Danielle Pergament, Allure magazine

An interview with Nate Berkus, an interior designer and the author of The Things That Matter (Spiegel & Grau). He has a line of accessories and home goods at Target.

The best interiors are assembled and layered over time. Before you acquire anything, stop and take a beat-it's really important to have a connection to what you are buying. You wind up with a house full of little stories that reflect who you are.

See more: Top 21 Drugstore Beauty Bargains

Be inconsistent. I try to buy in odd numbers. Three frames or candlesticks look less rigid than two. Don't go for one uniform accent color-it looks contrived, like you live on a TV set. If you want pops of green in the living room, make sure you have five different shades of green. And be inventive: Put a green palm leaf in a clear glass vase; add a grosgrain ribbon to a lampshade; paint your coffee table. There are plenty of ways to add arftul details without spending a lot of money.

Elevate the

Too Busy? 3 Surprising Benefits to OverschedulingWhen Connor Bernstein's mother, Jan Owens, didn't have time to supervise his countless science experiments, he created his own kid-friendly kit. He then went on to develop his own massively successful business, Connor's Kits for Kids, as a bright-eyed fourth grader.

In other words, Jan Owens's busyness launched her son's business.

To be fair, Jan Owens likely wasn't keeping busy searching Pinterest for recipes or sifting through lifestyle blogs for kid's birthday party inspiration. No, we're talking about the "real" busy. The mountain-of-laundry, overflowing-sink, back-to-back-swim-meets-and-dance-recitals kind of busy. Because unlike the fake kind of busy, the real kind is surprisingly beneficial for kids, parents and families alike:

Busyness makes us happier. A recent study asked for volunteers to complete a survey and then wait 15 minutes for their next task. Each volunteer could then make a choice: (a) to drop off the completed survey at a nearby location and wait idly for the

Increase Efficiency, Not SizeBusting the budget is everyone's biggest fear when it comes to renovation. And with good reason. Even if you follow the essential advice we've been doling out for years-build in a 20 percent cushion to cover the nasty surprises, get contractor references and check them, banish the words "while you're at it" from your vocabulary--it's hard not to end up shelling out more than you want to, even if you want to pen a check for a million bucks.

But why scale back a project or forgo that Viking range? No, what you need to do is get your dream at a price you can afford. And not by cheaping out, either. With some strategic thinking about design, materials, and timing, you can cut costs without cutting corners. We'll show you the ways, from the big (knock down the house and start over) to something as small as choosing a wall sconce over a recessed light. But another universal truth about renovations is that every little thing adds up. So save a little here, save a little there, and pretty

FitSugarSource: How to Stay Motivated During a New Routine

Getting motivated is often the easy part; it's staying motivated that can present an even bigger challenge. Forgetting what urged us to join a new class or change our diet happens all the time, especially once we've started making a little bit of progress. This is why it's crucial to keep reminding ourselves all the way through. Here are a few simple ways to keep up with new healthy habits.

• Ease Into It: Gradually moving into healthier food choices can give you the extra boost you need for an overall new diet plan, workout regimen, or both! It's important to choose a realistic plan to enable you to be successful all throughout the year. It's the small steps that lead to major accomplishments.
• Vision Board: You don't need to cover your bedroom in quotes, but you certainly can if that keeps you treading on. Make a small vision board you can keep at work or somewhere more discreet so you can look at every day to help remind you