I find it both interesting and helpful to track global wellness trends that will impact homes and housing here too — especially as I’m planning a 2023 country-by-country Global Focus series for Forbes.com. (I’ll be posting links as that evolves.)
One of my favorite sources for this information is the Global Wellness Institute. Here’s my latest piece on how the nonprofit’s updated trends report will likely show up in wellness design and real estate soon.
Growing your own food is part of the self-reliance trend
(Photo: LG USA)
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BONUS NUGGET
I’ve been volunteering for veteran’s charities and writing about healthy homes for years. Every Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day, I like to blend those two passions into articles about veteran’s housing issues. My most recent piece is a follow up to an article I wrote for the San Diego Union-Tribune last Spring about more than a million Black WWII veterans being denied the GI Bill’s housing benefit because of systemic racism at the time.
I wanted to find out what’s happening with the Congressional G.I. Bill Restoration Act proposed on 2021’s Veteran’s Day to right that historic wrong. The short answer: Zip, zero, nada. Here’s my update for Forbes.com last Friday on its status.
*** Please reach out to your senators and U.S. House representative of either party to revive this bill and get it to the President’s desk. I have no doubt he’d sign it!
If you have contacts in the media or entertainment, please raise this issue with them too! (I’ve already tagged several members of Jon Stewart’s Problem writing staff since he’s been such a powerfully effective advocate for pushing veterans’ issues through Congress.)
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SOCIAL GOLD
Coming TODAY to Clubhouse!
My guest moderators and I will be talking about the top kitchen and bath trends going into 2023! The convo takes place THIS AFTERNOON at 4 pm EST, 1 pm PST (and all the related time zones). I hope you’ll join us.
COMING IN 2023
- 1/4 Creating Home Fitness Rooms
- 1/18 Healthy Home Improvements with Best ROI
- 3/1 Kitchen & Bath Industry & Builder’s Show Recap
- 4/5 Coverings Show Preview
- 5/17 Wellness Benefits of Water Features (Swim Spas, Fountains, Pools, Etc.)
What other topics do you want to hear about in the new year? Comment below and let me know.
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Past Clubhouse Recordings
Here are links to Clubhouse recordings from past sessions.
2022 Recordings:
- 11/2 Creating Serene Home Spaces — Recording Link
- 10/19 Creating a Quieter Home — Recording Link
- 9/21 Creating Great Garage Spaces — Recording Link
- 9/7 Smart Home Innovations — Recording Link
- 8/17 Creating Healthy Work from Home Spaces — Recording Link
- 8/3 Creating Healthy Back to School Home Spaces — Recording Link
- 7/20 Wellness Benefits of Co-living — Recording Link
- 7/6 Beat the Heat — Recording Link
- 6/15 Designing with Plants — Recording Link
- 6/1 Wellness Design and Pets — Recording Link
- 5/18 Wellness Design and Art — Recording Link
- 5/4 Spa Bathrooms — Recording Link
- 4/20 Wellness Design and Appliances — Recording Link
- 3/16 Healthy Bedroom Spaces — Recording Link
- 3/2 Wellness Design and Tile Trends — Recording Link
- 2/16 Wellness Design and Autism — Recording Link
- 2/2 New Technology Ideas — Recording Link
- 1/19 Healthy Pantry Spaces — Recording Link
- 1/5 Top 2022 Wellness Design Trends — Recording Link
2021 Recordings:
- Find these links on their new archive page!
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NEW SECTION: FIRST IMPRESSIONS
My countertop just got greener with a new composting appliance!
(Photo: Lomi by Pela)
One of the perks of my career is having companies send me cool gear to try out and hopefully write about. The latest was a Lomi by Pela food composter. (I actually requested this one.) I’ve never composted before and don’t have a garden to fertilize; I’ll be using some of the output for my potted plants. But California passed a law that all residents and businesses have to compost their food and garden waste, starting this year. The objective is to reduce methane emissions, which are a huge contributor to greenhouse gasses and global warming. Our townhouse development doesn’t have its community green bins yet, but we’ve been given kitchen collection buckets in advance of that.
I decided to try this composting appliance I’d read about last year. It works quite well and reasonably quietly — with the occasional stress groan (me too, Lomi, me too). So I collect my food waste in the city-provided collection bucket, (which I keep in my freezer), and when it’s full, I run a cycle in the Lomi. Luckily, I have the countertop space for this unit, because it’s about as wide as my Crock Pot and easily twice as heavy. I’m glad to have it so far and have joined a Facebook group of Lomi owners for quick questions and answers. That’s been super-helpful too!
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GOLD DUST
I’m a pretty avid reader on health, safety and design-related topics and decided to share some of the riches I’m finding with my Gold Notes readers. Here are a few links you might find interesting and helpful:
- Safety-related: Fireplace dangers (Washington Post / Gift Link)
- Fitness-related: It’s OK if your fitness level is not where it was (Ruck Strong Blog)
- Design-related: Soundproofing a home office (Designers Today)
