Compliments of
Smart Living Hawaii
May 2026
Backyard Project Ideas That Add Style, Comfort, and Function
How to
Boost Your
Wellness at Home
Spring Cleaning
Checklist That Actually Works
The Sound of Home
Using Psychoacoustics to Create a Healthier Home
Eco Education at Home
Fun Ways to Teach Kids Sustainability
This month invites us to look at “green living” in a more intentional way—beyond labels and trends, and into how our everyday choices at home impact both our well-being and the world around us.
In this issue, we explore what it truly means to live well through a greener lens. From simple ways to improve energy efficiency to understanding what makes a home genuinely “green,” these stories are designed to bring awareness to the small, meaningful shifts that add up over time.
Because green living isn’t about perfection, it’s about intention. And when our homes are designed with that intention in mind, they begin to support not just the environment, but the way we feel, live, and thrive every day.
Recipe of the Month
Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas
Heather Christo, Deliciously Allergen Free Recipes
These tostadas have everything you want in a little byte- crispy, lime-y, spicy, sweet and fresh- just so good. Basically a perfect bite as far as an appetizer goes.
Photo Credit: Heather Christo
Organization
Upgrade Your Garage: Smart Ways to Create a Clean, Functional Space That Works for Your Lifestyle
By Jolene Nannette
In our home, the garage serves as a multi-purpose space, providing storage for tools and crafts, outdoor and sporting equipment, a home gym, and vehicles. However, without proper organization, it can quickly become cluttered and chaotic. It doesn’t have to be this way. There are many things you can do to create an efficient and well-organized garage that maximizes space and functionality. By implementing these ideas, you'll be able to easily locate items, save time, and create a more enjoyable space to work in.
Featured Article
Why Work With a Wellness-Focused Agent in Hawaii?
Creating a Healthier Home, Island Style
Christina Laney Mitre
Feng Shui Essentials
Backyard Retreat: Designing Outdoor Spaces That Actually Restore You
By Dee Oujiri
Most outdoor spaces are designed to be looked at rather than lived in. We invest in curb appeal, tidy mulch lines, symmetrical planters, and the particular furniture set that photographs well against a stained deck. The yard becomes a presentation: what the house offers to the street, what the patio says about the people who chose it.
Wellness Design
How to Boost Your Wellness at Home
By Cassy West
A room’s acoustic design can have a profound affect on human health and wellbeing. Have you ever felt irritable, distracted, or unexpectedly drained while inside a room and found yourself yearning for a quieter, area where you could focus better or have a undisturbed thought?
Spring Season
Spring Cleaning Checklist That Actually Works
By Lucy Chatman
Spring cleaning sounds productive in theory, but in reality it often turns into an overwhelming weekend of half-finished projects, overflowing donation piles, and closets that somehow look worse than when you started.
Wellness Design
Backyard Project Ideas That Add Style, Comfort, and Function
By Lucy Chatman
Backyards are becoming more than just open space. For many homeowners, they are turning into places to relax, entertain, garden, and enjoy daily life. Because of that shift, more people are looking for projects that improve both the appearance and usefulness of their outdoor areas.
Healthy Home
Healthy Kitchen Micro-Habits: Mold Prevention & Hormonal Wellness
The kitchen is often called the heart of the home, but in my work as a building biology practitioner, I have come to see it as something even more significant. It is the primary interface between your home’s environment and your family’s biology. Every time you boil water, open the dishwasher, or flip on those bright overhead lights to prep dinner, your body is responding to its surroundings.
Architecture
Why Some Homes Are Exhausting to Live In
And what you can do about it
By Kate Hamblet
Have you ever walked into your home and felt… tired? Not just physically, but mentally. Like something about your space is draining your energy instead of restoring it. Most people assume that feeling comes from a busy schedule, poor sleep, or stress. And while those matter, there’s another piece that often gets overlooked: Your home itself might be contributing to that exhaustion. The good news? Once you understand why, you can start making simple changes that make a real difference.
