Mindzle

Posts Tagged ‘home’

There are both moderate and radical solutions available for people interested in how to live environmentally friendly. It all resumes to the willingness to make personal changes. Personal awareness alone and individual determination can work as the basis for ga green existence. Here are a few examples of how to live environmentally friendly in day-to-day situations.

• Use less water when you shower, hand-wash or dish-wash.
• Save energy by using economic bulbs and lower the water heating temperature in your home system.
• Spend time outdoors in open air activities rather than in front of the computer or the TV.
• Buy organic food instead of the non-organic products available in the supermarkets. This will encourage local farming and help you stay in good health.
• Reduce the number of toxic chemicals you use for cleaning and replace them with natural products.
• Repair and reuse things.

A lot more can be done but these are just the first steps for determining how to live environmentally friendly. Once you are able to implement such elements into daily existence, you can consider yourself ready for more serious changes such as the purchase of an electric or hybrid car, the installation of a solar heating system for exterior window shades or perhaps solar screens and also the exclusive use of environmental products

There are many ways to learn how to live environmentally friendly, but the richest source of information about eco-life solutions remains the Internet. You will find out that some things are more difficult to implement than others because of the resistance of bad habits or because you lack the means. Even so, the important thing is to do everything in your power to live in accordance with the laws of nature and without harming the environment on purpose.

The truth is that most people are superficially interested in how to live environmentally friendly, and they only come to apply part of the things we’ve counted above, as they find it too difficult to meet all the conditions for a fully green living. Even so, there is a little gain in their preoccupations, and one can only hope that for the future, more will come out of a very well-intended initiative. Strive to be green friendly every day, and in time it will turn into a habit!

Looking at around-the-house jobs as being Zen-like fitness exercises can be a great way to gain a little fitness or even increase muscle size all without having to endure the indignities of being in a gym filled with a lot of interesting smells and more than a few bulging biceps. Though people may not appreciate the purity involved in Zen and housework it’s probably because they don’t have the necessary focus as yet.

Even though we might think that it is highly unlikely to gain fitness from doing housework, think back to that old movie ‘The Karate Kid.’ Remember that Mr. Miyagi put young Daniel through his paces by making him paint fences and wax cars, for one. And though this sort of activity isn’t really needed, maybe grabbing a 10 gallon wet dry vacuum and focusing on pushing it around can be Zen and fitness at the same time.

Sure, some of this sounds a little spacey or ‘out there, ‘ but the truth of the matter is that the mind can accommodate to any circumstance and the body will follow right along when the mind commands it. This is true in gyms and it is true at home, so it really doesn’t matter where meditating and practicing serene calmness (as Zen masters might say) is done and at what times.

For example, maybe one has cleaned out the garage and pulled out one or two of the garden blowers that had been gathering dust over on some shelf. Taking one in each hand and then extending the arms outward or all the way forward and holding the blowers out there while walking slowly through the garden and meditating on all the natural beauty around can be an excellent fitness activity.

What the point of all this mainly revolves around is showing one that there are a myriad of ways in which fitness can be cultivated without actually trying to be fit. Look at it metaphysically as a mind/body journey where meditating on everything but bodybuilding can be extremely Zen-like. Truly, there are more than enough activities around the house that can accomplish fitness growth.

Even a a great-grandmother who is porch-bound can engage in a little Zen fitness building just by focusing on her needlework and appreciating it for its purity and clarity. Such focus helps the body bring forth energies that can invigorate it and keep not only the body but the mind clear and sharp in ways that we may not ever be able to fully understand. Grandma will sure like it, though.

So, when it comes to Zen and housework what’s not to like, really? Fitness can be cultivated without even trying to do so simply because there are so many ways to go about accomplishing housework and appreciating it while doing it. The body will soon enough follow along and real fitness games can be achieved. After all, what isn’t to like about doing such activity when done with Zen?

This week on the popular TV program, ‘Grand Designs’ a beautiful house in Kent was featured. This house is near Staplehurst and is owned and built by architect Richard Hawkes and his lovely wife Sophie. The house itself does not rely on much. For example it doesn’t even need mains water or central heating. Instead the house itself is completely eco friendly and does not use an ounce of un-necessary energy. The environmentally-friendly house aims to blend into its surroundings and be self-sustaining. It was featured on a double bill on the popular Channel 4 program, ‘Grand Designs’ hosted by none other than, Kevin McCloud.

The house itself in Kent features completely economical and eco friendly materials such as wood and even earth. The house boasts a truly stunning architures, has over four guest bedroom for friends and family to stay over, and even has its own pool and spa treatment room. The design originally resembles what is known as an Anderson Shelter, the building eventually reveals a huge, Gaudi-esque vaulted ceiling. The whole thing is literally topped off with tons of soil and then grassed over to look almost like an ancient house of some sort. It is truly marvellous to look at and at the same time it is extremely bizarre. The home is effectively a couple of timber-framed boxes resting under a huge, unsupported arch built from 26,000 handmade clay tiles. This is truly a magnificent acheivment for both the architects and constructor’s as there is nothing else like this around. They have built something special and very interesting. Although the house is meant to be quite old fashioned, it consists of modern fixtures and fittings, including wireless interconnected speaker systems and even ergonomic hand care door handles.

If you have never watched Grand Design before I would highly recommend it as it makes great viewing. The program makes great viewing and you can see all sorts of bizarre houses that have sprouted up around the UK and abroad. There are some great housing and design projects on there and I would strongly recommend watching it one evening.

For beauty gifts

Looking into it, it would seem that so many people out there are actually looking to buy new eco products that have been released in recent year, is this a good thing because it is going to make a difference or will it do nothing??

Mass Effect

It would seem that if a lot of people start to buy these eco friendly laundry baskets and bathroom accessories then I think it is safe to say that we will start to see change. If a lot of people go out and start buying these types of products then it will force the bigger companies to start stocking them, they will take interest.

The smaller companies that make and sell these products will take great benefit from something like this because the bigger companies will be buying in the products and people would still be going to the smaller companies for reasons like better customer service.

Currently it would seem that things are not happening this way at the moment as there simply are not enough people buying these kinds of products so it is not making a difference on the planet, this must change. I think that a major cause of this actually comes from people simply not knowing that a lot of these products even exist. A lot more marketing needs to be put out for eco friendly products so then we all can live with eco friendly bathroom storage!

it would certainly seem that it is more important than ever to let people know that these products are out there and that they do the job just as well as the other artificial products, buying the eco friendly products in the masses would make the world of difference..

so the next time you are out shopping make sure that you get something eco friendly!

Although it seems like alone you will not be making a difference just think of what would happen if everyone just bought something that was good for the environment.

Being Eco-Friendly seems to be a bit of a trend floating around at the moment, this is a fantastic thing though. Going out and ridding the world of global warming is not something that people need to worry about, people should be encouraged to do this.

It is pretty amazing to see just how many kitchen accessories are out there that are made for people who love the environment. Lets have a closer look at some of them.

Coasters

There are many different types of recycled coasters out there on offer and there isn’t really a very good excuse on why you should not go and buy them. All you really need to do here is pop your cup down on them, is it hard to get recycled ones? Some are made from used coffee cups while others from things like yoghurt pots. The bonus to getting one of these is that they are incredibly cheap.

Baking Sets

This is made from sustainable wood and is great for the entire family. Basically for each tree they take out, they put more in. Although you might not think this as a big deal and it can be slightly more expensive, it is a great way to save the environment.

Recycled Glasses

If you are keen on the environment then getting recycled glasses has to be at the top of the list. Imagne skowly replacing all of those broken glasses you have with recycled glasses, if everyone did this it would make a huge difference.

Of course it doesn’t just end with the kitchen, you can go after all kinds of other products that make the house a lot more eco-friendly like tableware and home furnishings. These products to seem to be a bit more expensive but they are often much better quality and can make a difference!

If you’re always on the prowl for ways of making your home greener, you’ve most likely come across this post title before. Although this post sounds like your everyday ‘make your home greener’ post, it’s really not.

The majority of the other posts are based on improving your home and how you can save money in the process. They tend to talk about the basics like having loft insulation, not leaving appliances on standby, double glazing, things like that. This post is all about what you can do to help the environment after all those things.

Although you may have managed to stop your home from wasting so much energy, there is one aspect that’s commonly forgotten. Every so often we decide to redecorate our homes, this often leads to changes in everything from wallpaper to bathroom accessories. This is where you can make some improvements.

When you are choosing new furniture, you rarely consider the environmental impact. I suppose it’s tough enough to find something everyone in your family likes, without it being green too. But when you think about it, a lot of energy has gone into making these products. Normally they are constructed in big factories, wasting lots of energy, then they get shipped back to the UK because they were made abroad.

Fortunately, due to everyone becoming more aware of our impact on the environment, many retailers are offering greener, more eco-friendly home furnishings.

From everything from tableware to kitchen accessories, there are lots of products out there that you can buy that are better for the environment. All these things you end up buying for your home all have a negative impact on the environment. This is something that should be in the minds of everyone when it comes to furnishing your home. Stopping your home from wasting lots of energy isn’t the only way you can reduce your home’s impact on the environment. Although you can’t avoid it with some home accessories, you’d be surprised how many green products you can buy for your home.

So you probably know the basics, stick a brick in the toilet, unplug things you are not using, and maybe even turn the heat down right? Well if you want to green your house in a hip and chic way there are some changes that you’ll probably want to make.

1. First things first, thermal imaging can be very useful in discovering what parts of your home emit the most heat so you will be able to save energy by targeting these areas.

2. Use Green Walls to cool your home! Evapotranspiration is a process where plants release water vapor. Combined with shade, it can lower temperature in surrounding areas up to 9 degrees Fahrenheit. So the idea is to surround your house with strong trees and enjoy the pleasure of having a cool summer. Also, another great tip is to grow shrubbery/vines on walls surrounding your house as well as on your house. –hint this can be hip!

3. Stick some shag on the fridge – it is said if you put the shag carpet on the fridge it will make it much more efficient, but why go out and buy more carpet that is not a good recyclable.

This is where carpet tiles come in. They are an excellent way for homeowners to step forward in protecting the environment while stepping out in ‘Green Fashion’. Let’s see, they are durable, movable, delectable, and beautiful.

• You can stick them on your fridge and your wall

• You can put them anywhere in your house and move them with ease.

• They last longer and are a lot easier to take care of than carpet.

Many Carpet Tiles are constructed of recycled raw materials and exceed the Green Label standard established by the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI). They are almost 100% recyclable where as carpet is not. With that being said I can’t let you go without giving you a couple of ways to get rid of your old carpet:

• You can always donate to a charity so it can be used again.

• A network called the Carpet American Recover Effort (CARE) has joined over 50 carpet reclamation centers together across the US to help you dispose of this monstrosity.

• You can also cut carpet up and put it into places like your car, or even in between the rows in your garden to keep the weeds out. –that’s a little weird right? But it works!

With efforts like these we can keep our environment cleaner as well as keep landfills from doing more damage than they already do. We are discovering many new ways to green our homes every day, but one that is on the rise is finding new uses for old carpet and hip green uses for Carpet Tiles.

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You’d be forgiven for thinking that people in the Western World live in relatively good conditions – but I bet most people didn’t know that around 40% of homes in the UK, Canada and across the EU are infected with damp and toxic mould.If you’ve moved home lately chances are you’ll have encountered at least one nightmare property infested with mould.  But most people aren’t even aware of the problem.Many people don’t even notice damp in its early stages as it is hidden in corners behind furniture or even inside the walls. 

Health problems
There are a number of frightening health issues caused by damp in the home.Many times people get hayfever-like symptoms as a result of damp – watery eyes, sneezing and nasal congestion.  But a recent study also showed it can cause asthma in children and certainly make things work for asthma sufferers.There have also been cases of serious respiratory illness arising from damp.  Another recent study even revealed a connection between mold and depression! 

Causes
How, then, does this fungal intruder enter your home?  Well the first thing to say is a bit of mould is entirely normal and can be found everywhere.However the major problems start when it’s left untreated and allowed to spread.Mold occurs when there too much moisture in the atmosphere and it has nowhere to escape.Water collects in the atmosphere from places like the bathroom, as well as condensation on windows.But it needs to go somewhere!Inadequate ventilation sometimes occurs because builders don’t take care to properly damp proof a new house.Another cause is when a house lacks proper air vents.And the more we are concerned about saving energy these days, the more we are tending to lock the air – and moisture – into our homes.

Dealing with damp
I hope I’ve managed to convince you that the threat of mold is a problem that shouldn’t be ignored – we should all be worried about preventing it. It’s not just for people who already have damp problems.Left unchecked it becomes a lot harder – and costlier – to deal with.  Here are some top tips on how to avoid damp buildup in your home or workplace:

1. Dry up any build up of condensation you notice around the house within 24-48 hours.Don’t forget – mold cannot survive without water in the atmosphere.
2. Ensure that you get proper ventilation in the building to give moisture an escape route.If there aren’t proper air vents to the outside, get them installed.
3. Consider getting insulation put in on cold surfaces prote to attracting condensation – such as piping, windows and roofs.
4. It’s well worth considering investing in one of the many dehumidifiers out there to remove moisture from the atmosphere.  Certain portable air conditioners also do the job, with the added bonus of keeping you cool in the summer.
5. Know your rights.Once mold problems get serious they can cause serious problems that could cost you a lot. Find out from your home insurance to see if your policy covers mold damage. Tenants should push their landlords to have a professional damp inspector visit and assess the house.