accent wall or in purposeful ways. Be sure to pay close attention to the finish and texture of the walls in your room, though, lest you end up with an unintended Addams Family aesthetic.
Effects/Emotions: power, reflection, class, drama, protection
Best uses: Kitchen, living/family room, dining rooms, foyers
Rooms to Avoid: Rooms without windows (unless you’re going for a cave-feel)

Red
Red hot, firecracker, scarlet letter: Red has long been associated with heat, passion, and competitiveness. In fact, teams with red uniforms are statistically more likely to win at any given challenge or competition than those wearing any other color. In many Asian cultures, red is the color of luck, making it a great choice for the home.
Effects/Emotions: Energy, power, strength, heat, stimulates appetite
Best Use: Kitchens, dining rooms, bar areas, theaters, office
Rooms to Avoid: yoga room, spa, patio or other relaxing areas

Purple
The high cost of indigo traditionally meant that the color purple was reserved for nobility, but today all can enjoy this beautiful hue. Ranging from lilac to plum, all purples are a mix of calming blue and fiery red which means you can find a purple shade to fit any room or purpose you desire!
Effects/Emotions: Spirituality, luxury, ambition, royalty
Best Use: Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Closets
Rooms to Avoid: None, depending on shade

white house yard

White House History: Celebrating the Most Famous Home in the US

With up to 100,000 visitors per month, the White House is the most visited residence in the United States. To celebrate President’s Day, we’re taking a look at some of the more interesting facts about the “Presidential Palace”.

Who lived at the White House?

George Washington was the only president to never live in the White House. While he was alive during its construction, he died before its completion. Prior to the construction of the White House, Philadelphia was the nation’s acting capital and wasn’t happy about the impending transition to D.C. The city built its own presidential palace in the 1790s, but Washington refused to stay there, instead opting to stay in other Philly-area residences.

drawing of white house construction

Where is the Cornerstone?

Speaking of the construction, the cornerstone was laid on Saturday, October 13, 1792–but nobody really knows where it is today. According to the story, a group of freemasons met at a Georgetown tavern and paraded to the proposed site of the president’s mansion. In a ceremony, they placed an inscribed cornerstone to mark the start of construction then marched back to the tavern to make a toast. They then repeated their march back to the mansion site and back to the tavern for a total of 16 trips. All this celebrating and toasting meant that no one really documented where the stone actually was.

How much of the White House–is really the White House?

It’s hard to imagine that much has changed to the structure of the White House, but actually very little of the original remains. The British burned the original in 1814 after US forces set fire to Canada’s parliament during the War of 1812. First lady Dolley Madison saved the famous Gilbert Stuart painting of George Washington as she was fleeing and some of the exterior stone walls also survived. Unfortunately, this was not the only fire that ravaged the property. A blocked fireplace flue caused another damaging fire on December 24, 1929. President Hoover left a Christmas party to personally direct firefighting efforts.

white house backyard

This was not the only rebuilding effort required by the home. When President Harry S Truman tried to upgrade the White House in 1948, it was nearly condemned! Engineers discovered it was structurally unsound and close to falling down at which point Truman began to reside at the Blair House. It took four years to complete the renovation project. While the structure was opened for rehabilitation efforts, Truman tried to find the missing cornerstone but was without success.

Today anyone interested can visit the White House to see this great home themselves. Public tour requests must be submitted through the guests’ Congressional representative and are awarded on a first come-first served basis. Tours are free of charge, however, all guests aged 18 or older must have a valid, government-issued id. For more information on scheduling a tour, visit the White House Tours & Events page.

Sip on something awesome: Coffee in the Caribbean

 

“Our culture runs on coffee and gasoline, the first often tasting like the second.” -Edward Abbey

While Americans have enjoyed coffee from airtight tins since the early 1900s, many have not experienced the joy of truly fresh coffee. In 1907, 97% of the world’s coffee came from Brazil, but today many countries, from Ethiopia to Hawaii export these delicious and highly coveted beans. If you’re looking for the best cuppa Joe, here’s what you need to know

 
coffee being poured into mug
 
Costa Rica

Costa Rican coffee is known for having a full and rich body with bright acidity and a clean, crisp taste. Costa Rica uses an Arabica bean which is grown at higher altitudes and harvested in winter between December and February. The aroma profile is an intense and fragrant coffee smell with hints of brown sugar, while the flavor leans more toward citrus, tropical fruit, and apricots. The high quality brews these beans create means Costa Rican coffee has gotten a reputation as some of the best in Central/South American and has led to its introduction into Starbucks’ “reserve” program.


 
beans in coffee cup
 
Jamaica

Jamaica produces multiple types of coffee, but the most well-known is its Blue Mountain variety. Grown in the region of the same name north of Kingston and south of Port Maria at an elevation of between 3,000-5,500 feet, this coffee has virtually no bitterness, despite the fact that it has an excellently full body and a vibrant, yet smooth, acidity. This brew is also very complex with an unusually sweet flavor that teeters on chocolaty and an aroma filled with sweet herbal and floral notes with nutty undertones. One of the more notable facts about Jamaican coffee cultivation is that nearly all of Jamaica’s coffee plants are direct descendants of the plants the French brought to Martinique in 1723.
 


hands holding coffee in mug
 
Honduras

Historically coffee in Honduras was fairly standard and unremarkable, but in recent years has been receiving more acclaim. Grown at an elevation of between 3,600-5,400 feet, this bean exhibits a round, medium body with a soft acidity and a vanilla/hazelnut aroma. Like the coffee of the nearby Costa Rica, the harvest time in Honduras is from November to April. While the country was slow to take to coffee production, it has been a primary cash crop (along with bananas) since the early 2000s.
 
coffee with flower drizzle

Guatemala

Known as a “true Central American coffee”, Guatemalan coffee has a full body, rich cocoa-like flavor, and a toffee-esque flavor. The beans here are washed and sun dried and give off citrusy, floral notes when brewed. One of the truly unique properties of Guatemalan coffee is its ability to retain its flavor, even through dark and even espresso roasts. Guatemala’s location between the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea, consistent climate (it averages 72F year-round!), and volcanic soil makes this an ideal spot for cultivation.
 
coffee in white cup
 
While you can buy these varieties of coffee (and many, many) more at your local grocery store or online, experts will tell you to consult a local coffee roaster to obtain green coffee beans which can then be roasted to your specification right before you pick them up. You will then want to leave the beans whole until you are ready to brew a cup and ground coffee goes stale much faster than whole beans. Enjoy!