Summer at Home

The weather is getting better (and hotter) every day here at home.

It is nice to finally call our new town home.

DIY: Quick and Easy Humidifier

I have come to realize rather quickly in our new digs that we lack humidity. 99% of the time this would make me happy as I usually fight humidity all summer as my hair goes limp and wavy. But during the winter it is quite a problem because my makes my hair full of static and my skin super dry. The Mr. is known to wake up in the middle of the night to me ripping flesh from my body because I itch so hard. (Probably too much information, I know. But thought you needed a visual.)

So the other day while my eyes were on fire from being so dry, I decided something needed to be done. I have looked at humidifiers at different stores but decided I am too (cheap, stubborn, etc.) to buy one. So instead I reached into our kitchen cabinet, filled a bowl with water, and placed it in front of our oh-so-classy faux fireplace heater (It came with the apartment. I think it adds real distinguished look to the place. We also have many leather bound books and our apartment smells of rich mahogany. Movie quote, anyone?)

Anyways, so far so good. It has helped to add a little moisture content to the air with no added cost to us. I am sure we could use a larger bowl of water if needed but so far this has seemed to do the trick along with healthy amount of lotion (It puts the lotion on the skin or it gets the hose again. Enough with the movie quotes!)

What things do you DIY or create yourself to save money? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know.

HGTV: Green Home 2010

While the weather is crummy out right now I thought I would look at some greener pastures, or lawns shall I say.

The house above is HGTV's Green Home for 2010. What a beaut. It is located in Plymouth, Massachusetts and is overall a gorgeous home with a lot of great green features. But really, how "green" is it?

It has low-maintenance landscaping. (Good, but is it planted with plants native to the region?) It has a drip irrigation system. (Good choice.) It has large trees that we transplanted from another site in the area. (Wait, how was that a good idea? Isn't it very unhealthy it take grown trees and move them?) It has 9 solar panels on the roof. (I didn't have to pay for them so it sounds like a good idea to me.) The wrap-around porch is made from a PVC-product that is impervious to moisture and insects. ("Building materials which contain PVC account for more than 70% of all PVC usage. The Green Building Movement is one of the fastest growing aspects of the environmental movement. The extreme potency, global nature, and disproportionate hazardous impacts of dioxin relating to production, use, and disposal of PVC have already influenced many in the building and construction industry to plan for a phase-out of PVC. The use of PVC compares unfavorably with other building materials in: air quality, embodied energy, recyclable and lifecycle toxicity impacts." -The Alliance for a Clean Environment...'Nough Said"

That is enough of that. I am just being picky. Overall, it is a beautiful home, all 2,100 square feet of it. For the average American this is way more eco-conscious than they would expect (or do themselves) so I do give HGTV mad props for that. (Yes, I am pasty white and said "mad props". Deal with it.)

Anyways, what is your idea of a "green" home? What ways are you making your home greener now?

Picture from www.hgtv.com