I am planning to add solar to my home at some point in order to completely eliminate my already quite low electric bill. It’s a big investment, so I am researching the cost and then saving enough money to be able to pull the trigger. When planning, I have also considered that my next vehicle…
I don’t think it’s any secret that the “family” has changed a lot over the last 30-40 years. “Family time” now means rushing to get your kids’ meal after you get home from work, rushing them to do their home work, maybe sitting down for some mindless television watching together and then rushing to get…
It’s hard to believe, but this good old-fashioned country girl has not decorated a Christmas tree since moving to Florida 6 years ago. It’s been very hard for me to get into the Christmas spirit in the absence of snow and frigid weather. (Although, at this point, 65 feels pretty nippy to me. But that’s…
If you’re from Florida, you know what a McMansion is. It’s an embarrassingly large (3,000+ square feet), yet somehow mundanely generic house, usually built for just two people – often a second home that is only lived in for part of the year. They are the epitome of conspicuous consumerism and the apex of wasteful and greedy…
For those of us who are trying really hard to live more sustainable lives, it is often frustrating when we revert to our wasteful ways. Maybe you were visiting a friend and etiquette required that you flush *every time*. Or you were dining out and knew the food wasn’t sourced locally.
Anyone who has ever charted their carbon footprint knows that traveling can add enormous weight to your impact on the planet. Plane travel uses a frighteningly large amount of gasoline, and the airline industry and its associated services use lots of energy and create a serious amount of waste. So how does one embark on…
If you’ve ever smelled a combustion-engine lawnmower in action, you can understand my concerns about owning one. They are smelly and unregulated and require you to carry a can of flammable liquid in your car. When I moved into Casa Verde, I knew I would need a means by which to control the grass on…
Earlier this summer, I began to notice small round holes in my lawn. I thought maybe a snake or spider had made them, so I poked a stick down a few of them hoping the resident of the hole would scurry out so I could see who he/she was. No one came out, and the…
I know many of you would love to have a big, outdoor garden like mine. I feel so lucky to have the space for it. But what if you simply don’t have that kind of real estate or are currently renting an apartment? No one should be without the satisfaction of picking a fresh cherry…
I must be the luckiest girl alive because my sweetheart LOVES to help me with home improvement projects. I can’t explain it and do not dare question it. I just revel in it night and day. I think one reason he enjoys it is because my projects are Earth-friendly, small and fairly straightforward. My latest…