With the holidays quickly approaching, stress can reach an all-time-high at home. While you might not want yet another responsibility on your plate, it can be beneficial to add some calming, easy-to-manage plants to the scenery. Once the holiday fun is over and life returns to routine, you’ll have a little company to get you through the dreary winter. 

    Recognized as one of the top Holiday Garden Light Shows in the country, Garden Glow transforms the Missouri Botanical Garden into a dazzling winter wonderland each year. The unique and immersive experience features mesmerizing exhibits, musical light shows, delicious holiday treats, cozy rentable fire pits and plenty of photo opportunities to capture these unforgettable moments. This year, the Garden is partnering with Edward Jones as the presenting sponsor for the first time to illuminate the holiday season with Garden Glow, which features more than two million lights.

Outside of a three-story Georgian home, a giant Santa is standing guard outside the front door. Gifted to the homeowners’ daughters by a family friend, this treasured piece of Christmas decor welcomes visitors into the home from Thanksgiving through the end of the holiday season. “Christmas is my favorite holiday,” says the homeowner. “I start decorating in early November because we usually travel during Thanksgiving, and I like to enjoy December without stress.”

One might guess that the Christmas trees in designer Teddy Karl’s home are bursting with fanciful and fragile ornaments, breakable baubles and other “do not touch” holiday finery. 

    And while Teddy does love gleaming glass ornaments from Waterford, Lennox, Christopher Radko and other marquee names, he’ll be the first to note that his family’s trees also hold reindeer motifs crafted from his children’s handprints and framed ornaments of his kids’ school pictures. 

One small change can lead to an enormous transformation. This sentiment is especially true for the homeowners of this Bellerive Country Club residence who were looking to replace their floors after their young Yorkie had a few accidents during training. “It led me to think about what I would replace the carpet with, and then it occurred to me that this was the time to revamp the whole feel of the room,” says the homeowner. They turned to Jessie D. Miller Interior Design, who they had worked with twice before on previous renovations. “She doesn’t disappoint,” the homeowner continues.

About 50 miles north of the coast of Venezuela lies a gem in the glittering turquoise waters of the Caribbean. Bonaire, an island in the Leeward Antilles, is a special municipality of the Netherlands. Together with nearby Aruba and Curaçao, the trio form the ABC Islands. 

    A laid-back desert island with a focus on the natural world, Bonaire’s main attraction lies offshore. Crystal-clear waters and spectacular coral reefs categorize Bonaire as one of the world’s top scuba diving destinations. Snorkeling is easy from multiple beach entry points.