Today, people are quite conscious of waste, and maintaining a sustainable lifestyle is a concern for many. Furniture, which is not only bulky but often made with synthetic materials, is a concern for the eco-conscious when it comes time to get rid of it.

Investing in antiques means re-using rather than consuming, and creative re-use of your worn-out furniture can also breathe new life into old items. Whether you are redecorating or just getting started furnishing your home, antiques are an excellent, educational way to extend the life of furniture. Read the rest of this entry

A bean pot is a variation on the crock pot or slow cooker, but it is not electric. It is usually a ceramic pot intended for slow cooking, and is particularly suited for bean cookery. Bean pots are really nothing new. In fact, colonial women would bring crockery pots of beans to the local baker’s to be baked slowly in his oven. You can cook beans by this old-fashioned, money-saving method using a modern bean pot. Read the rest of this entry

You’ve certainly heard of peanut butter – but did you know there are other nut and even seed butters out there? There are quite a few different nut and seed butters on the market, and each has a beneficial nutritional profile. For those with an allergy to peanuts, nut and seed butters can provide just as good (if not better) nutrition without the risk of setting off a peanut allergy. Let’s take a look at some of these butters, and what some of their benefits are. Read the rest of this entry

It seems like “whole grain” is the buzz-phrase these days, with everything from cookies to pasta making healthful claims based on their inclusion of whole grains. What makes a grain “whole?” And is it really that different from refined grain? The answer to the latter question is most definitely yes. Read the rest of this entry

You may think that keeping your redecorating efforts eco-friendly will break your budget. While it’s true that some “green” items can cost more, there are ways to engage in environmentally-friendly redecorating and still stay within a budget. Here are some ideas. Read the rest of this entry

A lot of people tend to react to spiders – especially big ones – with fear. Garden spiders can get quite large, but before you run, scream, or squish, stop and think about the benefits of having spiders in your garden.

Yes, spiders can be beneficial. They eat insects that cause problems for humans, such as wasps and mosquitoes. They do tend to be secretive and reclusive, which contributes to their creepy reputation. They move quickly when startled, and you never know when you will come upon one. Read the rest of this entry

Have you ever been enjoying the beauty of a landscape only to have your experience ruined by the sight of trash on the ground or in the water? Few things ruin the beauty of nature like improperly discarded plastic bags, bottles, paper, tires, and so forth.

You may want to get active and help fix the problem, but it seems daunting and unpleasant. So why not host a trash pick-up party? You will elicit extra hands to help while visiting with friends and having fun. Read the rest of this entry

Packaging can be quite wasteful, from the use of oversized cardboard boxes and plastic tape to bubble wrap and Styrofoam peanuts. Plastic does not biodegrade (break down in landfills), and of course all that paper and cardboard comes from trees. There are, however, some ways you can make your packaging greener. Here are some ideas. Read the rest of this entry

The rise in autism cases has many people concerned, especially as a definite cause for the disorder is elusive. The Centers for Disease Control reports that 1 in 150 children (more boys than girls) born today will develop autism. The rise in autism since the early 1990s is epidemic in proportion, but thankfully, there are some insights as to what triggers this disorder.

Toxins in general are implicated in autism, and now environmental factors are coming under scrutiny. Specifically, household items such as cleaners are potential culprits. Read the rest of this entry

Perhaps, when you first heard the terms “cob structure” and “cob building,” you thought it had something to do with constructing buildings from corn cobs. Actually, cob building is a form of earth and straw construction that is quite ancient. Read the rest of this entry