At some point, we’ve all had that fantasy of abandoning society and living off the grid. I’ve always dreamed of having my own personal island, but I’ve never entertained the idea that it could actually be done. I couldn’t be more wrong, though. Not only is it possible, but there are two people who are living their best lives on one right now. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBP_ATF’); }); Artists Wayne Adams and Catherine King were tired of city life, so in the 1990s, they decided to go back into nature. They began building their own sustainable home off the coast of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. And after 24 years of hard work and dedication, they have an incredible floating home that’s aptly called Freedom Cove. Although they’re not totally off the grid, their lifestyle is different than what we’re used to. In this picture, it looks like they live on the side of a mountain, which would already be enviable. Facebook / Catherine King googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCBM_BTF’); }); But here you can see that their home is floating. Facebook / Catherine King They even have their own greenhouses and gardens to grow food. Facebook / Catherine King googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display(‘VN_PG_DCI1_BTF’); }); And needless to say, they have a gorgeous view. Facebook / Catherine King Would you build something like this if you had the chance? (via MindBodyGreen) I have never seen a home as amazing as this one. I wonder if they would consider letting me stay there on vacation. I could even bring one of these. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/floating-island-home/
Because this penguin was born blind, Blindy has had a tough life. At only 12 weeks old, the poor thing lost its family. Without help, Blindy surely would’ve died in the wild. Fittingly enough, however, a woman named Shireen Helps decided to lend a helping hand. Now living at the woman’s penguin sanctuary in Flea Bay, New Zealand, Blindy is learning more every day. Next up? Learning how to swim! Even though Blindy will never be able to return to the wild, Helps hopes that the penguin will find a forever home at a zoo one day. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/blind-penguin/
When Daniel Woods asked those closest and dearest to him and his wife to sit down for a quick interview, his friends and family had no idea why…or what he wanted to ask them. In truth, Daniel wasn’t planning on asking them anything. He just wanted to capture their reactions on his slow-motion video camera when he shared a surprise announcement with them all! Their happy facial expressions slowed down like that made this the cutest pregnancy reveal video I’ve seen in a long time. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/cute-baby-announcement/
When you hear birds chirping in the springtime, it’s safe to say that they’re calling out to potential mates. Because it’s such an ordinary sound, it probably doesn’t occur to you that it could be the last time that bird’s call is ever heard. While it’s a far-fetched idea, that was the thought going through the heads of researchers in 1987 as they recorded the last male Kauai ‘O’o bird singing on the Hawaiian island of Kauaʻi. The small bird had been pushed to extinction by the introduction of non-native species. By 1987, there was only one left — a single male. In the video below, you can hear the last mating song of the Kauai ‘O’o bird as he calls out to a mate that would never answer. (source: Robert Davis ) Honestly, listening to that bird’s song and writing this moved me to tears. How many more species have to slip away before humanity gets its act together? Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/last-mating-song/
Personally, I can’t stand the sound of leaf blowers. I mean, even the people who work with them on a daily basis wear headphones so they can block out their ungodly noise. But put one of the unnecessarily loud machines in front of Fiesta the llama at The Houston Zoo? Well, you can forget about any other plans you had for the day. Every morning when zookeepers clean out the stalls, the fluffy lady demands that they give her some of that sweet, sweet leaf-blowing air. “Oh. OH! Get my tum.” YouTube / The Houston Zoo You do you, Fiesta. I’ll just be here watching with my earplugs in. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/leaf-blower-llama/
We all know this saying: “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a night. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat forever.” But as it turns out, the scope of that adage is a bit narrow. That’s because this golden retriever named Rani loves to fish, too! You can see her in action in the video below. She uses bait and everything! Rani has used this method to capture dozens of fish and turtles over the years. There’s something pretty adorable about a self-sufficient pup, am I right? Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/dog-catches-fish/
Just the smell of chalk brings me back to afternoons on the playground drawing up four square courts and hopscotch games. But those days are long gone and I still have tons of chalk strewn around my home. If you’re in the same boat, here are just a few of the ways you can reuse the stuff. 1. Temporarily dye your hair…here’s how. 2. Ants and other bugs hate talcum powder, a key ingredient in chalk, so you can draw lines in parts of your home that are susceptible to insects. Tickled Mummy Club 3. If your keys aren’t going into their locks without a fight, rub the edges with some chalk and they’ll slide in easily. Flickr / Alper Çuğun 4. Chalk off dangerous zones in your yard — like the area around an outdoor grill — so children know where they shouldn’t go. Flickr / Dennis Jarvis 5. Want to plan your layout without doing the heavy lifting just yet? Chalk out where you want to put things to make sure everything fits. Flickr / Matthew Paul Argall 6. You can color your own candles with crushed-up chalk. 7. Keep a pouch of chalk in your clothing drawers and closets to keep moisture out and freshness in. Pinterest 8. Pretreat grease-stained clothes by rubbing the dirty spots with some chalk. Let them sit for a few minutes and then launder as usual. Flickr / Angus Fraser 9. Keep your tools in tip-top shape by storing them with some chalk. It will keep moisture from rusting your wrenches and other metal items. Flickr / Erich Stüssi 10. The same concept applies to preventing your silverware from tarnishing. Just wrap some chalk in a cheesecloth and store it with your flatware. Flickr / Deidre Woollard 11. You can also pop some chalk in with your jewelry to keep things tarnish-free. Flickr / Joe Flintham 12. Give your nails a makeover by rubbing a nail brush with some white chalk. Gently sweep under your nails. The brush will dust away dirt while the chalk gives your nails a bright, white finish. Flickr / Pat (Cletch) Williams 13. Small scratches on your walls can easily be covered up with chalk that matches the paint color. Flickr / athriftymrs.com (via 22 Words) Then again, we definitely won’t judge you if you use the chalk to start up a game of hopscotch with the neighborhood moms and dads…it’s fun! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/chalk-uses/
Let’s be honest, for years we’ve tied our shoes without using the top lace holes in our sneakers. Or maybe you use them, but they don’t add much to your walking experience. Why are they there? What do they do? They’ve got to have a purpose, right? Well, it turns out that not only do they have a function, but it’s actually pretty epic when you discover the difference it makes in your shoe-wearing experience. Don’t believe us? Just see for yourself… Now don’t we all feel pretty silly for never figuring that out? Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/shoelace-hole/
Even as toddlers, we learn so much about the intricacies of this planet. Gravity sucks, food is good, and things can disappear and reappear through the magic incantation of “peek-a-boo!” But when one little girl was told by her dad that snow comes from the sky…well, it was just too absurd for her to handle! “Daddy is funny!” she said, disparaging her father as the Catholic Church once did Galileo. Even Mom seemed to find the notion daffy, and she quickly joined in on the giggling. Now that I’m thinking about it, she might have a point. You’re telling me that clouds create billions of dandruff-like flakes out of ice, and each flake is completely unique? That sounds like a dumb idea, even for Dad! Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/snow-what/
Surprise military homecomings are always emotional, but what makes this video of a son surprising his mother on her birthday especially emotional is that he just found out his mom had been diagnosed with cancer. After getting the terrible news, the young man serving in the Army National Guard hurried back home just in time for Mom’s birthday. Something tells me that this was her best birthday ever. What a precious family moment. That smile on her face says it all. Read more: http://www.viralnova.com/birthday-soldier/
