Brought to you by
December 2025
Tori McGee, Holistic REALTOR®
What 2025 Taught Us About Homes That Actually Make Us Healthier
Bathroom Remodel Ideas for a Truly Non-Toxic, Healthy Space
Compliments of
Tori McGee, Holistic REALTOR®
Tori McGee
Holistic Realtor®
The Good Neighbor Podcast
This month we step into the holidays with intention, focusing on celebrations that feel joyful, sustainable, and centered on what truly matters. Instead of rushing, we can slow down, enjoy meaningful traditions, and create home environments that support well-being during one of the busiest times of the year.
We also reflect on what 2025 has taught us about creating healthier, more balanced homes, from mindful energy use to small design choices and daily habits that make a real difference. This issue offers ideas to carry with you through the season and beyond.
Here’s to a December that feels lighter, clearer, and full of purpose. Happy Holidays and best wishes for the New Year!
Recipe of the Month
Blackberry Pomegranate Ginger Moscow Mule
Heather Christo, Deliciously Allergen Free Recipes
I love a good Moscow Mule, and so that’s where the blackberry and pomegranate juice comes in-plus the flavor of both with the ginger beer is fantastic.
Photo Credit: Heather Christo
Organization
Holiday Harmony: Balancing Family Traditions Without the Overwhelm
By Jolene Nannette
The holiday season is a time for warmth, joy, and cherished family traditions. However, it can also be hectic and overwhelming. Balancing time efficiently while keeping those beloved traditions alive is key to enjoying the holidays to the fullest. Here’s how to streamline your holiday preparations without sacrificing the joy of family gatherings and rituals.
Feng Shui Essentials
Conscious by Design: How the Future of Home Energy Begins with Intention
By Dee Oujiri
The afternoon light has changed. It’s softer now, filtered through bare branches and gold-edged clouds that stretch like silk across the sky. The air outside feels quieter, and so do we.
Featured Article
Healthy Home Realty with Tori
Staff Writer
Check out my interview on The Good Neighbor Podcast! 🏡
Here are the details:
Starting out as a nutrition specialist in 2008, I never intended to become a real estate agent. But in 2003, I made a conscious decision to remove all chemicals from my family’s life after my young daughter was diagnosed with ADHD.
From that point, my mission was to do whatever I could to help my daughter.
When I began to look for a home to buy in 2013, I quickly realized there was a need for holistic real estate agents.
“No one really cared,” she says. Most traditional real estate agents acted like mold and other toxins were no big deal…
In 2015, I received my Realtor’s license and felt the need to create wellness for homes.
I am a certified Building Biology Advocate & am very excited to use the knowledge and skills I’ve learned to educate others in this increasingly vital area of public health and well-being.
I believe real estate is the next frontier that will be radically transformed by the wellness movement. Our homes, communities and surrounding environment directly affect our daily behaviors and lifestyles, and together these determine up to 80–90 percent of our health outcomes. Since our homes are typically our most important personal investment and expenditure, it is only logical that they should also be an investment in our health and well-being.
2025 Home Trends
What 2025 Taught Us About Homes That Actually Make Us Healthier
By, Sheila Alston
Here are ten wellness-centered design ideas and lifestyle upgrades that gained real traction in 2025—and are expected to grow even more in 2026.
Gardening
Winter Yard TLC: Protect Plants, Trees, and Landscaping
By Lucy Chatman
Winter can be tough on outdoor spaces. Frost, heavy snow, and harsh winds can leave your yard looking tired and, worse, cause lasting damage to plants, trees, and landscaping you’ve invested time and care into. The good news is that with a few intentional steps, you can protect your yard through the cold months and set the stage for a vibrant spring.
Aromatherapy
Frankincense: A Sacred Gift Across Continents
By Debbie Pullens
Few botanicals carry the weight of history, reverence, and healing quite like Frankincense. Known as one of the precious gifts brought to the Christ child, Frankincense has been treasured for more than 5,000 years—burned in sacred temples, used in royal beauty rituals, and applied as a powerful natural remedy for the mind, body, and spirit.
Holiday
Clutter-Free Stockings: Thoughtful Gifts Everyone Will Actually Use
By Sabrina Aguilar
Stockings are a cherished part of holiday tradition, but too often, they’re stuffed with tiny toys, plastic trinkets, or novelty items that end up forgotten or discarded. This year, let’s rethink the approach. By choosing sustainable, consumable, and meaningful gifts, you can fill stockings with items that are appreciated, used, and kind to the planet. Practical and mindful, these ideas create joy without adding clutter.
Healthy Home
Bathroom Remodel Ideas for a Truly Non-Toxic, Healthy Space
By Amanda Klecker
If a bathroom remodel is on your to-do list you have to read this blog post first. Most conventional building materials are loaded with VOCs, formaldehyde, and other highly toxic chemicals....
Architecture
The Overlooked Essentials: 10 Design Details That Make Everyday Living Healthier and Happier
By Kate Hamblet
When I talk about designing or renovating a healthy, high-performance home, I usually start with what I call the non-negotiables: things like proper orientation, airtightness, high-quality insulation, and balanced mechanical ventilation. These are the big systems that set the foundation for comfort, efficiency, and indoor air quality.
