Brooks & Crowley - January 2022

Easy, Affordable Ways to Embrace Nature in Your Home

Thanks to the chaos we’ve experienced since 2020, many design experts are looking to create spaces that are calm, welcoming, and grounded. Enter one of the biggest design trends of the 2020s: neutral, natural elements. Here are some easy ways to bring nature inside and boost your home’s look without overspending. The obvious option is to add more houseplants. And plants don’t have to be difficult! Consider your home space, first. How much light do you get? Is it a dry or humid home? How likely is it that you will remember to water a plant? Bring these concerns to your local nursery, and they will help you find the perfect leafy friend(s) to fill your space. Then, opt for pieces that won’t decay. When choosing new decor for your home or when updating your knickknacks for the seasons, look for wooden or natural items that don’t have a life cycle. Fake plants, wooden statues and picture frames, and piles of stones or vases with rocks can bring the richness of the great outdoors into your home with little effort and can be reused each season. Now, look to your backyard! If you have a big pine tree that produces pine cones each year, don’t let those go to waste! Baskets or vases filled with pine INJURED IN A CAR ACCIDENT?

cones can be great fall and winter decor pieces,

while lots of clever crafters have made

wreaths, scent diffusers, and other fun items with pine cones found in their yard. Just be mindful of what you take from nature. Don’t take anything of value

to the ecosystem, and don’t grab items from state or national parks.

Finally, utilize windows. Part of embracing natural design elements is letting nature do the talking! Focus your design in each room around windows. For instance, fix plant displays near windows or hang bird feeders in trees you can see through your windows. If you really want to get cozy with the outdoors, consider installing a skylight! To find more inspiration, take a walk and discover how Mother Nature has designed her space. Bring those ideas into your home and enjoy the comfort of the great outdoors within your own great indoors.

CHICKEN WITH LEMON HERB SAUCE Inspired by FoodNetwork.com

Healthy eating doesn’t have to be bland with this citrusy chicken! Ingredients

1/3 cup and 2 tbsp olive oil, divided 4 boneless chicken breasts 1 clove of garlic, minced

• • • • •

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup parsley, chopped 1/3 cup mint, chopped

• •

1 1/2 tsp pepper

1 lemon, for juice and zest

directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 F. 2. In a large ovenproof skillet, heat 2 tbsp olive oil.

3. Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired and sear it in the skillet for 3 minutes on each side. Bake chicken until its internal temperature is 165 F. 4. In a blender, add 1/3 cup olive oil, garlic, salt, parsley, mint, pepper, and lemon zest and juice and blend ingredients until coarsely mixed. 5. Top chicken with sauce and serve!

Get Neil Crowley’s comprehensive guide to Massachusetts car accident claims and expert advice you need to get your life back on track. Go to BrooksAndCrowley.com/reports to request your free copy!

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