I was sitting on the beach this weekend, watching my niece and nephew splashing in the water, and it got me thinking. Did you ever notice how some people will only swim in a swimming pool, while others swear by the rejuvenating power of a saltwater sea? Personally, I like swimming in a swimming pool but I hate what the chlorine does to my hair and my swimsuit. And apparently I’m not the only one. More and more people are converting their swimming pools from chlorine to saltwater. With a saltwater swimming pool you don’t have to add chlorine to the water because it converts salt into chlorine using a chlorine generator. A saltwater pool also requires lower levels of chlorine so there’s less exposure to the chemical, which is good for you hair and skin, as well as for the environment.
This week our guest blogger, Susanna Salk has a dilemma to which I can really relate, since I’ve been struggling with a similar search for my own home for close to 4 years. She’s trying to help her parents find a coffee table.
Dating a Coffee Table
From Open House by Susanna Salk
So we finally found the right piece to the puzzle and JUST when we were reaching the end of our rope. The oh-so-important coffee table was like the finger in the dam. Without the correct shape, material, size, the rest of my parents’ sitting room would just not flow. We looked at leather, (too masculine) glass, (too sharp), circular from India (close, but my father thought the tin material would be too noisy when he went to rest his feet on it) and tufted, (too precious). It was like those dating events where you meet someone for 10 minutes and then move on to the next guy, hoping sparks will fly with one of the 100 bachelors before the allotted time.
So each table courted us with its possibilities and capabilities, ("you can put a tray on me", "I’m one-of-kiiiiind", "my fabric is super-resistant"), but I could tell from my parents’ lulled expressions they weren’t biting. When their eyes started to glaze over, I knew I was in trouble.
See how Susanna paired her parents with the perfect table.
We’re still stuck in serious heat wave here. Temperatures are topping out at around 100 degrees, so the air conditioning is going full blast, both at home and in the office. The problem is that I need some fresh air. I want to open the windows and let the breeze blow through. So how can I keep my house cool, while still enjoying the warm summer air? I got some advice from Ed Moore of Shade Solutions:
- Open front and back doors to create cross ventilation.
- Protect your home from the sun’s warmth by installing sunscreen shades or outdoor awnings on doors, windows, porches and patios.
- If you’re considering repainting your home’s exterior or replacing the roof, choose a light color to reflect more sunlight away from the building.
- Add shade trees or shrubs to block the sun’s rays. Deciduous trees will to protect against the sun during the summer, yet shed their leaves during the winter.
- Protect your home’s furnishings from fading by lowering the blinds or shades when the sun is at it’s peak.
Are your plants growing as well as you would like them to be? Are your gardening practices eco-friendly? There are plenty of ways to make your garden greener—both literally and environmentally speaking. Joe Sharp, founding member of the Coalition of Environmentally Conscious Growers™, gave me these tips to help you make your garden a little greener.
- Plant indigenous plants that will thrive easily in your climate.
- Use all-natural compost made from vegetable scraps rather than fertilizer.
- Harvest rainwater to capture mineral- and chlorine-free water for watering.
- Plant herbs and flowers to attract helpful insects such as bees and butterflies.
- Feed the birds—birds keep harmful insects at bay.
- Limit your use of chemical deterrents by investing in plants animals prefer not to eat.
- Don’t use herbicides or pesticides.
- Plant wildflowers to prevent erosion.
Last week was hot here. The temperatures were well over 80 and it’s supposed to be even warmer this weekend. So I finally broke down and turned on the air conditioner. Every year there’s a fine line between needing to cool the house and watching my gas & electric bill rise in the summer months. Well, the first step in keeping those bills down is to get a programmable thermostat. According to the EPA, when programmed properly, these thermostats can save you about $180 a year on your energy bills. Unfortunately, the EPA also found that most consumers don’t know how to program their thermostat to maximize their savings. Here are a few guidelines from the EPA to help you make sure that you’re getting the most out of your thermostat.
- Raise the temperature setting by 7 degrees when you’re away and 4 degrees when you’re asleep in the summer.
- Save even more by using the “Vacation” and “Hold” features to manage temperatures while you’re away from home for an extended period.
- Lower the temperature setting by 8 degrees when you’re away or asleep in the winter
- Visit the EnergyStar website for more tips and tutorials on how you can get the most savings out of your programmable thermostats
