On this World Mental Health Day, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the importance of good lighting.

If you can’t get good natural light (and it’s not easy) – get decent lamps. Lots of them. I know it’s not the same as sunlight, but it helps.

One of my living room lamps, which was easily 30+ years old, gave up a week or so ago.

I got this replacement from Target – adjustable with an included LED bulb, and it arrived today:

Easy assembly and it already makes a difference – with the shade being totally open at the top, there is a lot of reflected light off the ceiling which definitely brightens up the room.

It also makes me realize I need to get the twisty-bit attachment for the vacuum out and get the bugs out of the kitchen light and add more bulbs to it. (It is a 3 bulb fixture, down to one…)

ETA: Avoid pleated lampshades like the plague. They’re a bitch and a half to keep clean/relatively dust free.