The Psychology of Color [Infographic]

Did you know that fast food restaurants like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Pizza Hut use the color red in their logos because the color red is proven to stimulate the appetite? Or that blue is often used in corporate logos because the color blue represents feelings of something being non-invasive?

Even more interestingly, did you know that during the 15th century green was the preferred color choice for wedding gowns because green has long symbolized fertility? White wedding gowns were not always the norm, which is a pretty radical thought when you look at the wedding industry today.

There is an unspoken psychology behind colors and how they make us feel–whether we like it or not. The following infographic explores color psychology, including what specific colors have long symbolized and why, as well as what colors are best suited for the walls of a particular room in your home, which I will definitely be taking note of when I move into my new home next month.

The Tale of the New Year’s Fail [Infographic]

Each holiday season, the average American gains one pound. They then go on to make New Year’s resolutions to eat better, exercise more, and lose weight. Unfortunately, New Year’s resolutions that are focused on weight loss are not followed through to the next year even a quarter of the time, and that one pound that most people put on during the holidays is still there the next holiday season.

Check out the following infographic to see what those collective holiday pounds are costing two-thirds of Americans, as well as 10 ideas to make the long, hard road of getting and staying in shape a smashing success and something to be proud of when next year’s resolutions are being made.

A Healthy Mom Means a Healthy Baby: 3 Important Pregnancy Health Tips to Practice Today

If you’re pregnant or trying to conceive, then you’re probably overwhelmed by all the information surrounding the topic. You can’t do this, you shouldn’t do that, you can’t eat this, and the list goes on and on.

The good news is that you can sit back and relax. It’s time to cut to the chase with the top three tips that you can use today to have a healthy, safe, and happy pregnancy before you welcome your bundle of joy into the world:

Consider your dental hygiene. When you’re pregnant, the last thing on your list may be making a dental appointment. But due to higher levels of progesterone and hormone changes during pregnancy, it can promote increased bacterial growth on your teeth. Basically, your gums will be much more susceptible to infection and inflammation, which leads …

Hoarding Clean Up: Leave It to the Professionals

I used to have a particularly negative attitude towards documentary/reality television shows documenting a person’s struggle with a mental illness, an attribute that sets them apart from the society-accepted version of “normal,” or the challenge to change themselves in the face of discrimination. In my estimation, these shows, while they did strive to reveal a supposedly honest depiction of living with conditions such as substance abuse issues, obesity, and particular phobias, they were doing very little else but exploiting the subjects that were plucked from obscurity and put on the television screens of millions of homes nationwide. I saw the benefit of these shows in the sense that they bring a certain level of success to the television networks who produce and air them, and for the viewers who typically see quality entertainment value in the …

Simple Strategies for Coping with Childhood Allergies

I will never forget the night my 12 year old woke me at midnight after waking with a swollen lip. At first glance I thought perhaps she had hit herself in the face and hadn’t noticed. Yet within an hour it had near doubled in size. I pulled out the liquid Benadryl and starting making calls.

What I didn’t know then was that night was the beginning of a long haul in allergy diagnostics. Two days later she woke yet again with another swollen lip, only the second time her entire body was covered in a mysterious red spotted rash.

The rash led to hives and the hives led to painful red skin. In fact at any given moment any one, or combination of these symptoms would randomly appear.

What began as a seemingly harmless swollen lip led …

What to Keep in Mind When Looking for Muscle Gaining Supplements

Back before I worked from home full-time, I worked at a small, independently-owned coffee shop. It was the best “job” I ever had, which may not be saying too much, considering I have only ever had four “real” jobs where I actually reported to a location, accomplished tasks for forty hours a week, and then scored a paycheck at the end of two weeks. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable experience. I worked alone most of the time, listened to whatever music I liked, and served people coffee for eight hours. And I love coffee! I think the reason why I enjoyed it as much as I did is because the business was created by a couple that I enjoyed working for. Having the opportunity to get to know the people who were employing me made …