bulk buying

Life has been so hectic that I often find myself short on groceries. I have a card for one of those big discount warehouse stores but they are a practically a day-trip from front to back.
So imagine my excitement when I discovered

what size is your footprint?

Here’s a handy tool that allows you to calculate your carbon footprint and then determine how much specific actions will offset your energy use.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/lifestyle/green/dp-now-epacalculator.0913,0,55539.htmlpage

angels among us

From The Daily OM, comes this thoughtful little essay on “Graceful Guidance: Working With Angels.”
At some point in our lives, we are likely to find ourselves asking for help, perhaps from no one in particular, and without knowing where help could possibly come from. We may have raised our eyes skyward or whispered our need [...]

going organic via home delivery

Time strapped and have Domino’s on speed dial?
This is a handy way to bring organic fruits and veggies home without the trek to the grocery store — and, at least in Orlando, at a lower cost than the supermarket:
http://www.orlandoorganics.com/
They bundle what is in season and fresh, so the options vary each week. But with one small [...]

shooting for sustainability? more on bamboo

As a follow up to yesterday’s post on bamboo, here is a more in-depth article written by Rebecca Clarren for Salon Life. The article can be found at: http://www.salon.com/mwt/good_life/2007/11/05/bamboo/.
It offers some intriguing food for thought:

Bamboo has arrived. American consumers have embraced the veritable grass with a passion not seen since the first hippie rolled a [...]

bam! what’s the impact of bamboo?

Dwell magazine’s blog explored the true green value of bamboo. I recently heard the term “greenwashing,” which I suspect harkens back to the notion of whitewashing, or varnishing the truth.
Marketers increasingly are jumping on the green bandwagon, making it difficult for consumers to discern what is truly shrinking the carbon footprint. For example, if you [...]

words to touch your heart

If you are not familiar with poet and songwriter, David Whyte, I’d encourage you to explore his website, http://davidwhyte.bigmindcatalyst.com/cgi/bmc.pl?page=pubpg1.html&node=1025.
I met him at a friend’s house party where he sang, recited poetry and mingled a couple of years ago, and just heard that he’s returning this fall for another gathering. He is amazing in any setting [...]

kraftmaid cabinets at deep discounts

If you are in the market for Kraftmaid cabinets, aren’t in a hurry, are a bit flexible and live in the Midwest or are willing to trust a seasoned cabinet-buying pro, you might check out Jamie at http://www.cabinetwarehouseoutlet.com/.
He lives near the Kraftmaid outlet, which according to testimonials, is hard to navigate, has a lottery system [...]

lost? stand still and be found

Given my post on Earth Day and tree planting, I thought I would share David Wagoner’s poem, “Lost,” which was read in Eckhart Tolle’s “The New Earth” classroom.
Stand still. The trees ahead and bushes beside you
Are not lost. Wherever you are is called Here,
And you must treat it as a powerful stranger,
Must ask permission to [...]

plant deep roots for the future

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees, under whose shade you do not expect to sit.” – Nelson Henderson
 
      “Hope is a state of mind, not of the world. Hope, in this deep and powerful sense, is not the same as joy that things are going well, or willingness to invest in enterprises that [...]

a spiffy kitchen design tool

GE offers a Virtual Kitchen Designer that lets you see how different surfaces, cabinetry and appliances work together.
http://www.geappliances.com/design_center/virtual_kitchen_designer/

dream home diaries 2

This just in: Trudy received word from the New York Times that a new DHD blog will start this summer.

a study in bronze

A new photo from Jenn-Air’s oiled bronze collection, which was unveiled in 2007. I am hoping that LG, Maytag or GE come up with bronze at lower price point. But so far, bronze refrigerators aren’t taking off.

i’ve got your number

From Atlas hardware (available in lots of places online, as well as Sears, so it pays to Google and price search) come these perky Atlas house numbers, which I purchased in oil-rubbed bronze. They are perched on little pins that stick out from the wall. They are about $20 a piece (though I bought them a [...]

savings on emtek

 

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Save 25% Off Emtek orders (no minimum order)
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what’s the roi on your remodel?

I found a great blog on kitchen design that offers all sorts of helpful tips. You can find it here: http://www.kitchendesignnotes.com/
This posting offers some return-on-investment guidance for those of us embarking on a remodel, which is especially important in this crazy market.

More Tips on ROI

Reno ROI, no this is not the name of a slot [...]

dream home diaries: the aftermath

I’ve gotten several emails from my New York Times’ Dream Home Diaries pals about the blog’s finale. Because we developed a sense of community, I believe that they didn’t want to lambast me publicly. Thank you.
Interestingly, I suspect they had also hoped I would share my verdicts on all the things that went dreadfully wrong [...]

remodeling: the whole enchilada or in stages?

Kathy Price-Robinson of the LA Times has a helpful blog for remodelers, called “Pardon Our Dust.” I just ran across a Q&A in which she tackles the question: Do you take the entire hit on remodeling dust by completing all your projects at one, or do you stage them sequentially? She provides insight from a [...]

… the end was not so dreamy

Welcome to my New York Times’ Dream Home Diaries buddies. The blog that readers loved to hate has come to a screeching halt. I guess I have to agree with Susan Serra (www.thekitchendesigner.org) about the dearth of kind, parting words for the readers who spent countless hours offering insight and advice on the building process. [...]

more lean, mean, green tips

Mark Tyrol, PE, shares more handy hints about saving the planet without leaving home.
How To Reduce Your Energy Bills / Energy Conservation Begins at Home
Imagine leaving a window open all winter long — the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan or AC [...]

green living saves greenbacks

From Gregory Karp at The Morning Call comes this handy primer on simple green decisions that can save dollars. I especially like the idea of adding a water bottle to the toilet tank to consume less water with each flush.
What do vampires and toilets have in common?Gregory Karp is a personal finance writer for The [...]

a new earth

Although I haven’t caught up with the “biggest classroom in the world,” I’m making my way through Eckhart Tolle’s “A New Earth.” I’m on the fourth class, which you can download at www.oprah.com.
It’s really quite amazing.
One quote that spoke to me this week: “Sometimes letting things go is an act of far greater power than [...]

counterpoint

When I was growing up, kitchen counters were typically enameled cast iron (my aunts’s houses), ceramic tile (my grandmother’s apartment) or formica (our house). Today, the options boggle the mind. In fact, the new laminates are sort of interesting, though after ordering some samples I don’t think they are for me.
My current house has granite tiles reclaimed [...]

get thee to the scullery

If you are (as I am) planning a new or remodeled kitchen, designer Christopher Peacock offered some wisdom in the New York Times article, “And Now the Six-Figure Scullery,” written by Penelope Green.
Based on his experience with clients asking for features that rarely get used, he developed two Top Ten lists of kitchen features that are [...]

color these appliances nifty

LG has unveiled some spiffy new appliances in fun colors. I admit to rarely seeing the inside of my range but these blue cavities might make the difference. The blue interior comes in both the OTR microwave and their convection oven.

a remodel in shades of green

If you’re like most amateur remodelers (ie, me), you soak up information around you and research when you have time to make the best choices for you. If you’re also looking for alternatives that benefit you, the planet and your children’s children, tons of resources exist on the internet.
It can be fairly overwhelming to sort through [...]

step away from the cookies

Yesterday I signed up for Google Reader. In the corner were recommended sites — about philanthropy and nonprofits. How did it know that’s what I do for a living? I was a little creeped out by that but figured there was a logical explanation.
There is.
Cookie Monsters are on the loose.
Adam Cohen writes in the New York [...]

nyt dhd: rip

I’ve been following the New York Times‘ Dream Home Diaries, written by Paul Brown and Alison Davis, for more than a year. This weekend, it came to a rather abrupt but not entirely surprising, unceremonious finale.
There were so many faithful readers who devoted hours of time researching and offering recommendations and warning about potential pitfalls over [...]

what happens to all our stuff?

Check out Annie Leonard’s video on consumption and the environment, “The Story of Stuff,” which can be found at.
http://www.storyofstuff.com/
Also, to any readers who caught my Suborder Serpentes saga (which can be found here:
forget snakes on planes « dream home, beach moments, sundry thoughts), you may be pleased to know that the rain dance I performed (inside, [...]

forget snakes on planes

READER WARNING: If you don’t like creepy crawly things you may not want to read further. But note, no humans or reptiles were harmed during this course of this adventure.
I’ve been at the new house for a couple of days (It’s spring break which means I’m off both from school and from work), moving things [...]

backyard gets the green light

I don’t know if you’ve priced post lights but for some inexplicable reason just the top light part (not the post or the other electrical mechanisms) cost nearly as much as a regular coach lantern, and they often aren’t nearly as big. It’s a vast lighting conspiracy though because it’s consistent among product lines and [...]

make a splash with this thrifty granite vanity package

Although the style of this vanity doesn’t fit my house, it’s a heck of a deal at Sam’s Club (www.samsclub.com) at $423.76 (including the mirror, faucet, sink, backsplash and delivery).
I’ve not yet seen it in person but if you have, let us know what you think. It would look adorable in a teeny powder room. The [...]

there’s a birthday in the house

The new house is one year old (to me) today. I should apologize that while it has a completely new outfit for the occasion; its accessorizing is still lacking a few details. But soon. For what it is worth the house marks its 50th year in 2008, which still makes it younger than my current [...]