5 Steps to Greater Tranquility at Home

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Your home is supposed to be a place to feel restful and to recoup after a hard day’s work. Turning your home into a tranquil retreat is a great approach to take if you’re looking to spruce things up with a little bit of redecorating and hard work.  So how do you go about turning your home into a restful retreat?  Here are 5 steps to achieving a truly tranquil home.

1 – Natural Materials

Cold, harsh materials such as metal and glass should be avoided if you’re looking to create an environment that’s welcoming, comforting and soothing.  If your home is full of modern furniture, replace it with rustic feeling wooden pieces like the ones available from Trade Furniture Company.  Take up your carpet and reveal the wood floorboards beneath. With a little bit of care (plus sanding and staining) you could turn them into one of the best – and most tranquil – features of your home.

2 – Sleepy Sounds

Twitter notifications might be practical, but they’re not conducive to a relaxing home.  Try playing soothing music, and open the windows to allow the sounds of nature to come into your home.  You could even designate certain hours of the day where you switch off all your technology to prevent any distractions.  

3 – Natural Light

There are a number of studies showing that exposure to natural light promotes a healthy, balanced lifestyle and is also physically good for you.  Not only that, but it releases melatonin which is known to increase productivity.  Therefore, draw the curtains and let the light in because it’s only going to be beneficial.  After all, a relaxing environment is a happy one, so improving your mood will carry you a long way in your quest for a more tranquil home.

4 – Minimal Design

Clutter is the enemy of a clear mind and a stress-free home.  The more things you have out, the more there is to clean, tidy and put away, and this all amounts to a significant amount of stress and hard work.  Therefore, if you’re looking to operate a tranquil home, the answer is to go minimal.  White walls, as little furniture as you could manage, plenty of open space and simple fixtures.  

5 – Bringing Nature to You

As previously stated, nature is great for relaxation, so if you’re looking to really go the whole hog, you should try to increase the amount of nature in your home.  Do this by extending your outdoor space in – by, for example – placing green potted plants in strategic locations and by having more natural materials in your home. 

Author: Trade Furniture Company

Simple Tips for Better Heat Circulation

source image courtesy of Savor Home

Cold temps are headed back to Boston, so here are a few ways to increase heat flow in your home without turning up the thermostat:

1. Locate your heaters in each room and move away any furniture or clutter that could be blocking it. Pull all couches and other furniture out at least a foot. 

2. Turn on ceiling fans for about 5 minutes every few hours in order to recirculate heat. 

3. Weatherize all windows with clear coating to prevent heat from escaping. 

4. If you have a working fireplace or wood burning stove, use it!

5. Leave your oven door open for a few minutes after you finish cooking meals. (WARNING: make sure your oven is off!)

6. Leave bathroom door open when showering. 

7. Turn your thermostat down 4-5 degrees each night or when leaving your home for an extended period of time. 

For more ideas, check out these 26 tips for home heating. 

New Perspectives: Keeping Warm with Multi Fuel Stoves

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Winter is in full force, and means we are constantly looking for ways to keep warm when we are at home. Unfortunately, this means that this time of year can be damaging to the environment. Energy bills are likely to take a steep rise as you try to keep warm, but you should know that there are decent alternatives that will allow you to stay warm and reduce damage to the environment. There is nothing quite like relaxing in front of the fire on a cold winter night, and there is one type of stove that you can have in your home which will look fantastic, keep you warm, be kind to the environment and be very efficient too. With so many benefits that this stove type brings it is no surprise that people everywhere are suddenly looking to invest, and you should too because they are a terrific heat source.

Multi fuel stoves are the new heating alternative, and they can allow you to save an enormous amount on your heating bill over time. As the name suggests, these stoves can burn a variety of fuels, including environmentally friendly, renewable fuel. These stoves can save you money whilst saving the environment if you look to use fuels such as dried wheat, corn and compressed wood chips, and you can even use all three of these together if you wish. So you can clearly see the benefits that this type of stove brings, and on top of this they can look fantastic and really add some character to any home as well.

Multi fuel stoves can be installed into existing fireplaces, or as a free standing unit if you wish, and the inset stoves look particularly good when they are inset into a chimney breast. When you shop at stove specialists, like Glowing Embers, you will get the best range at these places, and this will include contemporary stoves, traditional stoves, inset stoves, enamelled stoves and lots more. This means you should be able to find the perfect one to fit with your home, and you will love how much money it saves, how great it looks and the fact that it is eco friendly as well, and this makes it the ultimate way to stay warm when you are at home this winter.

Author: Volsom Limited

Spotlight: Twelve Chairs

Twelve Chairs in Boston’s South End is a boutique featuring fun, high-end furnishings that are curated to meet environmental and social criteria. The two founders believe that design should not simply beautiful, but also ethical, functional and earth-friendly. Walking into Twelve Chairs is like entering an eco/ethical/local Anthropologie! What could be better than that?!

Spotlight: Merida Meridian

images courtesy of 1 / 2

As many of my longtime readers know, I served as a content contributor and social media consultant for Merida Meridian for almost four years. They are a great company, so I using this Spotlight Wednesday to highlight their efforts. Merida is a natural fiber area rug company based in Fall River, MA. They have been committed to offering sustainable floor covering solutions to consumers for over 30 years. They use only rapidly renewable materials such as jute, sisal, wool, and abaca to create their products. The rugs are beautiful, sustainable, and keep health in mind. Merida Meridian's Sustainability Philosophy can be found here.

Green Tip Tuesday: Eco Event Ideas Inspired by David Stark

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David Stark is an amazing party planner to the stars. I first heard about him while listening to Grace Bonney of Design Sponge's radio show, After the Jump. He caught my attention when he mentioned during the interview that he tries to make his events sustainable! The image above is a “bottle”  created from hundreds of recycled wine bottles for an editor’s preview event for the Eco countertop line. For more of his eco-aware large scale event ideas, check out his blog: http://www.davidstarksketchbook.com/

LED candle pillars add ambiance to the Metropolitan Opera's Gala in 2011

Cacti made of recycled cardboard at West Elm's Broadway opening

Upcycled newspaper table decor for NRDC Gala in 2011

New Perspectives: Green Ways to Decorate Your Kitchen

image courtesy of MidWestLiving.com

1. Use topiaries to add vegetation & style
Imagine using those spiral topiaries on your kitchen’s entrance? How about the hanging topiaries above your dining tables? Isn’t the thought of using these topiaries in your kitchen fantastic and elegant? The best part is, it isn’t very expensive. You can even make one yourself with some of the many topiary DIY idea boards on Pinterest. This is a classic example of being nature friendly and economical while getting the best results.

2. Strategically position your windows to capture sunlight
If you're re-doing your kitchen,  you can plan to save electricity by strategically positioning your windows.
Position it in such a way that it can capture the sunlight and also take note of the window's dimensions. If you make your windows big enough and positioned it correctly, you won’t have to use your lights not until dinner time.

3. Use plants that absorb air impurities 
For example, the "Mother in Law’s Tongue" plant is well known for helping absorb air impurities and dusts. That is why you commonly see this plant in houses especially in their entrance.
If you place these types of plants in your kitchen, not only will it help in cleaning your kitchen’s air but it’ll add to your kitchen's decor  as well.
Take the time to consider the price of the plant, the beauty it brings, and the function that these plants can do for you, you’d be a sure winner if you use them.

Now that I’ve shared some of my techniques in how to decorate your garden the “green way”, I’d love to hear from you. Whatever tips and tricks you can share to help others in designing their kitchen the green way will surely be appreciated. Share your tips in the comments section below!

Aileen Pablo is a home improvement blogger and writer from toptopiary.co.uk. Top Topiary began life in 2004 exhibiting at garden shows in the south of England and selling Topiary Frames to the visitors.

Green Tip Tuesday: Apartment Therapy's Guide to Socially Responsible Shopping

Apartment Therapy  is one of my all-time favorite blogs. Its full of both aspirational and practical decor ideas. And as you may have guessed, I get really excited when my favorite design, decor, and shopping blogs feature sustainability tips! In June, Apartment Therapy came out with its 6 Steps to Socially Responsible Shopping. It is a great read - I highly suggest checking it out.

Guest Post: Organizing & Greening Your Home Office

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Many prefer to work from home. It is convenient and green to stay at home. However, working at home requires a high level of organization and time management - which makes an orderly home office imperative. 

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Here are some tips to make your home office organized and comfortable:

1.       Space – Regardless of the size of your home office, you can  turn it into a more spacious feeling place.  De-cluttering is a great way to make your home office more inviting and efficient. Try going paperless - it is a great way to save trees and keeping your office tidy.

3.       Furniture- The right furniture for your home office is essential.  Surroundings are a great source of inspiration so choose furniture that both reflects your style but also has a story behind it (like fair trade items from Ten Thousand Villages). 

4.       Home gadgets  - Don't place tvs, radios, or game consoles  in your home office. Not only are these distracting, but they waste electricity. 

5.       Light- Lighting is easy to neglect but a well lit office is important. Natural light sources like windows are of course the most pleasant and cost efficient. Also invest for your lighting source even though it may be costly up front (i.e. use compact flourescent or LED lightbulbs).

Sarah Del Rosario is a home improvement blogger from Thrifty Senyorita and currently partners with officefurnitureexpress.co.uk, one of the leading providers of accessories and furniture for Office. 

Guest Post: Bar Hopping with Salvaged Materials

Vintage film canisters, a statue of Hebe, 9 foot columns, and a beautiful antique bar circa 1800’s, are just a few antique salvaged pieces that recently relocated from the retail showroom and event function space at Restoration Resources in Boston’s South End to the new Berkeley Street flagship store for Restoration Hardware.

Restoration Resources “rescues” one of a kind architectural pieces and design elements from interesting buildings, Boston Brownstones and period homes throughout New England, that are undergoing renovation, or destruction, and then showcases them in a 7000 square foot showroom and warehouse in Boston, where both residential and commercial customers such as Restoration Hardware will find eco-friendly treasures that possess beauty, old world craftsmanship…and decades of history!

According to store owner, Bill Raymer, “They just don’t make them like they used to anymore! Of course I am biased, but the quality, the painstaking attention to detail even some of the woods themselves simply no longer exist today…we try and keep these gorgeous pieces from ending up in a landfill…because once they are gone, they are gone forever” Bill added, “I think that most of my customers appreciate antique salvage for more than just the design and character, they also want to help preserve both our environment and history!”  The vintage pieces that ended up at Restoration Hardware’s new location, (which is actually the former home to the New England Museum of Natural History) represent our New England roots, and each has a story to be told from it’s former past.

Prior to it’s new home in the third floor music room of Restoration Hardware, the black bar accented with columns and mirrors, and standing at a stoic 9 feet high and 18 feet long, shared years of history with Restoration Resources.

The store first acquired the bar when Bill reclaimed it from an old pub in Woonsocket, RI nearly 13 years ago. Created near the turn of the century, the bar had been a staple in the local watering hole for close to 100 years.

Once Restoration Resources refurbished the piece, it was sold to a restaurant in the South End by the name of Pho Republique. There, the bar stood tall for nearly 12 years before the establishment closed and moved to a new location. When the restaurant relocated, Bill reclaimed the bar once again

and installed it into one of his showrooms, which he currently rents out as an event function space for customers seeking a unique venue setting; be it cocktail receptions, bridal showers or birthday parties!


Of course, while all of the pieces in both the event function space and the retail store have history, they are also all for sale so their “history” with Restoration Resources can often be short lived. In fact, Raymer confides that while his goal as a business owner is to sell his recycled pieces, he did get a bit “attached” to the bar… and as a result, he will now be building a new bar in April from assorted salvaged wood, columns, and mirrors and installing it in his “vintage venue”. Next time you are in Boston, you may want to make a trip to Restoration Hardware’s 40,000 square foot landmark store, and while you are there, “pony up” to their “new” bar.  And also, regardless, with or without the bar, the retail store at Restoration Resources, “bar none”, is also worth a visit!

by Donna Lee Robertson

Restoration Resources is located at 1946 Washington St. in Boston’s South End. It has a 7,000 square foot showroom stocked with vintage treasures and antique architectural salvage. It also offers a “vintage venue” to rent for all occasions, a prop rental service, a set location for photo shoots, films and TV shows, and provides recycling and deconstruction services. www.RestorationResources.com

Guest Post: How to Revamp Your Kitchen Using Recycled and Eco-friendly Materials

image courtesy of http://cocoonhome.com/

The kitchen is one of the busiest and traffic-prone areas in the home. Often, gatherings and other family events usually take place in the kitchen, causing the kitchen easily lose its shine and glamour.  Most people think that kitchen revamp is costly, but redoing a kitchen doesn’t need to be grand. Simple changes can make a dramatic difference.

Because of the rising cost of energy and improved environmental awareness,  homeowners are careful when choosing the appliances and furniture that they’re going to use in their
kitchen revamp.

image courtesy of http://www.homedsgn.com/

Here are some quick tips for a cost efficient, eco-friendly, kitchen makeover:

Let it be Green - Consider putting a plant in your kitchen. This will alter the look and
ambiance of your kitchen while also improving indoor air quality.

Paints - Apply a new coat of low-VOC paint to an old counter top.

Faucets- Inspect your kitchen faucet regularly. Immediately repairing leaks is a great way to update your kitchen and conserve water at the same time.

Light- Replace all incandescent lightbulbs with CFLs or LEDs.

Appliances- If you’re planning to buy a new set of appliances for your kitchen, consider Energy Star products. In addition, make sure to unplug all your unused appliances.

Recycle bin- Learn your town's recycling policies. If your municipality has single-stream recycling, make sure to have one, clearly-labeled recycling bin. Otherwise, set up a recycling area so that people can easily separate glass, plastic, and paper.

Eco-friendly Cleaning Materials- Try making your own cleaning products to avoid using synthetic chemicals all over your kitchen.

Help save your environment and Enjoy your Eco-friendly Kitchen.

Daniel Argent is a home improvement blogger and is the guy behind The Home Fixers - where you can find  the best local plumbers.

Guest Post: Tips for Turning an Old Item of Furniture into Something Funky and Fresh

These days, with the wallet-watching most of us have to do; it’s simply not possible to buy brand new furniture just because something is outdated or looking a little worse for wear.

With this in mind, it’s no wonder that repurposing or revamping old pieces of furniture is one of the biggest trends in interior design right now. Of course, reusing old furniture also reduces your carbon footprint, which makes it both a pocket and eco-friendly choice.

Give it a new coat of paint
You’d be surprised what can be accomplished just by adding a new coat of paint - whether you freshen something up with the same color - or change it up completely with a bold and bright finish.
Old dining chairs can be repainted to match a new table, and an outdated dresser can be given a funky new look by being painted fire truck red, or for a slightly more rustic look try a subtle shade of lavender.

Get it reupholstered 
Old sofas or comfy chairs can easily be revamped with some new fabric and even new cushions if necessary. The color and pattern you choose will depend on the rest of your décor. For a minimalistic-type sofa that goes well with plain white walls and a clean-cut look, you can choose soft and subtle colors like baby blue or hazel.

If you’re willing to be a little more adventurous you may want to consider eye-catching colors like yellow, red or even a lush green. Patterns like stripes or squares can also add a lot of character to your home.

Image courtesy of Suat Eman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Add some character 
The easiest way to transform an older piece of furniture is to go along with the “old” feel and make it even more rustic. There are different ways to accomplish this, from sanding tables to distressing them with chains for a “used” look.
Having a few pieces of nicely varnished wood chairs or tables mixed in with a couple of sanded ones can give the room a nice contrast. If you choose to sand something, make sure it is a good quality wood that can be stripped without becoming damaged.

A boring and generic-looking wooden table can also be spiced up with a few touches of wall paper. If you do this you’ll have to ensure that the surface is smooth to avoid rips and bubbles.

Take it outside 
A chair or sofa that just doesn’t match your interior décor anymore may be perfectly suitable as a piece of garden furniture. You can repaint or upholster them to match an outdoor theme in natural colors like green, brown or eggshell yellow.

Change its purpose
Not all furniture can be made to look new, and sometimes the best thing you can do is change its purpose altogether. A chair that wobbles can be stripped and used to hold potted plants in the garden. The legs of an old table can be removed and used as rustic towel racks, while the tabletop can be put to use as a set of kitchen shelves or a spice rack.

Author: Joyce Del Rosario works as a Community Outreach Specialist at Open College of Art and Design, one of the leading providers of Online Courses in Interior Design. She is also an interior design blogger. 

Green Boutique: Twelve Chairs

image courtesy of greenwithrenvy.blogspot.com

Earlier this week I attended an event at the Twelve Chairs boutique in the Seaport District and I am in love. Twelve Chairs is a super-chic home goods store with an Anthropologie-esque vibe, but the reason I love it is that all of their products must meet certain sustainability and humanitarian criteria! One of the store's co-founders, Miggy Mason, is LEED AP which shows their commitment to offering Boston responsible products for home interiors. Their merchandise must all meet the following standards: 

LOCAL

- Local Business - The product is designed by a company within the USA or Canada. 

- Locally Manufactured - The product is produced within the USA or Canada. 

- Locally Sourced - The materials used to manufacture the product are sourced from within 

  500 miles of the production site. 

HEALTHY 

- Nontoxic - The inks, dyes, and/or finishes used in the creation of the product have

  minimum impact on the planet and are not harmful to people.

- Organic - The materials used to create the product are Certified Organic.     

CONSERVING 

- Recycled/ Reclaimed - The materials used to make the product previously existed. 

- Recyclable/ Biodegradable - At the end of its current use, the product can be used again 

  or decomposed.  

- Renewable - The materials used to create the product are from natural, renewable

  resources. 

RESPONSIBLE 

- Values Driven Company - The company that produces the product demonstrates

  a commitment to environmental and social responsibility. 

- Responsible Production/ Manufacturing - The methods used to produce the product

  are focused on energy efficiency, waste reduction, and worker protection. 

- Fairly Traded - The people that create the products are paid a fair, living wage and there 

  is a commitment to social and environmental standards. 

- Responsible Distribution - The product is shipped in a manner that minimizes waste 

  and carbon emissions.

Reduce your lead exposure: Check your ceramics

Plastics have BPA, metal doesn't microwave, glass gets scratched in the dishwasher, so many people prefer ceramics for food serving & storage. But since lead is used in many ceramic glazes, there are a few things you should know before using ceramics for all of your food meal needs. The following are suggestions from the FDA website.

Q. What is lead and how do I become exposed to it?
A. Lead is a toxic substance present in our environment in small amounts and everyone is exposed to some lead from daily actions such as inhaling dust, eating food, or drinking water. In general, the small exposure to lead within the U.S. population does not pose a significant public health concern. However, exposure to larger amounts of lead can cause lead poisoning.  

  

Q. What health risks are associated with lead poisoning? 
A. While lead can affect nearly every bodily system, its effects depend upon the amount and duration of lead exposure and age. Exposure to extremely high amounts of lead may result in overt and possibly severe symptoms for which an individual is likely to seek medical attention. However, infants, young children and the developing fetus can be affected by chronic exposure to amounts of lead that may not result in obvious symptoms of lead poisoning. A child with lead poisoning may not look or act sick. If your child has been eating or drinking from pottery or any other type of ceramic ware identified as “problem types” in the list below, and you’re not sure whether it contains lead, stop using the items, and talk to your healthcare professional about testing your child’s blood for lead. It’s a simple test.

Lead poisoning in children has been linked to:

• learning disabilities
• developmental delays
• lower IQ scores

  

Q. Why is lead used in ceramicware?A. Traditional pottery and other forms of ceramicware are made with earthenware, a porous form of clay which must be glazed in order for the pottery to hold food or liquid. Glazing applies and fuses a thin, glass-like coating onto the surface of the clay to seal its pores. The glaze – which may contain lead to facilitate the melting of glaze particles – fuses to the pottery when it is fired in a kiln, a special oven used to bake clay. When the pottery is fired at the proper temperature for the proper amount of time, essentially all the lead is bound into the glaze. If any migrates to food, it will be an insignificant amount. However, if not properly fired, the lead may not fuse to the earthenware and may contaminate food when the pottery is used with food.

Today many potters of traditional or ‘folk’ pottery have switched to non-lead glazes, but they may still be using old kilns that were once used for firing lead-containing glazes, unintentionally contaminating the “lead free” pottery with lead residues that remain in the kiln from past usage. Because the lead may not fuse into the non-lead glaze, it may contaminate food when the pottery is used with food.

Q. Are there any laws against selling ceramicware that contains lead?
A. If the ceramicware contains lead and is properly made, it can be sold in the U.S. The FDA recently published guidance that addresses the safety and labeling concerns for traditional pottery and ornamental ceramicware that may contain lead that can contaminate food. The guidance is entitled “ (1) The Safety of Imported Traditional Pottery Intended for Use with Food and the Use of the Term “Lead Free” in the Labeling of Pottery; and (2) Proper Identification of Ornamental and Decorative Ceramicware.”

  

Q. What types of ceramicware may contain lead that can contaminate food? What should I look for?
A. Consumers should pay particular attention to the following “problem types” of ceramicware or pottery that is:

• handmade with a crude appearance or irregular shape
• antique
• damaged or excessively worn
• purchased from flea markets or street vendors or if you are unable to determine whether the pottery is from a reliable manufacturer
• brightly decorated in orange, red, or yellow color, as lead is often used with these pigments to increase their intensity.

Pottery not listed above that was made in commercial factories for everyday use is much less likely to have problems related to lead.

 

Q. How can I find out if my ceramicware are safe?
A. If your home has pottery that is similar to those items listed above, or you are concerned regarding the safety of pottery in your home, there are some precautions you, the consumer, can take:

• Test the pottery. Consumers can buy lead-testing kits in hardware stores or online. The kits contain swabs with instructions on proper use of the swabs and reading of the results. In most cases, the consumer will rub the swab on the food-contacting surface of the pottery. In most kits, if the pottery contains lead that leaches onto the swab, it will change colors. If a consumer performs a test and finds the pottery contains leachable lead, the FDA strongly advises against using the pottery for cooking, serving, or storing food or drinks. 
• If you are unable to test the pottery or otherwise determine that it is from a reliable manufacturer, consider not using it for cooking, serving, or storing food or drinks.
• Look for a warning label. If the pottery was manufactured for use only as a decorative item, it may have a warning stamped onto the clay bottom such as “Not for Food Use—May Poison Food.” Do not use items with this type of warning for cooking, serving, or storing food or drinks.
• Be aware that no amount of washing, boiling, or other process can remove lead from pottery. 

Cyber Monday Discount Codes & Tips

Finish all your shopping from home by participating in Cyber Monday (TODAY!).
Shopping online is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, and find exactly what you want without the added stress of the crowds.

Where to find the best deals:
-Boston.com's list of 40+ checkout codes and sales
-Rue La La Cyberthon
-Gilt Free Fall
MY FAV: Kate Spade Surprise Cyber Sale

Where to find the most eco deals:
-Ethical Ocean
-Ecolissa
-Fashioning Change
-Nau (get 25% an order of 2 or more items with code: 2FOR25

Creating a Green Bedroom

Today we have another guest post. This one comes from IntelliBED:

When a person is trying to lead a green lifestyle, it is important to incorporate the idea into decorating and furniture choices. Having an environmentally friendly bedroom can be healthy and help the planet at the same time. Here are a few green bedroom design ideas.

When decorating a room, slapping paint on the wall is usually the first thing to do. What most people fail to realize is that many paints give off harmful chemicals into the air. To avoid this problem, it is best to search for no VOC paint.

Secondly, in order to conserve energy, it is important to make sure that each room in the house is properly insulated. Filling up cracks in walls or gaps surrounding windows will definitely help to conserve energy. In the end, better insulation will lead to lower electric bills each month.
To cover the floor, there are many brands of carpets and other flooring products made from recycled materials like old plastic bottles. Bamboo and cork are two other alternatives to consider since they are renewable resources. For people who are looking to add vibrant color to the floor area, there is also recycled glass tile available.

Instead of buying all new furniture, it is more sustainable to remodel old pieces. Painting old wood dressers or nightstands will add a new look to the room. It may also work to repaint your existing headboard. Reupholstering chairs and recovering old pillows will be much less expensive than buying new furniture and helps the environment. It is also fun to use antiques as accent pieces around the room. Using plants in the space will also help purify your indoor air.

Of course, one of the most important parts of the bedroom is the bed itself. Some mattresses on the market also help keep the environment clean. The chemical free mattress from Intellibed is a great option  that uses natural materials with patented Intelligel Technology. This type of mattress relaxes pressure points known to cause pain and properly supports the back. Hospitals have been using mattresses like this for years because of the hypoallergenic, antimicrobial, and nontoxic properties.
Along with the mattress, it is good to  consider bedroom linens. Organic linens are the simplest way to keep a bedroom environmentally friendly.  Normal cotton linens contain pesticides because of both farming practices and the manufacturing process. Harsh chemicals are used to make the fabric softer to the touch, yet pollute they environment and can affect human health. Using organic cotton sheets will help avoid this problem.

There are many ways to make home's decoration clean and green. The bedroom can be a space filled with green ideas, including the mattress. Intellibed has developed a unique technology that is all natural and environmentally sound. With a little creativity and research, the bedroom can be the healthiest and most relaxing room in the house.

Author Bio:
This article was written by Princess Galsim, health and home improvement ambassador for IntelliBed. IntelliBed is a leader in Intelli-Gel mattresses, which master the art of sleep. Get chemical free mattress from Intellibed and experience the true meaning of healthy sleep.

How to Make a Green Cleaning Kit

Today's post on green cleaning comes from a guest author. Enjoy!

The commercial cleaning products of today are chock full of toxic and harsh chemicals which should be avoided whenever possible. Although their formulas are usually very effective their long-term effects and hazards posed if applied the wrong way make them a danger you don't really need in your home as long as you can avoid them by using natural alternatives. You'll be surprised at how much can be done by using the products our ancestors used for centuries without resorting to commercial products and at how much of a cheaper alternative they actually are. Here are some tips on what you will need to get the kit ready:

Baking soda, distilled vinegar (white), washing soda, tea tree oil, liquid soap and some glass jars and spray bottles.

Using the aforementioned you can make a few useful products of your own, for example:

Mixing baking soda with the liquid soap until they are blended into a creamy texture will provide you with an excellent way to clean your bathtubs and sinks. It has a clear texture and won't leave anything behind since the baking soda will dissolve as you wash it away with water. You should usually make some of it only when you use it, however you can store it if you place it in a glass jar and add some glycerol to keep it moisturized. The added benefit of this cleaning alternative is its extremely reduced toxicity compared to the usual scrubbers sold commercially.

A great way to make window cleaner is by mixing about half a table spoon of liquid soap with three spoons of vinegar and about two cups of water. The mixture can be placed in a spray bottle and it will do the exact same thing commercial products do and is much cheaper to make obviously. The soap will help you clean away the streaks left behind by those products as well, so adding it to the mix works great.

Cleaning your oven has always been a very unpleasant task right? Well by mixing a cup of baking soda with water and some of the liquid soap mentioned earlier you will have a perfect way of cleaning the fat and grime that collects inside ovens. Just sprinkle enough water and then baking soda to cover the bottom of it and spray some water until the mixture is wet. Let the whole thing sit overnight and wipe it away on the morning. You'll find out it loosens and dissolves the worst of the mess inside. You can clean the rest by using liquid soap and water.

Polishing furniture is also possible by utilizing these products; just add half a teaspoon of oil (olive oil, sunflower oil or whatever strikes your fancy) and a quarter of a cup of vinegar or just lemon juice in a glass jar and use the mixture to polish surfaces. It can be easily stored within the jar for a very long time and reused at your leisure without losing its properties.

Vinegar can also be used as a deodorizer to kill unwanted smells and contrary to what you may believe its smell will dissipate with a few hours after drowning out the unpleasant smells it was meant to cover. It can also be used to kill most common mold, reportedly up to 82% of what we encounter in our kitchens and bathrooms.

As you can see there are plenty of opportunities and alternatives to commercial cleaners, so try them out and see for yourself!

Learn more at: http://www.londoncleaners.co.uk/

Guest Post: How to Safely Dispose of Latex Paint

Today's guest post comes from Crissy Trask of GreenMatters.com. Crissy is a well-renowned green living writer and speaker, and I am thrilled that we were able to collaborate on a post exchange.

The post is how to best dispose of latex paint. As many of you may know, I used to be a lead paint inspector with the EPA, so issues regarding house paint are very near and dear to my heart. We are surrounded by paint - and the chemicals paint is made from can affect our health in unexpected ways - so its always best to be informed.

QUESTION: How should I clean latex paint out of brushes, rollers and trays? Is it better to rinse them off in the sink so the water goes to the treatment facility, or to rinse them off outdoors over the ground so the paint filters through the soil?

ANSWER: Let’s take these two cleaning methods one at a time.

Sink cleaning: As long as the paint is latex (water-based), cleaning your painting tools in the sink and rinsing paint residue down the drain is fine. Waste water treatment facilities are set up for this kind of thing and are capable of removing or neutralizing impurities. Many cities prefer this method because they can control where and how impurities are disposed of.

Outdoor cleaning: Tools used for latex paint can be rinsed outside over the ground using a hose provided there is no risk of the tainted water running off into a storm drain or nearby waterway. This means rinsing them over a hard, impervious surface is definitely a no-no. Rinsing on grass is often best because the blades and roots provide a natural barrier that slows down the movement of water across the ground.

When choosing a suitable clean-up spot, give yourself a buffer of at least 15 feet between where you rinse and any edible plantings (on your property or your neighbors) and 200 feet from a natural water source. Choose relatively soft ground so the water will seep into the ground quickly. As it seeps deeper and deeper into the ground, the soil will naturally filter out impurities.

Before clean-up

Before cleaning painting tools, remove as much paint from them as possible. First brush wet paint out of paint trays and buckets into the original container. Then squeeze as much paint from brushes and rollers as possible. (That curved notch on paint sticks is for scraping paint from a saturate paint roller back into the can.) Clean paint brushes and rollers thoroughly to make sure they will last for years.

Crissy Trask is the founder of GreenMatters.com and the author of the bestseller It’s Easy Being Green: A Handbook for Earth-Friendly Living. Follow her on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook.

RRR: Inspirational Mosaics

While browsing on Pinterest, I've found a few mosaics that are the epitome of Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Check 'em out!

Coffee table with bottle caps

Wall art made with Mardi Gras beads.

Floor tiled with bottle caps

all images courtesy of Pinterest

Adventures in Brattleboro, VT part 2

Brattleboro, Vermont is just about the greenest little city you can find. Besides their fabulous new co-op (see previous post), they also have lots of green-minded shops or regular shops with some surprisingly green flare! These photos are just a brief example of the many eco-friendly products I saw while shopping downtown:

at an Indian clothing and decor store, they were selling repurposed saris as journal covers! Gorgeous! 

Eco-friendly notecards - a boutique must-have!

And I spied this little beauty at a second-hand furniture store: a chandelier made of bottle tops!