Oral Fixation: The disgusting science behind locking lips

By Nicole Caldwell for Thrillist

The science of kissing is called Philematology, and it’s just as unsexy as it sounds.

When you swap spit with unsuspecting partners, you’re sharing more than you think. For every 10 seconds spent at first base, you transfer 80,000,000 bacteria from one mouth to another. The cleanest mouths among us harbor between 1,000 and 100,000 bacteria on the surface of each tooth. Those of you not brushing and flossing on the regular are providing sanctuary to anywhere from 100 million to 1 billion bacteria on every single one of your (not-so) pearly whites. Hosting that kind of liveliness in a space kept at a humid 95-ish degrees makes our mouths the “tropical rainforest” of the body.

Start Mulch Gardening in Your Yard

Start Mulch Gardening in Your Yard

Want a healthier garden ... with little effort? Start by returning it to a natural state. Mulch gardening is a soil-layering method that mimics a forest floor. It creates nutrient-dense soil that nourishes plants, controls weeds, and offers long-term results. In this article, I’ll get you started on creating a lush mulch garden of your very own.

How to Make Basic Shadow Puppets in Three Easy Steps

How to Make Basic Shadow Puppets in Three Easy Steps

By Nicole Caldwell for Martha Stewart

Shadow puppetry is a storytelling art form that dates back thousands of years to the Han Dynasty. Flat shapes cut from paper come to life when illuminated, and range from very simple to highly detailed. The puppets themselves are never visible, only the illusions they create. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make your very own shadow puppets with a few simple supplies.

Ubuntu: Human Kindness

Ubuntu: Human Kindness

Originally posted at New Society Publishers blog July 17, 2015.

Today's blog is an excerpt from Chapter Nine, "Community", from Nicole Caldwell's book, Better: The Everyday Art of Sustainable Living . Summer is a great time to feel connected to our communities as we get out and about in the warmer weather.  Consider some of Nicole's suggestions below to keep the good times rolling through the winter days as well. 

10 Tiny Ways to Find Purpose and Happiness in Life

10 Tiny Ways to Find Purpose and Happiness in Life

By Nicole Caldwell of Better Farm

Originally published at Martha Stewart

Think of all the excuses you have for not changing your life. Now wad them up and throw them into the compost pile out back. Research shows that having a sense of purpose improves overall wellness, prevents depression and may even extend life expectancy. Here’s a cheat sheet of 10 easy ways to find your purpose, encourage whimsy, and live cleaner and happier than ever before.

#Being Better Checklist: Ten Ways to Live More Sustainably Right Now

#Being Better Checklist: Ten Ways to Live More Sustainably Right Now

Guest post for WhyWhisper by Nicole Caldwell, co-founder and CEO of Better Farm and author of Better: The Everyday Art of Sustainable Living

Responsible stewardship of the land and sustainable living are crafts. Living green is an art form requiring no formal training; in fact, we already innately know how to do it. Humans are natural leaders, natural innovators and have always been naturally resourceful. But we've misinterpreted our role on the planet. As a culture we've determined that the Earth is here for our use, and we've in turn treated the environment like a commodity.

But our higher level of consciousness allows us to protect. Our ability to take care of each other - not our might - is what sets us apart from other living things. It is our responsibility, not our gift, that distinguishes us.

How Big Ag is Using Water All Wrong

How Big Ag is Using Water All Wrong

The story of California’s water shortage is the story of Manifest Destiny in the US. It is the story of our belief that resources are limitless; that we could and were "meant" to stretch our civilization from coast to coast; that humanity had the right to dominate the natural landscape and bring it to its knees in servitude of Our Way of Life. The American Dream: to enjoy boundless growth, unimaginable luxury and to always have the ability to do and have more.

Suffering Will Make You Better: Why Pain Can Be Good for the Soul

Suffering Will Make You Better: Why Pain Can Be Good for the Soul

“A smooth sea never made a skillful sailor.” – English proverb

By Nicole Caldwell for Elite Daily

We go out of our way to avoid hurt, dodge danger and prevent hardships. Yet, it is the triumph over frailties or challenges that define us as strong, resilient, mature and experienced.

Contrary to popular belief, it appears a little suffering may be good for us. It forces us to solve problems creatively, think differently and explore our own vulnerabilities.

When Obstacles Become Our Partners in a Car Chase to Enlightenment

When Obstacles Become Our Partners in a Car Chase to Enlightenment

Perception transforms experience. How one looks at the world, alters that world wholly.

In the Better Theory, what most people see as the negative—pain, struggles, mishaps—are actually tools to enlightenment. Crisis teaches us cool. Pain teaches us pleasure. Loss teaches us love. Every negative we face is a potential guide we are wise to pay attention to.

We generally consider hardships to be disadvantages—experiences to be loathed and avoided at all costs. With this conventional wisdom, anything that is difficult or painful works against us. Yet history tells a different story:

Albert Einstein didn’t start speaking until he was four. Benjamin Franklin dropped out of school when he was 10 because his parents couldn’t afford his education. Ella Fitzgerald—along with other celebrities like Halle Berry, Jewel, Dr. Phil, Jim Carrey, Harry Houdini and Charlie Chaplin—experienced homelessness. Stephen King’s first novel, Carrie, was rejected 30 times. Oprah Winfrey was sexually abused as a child and became pregnant at 14. Beethoven lost his hearing at the peak of his musical career.

Playgirl Interview with Starship Trooper Star Casper Van Dien

Playgirl Interview with Starship Trooper Star Casper Van Dien

Casper Van Dien is hot. His sizzling acting career boasts more than two dozen movie credits (Starship Troopers, Tarzan and the Lost City, Sleepy Hollow) and more than five dozen roles in television (“Beverly Hills 90210”, “Saved by the Bell”, “Monk”). He's starred in his own Lifetime TV reality show “I Married a Princess”, acts as ambassador for Egard Watch Company, and is now making his directorial debut with an adaptation of the classic fairy tale Sleeping Beauty—which he also has a role in. Another directorial credit follows soon after with A Patient Killer. On top of all this, he recently wrapped up work with his wife Catherine Oxenberg and her bestie Gabrielle Anwar on Sexology, a documentary that reexamines the state of female sexuality and arousal in the 21st Century.

While there are many people comfortable in the spotlight, few look as good while they're in it. Van Dien is distractingly handsome—it's no wonder he scored the title "Sexiest Soap Star" from People Magazine back in 2000. Of course, anyone who saw the Starship Troopers shower scene—or has so much as taken a look at this man—already could have told you that. Know this: The years have done nothing to diminish his sex appeal. Van Dien sat down with Playgirl to give us his insights on male beauty, his favorite acting role, and full-body orgasms.

Giving Dignity to the Needy

WATERTOWN, NEW YORK–A man walks through a set of doors next to an archway with a sign: “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread.” As he gets a shopping cart, he’s joined by an employee who points out new products, and calls his attention to posters depicting portion allotments based on family size. The man pulls a bag of rice, a bottle of juice, a loaf of fresh-baked French bread, shampoo, produce from a local garden, and a can of tomatoes. He is walked to the front of the store, checks out, and takes his bags of groceries home to his family.