This cube has a tiny, quietly thrumming battery-operated engine inside that gently blows your choice of Frederic Malle fragrance into your space. $380; 212-249-7941

This bird is actually a diffuser but instead of the very familiar tall bouquet of sticks, the feathers absorb the fragrance and the scent is subtly distributed throughout the air. $65; jaquabeauty.com

Sunkissed Mommy and designer Gelila Puck knows a thing or two about a good kitchen. Her husband is world renowned chef Wolfgang Puck famous for his food, cookware and the annual Oscar dinner. Together they have two sons, Oliver, 4 and Alexander, 3. Ethiopian born, Gelila talks to Food Network Magazine about their Beverly Hills Home kitchen. They bought their house in 2003 and made recent updates for the children. The kitchen had to be baby-proofed and they even converted their dining room into a rubber-floored play room.

On being formal:

“You can try to be, but the kids just take over anywhere!”

On personal style:

“I’m a junker”

Her metal Eat sign in their kitchen “gets more compliments than anything else in the kitchen.” If retro is your twist, check out retroplanet.com for vintage pieces.

Check out the entire story in the March issue of Food Network Magazine.

Palms: (Bamboo, lady, and areca varieties) Palms are great at removing airborne toxins and can up to a liter of moisture to the air per day-perfect for counteracting the desert-dry effects of indoor heating systems.

Rubber plant: This plant to say the least is resilient, I guess that is where it gets the name from. This thirsty, shiny plant is perfect for rooms that don’t receive much sunlight. It’s particularly adept at filtering formaldehyde, which is found in many adhesives and floor coverings. (Tip: I use olive oil on my rubber plant leaves to give them extra shine)

Mum’s the word: Bright, happy reds, pinks, and yellows, this flowering fall plant is a great filter of airborne chemicals such as ammonia (common in cleaning supplies) and benzene (emitted by gasoline, ink, paint and pesticides).

I don’t know about you but my plants on the floor suffer immensely to the hands of the curious kids. Have no fear, look up to the Boskke Sky Planter. It’s built to hang upside down from a ceiling hook and uses a reservoir system to release more water when soil is dry and less when it’s wet. And don’t panic, the dirt stays put! It requires up to 80% less H2O than its conventional counterparts, and needs refills as infrequently as twice a month-saving you water and time, not to mention that much needed floor space. $25-$75; unicahome.com

Kleenex Expressions Ovals $5.49; come in urban, traditional, and eclectic patterns that are too chic not to place in full view.

Q-Tips Vanity Packs, $4; are a great impromptu make-up tool. Set these decorative packs (available in 4 colors) front and center.

Tone Liquid Hand Soaps $3; dress up the basin with paisley-printed bottles of nourishing almond milk or coconut milk cleansers.

Febreze Flamess Luminary $15.99; an entirely new way to add scent and style to any room. Reusable wooden base, available in scents like Cranberry Pear and Vanilla Frost

Portion control is a critical factor in weight loss and maintenance, and portion control dishes that help you serve correct amount of food have been around for years. But most of them are plastic and, well, pretty ugly. So naturally imagine our surprise and delight when we came across Thinnerware, a new line that is downright divine.

The idea here is to use clever designs as opposed to laboratory like markings to measure serving sizes. Take a look at the above image as an example, when you cover the large flower on the plate with food, you know you have a 1/2 cup serving; a small flower’s worth of food is 1/4 cup. The bottom ring in the bowls measure 1/2 cup. Fill it to the top ring and you have 1 & 1/2 cups.

See the entire collection of dishes and their prices at thinnerware.com

The dishes use

Believe it or not, Christmas is almost here! As we approach the holiday, we will be providing you with simple tips for a hassle-free holiday. Throughout the site, we will show you ways to dial down the fuss but not the festivity. We are providing you with several articles and tips to help you stay balanced throughout the season. Look for ways to feel better and keep your cool while hosting the season’s best holiday party. Most importantly, don’t forget the power of giving to relieve stress. be sure to read our articles on charity and how you can make a difference this season.

P.S. We still have a few giveaways happening all over the site, happy hunting!

Trowel and Bulbs

4 Things to do right now:

• Tidy Up Veggie Gardens – Remove all plant debris. You’ll reduce next season’s pests, diseases and weeds.

• Protect Batteries – Rechargeable tool batteries are expensive to replace. To get more life from them, store them indoors through winter. Check the owner’s manual for directions.

• Store Summer Bulbs – After frost, dig up and store canna, above, caladium, and other summer bulbs. Keep the cleaned, dry bulbs in peat moss or sawdust or in a cool (but not freezing) garage or basement. next year, the plants will be bigger, more beautiful-and free!

• Take Cuttings – Many tender garden plants, such as coleus, geranium, rosemary, and impatiens can be rooted in water, then potted and overwintered on a sunny windowsill. Move them outdoors again in spring to enjoy them for another season.

Relax. No need to run out and hire a contractor. Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas concentrated in soil, water, and rock in various geographic areas, and it can seep into the air we breathe. Radon also happens to be the second leading cause of lung cancer, after smoking cigarettes. According to Daniel J Steck, PhD, a professor of physics at St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, who is conducting research on granite countertops for the Minnesota Radon Project, countertops emit very low levels of the gas, and the risk to homeowners is tiny.

If you are still concerned, you can check air levels with a home test (which costs about $15 and up); Get more information about tests and certified radon technicians in your area at the EPA’s Web Site; epa.gov/radon.

Halloween is tomorrow but today we will host some fang-tastic prizes if you play along and follow the instructions. No pressure but these are some great prizes! You will not know the prize until you win, ghoulish I know but hey so what! *insert witch laugh here*

There are 13 questions. Here is your word bank:

Jigsaw

Jason Voorhees

Hannibal Lector

Leatherface

The Thing

Damien Thorn

Michael Myers

Alien

Jaws

Candyman

Pinhead

Chucky

Freddy Krueger

Don’t forget, the questions are on Twitter. See you there. *insert witch laugh again*

Here are the rules:

1. The questions will be posted on Twitter so you must be following @skmommy to win.

2. All answers must be posted below in the comment box.

3. First person to comment correctly wins! Winner will then be notified by DM on Twitter.

4. This contest ends today when we give away all the prizes. *witch laugh again*

4. As always, Past Contest Rules Apply.