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The move toward minimalism has been in full swing for years now. Obviously, it’s not for everyone and any legitimate expert on the subject will tell you that there’s no “wrong” way to simplify your life, or even some specific amount of minimalism you need to achieve to declare yourself a minimalist. Of course, there are also detractors. Some consider the sacrifices many people make in the name of minimalism to constitute a colossal waste of time. After all, as you’ll see in this video, some of the rather expensive and clever solutions for living with less also require some fairly convoluted daily rituals. Other critics have suggested that minimalism is, contrary to its outward appearance, only something for the wealthy or privileged. After all, it often requires operating without a safety net, so to speak. Having a garage full of tools might seem expensive and cluttery, but the hidden costs of hiring someone else to do everything for you can far outweigh the price of a good set of wrenches or a drill. Whether minimal living is just another swing of the cultural pendulum or an important development to help society sustain itself is still up in the air. What’s not up for debate is how ingenious and cool the furniture in this video is. Whether it’s the murphy bed hidden behind a bookshelf (is this guy a minimalist Scooby Doo villain or something?) or the dining table for 10 disguised as a sideboard, these adaptive, space-saving home furnishings are appealing to even those of us who have plenty of room in our homes. H/T: Kirsten Dirksen Read more: http://www.wimp.com/brilliant-space-saving-furniture-cool/

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Organic. Non-GMO. Locally grown. Farm fresh. We use a lot of adjectives to describe our produce, but it can all sound like a bunch of gibberish to the uninformed shopper. Our food, and how it’s grown, is something that people get really passionate about – and for good reason. The U.S. agriculture industry provides our nation with around 1.5 million jobs that help the world stay fed. It’s their duty to provide us with the best fruits and vegetables possible, and they work hard at it each and every day. But, when you have an industry as big as agriculture, you’re bound to have people who believe things should be done differently. Corporations like Monsanto believe that GMOs, or genetically modified organisms, are the future of food. They are the world’s largest supplier of genetically engineered seeds and herbicides. By genetically modifying seeds, crops can be grown year-round, maintain a longer shelf life, and cost far less than non-GMO foods. Sounds great, right? Unfortunately, many have expressed their concerns that GMOs may be harmful to our health in the long run. If the purpose of the agriculture industry is to nourish the world, shouldn’t we be sure that the food it’s producing isn’t doing more harm than good? The jury is still out on how GMOs affect our health. There are plenty of studies that say they have no negative effect, citing years and years of data, while others maintain that the modified crops can lead to a host of health issues down the line. How you interpret this debate is up to you, as it may be a long time before we have a definitive answer as to whether or not GMOs are bad for us. For those of us who are wary of GMOs and produce that has been treated with chemical pesticides, there are tons of organic options available at just about every supermarket. How do you tell which fruits and veggies were grown which way? Sure, there are big signs that say “Organic,” but some shoppers might want a little more certainty when it comes to choosing what they will serve their family. That’s where PLU codes come in. These short, four- or five-digit codes can be found on most produce at the grocery store. PLU stands for “Price Look Up,” and cashiers use it to make sure they know exactly what type of produce you wish to purchase so they can charge you the correct price. In fact, you may have entered one of these yourself while using the self-checkout. Michelle Cesare While they’re useful for determining price, PLU codes have a lot more to tell us about how our produce was grown. Walmart There are three main types of PLU codes: zeroes, eights, and nines. FruitNet A PLU code that begins with a zero, or is four digits long, signifies produce that has been conventionally grown using common pesticides. (Ex: 03001 or 4921) rick A PLU code that begins with an eight signifies that […]

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LEGOs are a timeless toy. From their complicated modern sets to their basic building kits, these diminutive plastic blocks ignite the imagination of children of all ages. You can create art with LEGOs, but in the real world you’re limited to sculptures. In the fantastic dream world of “Paint: A Short LEGO Film,” however, creating art with Legos is as simple as sliding your brush across a plastic canvas. “Paint” finds an artist using a special LEGO-based paint to recreate Piet Mondrian’s abstract masterpiece “Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow.” Set to the soothing sounds of Schubert’s Symphony No.5 in B-flat major this short is an extension of the natural creative forces LEGO has inspired in countless children since their introduction in 1949. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/lego-painting-short-film/

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“But everybody else was doing it…” How many times have you heard this excuse (or used it yourself) over the course of your life? A recent social experiment from the TV show Brain Games sought to discover why people are so willing to follow those around them. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/hidden-camera-experiment-proves-how-easily-people-are-influenced/

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Some arachnophobes might find this video scary, but we think it’s actually kind of comforting. Since it looks like all the spiders are hiding in this guy’s backyard, there probably aren’t any left in the world to come and scare the rest of us. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/too-many-spiders/

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Prom is considered one of the most important milestones in a teenager’s life. For many, it is the last year of adolescence. Some people may even be moving out of their hometowns or countries to pursue their education elsewhere. Whatever your plans may be, prom helps to celebrate all the wonderful memories of high school before you and your friends each take your own paths to a bright future. An impressive amount of time, money, and thought goes into the planning and execution of the much-anticipated prom night. From elaborate prom proposals to stunning gowns, nothing is spared for the preparation of this big day. One junior high school student, Elizabeth Rasmuson, had a plan for her prom dress that required months of planning and a lot of creativity. But, as you’ll see, the final product was well worth it. In 2010, Elizabeth was only a junior in high school, but she was already thinking about her prom dress. To put her plan into action, she began purchasing a lot of 5 Gum – a brand of chewing gum that comes individually wrapped. She generously offered her stash of gum to friends and family while keeping the wrappers for herself. KROC When she had finally collected enough of the wrappers, it was time to put her prom dress together. That’s right – she made her dress out of gum wrappers. AP The first step was to design the pattern for her dress. According to Elizabeth, that part of the process did not take all that long. The most time-consuming task was flattening each and every one of the delicate wrappers and carefully cutting off the ends. AP She made sure to have enough wrappers to make a matching vest for her boyfriend and prom date, Jordan. AP (deployads = window.deployads || []).push({}); The dress was made using both iron-on interfacing and quilting techniques. Then, it was coated in a vinyl finish to keep the piece together. Globe Gazette Elizabeth got her inspiration when she heard about someone making a dress out of duct tape. She said she had always liked the colors on the wrappers of 5 Gum, and that became the material that she would use to create her own dress. Madsen Photography The making of the dress and Jordan’s vest required so many wrappers that she lost count after 200. Madsen Photography Although a lot of time and money was spent on this project, the results were well worth it. Madsen Photography (deployads = window.deployads || []).push({}); How many people can say that they made their own prom dress – and out of gum wrappers? Madsen Photography The prom photos were absolutely stunning. The adorable couple were perfectly color-coordinated and beaming with pride. Madsen Photography Elizabeth’s mother, Dawn, was also incredibly proud of her daughter. “In today’s world, a lot of the girls are just worried about fitting in and being like the next girl,” she told The Associated Press. Elizabeth, meanwhile, was busy turning her idea into a […]

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Being the mom of an infant is a tough job. You have to deal with crying, dirty messes, and constant care and attention. Of course, the joy and love of being a parent outweigh all the negatives – but that doesn’t mean it’s still a lot of work. If being the mom of one infant is hard, imagine what it must be like raising four at the same time.  It’s a reality the mom from this video has to face on a daily basis. Mrs. Gardner struggled through infertility for eight years, and then decided for IVF. The joy she had when she found out she was pregnant was multiplied when she found out that she would be giving birth to quadruplets. She ended up with two sets of identical twin girls: Indie, Esme, Scarlett, and Evangeline. Together, they are known as the “Gardner Quad Squad.” Their adventures are documented on YouTube for the world to see, and by watching them you can get a sense of the challenges and joys involved in raising quadruplets.  Here, the mom shows what it’s like to change the diapers of all four of her kids. It’s hard and stinky work, but the babies are very well behaved and the process becomes quite amusing to watch. It will give you a better appreciation for the work of this mom and the many like her.  Be sure to SHARE this amazing story with your friends and family.  H/T: Gardener Quad Squad Read more: http://www.wimp.com/what-its-like-changing-quadruplets/

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When this guy’s friends noticed he’d fallen asleep by the lake, they couldn’t help but take advantage of the opportunity for a clever prank. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/harmless-pranks-are-the-best-pranks/

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There is no doubt that Steve Martin is one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time. He is loved all over the world by people of every age. But did you know that Steve Martin is also the favorite comedian of dogs? That’s right, Steve Martin might be the world’s only inter-species comic.  In 1976, Steve Martin went on the Carol Burnett Show to perform a bit that would go down in comedy history. He brought out a group of dogs on stage and catered all of his jokes to the four-legged creatures. Though they listened politely for a few seconds, eventually the pups realized they had better things to do and began wandering around the studio, much to the delight of the audience. Luckily for Steve Martin, people still loved the bit, even though he got mixed reviews from the dogs. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/steve-martin-comedy-for-dogs/

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When I think of railroad workers, I think of “I’ve Been Workin’ On The Rail Road” and imagine a bunch of guys in overalls hammering steel and earth together. I admit, it’s been a while since I’ve really thought about trains much. This video certainly shows just how far we’ve come, and modern-day automated railroad assembly lines are truly a sight to behold. Read more: http://www.wimp.com/the-track-renewal-train-is-an-incredible-machine/

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