But luckily, you don’t have to be Irish to enjoy the color emerald — the 2013 Pantone color of the year. Step your home up a notch with a few hints of this rich, verdant tone. Here are a few ways to add just a touch of that Irish hue.

1. An art deco-inspired pillow from Etsy can liven up your neutral sofas with a touch of green without breaking the bank.
2. Another easy pick-me-up? A bright emerald shower curtain with graphic design features. This one from DENY seamlessly blends the color of the year with classic navy blue.
3. Invest in a pair of new lamps to brighten up your guest bedroom. The shades of green in this lamp from Lamps Plus would look brilliant in a room of blue hues.
4. Another touch for that guest bedroom — or your own master bedroom — is crisp white sheets with a touch of emerald as a chic trim. These, from Company C, are 300 thread count.
5. Try a table runner or glasses in a brilliant shade of green, as shown here on House of Turquoise. They will brighten your table setting and blend naturally with most cool shades already present in your home — such as light blue, turquoise, yellow, pinks and plums.

From luxurious Canyon Ranch to native healing treatments in Hawaii, here are five favorites from the editors at Prevention.com. See the rest of the list here.

Canyon Ranch Miami Beach Hotel & Spa

Miami
Canyon Ranch pretty much wrote the book on healthy destination spas, and at 70,000 square feet, it’s the largest wellness spa in Florida. Even the pickiest of spa-goers will find something to love given the spa’s range of traditional and modern therapies, such as an ancient Thai massage, a Japanese Ashiatsu barefoot massage, Chakra rituals and Ayurvedic herbal rejuvenations.

DON’T MISS: The Aquavana Thermal Suite, a luxurious collection of European-style waters, thermal cabins and soaking tubs, saunas and rains meant to be explored at your leisure.

Hualalai Spa At Hualalai Resort

Kailua-Kona, Hawaii
Located on the Big Island Hawaii, the Hualalai Spa offers a range of traditional island healing practices. Central to the experience is the Apothecary, a collection of more than 20 natural Hawaiian ingredients used in scrubs and massages throughout the spa.

DON’T MISS: The Apothecary Mud & Clay Mosaic. Volcanic mud and deep sea clay are mixed and infused with pure essential oils. The whole blend is warmed up and applied to specific areas of the body to draw out toxins and ease inflammation.

Yelo Spa

New York, N.Y.
Yelo started as a New York City napping retreat and has since evolved into a unique, futuristic spa. With zero-gravity beds and customized sessions, Yelo crafts massage, beauty and sleep therapy treatments for each client. Every therapy and reflexology treatment takes place in the state-of-the-art anti-gravity beds that elevate your legs above your heart to slow your heart rate for deeper relaxation.

DON’T MISS: The Ginger Renewel Scrub is a deep exfoliation with Turkish mineral salts and ginger oil, followed by a warming massage with heated rose quartz stones, and a pressure-point scalp and foot massage while you’re wrapped in warming blankets. Don’t forget to add on a signature YeloNap!

Miraval Life in Balance Spa at Miraval Resort

Tucson, Ariz.
Located 55 miles outside of Tucson, Ariz., the Miraval Resort offers a menu full of exclusive Clarins anti-aging treatments for a smoother, tighter, younger-looking you. If you could use a bit of an energy makeover — and really, who couldn’t? — Miraval offers Ayurveda, Reiki, acupuncture and Thai massage techniques.

DON’T MISS: The Andrew Weil, MD, Integrative Wellness Program. Using an interdisciplinary team of experts (including Dr. Weil himself), the program guides you down a path toward optimum health by using integrative medicine, nutrition and exercise physiology.

Lakehouse Spa at Lake Austin Spa Resort

Austin, Texas
If you’re a girl who likes options, this southern spa is for you. Not only will you have more than 100 different spa treatments to choose from, but you’ll also feast on culinary treats featuring organic herbs and veggies harvested daily from the spa’s garden. Up for some activity? Choose from 20 daily classes, such as hydro-biking and cooking classes.

DON’T MISS: The Gifts Of Our Garden. This signature spa treatment exfoliates, bathes, massages and wraps you in therapeutic herbs for a full 100 minutes.

And so are the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program and its partners, Bosch, Kohler, Lowe’s and P&G.

And they’ve got the perfect spokesperson — er, spokesweirdo — to share their message: Rip the Drip. Here’s a bit about Rip:

“Rip the Drip was born under the water sign Pisces, and is an assistant shift manager at a local water park. He enjoys taking long showers, listening to running faucets and opening fire hydrants. He has a proud collection of high-pressure hose nozzles that he uses to perform various dance routines in his driveway. His favorite movie is Waterworld — which he has seen 786 times — and he dreams of one day visiting Niagara Falls.”

Rip is also the star of a series of weird public service announcements from the WaterSense program, which you can watch here.

In the commercials, Rip shows up in people’s homes when water is being wasted. He reminds them just how weird it is to use more water than you need.

Check out Wasting Water is Weird to learn more and stop being so weird.

And luckily, saving energy doesn’t mean replacing every appliance in your home. There are some super easy, energy- and dollar-saving strategies you can implement that are literally as easy as turning off your lights.

So check out this infographic from DailyInfographic.com for some more tips and tricks that will you save you money and energy throughout the year.

Photos: LIFX

Before you read this, make a list in your head of all the things the light bulbs in your home can do. Short list, huh?

Well, the creative minds behind a new brand of bulb have set out to change that. And they not only want to give you massive amounts of control over your light, but if you’ve ever dreamed of turning your living room into a night club, they’ve got the solution for that too.

This new energy-efficient LED wonder, called LIFX, is a Wi-Fi-enabled, multicolor bulb that you control with your smartphone.

“The light bulb hasn’t changed much in over 125 years, and the smart bulb revolution is just beginning. It’s an incredibly exciting time to give people a clean energy alternative and help make their homes smarter,” said founder and CEO Phil Bosua.

Here’s what LIFX will allow you to do:

• Control the lights in your home using your smartphone;
• Adjust brightness, color, individual bulbs, rooms or your entire house;
• Install simply by swapping out your old bulb and screwing LIFX in;
• Choose from more than 16 million colors;
• Wake up naturally by automatically increasing the light in the morning and fall asleep at night by slowly dimming the lights;
• Automatically have your lights turn on when you get home and switch off when you leave; and
• Create mood lighting to match the beat of your music.

Watch the video below and be amazed.

The bulb is rated for a brightness exceeding 900 lumens, which is approximately equivalent to a traditional 75-watt incandescent bulb. In addition, LIFX uses about one-tenth of the power of regular bulbs, lasts for up to 25 years, and works on the iPhone and Android.

LIFX is a Kickstarter project, which offers inventors a funding platform for various ventures, including films, games, music art, design and technology. Since Kickstarter launched in April 2009, more than 3 million people have pledged more than $450 million, funding more than 35,000 projects.

LIFX alone raised $1.3 million in six days.

The bulb will retail for $79 online and through its retail partners, which will be announced soon. Preorder LIFX here.

Always feel like you’re arguing with your significant other over how to split the housework? It’s a frustrating bone of contention that afflicts many a couple, but thanks to this infographic from Golden Shine Cleaning Agency, you should now feel slightly less alone. The San Diego-based domestic referral agency has compiled a number of stats, from how much time we spend on housework to how many of us argue about cleaning to which gender cleans the most.

And don’t forget to scroll down. The infographic also contains information and stats on the green cleaning trend.

1. Remove toilet stains: To remove ugly stains from the bottom of your toilet bowl, throw a few used tea bags into the toilet and let them sit for several minutes. (If your stains are really bad, give it some extra time.) When the bags are flushed down the toilet, the stains will go with them!
2. Freshen carpets: Between pets, diapered children and nasty weather, your carpets are probably seeing a lot of action these days. Even if you don’t have small ones rolling around on your carpet, you still want it to smell good! To freshen a stinky or musty carpet, simply sprinkle a handful of dried tea leaves onto it. Let them sit for about 10 minutes, and then vacuum them up.
3. Tenderize meat: Want to impress your dinner party guests with a perfectly tenderized rib eye steak? Tea is a great meat tenderizer because it contains naturally occurring tannins, and can be substituted for more expensive alternatives like red wine. Steep the tea in boiling water for about five minutes. Mix ½ cup of brown sugar into the water until it dissolves. Then pour the mix over your meat and cook it like you normally would. Bon appetit!
4. Clean mirrors: Forget store-bought cleaners — tea can remove grease and grime on mirrors! Simply brew a second pot of tea with one to two used tea bags, and then use your watered-down tea as a cleaning solution. Pair your tea with coffee filters to create the perfect mirror-cleaning duo.
5. Fertilize plants: To make your plants lush and your flowers beautiful, transfer tea’s nitrogen-rich nutrients to your soil by adding a few tea bags to the mix. Don’t like the look of tea bags in your soil? Empty the contents of the bags into your fertilizer, or use loose tea leaves instead. If you want to start working some seriously brag-worthy plant game, read: Much Ado About Mulch.

BrightNest is a free site that provides customized tips and tools to help homeowners save money, get organized and keep their homes in great shape.

Buy less, recycle more

If one of your resolutions is to buy less stuff, then you already are on your way to a greener New Year. When you buy something new, you are contributing to the environmental impact of the product from sourcing of materials to shipping. So, simply buying less can do a lot for the planet, not to mention your wallet. When you must buy new, keep your carbon footprint in check by donating what you can to an organization like Goodwill and remembering to recycle those electronics.

Cut back on catalogs

This is one we can all get behind, because really, who likes junk mail? Turns out, thanks to an organization called Catalog Choice, you can put an end to that unwanted mail once and for all. Visit Catalogchoice.org to learn how to remove your name from company mailing lists, and learn which ones are doing more to go paperless.

Get a programmable thermostat

Remember that infomercial with the catchphrase “set it and forget it?” Well, a programmable thermostat does just that. The thermostat comes with four pre-programmed settings — which can be adjusted to fit your lifestyle — that regulate your home’s temperature in the summer and winter and adjust for when you are at home, asleep or away.

Buy local, buy in season

When you shop your local farmers market for what’s in season, you save money and can be sure you are getting the freshest and tastiest produce. Don’t live near a farmers market? Don’t worry. Many supermarkets and groceries are doing more to highlight seasonal produce. Click here to learn what’s in season in your area.

Got some more easy tips for going green? Share them with us below.

The report, “Saving Windows, Saving Money: Evaluating the Energy Performance of Window Retrofit and Replacement,” found that upgrading windows — specifically older, single-pane models — with exterior storm windows and insulating shades can result in substantial energy savings across a variety of climate zones.

The study was commissioned by the Preservation Green Lab and funded by the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation Technology and Training.

Analyzing decades of research about the performance of double-hung windows, the study compared the relative energy, carbon and cost savings of various choices in multiple cities across the United States.

“A number of existing window retrofit strategies come very close to delivering the energy benefits of high-performance replacement windows — at a fraction of the cost,” said Mark Huppert, technical director of the Preservation Green Lab. “From weather stripping and sealing to installing exterior storm windows or interior cellular shades, almost every retrofit option offers a better return on investment than outright replacement.”

The key findings are:

• Retrofit measures can achieve results that compare with new replacement windows. The study found that retrofitting can offer energy savings close to new, high-performance replacement windows.
• Almost every retrofit option offers a better return on investment than replacement windows. New, high-performance windows are the most expensive option, costing at least double that of retrofit options when considering materials, installation and general construction. Cellular shades, interior storm panels and exterior storm window configurations offer a higher average return on investment compared with new, efficient replacement windows.
• Retrofitting windows with high-performance enhancements can offer energy savings across a number of climate zones. Choosing options that retain and retrofit existing windows are the most cost-effective way to lower a home’s carbon footprint. Retrofits extend the life of existing windows, avoid production of new materials, reduce waste and preserve a home’s character.

“Homeowners and designers who want to upgrade existing windows have many choices: from simple, low-cost, do-it-yourself solutions to complete replacement, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars,” said David Brown, EVP and chief preservation officer of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “This report provides the context and data to help budget conscious consumers make sound decisions.”

Click here for the full report.

Perhaps the vegan diet officially “arrived” when Oprah Winfrey went on a vegan diet for 21 days in 2008, and in 2011 reportedly asked her 378 production staff to do the same for one week. Reports also noted that former U.S. president Bill Clinton adopted a vegan diet in 2010 after cardiac surgery, while his daughter Chelsea was already a vegan. In November 2010, Bloomberg Businessweek stated that a growing number of American CEOs were becoming vegan, such as Steve Wynn, Mortimer Zuckerman and Russell Simmons.

Here are 6 “vegan revelations” to provide fundamental key facts and clarify misconceptions about the vegan diet and lifestyle:

1. Vegan food is flavorful!

Most people think a vegan diet means tasteless food and poorly disguised fake meat. While in the past this may have been true, vegan recipes have evolved, and today there is a wealth of vegan fare bursting with flavor, from barbecue classics and chili to lasagna and other Italian favorites that are prepared with a heightened health factor since fresh vegetables, fruits nuts and seeds are often key ingredients. Spices, herbs, sauces, fresh ingredients and inspired culinary vision have made the modern vegan diet quite tasty!

2. It’s a fruit feast.

Those trying to reduce dietary sugar are reluctant to eat a lot of fruit, but the vegan diet allows for as much fruit as you desire. If you minimize or eliminate the consumption of complex carbohydrates like bread, rice and pasta, which all break down to sugar, you can add more fruit to your diet — also beneficial since fruit contains fiber and enzymes that help you maintain a regular functioning system, while the starchy carb counterparts can clog you up and slow your metabolism.

3. Meaty matters.

It’s been shown that releasing meat from your diet — as vegans do — can protect you from many degenerative diseases. Meat quality remains an issue in the marketplace, while issues of toxicity, contamination, and excessive hormones and chemicals abound. Even if you happen to eat the best quality meat products when dining at home, fast food and other restaurants are generally not as discriminating.

4. Eco-friendly epicure.

The vegan lifestyle causes less environmental damage and consumes fewer resources. Organizations like PETA point out that animal agriculture is linked to climate change, water pollution, land degradation, a decline in biodiversity and that a commercially available animal-based diet uses more land, water and energy than a strictly vegetarian one. With this in mind, a striking report out of the University of Chicago found that switching from the standard American diet to a plant-based one reduces more greenhouse emissions per person per year over switching from standard sedan like a Toyota Camry to a hybrid Toyota Prius, proving that what you choose to eat could do more to offset greenhouse gas emissions than what you choose to drive. So if you want to reduce your carbon footprint, go vegan, even for just 10 days.

5. Go ahead and indulge!

The vegan lifestyle is not about deprivation. You can still enjoy favorite treats like ice cream, cheesecake and many other desserts. Of course, as with any wellness regime, those with a sweet tooth must still heed the calorie and fat consumption.

6. Body benefits abound.

The vegan diet tends to be higher in dietary fiber, magnesium, folic acid, vitamin C, vitamin E, iron and phytochemicals, and lower in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol. Eating vegan has proven to control allergies, PMS and depression. This is helped, in part, by avoiding the hormones, antibiotics and antidepressants, among other chemicals found in meat products. The vegan lifestyle also promotes healthier hair, skin and nails since mineral absorption is optimized with an animal-free diet. And it’s been well-reported that eating more fresh fruits and veggies reduces the risk of breast cancer, colon cancer, heart disease and other deadly conditions.

Koya Webb is an internationally recognized holistic health and wellness expert, author, motivational speaker and consultant who is helping revolutionize the vegan cuisine and holistic living landscape. Her book “Koya’s Kuisine: Foods You Love That Love You Back!” helps individuals make positive lifestyle changes that maximize their ability to lose weight, increase energy, reverse life-threatening conditions and experience optimal health and vitality through a fit, active lifestyle. Reach Koya online at KoyaWebb.com.