With so many home magazines going away, it was great to discover Atomic Ranch, a little gem that’s somehow escaped my notice for four years! The quarterly magazine focuses on midcentury design, but with a twist — most of the homes featured aren’t exactly huge and a lot of them aren’t exactly what you’d think of when you think “midcentury modern.” All the more inspiration for me, who lives in a home that was built midcentury but that will rely on us to add the “modern.” Subscribe to Atomic Ranch here. –Mary T.

I was checking out one of my favorite foodie sites this morning and saw that the folks at Chow had posted about the Soda Stream home soda makers. These fun machines allow you to carbonate your own water or make your own soda. I’m always lugging home bottles of seltzer from the grocery store and feeling particularly bad about buying plastic bottles that will sit in a landfill forever. But will a soda maker really reduce my carbon footprint? Has anyone used one? Is it worth the investment, or just a silly kitchen gadget? –Erica P.

I love the hot colors of the Confetti Collection of trays, bowls, and more from Zak! Designs, and like it even more because every piece is made from recycled melamine. A great way to get the durability of melamine, feel a little better about the purchase, and enjoy the colors of my grandma’s 1950s linoleum floors! You can find it online at LaPrima Shops from $4-$29.99, or find it at your local kitchen store — I spotted it at Metropolitan Market and it looks great in person. –Mary T.

We’re taking the rest of this holiday week off, but before we go, how about a couple resolutions for the new year? This one’s not about weight loss or exercise, but your home. I have a few:

- Organize my closets
- Turn my front yard from a mud pit (compliments of the puppy) into a dog- and people-friendly space
- Paint our baseboards
- Put up some drywall to begin re-finishing our recently un-finished basement

Sounds daunting, but heck, I have a whole year, right? Share your resolutions, if you have any, in comments. And Happy New Year! –Mary T.

Landscaping image via King County, Washington

I’m not a regular incense burner, but if I was I’d seriously consider this Om Incense Holder by Harry Allen. The hand was actually cast from the artist’s own (a great way to “sign” your work, if you ask me). The ash from the burned incense falls into the palm of the hand. Plus, according to the description on Greener Grass Design, the holder is easily wall mountable. — Erica P.

Cooking Light magazine offers a delicious twist on traditional lasagna. This dish layers roasted butternut squash and sweet potato with a creamy white cheese sauce, lasagna noodles and shredded mozzarella. Though the prep time isn’t quick, it is certainly easy. If you roast off the veggies the night before like I did, the rest of the dish can be prepped in under 30 minutes. Serve with a lightly dressed salad or simple green vegetable to counter the sweetness. Click below for the full recipe. — Erica P.

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One of the great joys of doing this site is all the wonderful advice, experience and stories you share in your comments here. As 2008 comes to a close, we raise a glass to you, our readers. Whether you’ve been here since we started in March 2007 or just stumbled upon us recently, cheers to you! So, here’s a look at the Shelterrific stories that had you talking the most. They are definitely worth a few clicks — you may learn something. (Like, yes, we all really need rice cookers!)

1. Do you have a TV in your bedroom?

2. Hot Hose! Cynthia Rowley goes pink at Target.

3. Have you switched your bulbs?

4. Help! How do I keep the air fresh in my house?

5. What do you collect?

6. What decorating trend are you sick of?

7. Should we buy a rice cooker?

8. What’s your recipe deal breaker?

9. Help! I need a beach read!

10. And finally, our amazing giveaways! We promise to have more in 2009! Stay tuned!

A friend just emailed me a photo of this cute elephant tray she spotted in the Ikea marketplace. I love it and it’s only $6! It’d be perfect to place under a dish drying rack in the kitchen… especially if you’re one of the rare families like ours with no dish washing machine. — Angela M.

It’s a very gray day today in New York City. It’s been drizzling all morning and I have yet to see the sun. If only I had one of Tobias Wong’s Sun Jars to store the sunlight for me. It’s a simple sandblasted jar with a solar powered LED light inside. Set the jar in a sunny window during the day and enjoy a beautiful glow after the sun goes down. A collection of these would be perfect for an outdoor party on a summer evening, don’t you think? I’d love to line up three of them in my bedroom window right now to warm the room on these cold winter nights. Pick one up for $44 over at Charles & Marie. — Erica P.

Thanks to Twinkle by Wenlan for steering us towards this delight: AnnaTheRed’s bento factory. We are longtime suckers for food-art, and this whimsical take on Japanese lunches amuses to no end. It’s the blog of a Japanese artist living in New York, who expresses her creativity by making inventive characters in lunchboxes. As she points out, lots of moms get up early to make lunches for their kids, but we doubt that any are as wonderful as Anna’s. Click here to see her blog and here to see more photos on flickr.