Can you reconcile reducing consumption while creating a cozy and stylish home? I am a bit of a redecorating junkie. While I would like to always practice what I preach, pills on occasion I am guilty of impulse buying for my econest. I can’t kick myself too much because on close inspection, if I hold a mirror up to my consumption habit, it reflects mostly socially and environmentally conscious spending choices. Either way, moving more towards less consumption is an ongoing goal. I am working hard to get beyond my shopping urges. I came across a phase coined by artist Zoe Murphy – “Love what belongs to you.” This phrase now seeps into my...CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Image: Elle Decor
10 Modern Birdhouses
Pre-fab homes are all the rage in the eco-modern design world. Want to dabble in modern architecture and pre-fab homes? Why not start with a modern birdhouse? In a recent post Get Busy Building Birdhouses, here the plans are provided for making your own birdhouses/birdfeeders. While it is wonderful to create birdhouses from scratch...CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Image: modernbirdhouses.com
Recycling Can Make Being Green Hilarious (VIDEO)
The folks who design for our future are looking to us for clues to helping people go greener. How about using humor? I recently wrote about how designers are incorporating people's behavior in their "design thinking." This 'power to the people' premise only goes so far (although, it is virtuous to always consider the consumers needs). The next common sense step to sustainable design is to implement a shift in people's behavior towards, let's say - garbage and recycling. My family was recently reminiscing about a trip we took to Spain to visit relatives. I asked one of my kids...CLICK HERE FOR MORE
Dar Williams Talks Sustainable Living, Music And The Book That Kicked Her Ass (Interview)
Singer songwriter Dar Williams has been a staple on the modern folk music scene for years. Her distinctively heartfelt vocals, reflective lyrics and rich acoustic guitar playing tell stories that resonate with her many fans. Music is in Dar's soul, and environmental activism is what fuels it. Dar is aiming her earth-loving commentary towards solutions that face the future of our planet. I sat down with Dar to talk about what's currently rocking her environmental core - a passion for...CLICK HERE FOR MORE
The Home Ice Advantage: Make An Eco-Skating Rink
I am convinced that there are certain experiences from your childhood that define whether you like winter or not. I am a lover of everything winter. I can thank my hockey player dad for that. For my brother and I, winter had its own culture with unique customs and rituals that included a backyard ice skating rink.
The first snowfall of the season, my dad would unveil his latest collection of sleds, skates and skis that he had gathered at tag sales. In the garage he would fix up his finds for all the neighborhood kids. His goal was to get all the kids on the block to love winter. Then he would haul out four long wooden two by fours and a plastic liner and water our backyard to make a skating rink. If we lived in a higher elevation, I am sure he would have created a ski slope and a rope tow to tower over the rink. As it was, it was quite unusual in my New York suburban neighborhood to have an ice rink in the backyard.
Some of my favorite memories are of my dad all bundled up very late in the evening hosing down our backyard ice rink like he was watering prized roses. I remember Dad was overly eager to get up early in the morning after a snowfall to shovel the rink. Then he would set off to the more important task of clearing the driveway. For the kids, our reward was all the afterschool exercise we could get and unlimited hot chocolate.
Those fond memories are laced with embarrassing ones too. Some not so cherished teenage moments. Don't most embarrassing things happen to teenagers? I was mortified when I found out my dad would greet my male friends at the front door with a ruler to measure the size of my friend's feet for skates. Then he would rummage through the skate box and with skates and hockey sticks in hand, I would have to catch him before he would wisk the the poor boy into the backyard to "see what the kid was made of" (whether he could skate or not).
I have long since gotten over those embarrassing moments. For years, we recreated all that wintery fun in my backyard with my kids.
DIY ECO-FRIENDLY ICE RINK - CLICK HERE FOR DIRECTIONS
