Articles Written by Julie Hancher

Always a bridesmaid...never a bride. (sidenote: no idea what that saying actually means... or where it's from, actually but it's funny...) I always have a blast at my friends' & family's weddings. (In fact, I currently have a residence in weddingville.) Yet, I've been accumulating bridesmaid dresses that may not always fit me all that well. Recently I was contemplating what to do with some a few of the non-reusable dresses... to avoid Katherine Heigl's fate a la 27 Dresses. Thank goodness Newlymaid landed in my in-box. Find out what I found out after the jump!

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society recently decorated the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with Carousel animals that starred in the 2011 Philadelphia International Flower Show. 9 creatures – including a peacock, camel, rabbit, snail, butterfly, dragonfly, and unicorn; were created with brought to life with a variety of plant materials - primarily with moss and coconut bark – for their re-animation that would (find out more, after the jump!)

I can be a procrastinator... and due to the weather/vacations/etc, I've delayed on planting my back porch city garden. Starting a garden isn't an easy task - some plants can be easier to grow and benefit from than others. Luckily, I got some advice from MNN's Mother Nature Network to help my planting:

Looking to get some relaxing time at the (golf) greens this summer and learn about the planet too? Fore! The Planet is

(nope, i'm not referring to the rapture tomorrow, either...) Driving to Work.. Working to Drive... Driving to Work... Working to Drive... Which is it?

Hey fatty - we have a problem. No, not you, all of America. Americans spend trillions on healthcare each year. 2/3 of us are overweight and 50% of us take prescription drugs. Cases of diabetes are exploding, and heart disease, cancer and stroke are the three leading causes of death in the US. Can you dream of a health plan that could save you money and actually REVERSE conditions you may have?

Get ready to start your engine... Get your bikes ready! This Friday, May 20th is National Bike to Work Day (a highlight of May being Bike Month!). I encourage all you to get on board at America's #1 bike-commuting city (Philly, silly!) before the North-South Bike lanes begin in Philly next month! Events kick off at 8 AM on Friday - Join

After I recently returned on a 2+ week journey to Australia (more on that later...), I was walking over the Whole Foods... and couldn't help but notice how beautiful our trashcans were in Philly. Say whattt? I'm not crazy. As a part of the Street Department's UnLitter Us movement, Litter Critter BigBelly trash compactors were designed and painted by artists & students as a part of Mural Arts’ Big Picture Program in part to celebrate Earth Month. The decorated BigBellies were painted to (Click through for the story and more pretty pictures!)

I must admit, I do love the lilac rain boots I purchased while sick of wet jeans and shoes being drenched in the rain. However, what if a street soaked up water like a sponge instead? The 800 block of Percy St between Catherine & Christian became Philadelphia’s first porous Street to do just that! Made of permeable materials including porous asphalt and a layer of stones underneath, the street allows water to soak through the surface and eliminates storm-water runoff. This wasn’t just constructed to decrease rain boot sales - Philadelphia has a combined sewer system that includes