Articles Written by Julie Hancher

As 2013 comes to a close, we all get to celebrate the holidays with time off from work, family, friends, whiskey and cats meowing as we're home. (...just us?) Maybe you were on vacation or Facebook forced you to miss a post or two from us. Speaking of which, scroll to the bottom of the post for a really easy way to see more of our updates... Regardless of the reason, make sure to check out our most popular posts of 2013... because if they're popular, people obviously like them. And you don't want to miss out on cool things. Here are our 10 most popular posts of 2013:

Whether you are hosting a festive party over the holidays or offering to clean up after one you attended, there's always the dilemma of dishwasher vs. hand-washing dishes. So which is better for the Earth?

'Tis the season to be giving... Fa la la la la, la la la la. But what wrapping, bags and paper can you recycle? Fa la la la la la, la la la la. Good news for you - we sorted out Christmas recycling tips for you, for what you can put in the single-stream Philadelphia bins! Here's what you can recycle over the holidays for today's edition of Where Can I Wednesday.

Call me senile, but I was getting a little sentimental. On Sunday, I officially turned 30. "30" wasn't something I had originally feared, but I thought about what this nice, round, even number meant to me. Although I haven't made the 30 under 30 list for Forbes or Inc. magazine, I've learned a few things in my young life that I'll share with you. Read 30 Pieces of Advice from What I've Learned at Age 30, after the jump.

Does the snow, ice and cold weather make you miss the PHS Pop-up Garden? Good news: there's a new winter wonderland where you can ice skate and warm up with food and local craft beer afterwards. Find out about the skating rink and how to win a FREE VIP pack, after the jump!

There's always a downside to a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. Like most of those fragrances you see plastered with the gorgeous faces of Taylor Swift, Kim Kardashian and Queen Bey have a dark side. The US National Academy of Sciences targeted fragrances over 25 years ago as one of the 6 categories of neutroxins (ie toxic to your brain) as perfume; are made from synthetic, petroleum-based chemicals and may contain cancer-causing toxins. So what's a green guy or gal to do? Local Company Spotlight: The Perfume Fountain

Looking for a unique gift for someone this holiday season? Think Green. But not money. Or 'green' like the environment. Giving a living plant is a great gift to help someone further their gardening, breathe fresh air into their office or home or lift spirits with a mini ecosystem. Have friend with a black thumb? Think low maintenance air plants or terrariums. You can even get craft and make your own succulent terrarium gift.   Readers, what 'green' gifts are you giving?

Woohoo! It's the time of the season for a lovely holiday bike ride! The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia Holiday Lights Bike Ride is back on Thurs, Dec 12th (rain date: 12/19). This fabulous ride

After a surge of holiday 'theme' days... Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Giving Tuesday.. the holidays are sneaking up on us faster than ever. Yet ever consider how much disposables of boxes, wrapping paper, ribbon and bags are involved? Although you can reuse wrapping paper or go without, there's still something about having a gorgeous gift wrapped up in a colorful design. VZWraps: Greener than disposable wrapping paper VZ Wraps are the classy, reusable solution for gifts. Find out more about VZ Wraps after the jump!