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Casa Quickie: Steer Your Plants Clear of Heat
It's one thing to place your houseplants in direct sunlight, but you won't do them a favor by putting them near a direct heat source (radiator, duct, oven). Doing so will dehydrate your beloved plant quickly; even if you water it diligently, the leaves will dry out. The same goes for air conditioners and vents.
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Casa Verde: Keep Your Energy Bills Low When on Holiday
If you're planning on vacationing this August, you know that you don't need to use as much energy at home while you're away as you would normally. But, I thought I'd give you a few reminders about how to cut back your energy use while you're off hitting the beach.
- Most people like to leave some lights on to be safe, so you appear to be home even when you're not.
Coveted Crib: Cottage Rehab
The owners of this 1930s cottage loved the feel of their home, but not its lack of spaciousness. The homeowners turned to CG&S Design-Build , one of Austin, TX’s premier residential design-build firms, to renovate and expand their home.
Even though the cottage has now doubled in size (to a little over 2,500 square feet), the home still retains the small footprint and feel of the original home.
In the News: Keeping Cool Without AC
The magazine Scientific American recently answered a reader's question about how to turn down the heat without turning on your air conditioner, and I thought it was definitely information worth sharing. You can read the whole article here, but I've summarized most of the major points below.
- The key to keeping cool is maintaining air flow over the skin's surface (also known as a breeze).
Casa Verde: Save Energy While You Vacation
Of course, you know that if you're going on vacation during this endless Summer, you don't need to use as much energy at home while you're away as you would normally. But, I thought I'd give you a few reminders about how to cut back your energy use while you're off soaking up the sun.
- Most people like to leave some lights on to be safe, so you appear to be home even when you're not.
Home Away From Home: Be an Eco Chic Guest
Even if you're not sleeping in your own bed and eating out of your own fridge, you can still be an eco chic guest when you're home away from home — and that doesn't necessarily translate to skipping showers or toilet paper. I've outlined a few ways that you can be environmentally friendly when you're on vacation or a business trip:
- Stay in a green hotel. Environmentally friendly hotels initiate programs that save water and energy and reduce waste, while saving money, and engage in many of the same activities you do in your casa verde.
Casa Verde: 21 Eco-Friendly Home Improvements
I'm always looking for new ways to make my home greener, so thanks to Tdamji for pointing me to this list of 21 eco-friendly home improvements. (By the way, if you haven't checked out Tdamji's Minimal Harm — For the Love of the Planet group, I highly recommend it.)
This 21-green salute will help your conscience and your pocketbook, saving money and increasing your home's value. How many of these tactics do you use in your home?
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