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Home for the Holidays...Not This Year

Jodi Helmer — 2010-12-20T12:24:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home, Fun Stuff, Parties & Entertaining, Holidays

Our writer loves her family, but she doesn't love spending Christmas with them.

About the same time Christmas tree lots start popping up in parking lots and radio DJs start playing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on an endless loop, I start getting more calls from home. On the other end of the phone, my mom and dad ask about work, the dogs and the weather before getting to the real reason for their call: To invite, encourage and cajole me into coming home for Christmas. They take turns making hard-to-refuse offers like, "Dad will make pancakes on Christmas morning!"

A photo of the author on Christmas in 1977 -- back when she was forced to spend the holiday with her family. Photo: Jodi Helmer

Sometimes, their invites pull at the heartstrings. Just last week, I heard, "Having you home would be the best present of all," and "The house is all decorated; all that's missing is you."

It's hard to decline their invitation -- but I do.

This December marks a decade since I last celebrated Christmas with my family. During holiday season's past, I've spent Christmas traveling to Hong Kong (see me and a Chinese Santa Claus below) and Peru, rented a cottage at the beach and celebrated solo.

There are many reasons I choose not to go home for Christmas. Home is the suburbs of Toronto, Canada, which feels a little like the North Pole in December. There isn't a suitcase large enough to hold the boots, mittens, scarves and long underwear required to make the trip. Frigid temperatures and towering snow banks are as certain as the arrival of Santa on Christmas Eve. Add outrageous airfares and lines at the airport that make me want to drink too much spiked eggnog and a trip home for Christmas makes me want to borrow the Red Ryder BB Gun from Ralphie so I can shoot my eye out!

The author with Santa Claus in Hong Kong. Photo: Jodi Helmer

It's not just the weather and the airfare that keep me from traveling from home in Charlotte, North Carolina, to Canada at Christmas. In a season that's supposed to be about togetherness and peace, I find little of both at home.

We're a close-knit little clan and we love spending time together. When I do go home, we eat too much, talk too loud and laugh like banshees. We take candid snapshots of each other making weird faces, wrestle in the living room and tell crude jokes.

But during Christmas, the frenzied pace leaves little time to connect with each other. It seems that someone is always working, shoveling the walk, finishing their shopping, hiding in another room to wrap gifts or making a last minute trip to the supermarket instead of piling under blankets in the living room and watching "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" or gathering around the dining room table for a game of cards. We argue over time slots for the home's sole bathroom and fuss at each other about who makes too much noise in the mornings and who ate the last cookie.

The number of parties, breakfasts with Santa, white elephant gift exchanges and open houses that we've navigated over Christmas could rival the President's social calendar -- and that makes it hard to spend time hanging out in front of the Christmas tree.

The last time I went home -- in 2000 -- was so hectic I decided that I was going to plan trips in the summer when there were fewer obligations and a more relaxed pace at the house. So far, it's worked. Last summer, we sat outside on the deck from morning until night. My two-and-a-half-year-old niece, Charlotte, ran through the sprinkler while we ate hamburgers and corn on the cob. When my dad wasn't manning the grill, Charlotte grabbed his hand and convinced him to run through the sprinkler, too, even though he was wearing slacks and loafers. There were no parties or social obligations, no expectations of elaborate meals, no pressure to get dressed up, no fights or frustrations over gifts given or received. It was just our little clan spending time together in the summer sun.

One year, the author went home for a visit during December but not for Christmas. Photo: Jodi Helmer

Now that Christmas is just days away, the reminders that I would be welcomed home with open arms are more frequent. I truly am grateful for the invitations but -- at least this year -- I'm sticking to the tradition of not going home for the holidays.

Over the past decade, I've continued with some traditions from home, including making pancakes on Christmas morning and sitting in front of the tree, taking turns opening gifts. I've also created some new traditions.

On Christmas morning, my partner and I take the dogs for a long hike. We call our families, listen to Christmas carols and trade stories of childhood celebrations and favorite gifts. We skip the traditional meal in favor of making new recipes. Last Christmas, I made pot roast for the first time. This year, we've set our sights on making sweet and sour Indian stew and homemade bread. Instead of pumpkin pie, we split a pint of Ben & Jerry's for dessert. We leave all of the dishes in the sink, change into our pajamas and spend the evening drinking hot chocolate and playing board games in front of the fire.

Who knows? One of these years, I might take my parents up on the invitation to come home for the holidays. For now, I'm content to embrace Bing Crosby's mantra: "I'll be home for Christmas...if only in my dreams."

Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference.

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Naked at Home For a Week

Jodi Helmer — 2010-12-16T13:33:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Fun Stuff, Crafts & Projects, Cleaning

Our writer reports on her week cooking, cleaning and working at home in the buff.

Most people wake up in the morning and get dressed. Last week, I agreed to hop out of bed and not get dressed. I called it Naked Week.

I believe that a lot of things are better without clothes: Bubble baths, swimming under the stars, frolicking between the sheets. When it's time to cook dinner, scrub the tub or watch "The Big Bang Theory," I prefer to be wearing clothes.

I agreed to take it all off for a week in the name of journalism. At first, I was going to pass on the assignment. I had all sorts of excuses: How will I walk the dogs? What if the UPS man knocks on the door? It's too cold to be naked!

Photo: Getty Images

But I decided that it might be fun and thought I could learn something so I signed on. For an entire week, as long as I was at home, I was naked. I wrote articles, interviewed sources, washed dishes, paid bills and watched TV all while I was naked.

There were things I refused to do naked: I avoided cooking all meals that might involve grease spatter (ouch!), and I skipped scrubbing the tub for a week because donning rubber gloves and getting down on all fours to scour grout while naked felt like the opening scene of an X-rated movie. I also postponed a project to pull out the carpet and install hardwood floors for obvious reasons. Of course, I got dressed to walk the dogs, run errands and meet friends for dinner.

I told a friend about the assignment while we talked on the phone. "Naked? All week? So, wait: You're naked now?"

"Yep."

"How does it feel?"

"Weird."

On the first morning of Naked Week, I was resistant. I was tempted to fake an internet malfunction so I could work in a coffee shop all week. I decided to start slow. The first morning, I wore an oversized t-shirt and socks. It took me a full 48 hours to take it all off. I wasn't naked for long when I decided that, for me, walking around the house au naturel felt unnatural.

The author in the kitchen where she prepared her meals naked -- No cooking though! She deemed that too hazardous. Photo: Jodi Helmer

I was like a teenage boy seeing breasts for the first time. I stared at my body. I was struck by all of the things I hadn't noticed before: New moles, new hairs, new wrinkles. I obsessed over my dry skin and applied lotion in an attempt to moisturize, poked at lumps and bumps that clothes kept covered and decided I was overdue for a pedicure.

"We don't grow up learning the value and uniqueness of our bodies," explains Rosie Molinary, author of "Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance." "We're taught to be ashamed [of them]."

Even though being naked made me uncomfortable in my own skin, I was determined to focus on all of the good things about my body: Loving arms that cradled my niece just minutes after she was born, strong calves that helped me navigate trails on hikes with the dogs and hips that shimmied when I walked.

In between moments of appreciation, the focus shifted to all of the things I wanted to change. I wanted a flatter stomach, thinner thighs, stronger arms, perkier breasts.

I changed positions on the sofa to ones I deemed more attractive. I made excuses to curl up under a blanket. I took the dogs on longer walks and spent more time with friends because I was "allowed" to wear clothes.

"Fixating on this roll, that wrinkle or this line isn't productive," Molinary says. "For every hour we spend looking in the mirror and counting our freckles or obsessing over our weight, it takes time and energy away from what we were meant to do in the world."

I know that she's right. While I worried about dry skin, cracked toenails and jiggling flesh, I could have shared intimate moments with my partner, soaked in a bubble bath, watched the "naked episode" of Seinfeld or called an old friend and reminisced about the time we left our bathing suits on shore and swam in the lake. Instead, I covered up. I counted the minutes until the naked experiment was over because there was something awkward about resting a bucket of suds on a naked thigh before setting it down to mop the floor or folding pants while wearing none. I found it downright comical when I stood in front of the fridge and searched for ingredients for dinner while staring at a cantaloupe and cucumbers! (Yes, being naked gave me the mindset of a prepubescent tween).

In an attempt to understand the reasons some people are more comfortable naked, I researched nudists.

Although there are no comprehensive statistics about the number of nudists (also called naturists) in the U.S., I think it's safe to guess that it's not that common. Even in my uber-liberal home and native land of Canada, just 2.7 million Canadians have a "nudist mindset," according to the Federation of Canadian Naturists (FCN).

Both FCN and the U.S.-based Naturist Society define nudism/naturism as being naked in a communal setting. I'm not sure that I'll book a vacation at a nudist resort or invite friends over for a naked barbecue, but I do love their take on the benefits of living in the buff.

According to the FCN website, naturism "promotes wholesomeness and stability of the human body, mind and spirit, especially through contact of the body with the natural elements...Children in naturist families learn to appreciate the body as part of their natural environment. They grow up with healthful attitudes and accept the physical nature of both sexes and all ages without fear or shame."

It sounds like a state we should all aspire to. If Naked Week taught me one thing, it's that I need to work on being more comfortable in my own skin, even if it is in dire need of moisturizer. I might start sleeping naked or doing the weekend crossword puzzle in the buff. But for now, I'm off to put on some pants.

Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference and a frequent contributor to ShelterPop.

Do you have a personal story to tell? Share it on our Facebook page, and don't miss these great stories:
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My Little House on the Prairie Life

Jodi Helmer — 2010-12-09T13:40:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Fun Stuff, Design, etc

Our writer discovers that she's not the only one who dreams of a return to simple living.

A few weeks ago, I tore an article from a farming magazine about making a braided rug.

I was imagining weaving together colorful strips of fabric and declaring, "I made it!" when I stopped to wonder when I had become a woman who read farming magazines and wanted to make braided rugs. I decided it must have happened around the same time I decided to grow pots of veggies on the patio and darn torn wool socks instead of shopping for new ones.

Courtesy Everett Collection

While some women covet the lives of Oprah or Madeline Albright or Snooki, I am curled up in front of Little House on the Prairie reruns and dreaming of living like Laura Ingalls. As it turns out, I'm not alone.

The idea of pioneer living has taken hold. While covered wagons and floral bonnets don't appear to be making a comeback, modern pioneers are embracing aspects of Little House on the Prairie living, growing their own food, raising livestock, making clothing and shopping local.

Emily Achenbaum Harris who writes a blog called Little House, Southern Prairie, claims that a combination of the economic crisis, environmental awareness and the desire to be a stay-at-home mom led her to embrace traditional values like veggie gardening and secondhand shopping. Her mantra is the WWII motto, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without."

"It feels like a trend to our generation because it's different from how we grew up," she explains. "Our parents and grandparents were living like this and it wasn't special back then."

It's the "back then" that Achenbaum Harris refers to that draws me in.

The writer with her jarred fruits. Photo: Jodi Helmer

I was raised in cities with public transportation, corner stores and crowds. It's not an uptown condominium I crave but a secluded acreage in the mountains. I dream of living in a farmhouse just like the one where my great-grandmother was raised. I want to trade the corporate ladder for a grain elevator and tackle chores like feeding chickens, mucking out stalls and catching trout in the creek just like Laura Ingalls. I spend hours reading The Pioneer Woman, Cold Antler Farm and other blogs written by women who have embraced back-to-the-land living, dreaming of my own personal Walnut Grove.

For now, I live in an urban townhouse with a postage-sized patio so the chickens, horses and trout-laden creeks outside the back door will have to wait. I still manage to live a little like Laura Ingalls, even as rush hour traffic roars past the front door.

I have started growing vegetables and shopping at farmers markets, making meals from scratch, collecting rainwater, bartering for goods and services, wearing hand-me-downs and spending evening in heated games of Battleship or Scrabble instead of sitting in front of the TV. While it's not a true pioneer existence -- I'm not about to give up indoor plumbing, central heat or WiFi just to be like Half Pint -- it does represent a shift in how I'm living.

The decision to adopt some old-fashioned habits came from a desire to spend less (spending 99 cents for a tomato plant that will produce fruit for months is much more cost-effective than paying $3 per pound -- or more -- for supermarket tomatoes) and, in the case of food, to know the origins of the products I was eating.

"We grow our own veggies partly because, of course, it's economical," explains Megan Crotty, who grows everything from beans and tomatillos to pumpkins and zucchini on a 2.5-acre homestead in North Carolina. "Personally, I love to watch things grow [and] it's definitely a learning experience. We try to grow something new every year. It's amazing to look out there and see things growing and think, 'Hey, I did that.'"

Just like the Ingalls, Crotty and her fiancé, Todd Dulaney, share their crops with neighbors and coworkers, often trading fresh produce for venison, eggs and manure.

There is more to pioneer living than fresh air and a little dirt under the fingernails. In an effort to be more Laura Ingalls-like, I've discovered that a return to simpler times is a lot of hard work.

Last summer, a neighbor invited me to pick all of the peaches I could handle from her trees. I filled two baskets with plans to bake and preserve peaches just as I imagined Laura and her ma did in Walnut Grove. I peeled and sliced peaches all weekend, placed each jar in a pot of boiling water and set the jars aside until their seals popped. It felt like a sweet-smelling sweatshop: peel, slice, boil, repeat. After hours of work and hundreds of peaches, I had preserved just seven jars.

Exhausted and covered in peach juice, I knew it would have been easier to cut coupons for canned Del Monte produce but there was a strong sense of satisfaction that came from seeing the literal fruits of my labor stacked on the pantry shelves -- and that is the crux of the desire to live like Laura Ingalls. It might require more work but it offers more payoff, too.

While it sounds cliché, I have to admit that the peaches tasted sweeter when I recalled how much effort went into preserving them. The same can be said for the homemade bread that took six tries to master and the single small tomato I plucked from a withering vine. I've learned that the more effort something takes, the more I appreciate the result.

I'm well aware that growing vegetables, raising chickens and darning socks might be a fad. Like legwarmers, fruit roll-ups and friendship bracelets, the trend might fade into the background.

"I think that we're a stuff-loving society," Achenbaum Harris says. "As soon as the economy bounces back, people might keep their vegetable gardens but they'll probably go back to buying 10 pairs of shoes."

Even if I eventually trade the dream of a 100-acre farmstead for the desire to live in an urban high rise, there will still be preserved peaches in the pantry and a braided rug in the living room where I can kick off a new pair of shoes.

Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference.

Do you have a personal story to tell? Tell us about it in the comments, and don't miss these great stories:
-When Mom Steps Down as Holiday Host
-My Eco-Guilt
- Fixing Grandma's Mixer Changed My Life

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From Backyard to Jungle

Jodi Helmer — 2010-10-12T12:36:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Gardening

Our writer tries to turn her patio into a certified wildlife habitat.

When I first moved into my townhouse in 2007, I loved its small, fenced patio. It was large enough to host an al fresco dinner for two and small enough to keep me from spending weekends mowing the lawn and pulling weeds.

A few months after I moved in, I discovered that the concrete jungle was depressing.

I bought a few pots and planted some flowers that helped brighten up the patio a little but something was still missing -- critters. There were no butterflies, birds, bees or frogs. Even the insects scurried across the patio in search of greener pastures. I wanted to provide those greener pastures.

A full-scale landscaping project wasn't an option. The wires buried under the river rocks made planting trees or digging a garden impossible and, with no lawnmower and three dogs, grass was a bad idea. A limited budget meant it had to be a DIY project. I decided that a container garden was the best choice.

I started researching the options and came across a National Wildlife Federation (NWF) program that allows outdoor spaces to become certified wildlife habitats. The program was launched in 1973 but has gained the most momentum in the past decade. David Mizejewski, a naturalist and NWF spokesperson, said the number of certified sites jumped from 26,000 to 130,000 in 2010.

"Part of the goal of the program is to create a movement; to give people a means of connecting with nature on a daily basis," Mizejewski explains. "There has been a huge spike in participation now that people are realizing it's possible to create natural spaces right outside their back doors."

It seemed like the perfect solution for me.

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I loved the notion of providing habitats for wildlife and making the best choices for the environment all while I made the back patio a more beautiful place to hang out. The inner high-achiever in me loved the idea of being rewarded for the makeover.

Mizejewski assured me that it was possible to have a small space certified. I reviewed the requirements -- provide food, water, cover and a place for animals to raise babies all while using green gardening practices -- and set to work.

I tend to pick plants like a child picks candies -- racing through the garden center and exclaiming, "Oooh, I love that shade of pink!" and "These flowers look like old fashioned phonograph horns! I'll take two!" I had to be more careful this time because they needed to provide food for wildlife. Of course, I wanted them to be colorful, too. I picked butterfly bushes and lantana, which are sources of nectar. And, if the number of butterflies and bees circling the plants at the garden center were any indication, it wouldn't take long for critters to find the plants on my patio.

I immediately hung two birdhouses, a hummingbird feeder and two birdfeeders and installed a makeshift rain barrel to capture rainwater (I'd love a real rain barrel but the homeowners association wouldn't be pleased if I disconnected the downspouts!). Providing a water source was harder.

In a small space, a large fountain wasn't an option. I wasn't comfortable using a ton of power to keep fountain water re-circulating. At first, I didn't want a birdbath. Aren't birdbaths for old ladies with lots of cats? But then, scouring Internet craft sites for something small and colorful, I found a cute birdbath made from a teacup and saucer attached to a copper pole. I replicated the project at home, filling the saucer with water and the teacup with birdseed, and it's become a popular spot for the neighborhood birds to hang out.

Truth be told, it took a long time to find the right combination that would allow me to earn certification without looking like a jumbled mess. I did, after all, want to save enough space to be able to sit outside without bumping into bird feeders and fallen logs.

The effort was worth it.

Within a week, there was a bluebird nest in one of the birdhouses, a hummingbird perched on the red feeder, butterflies and bees fluttering on the plants and birds nibbling on seed while perched on the edge of the teacup feeders. After three years of looking outside and seeing a concrete wasteland, the patio felt like a mini Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom!

Jodi Helmer

I jumped in excitement each time a new bird flew to the feeders. I called my partner at work to report on wildlife sightings. I kept the camera on the kitchen counter to capture the scene. The patio was alive!

I've even caught the dogs -- the same dogs that used to walk outside, do their business and come right back in -- hanging out on the patio, watching (and sometimes barking) at the birds, staring at the butterflies and avoiding the bees.

I started spending more time on the patio, too, making dinner on the barbeque, relaxing in the sun with a book or sitting under the umbrella and watching for birds. I even look forward to going outside in the evening to water the plants. Knowing that I have a handful of critters using the blossoms to fill their little bellies made all of the effort worthwhile.

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Learning to Love Clutter

Jodi Helmer — 2010-10-05T09:13:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home

One writer learns to accept that clutter in her home is evidence of a life well lived.

I love flipping through the pages of design magazines and imagining life in a space so perfect. Gleaming granite countertops accented with a bowl of lemons and limes, sofas with pillows placed just right and coffee tables perfectly stacked with magazines, topped with a single paperweight.

Jodi Helmer

I tried to make my home look that way, too. I fluffed the throw pillows and arranged them with care. I dusted the coffee table and stacked the magazines. I didn't have lemons or limes to fill a glass bowl (come to think of it, I don't own a glass bowl), but I cleared the dish rack, stack of mail, dog treats and water bottles from the kitchen counter. The house looked good. With a fresh coat of paint, a few pieces of designer furniture and a bunch of fresh flowers, it might have made a decent shot for a magazine.

The perfection lasted for five minutes.

The mail was delivered, and I dropped it on the kitchen counter. I sat on the sofa, messing up the pillows. I picked up magazines and tossed them back in a haphazard pile. I made dinner and left the dishes in the sink.

I tried using wicker baskets to contain the detritus. I cut back on magazine subscriptions. I bought books on organization and clutter-free living. Nothing worked.

Life happened, and with it came clutter. Or so it seemed.

I needed a break from the battle. While the magazines and mail multiplied like dust bunnies, I went on vacation.

One afternoon, while I was sitting on the deck of my childhood home with my parents, I offered to show them some photos of the grand-dogs, a recent vacation and the new home they have not yet visited. After looking at a few photos, my mom exclaimed, "It's cute and bright...but it's so bare!"

The grand-dog, at play. Photo: Jodi Helmer

I looked at the picture and saw the stack of mail tucked between the trio of flowerpots on the kitchen island and the dog toys strewn across the living room floor. It didn't look bare to me.

But my mom didn't see the clutter. She noticed that there were no photos on the fireplace mantle. She thought the kitchen countertops were too bare and it bothered her that the gorgeous hand-carved bowl on the dining room table had nothing in it. To my mom, it looked like a house in a magazine, not the place where her daughter lived. She looked at the rooms but didn't see traces of me in them.

And then I showed her photos of my office.

"This room looks like it belongs in your house," she said.

I took a long look at the photo. There were notebooks and papers stacked on the desk, snapshots and cards were tacked all over the corkboard, books were piled in haphazard stacks that threatened to spill out of the bookcase and each wall was covered in art. The room was full.

I asked my mom why she thought the most cluttered room in the house looked the most like me.

"It's colorful. I see all of the things you love in there -- pictures of family and friends, art you've collected on your travels, stacks of books, toys that belong to the dogs...It's the one room that looks lived in."

She had a point: The room wasn't just full, it was also the place where I felt most fulfilled.

Then it struck me: There is a reason that I do my best work in that space. What I consider clutter isn't clutter at all -- it's a collection of pieces that tell my stories and reveal what is most important to me. The rest of the house could belong to anyone but there was no question that the office was mine.

It was then that I understood that the things I'd seen as clutter in my childhood home -- the worn cigar box that belonged to my grandfather, a collection of stuffed animals my sister and I loved as kids, ceramic plates and a plastic coin bank -- were the things my mom saved because they told our family stories. As much as I hated to admit it, my mom was right: There is nothing special about a picture perfect room; it's the things we put in those rooms -- the photos, souvenirs and books -- that make a house a home.

When I returned home later that week, I decided to embrace the clutter. The stuffed squeakers and tennis balls on the living room floor are a reminder to take a break for a game of fetch with the dogs. The cards and invitations that pile up on the kitchen counter are evidence of good times with good friends. And the books and magazines are part occupational hazard and part passion for an afternoon spent reading.

If the evidence of a life well-lived is in the clutter, I can learn to love it. Thanks, mom.

Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference.

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In Love With Another...House

Jodi Helmer — 2010-08-03T14:26:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home, Design, etc

Jodi Helmer

One writer struggles to believe that a new house does not equal a new and better life.

Everything would be different -- if only I lived in that bungalow; the charming one with the gabled roof, dormer windows and wide front porch. I would throw dinner parties, sit on a leather sofa in front of the fire, bake biscuits in the kitchen, sip sweet tea on the front porch, wear colorful rubber boots to work in the garden and let the dogs run free behind the white picket fence. It's my own house -- too tall, too thin, too little charm and a neighborhood that's not hip enough -- that makes this lust so palpable. Or so I've convinced myself.

I stand under a towering oak tree across the street and stare; I walk past after dark to peer in the lit windows for a better view of the interior; I search real estate websites for virtual tours. All the while, I imagine the life I could have if I lived in one of the picture-perfect bungalows.

Things would be different. Cozier. Better.

"When you covet a house, it's not the house you're after, it's a different version of your life," said Meghan Daum, author of the book Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House. "We trick ourselves into believing that it's our house that's holding us back; if we moved into a new house we'd be a better cook, our relationships would be better, we'd be thinner, we'd entertain more..."

I feel better knowing that I'm not alone in thinking a new house equals a new life.

From the moment I signed on the dotted line to buy this townhouse in 2007, I had plans to sell. Maybe that's why I'm always looking over my shoulder at other houses -- because I've always believed that the house I own now is just a place to live until something better comes along. In fact, each time I think I've eyed the perfect house -- the one I'd cash in retirement accounts and inheritances to own -- I develop a crush on another one.

Even if I'm fortunate enough to own one of the bungalows in my favorite neighborhood, I'm certain that I'll continue to lust after other houses. I'll develop crushes on houses in more desirable neighborhoods with bigger front porches, prettier gardens and more historic appeal. If there is one thing I know about house envy it's that the condition is chronic; the attraction to real estate never stops.

A few months ago, I hatched a plan to move into the perfect house. One evening, while I was walking the dogs, I noticed that one of the little bungalows I loved had a "For Rent" sign in the front yard. I took a flyer and spent the rest of the week trying to figure out how I could move into that house. Once again, I was picturing myself hosting dinner parties, drinking sweet tea on the front porch and wearing rubber boots in the garden. A friend suggested that I rent out my townhouse and move into the little bungalow. It was the perfect solution -- and then I thought about what moving would really mean.

The truth is, I would rather meet friends at a restaurant than entertain; I hate leather furniture almost as much as I hate baking and biscuits; I prefer Diet Coke to sweet tea; and the last time I had a garden, the plants were either overgrown or dead.

While I am waxing poetic about wide front porches and picket fences, I am ignoring all of the things I love about the house I own: It's just the right size; there are French doors in the kitchen that lead to a private patio, an oversized bathtub in the master bedroom and loads of storage space. There are even dormer windows.
Blinded by bungalow lust, I've forgotten one of the most important things about the place I live: It's more than just a house; it's a home.

It's the place where I mourned the end of a marriage and celebrated the thrill of falling in love again. It's the place where I negotiated my first book contract and spent countless hours hunched over a computer in the office to meet the deadline. It's the place where I made Christmas dinner solo for the first time, cutting potatoes and carrots with a dull paring knife and checking the roast 20 times to see if it was cooked. It's the place where I fostered six dogs, doling out rawhides and cleaning up accidents until each one found its forever home. It's the place I retreat to; the place I feel safe.

The house is not perfect. There are no hardwood floors, no built-ins and no picket fence -- but there are memories and each one is far more important than a big front porch and wide wood moldings will ever be.

I know I'll never be cured of house envy. I'll continue to fall in love with a new house on each block but the next time I'm standing under a towering oak tree and peering in the windows of a picture perfect bungalow, imagining what life would be like if I lived there, I'm going to remember that it might be a beautiful house but it's not home.

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Getting Over Green Guilt

Jodi Helmer — 2010-05-26T15:49:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home, Storage & Cleaning, News & Trends

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The latest cross to bear? Not going green (enough). Forget that broken diet, this is serious business.

It happened again last night. In the midst of washing the dishes, a wave of green guilt washed over me.

I had filled the sink with piping hot water and soap that was not phosphate-free, and turned on the garbage disposal and rinsed some non-organic greens down the sink. The back door was open and the air conditioning was on.

I started to think about all of the eco sins I'd committed in the past hour, the past week, the past month -- about all the times I had used paper napkins at dinner, tossed an aluminum can in the trash and driven 10 blocks to a restaurant when I could have walked. Rather than focusing on all of the actions I do take in an attempt to be a good steward of the environment, I obsess over what I could be doing. It's called green guilt.

Green guilt is a new phenomenon. It doesn't affect devotees of SUVs, chlorine bleach, bottled water and paper napkins. Instead, it strikes consumers who are the most eco aware -- those who work hard to make smart environmental choices but sometimes slip, making decisions based on price or convenience instead of the welfare of the planet.

"Green guilt happens when we know we should be making different eco choices," explains Jen Pleasants, author of Bag Green Guilt: 5 Easy Steps to Turn Eco-Anxiety into Constructive Energy. "We all deal with green guilt sometimes."

A report produced by the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation offers proof. In 2009, 12 percent of Americans admitted to suffering from some degree of green guilt. (I felt a wave of green guilt just reading the report, which reminded me that I don't own rechargeable batteries).

A Reader's Digest poll found that not recycling is the number one reason for green guilt. I feel the most guilt over wasting water and not composting. Even though I attempt to be responsible about water use and food waste, I know I could do more.

For me, the bouts of green guilt became more intense when I began specializing in writing about sustainable living. I used to write about fitness and nutrition, which led to pangs of guilt when I didn't spend 30 minutes on the treadmill or fell short of eating six servings of fruits and veggies a day. Now that I make a living talking about how important it is to go green, I feel even more pressure to walk the talk.

Think about it: It would be career suicide if Al Gore bought a Hummer or Alicia Silverstone was caught biting into a hamburger. I might not be a former vice president with an Oscar-winning film or a famous actress and author but I still think it's important to practice what I preach. If I tell readers to steer clear of bottled water, I shouldn't have a case of Evian in the refrigerator -- it would be hypocritical to advocate for the use of canvas bags only to leave the supermarket toting a week's worth of groceries stuffed into plastic sacks.

I'll be the first to admit that green guilt has led me to make some questionable decisions: I have gone months without washing the dog beds (and the dogs) in an attempt to save water; I have carried an armload of loose purchases to the car because I forgot to bring canvas bags to the supermarket; and I have collected small loose bits of soap and tried to mold them into a single, bigger bar to avoid wasting the scraps.

Most of the time, I am the sole witness to these odd behaviors (a good thing or I might be writing this from a padded room) but there are times when I have embarrassed friends while on a green crusade.

My most embarrassing green moment happened when I was on a date. I put two empty beer bottles in my purse because I found out that the cantina where we met for drinks didn't recycle. I still cringe at the thought of making off with a pair of Corona bottles to save them from the trash. I haven't returned to the cantina since that afternoon because I hate the green guilt that comes with knowing I'm supporting a business that doesn't care enough to recycle.

I realize that focusing on all of my little eco sins -- like the fact that I'm wearing a t-shirt that was manufactured in China from pesticide-laden cotton while eating a bowl of non-organic cherries that were imported from Chile -- is not productive. I must learn to let go of the guilt. The good news for the green guilt-ridden: Help is available.

I could travel to England to meet with a priest who specializes in taking green confessions at environmental festivals or, I could, as Pleasants suggests, just move on.

"You have to stop feeling bad about it," she notes. "We all share the responsibility for doing the right thing -- we can't shirk it but we can't fret over it either. Just do the best you can."

It's good advice.

I'm going to continue using the cold water setting on the washing machine, choosing organic produce when it's an option, turning off the computer when I leave the house and steering clear of paper napkins and bottled water. When I feel those inevitable twinges of green guilt, I'll take a deep breath and let them pass.

Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference.

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Interior Design: There's An App for That

Jodi Helmer — 2010-05-07T10:04:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home, Living Room, Projects, Design, etc, News & Trends, Furniture

Whether you want to pick a new paint color, find the perfect sofa or just hang a picture, there's an iPhone app that can help. We've complied a list of 10 helpful interior design apps to help you decide which ones are worth downloading.

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Interior Design: Want an App for That?

Sherwin Williams ColorSnap
Cost: Free
Overview: Take a photo of a favorite object or color inspiration and match it to a Sherwin-Williams paint color.
Pros: Custom color matching makes it easier to find the right color instead of searching through thousands of paint chips at the hardware store.
Cons: Matching a paint color to a photo of a favorite object gives a less accurate result than having the color matched to the actual object.

Getty Images

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

iGarageSale
Cost: $1.99
Overview: Downloads garage sale listings from Craigslist and maps them based on your location.
Pros: Maps the listings so there's no toggling back and forth between Craigslist and Google Maps to enter addresses and wait for directions.
Cons: Only searches garage sale listings on Craigslist (though there are plans to import listings from other sites in the future).

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Selection Assistant
Cost:Free
Overview: Upload photos from real estate showings, make notes about home tours and access information about neighborhoods when shopping for a new home.
Pros: Information is detailed and includes comparative home values, school district information, neighborhood demographics, crime statistics and local amenities.
Cons: Neighborhood amenities emphasize national chains with no mention of local shops and restaurants.

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

The Home Depot
Cost: Free
Overview: The app is a handheld version of the website. There are tools to view flyers, create shopping lists and read how-to articles about home improvements.
Pros: Short how-to videos on a range of DIY projects from installing a ceiling fan to painting a room offer step-by-step instructions.
Cons: The app wasn't designed with a search function to find specific in-store products. The products listed on the app are limited to advertised specials or featured items.

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

ColorChange
Cost$2.99
Overview: Take a photo of a room and "paint" it using a color from the screen tools.
Pros
Cons: The app often has trouble distinguishing between the walls and furnishings in the photos, which means the entire photo is "painted" instead of just the walls. It's awkward to choose a color using the touch screen.

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

HGTV's Staging & Property
Cost: Free
Overview: Handheld access to quick clips of popular HGTV shows, including Designed to Sell and Curb Appeal, how-to guides and galleries of before and after photos.
Pros: Photo galleries are sorted by room and tips are in categories like staging and architectural styles, making it simple to find specific ideas.
Cons: Downloads of video clips are slow. There are advertisements embedded in the photo galleries.

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

Home Sizer
Cost: $2.99
Overview: When building a new home, enter the dimensions of each planned room and the app will calculate the approximate cost of construction.
Pros: Costs can be adjusted based on plans for inexpensive to custom finishes.
Cons: The app is focused on new construction and/or additions and has little usefulness for those who are remodeling or making cosmetic upgrades.

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

iGuides: Hanging a Picture
Cost: $2.99
Overview: A basic guide to hanging a picture from using the right tools to choosing the right spot on the wall for a work of art.
Pros: It's possible to search topics by chapter to find advice or instructions for a specific aspect of picture-hanging like prepping the wall or choosing the right hardware.
Cons: It's a basic guide; not useful for experienced DIYers.

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

Home Interior Layout Designer/Mark on Call
Cost: $2.99
Overview: Handheld interior design app. Tools to rearrange the furniture in a room, change the background to represent paint or wallpaper and create/share shopping lists.
Pros: You can take pictures of actual finishes and fabrics and mix and match them in the virtual room before making purchases.
Cons: It takes a lot of time to enter the detailed information required to use the app well.

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

MyDeco
Cost: Free
Overview: Upload a picture of your room, pick one of 500 3D models of furniture from sofas and coffee tables to chandeliers and see how they work together.
Pros: You can upload photos/designs to Facebook to get opinions on a new piece.
Cons: The furniture and accessories in the galleries are virtual finds, not actual pieces in a showroom that are available for purchase. The perfect chair in the app might not exist in the store.

Interior Design: Theres An App for That

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Green Deceits: When Going Green Isn't

Jodi Helmer — 2010-04-13T08:10:00 00:00

Surprise, surprise: These 10 "green" habits may have us fooled -- learn how they are causing harm to the environment.

You want to do the right thing for the planet, which means stocking up on canvas bags, turning the heat off before work and tossing water bottles in the recycle bin. But guess what? A lot of those so-called green actions have a negative impact on the planet.

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Green Deceits

Using fewer appliances is better for the planet, right? Not when it comes to washing the dishes. Running the dishwasher has less of an environmental impact than washing the dishes by hand. According to researchers at the University of Bonn in Germany, dishwashers use half the energy, one-sixth of the water and less soap than washing dishes by hand.

Over the course of one year, washing dishes in the dishwasher will save up to 5,000 gallons of water, notes Elizabeth Rogers, author of Shift Your Habit: Easy Ways to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Save the Planet.

You'll save the most energy by running the dishwasher only when it's full and letting dishes air dry instead of using the heated dry cycle. And make sure to avoid paper plates -- even on picnics!

Green Deceits

When it comes to choosing a Christmas tree, cutting a live tree is better for the planet than putting up an artificial tree. Even though artificial Christmas trees can be reused season after season, the environmental impact of manufacturing and shipping the plastic trees is significant.

According to the National Christmas Tree Association, fake trees are made from petroleum-based products, shipped from overseas and end up in the landfill. Cut trees, in contrast, are grown on Christmas tree farms where their stock is replenished each season and forests aren't depleted. Prior to being cut, trees provide habitat for wildlife and absorb carbon dioxide. After Christmas, cut trees are 100 percent recyclable. Get more tips on green-ing your holiday traditions here!

Recycling plastic bottles

Yes, recycling is a good thing. The problem isn't that plastic water bottles are being hauled off to recycling centers and given new life as soccer jerseys and dog toys -- it's the sheer number of water bottles that is bad for the planet.

It takes 1.5 million barrels of oil -- enough to power 100,000 cars for an entire year -- to manufacture the number of plastic water bottles that Americans drink on an annual basis, according to the Earth Policy Institute. The resources required to recycle plastic water bottles is also significant -- if the bottles are recycled at all. Currently, less than 31 percent of plastic water bottles are recycled; the rest are sent straight to the landfill.

Invest in a reusable water bottle and switch from bottled water to tap water (studies have shown that one is not healthier than the other). And check out what this truly resourceful family does with water bottles.

Green Deceits

You're convinced that washing the car with a bucket and a hose uses less water than running it through a commercial car wash where powerful jets of water are hitting the car from every angle. You're wrong.

It takes up to 140 gallons of water to wash a car at home compared with just 45 gallons of water at a commercial car wash.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the water used to wash a car at home contains residue from gasoline, motor oils, heavy metals from rust and chemicals from soaps and detergents, which runs into the sewers and pollutes rivers, streams and lakes. In contrast, commercial car washes have sophisticated wastewater management systems that help prevent water pollution.

Green Deceits

You use plastic containers to tote lunch to work and microwave leftovers, pop them in the dishwasher and reuse them all over again.

Plastic leaches a chemical called Bisphenol A, or BPA, that has been linked to immune impairment, obesity and early onset puberty," explains Sara Snow, eco expert and author of Sara Snow's Fresh Living: The Essential Room-by-Room Guide to a Greener, Healthier Family and Home.

Snow recommends storing and reheating food in glass containers because glass is a natural material that won't off-gas chemicals into the environment (or your leftover lasagna). Looking for unique food storage options? These are great for saving counterspace.

Green Deceits

Sometimes, gas gets a bad rap. The assumption that cooking an entire meal using a few briquettes and a lighter has less of an environmental impact than cooking burgers on a gas grill is false. When it comes to barbeques, gas is greener. Charcoal grills produce three times more greenhouse gases than propane grills, according to British researchers.

For diehard charcoal fans, trading briquettes that are doused in chemical-laden lighter fluid for briquettes made from natural materials like bamboo is a good green option.

Green Deceits

You don't want to run the heat or air-conditioning when no one is home but turning it off isn't a green act.

Turning the thermostat off can cause temperatures in the house to get too hot or cold, forcing the furnace or a/c to work harder to warm or cool the house when you get home. Leaving the thermostat set at a constant temperature also wastes a lot of energy. The solution: Install a programmable

"A programmable thermostat adjusts your air conditioner and heater settings based on the time of day," explains Rogers.

A simple programmable thermostat costs under $100 and can save up to 15 percent on annual energy costs. Also consider an eco-friendly humidifier to help control air quality.

Green Deceits

There is a huge push to go paperless. There's no question that signing up to receive the cable and phone bills via e-mail and reading the newspaper online saves a lot of paper. When it comes to books, it appears that electronic readers are not as green as paperbacks.

An article in the New York Times compared e-readers to paperbacks and found that manufacturing an e-reader required the same amount of fossil fuels, water and minerals as producing up to 50 books and has an impact on global warming equivalent to manufacturing 100 books. (Besides, books make for great design!)

Leave the e-reader on the shelf and keep purchasing paperbacks. Or, as the authors of the article suggest, borrow books from local libraries.

Green Deceits

Turning off the coffee maker, television and radio is much better than leaving them running 24/7 but shutting down the power doesn't mean appliances and electronic gadgets aren't consuming energy.

Vampire power refers to the energy that's used when something is plugged into the wall -- even if it's not turned on -- and it accounts for up to 10 percent of residential energy use. You can cut energy use by unplugging products, not just turning them off.

"Search the wall sockets in your house for devices that don't need to be plugged in," advises Chris Kielich, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Energy. "You can put a lot of appliances on a power strip and unplug that when they're not in use."

Green Deceits

You've started looking for products made from natural and sustainable materials in the hopes of reducing your carbon footprint. Sadly, a lot of the products that claim to be eco-friendly don't live up to the hype, including products like these, which are only partly green.

It's a common practice for manufacturers to incorporate one green element into an entire piece and then make the claim that the product is environmentally friendly. You can avoid being "green-washed" -- or a victim of "green consumerism" -- by reading all of the product information and asking questions about the materials and the manufacturer. Or see what products get the thumbs-up on eco-friendliness from ShelterPop.

Green Deceits

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HGTV: My Highs and Lows

Jodi Helmer — 2010-03-24T10:41:00 00:00

Filed under: Your Home, Projects, Furniture

Jens Lucking, Getty Images

Our writer shares her tales of wow and woe when it comes to following the DIY advice of HGTV's design stars.

I tried to make an upholstered headboard once. I got the idea from an episode of HGTV's Design on a Dime. Armed with an oversized piece of fiberboard, soft batting, a staple gun and a bolt of fabric, I set to work measuring, cutting, padding and stapling. Hours later, I was the proud owner of a DIY headboard.

The problem: It was a $156 mess. There were lumps in the batting, the fabric was crooked and it didn't have that "hotel chic" promised by the on-screen designers. I rescued the fabric, which is still buried -- unused -- in a dark corner of a storage closet, tossed the fiberboard in the trash and bought a headboard instead.

It was not the first time I'd been the victim of an HGTV-inspired makeover-gone-wrong. Trading Spaces designer Vern Yip shared a great tip: To make the windows in the bedroom look larger hang the curtain rod at ceiling height. What he failed to add was that one should measure the curtains first to ensure that each panel is long enough to reach the floor. It doesn't take a good designer to know that window treatments, like pants, should never be too short. It took me several hours, a container of Spackle and two coats of paint to relocate my curtain rod six inches lower.

Next, I watched as Divine Design's Candace Olsen advocated having a feature wall to create visual interest in a space. I tried this in the bedroom, painting three walls a light shade of blue-gray and using a much darker blue-gray for my feature wall. The room looked like a toss-up between a collegiate locker room and the nursery for a bouncing baby boy. It took an entire afternoon and another gallon of paint to understand the reasons interior designers spend semesters, if not years, learning how to work with color.

I tune into HGTV with a mission: I want inspiration. I watch Dear Genevieve, Divine Design and Colour Confidential and I'm left with so many options: Should I sew new pillows to add a bright pop to my chocolate brown sofa? Add texture to the bathroom walls with wallpaper? Create original art on canvas? Refinish an old cabinet?

I've spent countless hours attempting to replicate the looks I've seen, going to great lengths to find the same materials and to follow the design advice to the letter. And I have had a few DIY successes, including a pair of handmade curtain panels and a paint treatment of turquoise and white stripes in the powder bathroom. But more often than not, the projects I attempt suffer the same fate as the upholstered headboard - the trash.

I was at IKEA recently and like all good HGTV fans, I picked up a set of black picture frames to turn into custom frames for treasured photos using fabric mats. Several attempts (and countless four-letter words) later, I removed the crooked and bulging fabric and resorted to using the plain white mats that came with the frames. On the plus side, while I was inside the Swedish superstore, I found a pair of brown velvet curtains for the bedroom-the very ones that Color Splash's David Bromstad and Vern Yip have used in their makeovers.

Even so, for a long time I felt like a failure for not being able to replicate all the DIY ideas I saw on HGTV. They looked so simple on TV. How could I mess them up? Therein lies the problem: The network has snagged top-notch designers, allocated them huge budgets, stocked trailers with all the tools of the trade, hired talented craftspeople and edited the hell out of the footage to make it look possible -- even simple -- to transform an entire room in the span of a 30-minute segment.

Meanwhile, at my house, there are no color consultants, seamstresses or teams of painters. I don't have a design degree, a big budget or the skills to use a jigsaw. I don't even own a jigsaw (though I do have a laser level that I love showing off). It's just me, an idea, a meager checking account, a couple of paintbrushes and the determination to save the living room from looking like the "before" pictures I see on HGTV shows.

Still, I haven't given up on having a home that looks like it belongs on HGTV. Along with legions of homeowners, I plan to upload photos of my home makeovers to the message boards for Rate My Space, in the hopes of achieving a 5-star rating from fellow design fans. Low ratings and pictures of outdated kitchens, lackluster living rooms and bare master bedrooms can earn viewers a room makeover courtesy of the show's host Angelo Surmelis.

Better yet, I know that all it will take is a knock on the door from Genevieve Gorder, Vern Yip, Candace Olson or David Bromstad, a camera crew, a trailer filled with the tools-of-the-trade, a team of talented carpenters and a week of chaos (which will be edited down to a 30-minute episode). I have even practiced my look of surprise when it's time for the big reveal.

Now, you'll have to excuse me. I have online applications to fill out if I want my house to be the next HGTV makeover.

Jodi Helmer lives in an uninspired home in Charlotte, North Carolina. When she's not dreaming about built-ins or attempting to choose a paint color for the living room, she is a freelance writer.

Want Some DIYs You Can Do? Try These...
Cheap & Easy Ways to Decorate Your Walls -- Starting at $5
Impressive (Yet Surprisingly Easy) Chocolate Paint DIY

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Energy Efficient Appliances? No Thanks

Jodi Helmer — 2010-03-18T22:41:00 00:00

Filed under: Shopping, Kitchen, Your Home, Design, etc, News & Trends

Our writer stands by her non-certified apliances.

I do all I can to reduce my carbon footprint: I take canvas bags with me to the supermarket to avoid using plastic, eschew bottled water and do my best to eat organic produce when I can. At home, I have traded all of my incandescent bulbs for CFLs and I keep the thermostat set at 68 degrees.

So you might be surprised to learn that I haven't filled my kitchen with energy efficient appliances to replace the standard ones I picked out at the home improvement superstore several years ago.

Sure, many eco-conscious folks out there feel strongly about the benefit of the new refrigerators, dish washers or washing machines that carry the blue Energy Star logos. Here's the thing: I am not one of them.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to Energy Star-certified appliances. I think the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program, launched in 1992 to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions through more efficient energy use, is an excellent idea and one that offers enormous benefits. In 2008 alone, Energy Star helped Americans save $18 billion on their energy bills.

But when it comes to appliances, only some of us need to take action -- like families who own avocado-colored refrigerators that have been running since the Reagan era, or homeowners whose 1920s bungalows are devoid of dishwashers. For the rest of us trading up new-ish appliances that are in good working order isn't all that efficient at all.

The EPA agrees with me. The program was never meant to encourage people to trade in their newer appliances for the latest models. "It's not the EPA's goal to tell people to throw out a three-year-old refrigerator. The jump in energy efficiency [by trading up to an Energy Star model] isn't worth it," explains Maria Vargas, spokesperson for the EPA's Energy Star program. "Our basic rule of thumb is that if an appliance is more than 15 years old, it's time to think about replacing it."

Is this duo really doing that much harm?

Even the statistics pointing to the energy savings of certified appliances compare current Energy Star models to ones that were manufactured more than a decade ago. And according to the National Resources Defense Council, the newest energy efficient refrigerators -- including those that are not Energy Star certified -- consume 75 percent less energy than models made in the 1970s. And let's face it, most homeowners aren't still using appliances that date back to the Vietnam War. Those who are should definitely upgrade to appliances with the Energy Star logo.

Yet being green is often confused with being on top of the trends and too often shoppers respond by racing out to purchase newer, shinier models of things they already own all in the name of upgrading for energy efficiency. If you're similarly inspired, remember that of the three Rs, the first is Reduce, which means not buying something you don't need even if it's in the name of using less energy.

And then there's the hype. While there's no question that Energy Star-certified appliances are the most efficient models available to consumers today, the savings that we're supposed to benefit from might not be as significant as we're lead to believe. According to the EPA, replacing a dishwasher manufactured before 1994 with an Energy Star model will save $25 per year on utility costs. That's just over $2 per month -- less than the cost of one Grande Caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks. If you do the math, you'll realize that before the cost of the new lipstick-red front-loader is recouped, most people will have upgraded to (another) brand new model.

Oft-touted statistics on energy savings don't take into account the resources required to manufacture new appliances. They don't expand on the waste generated from packaging and the carbon footprint associated with transporting a shipment of 200-pound washing machines across the ocean, or the energy it takes to have used appliances hauled to recycling centers where refrigerants like Freon and chlorofluorocarbons must be removed and disposed of in an environmentally-responsible way before the metal is recycled.

"Replacing appliances is one of the first things people think of to reduce their energy consumption because it's the most visible," Vargas notes. "To put it in perspective, appliances account for just 13 percent of the average energy bill and heating and cooling account for 50 percent." In other words, replacing appliances is not the most environmentally-friendly choice you can make. Homeowners who, like me, own appliances that were made post-1995, have better alternatives for saving energy: Make a point of running the dishwasher only when it's full, use the cold water setting on the washing machine and turn the lights off when you leave the room.

If I'm given the choice to upgrade to an Energy Star-certified front-loading washing machine that uses a few kWh less energy than the one I currently own, I'll rather take the extra money and put it towards signing up for green power through my utility company and writing a check to my favorite environmental charities. When it comes to saving energy, I think I'm making the better choice.

Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference (Alpha, 2008).

Need something a bit lighter? Check out these fun new products straight from the most recent International Home & Housewares Show in Chicago.

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Best of the Home & Housewares Show

Walrus Mini-Sweep, $10, Boston Warehouse
Encourage your kids (or husband!) to clean up after themselves with this fun walrus-inspired mini broom. Part of Boston Warehouse's Animal House collection, the mini walrus brush locks into the dustpan and boasts a hanging-hook for smart (and adorable!) storage.

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

Magisso Cake Server, $18, Urban-Butik
You've never seen a cake server quite this modern, or easy to use. A unique object that simplifies the task of cutting and moving a piece of cake into one action, the Magisso works by pressing down on the cake server, lightly squeezing the handle, then lifting the cake and releasing it on to your guest's plate. Available at the end of April, but put it on your wishlist now.

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

FoodPod, $15, A+R
Cook and drain in one fell swoop with this modern silicone marvel from FusionBrand. A cooking tool designed to save time when boiling, blanching or steaming, simply place food into your Pod and pour in water to cook. Lift, remove and enjoy!

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

Coconut Lacquerware Bowls, $17, Branch
Form and function unite in these colorful bowls created by Bambu in Vietnam. Made from coconut shells that would normally be discarded or burned, this collection of bowls is impressive, useful and the perfect fit for your green kitchen.

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

BagelPod Bagel Slicer, $25, Amazon
Space-age design lets you split your morning bagel with an elegant twist. Slice your bagel, bun and roll in style and prevent cuts with BagelPod's two blade guards. Genius and affordable.

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

Crane Cool Mist Drop Humidifier, $50, Bed Bath & Beyond
Want a grown-up humidifier for your tween? These colorful options fit the bill. With Crane's signature whisper-quiet operation and controllable mist output, the only change here is the new (and vastly improved) colorful design.

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

Bodum Bistro Line, $30-$90, BodumUSA
The company we know and love gave their new line a colorful makeover! From kettles to juicers and everything in between, Bodum's new line is dressed to impress. Get your technicolor wares this Fall.

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

Q Knot, Rubbo International
Not yet available for retail, but we can't wait to kiss those unsightly rubber bands goodbye. With a smart self-locking design, easy release and retie, the Q Knot is your solution to manage cable cords and connect loose ends.

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

The Q Knot in action

Best of the Home & Housewares Show

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Olympic Athlete Villages to Become Affordable Housing for Locals

Jodi Helmer — 2010-03-18T15:25:00 00:00

Filed under: Famous Homes, Design, etc, Architecture, News & Trends

Whistler Housing Authority

Passing the Torch: Whislter After the Games. The 2010 Olympics may be over but in Whistler, the legacy lives on in an affordable housing project.

The 2010 Olympics changed Craig Tricco's life. Tricco didn't win a medal -- he didn't even compete in the Games -- but still he has been able to realize a dream thanks to the athletes who descended on his hometown to compete for a place on the podium.

Tricco lives in Whistler, where events like alpine skiing, biathlon and bobsleigh were held during the 2010 Games. Now that the Games are over, Tricco is one of the local residents who will benefit from the Athletes' Village, which will be transformed from accommodations for world class Olympic athletes into affordable housing for those, like Tricco, who work in the resort town. "Moving into the Athletes' Village is extra special. We'll be living in one of the legacies left by the Olympics and that means something to us," says Tricco who attended some of the events.

The former Athletes' Village where locals like Tricco will live. Photo: Whistler Housing Authority

The project, called Cheakamus Crossing, will offer 275 units of affordable housing, including 55 rental units. There are several different floor plans available, including one-bedroom condominiums, two-bedroom townhouses and four-bedroom duplexes with prices ranging from $250,000 Canadian dollars (CAD) to $450,000 CAD -- a fraction of the price of comparable units listed in the local real estate market.

It's part of the commitment that the Whistler Housing Authority (WHA) has made to house 75 percent of the local workforce in Whistler. "This project will have a huge impact on the vibrancy and vitality of our community," says Marla Zucht, general manager of WHA. "Ten years ago, Whistler was a transient resort community but our affordable housing initiatives have made it possible for workers to set down roots here."

The 1,075 square foot unit Tricco purchased for $285,000 CAD would sell for up to $800,000 CAD on the open market. At the market rate, one-bedroom apartments would rent for $1,300 per month; the affordable units rent for $750 per month. "One of the biggest issues in resort towns is that the workers -- the people who work in bars, on ski hills and in shops -- find it expensive to live there," says Joe Redmond, president of Whistler 2020 Development Corporation, a non-governmental organization aimed at shaping the future of Whistler and the livelihoods of its residents. As a result of the high cost of housing, adds Redmond, it's not uncommon for those who work in Whistler to commute in excess of 40 miles from neighboring towns where housing is more affordable.

Tricco is one of the lucky ones: He lives in Whistler with his wife, Natalie, and their son, Joshua, in an affordable rental offered through WHA. This fall, the trio will become first-time homeowners when they move into their new unit -- the former home of Ukrainian athletes.

An interior shot of one of the units shows a well-designed space. Photo: Whistler Housing Authority

In an effort to create a connection between the athletes who lived in the units during the Games and the new homeowners, homeowners were asked to provide pictures of their families, which were hung in their future units. The athletes were also asked to leave signed photos for the families. "It hope it all works out as planned," Tricco says. "I'd like to have a photo of the athletes who lived in our home before us. It would be a great souvenir to remember the reason our home was built."

Construction of Cheakamus Crossing took 40 months but plans for the development were made long before the official ground-breaking. It took a donation of land from the provincial government and grants from the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) to make the project possible.

The development honors both the future of Whistler and the future of the planet. The neighborhood was constructed on the site of a former landfill and the site development called for preservation and restoration of natural habitats and wetlands. Each of the units offers Energy Star-certified appliances, compact fluorescent lighting, low-flow plumbing fixtures and energy efficient windows.

To ensure that the units continue to serve their purpose as affordable housing for Whistler residents, homeowners must abide by certain rules: They must work in Whistler and must not own other real estate. Homes cannot be sold for more than their original purchase price (plus CPI indexing) and must be sold to members of the local workforce.

"Even though homeowners can't make a big profit on resale, these policies make it possible for residents to afford homes in an area that would otherwise be unaffordable," Redmond explains. "This project would not have happened without the Olympics and we want to preserve that legacy."

The rules don't bother Tricco at all. He acknowledges that without WHA offering affordable housing programs in Whistler, home ownership would not be possible for him and his family -- and a host of other families who work in the resort community.

"This is our chance to make average salaries and own a home. We'll be able to call Whistler home and be part of a great community," he says. "Because of the Olympics, we're going to live the dream."

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New Year's Resolutions Start at Home

Jodi Helmer — 2010-01-13T15:00:00 00:00

Filed under: Decorating, Your Home, Projects, Fun Stuff, Crafts & Projects, Design, etc

In the spirit of the New Year, resolve to spend time on projects that help your personal space reflect your personal style.

"Too many people ignore their homes when it comes to making New Year's resolutions," says Regina Leeds, author of One Year to an Organized Life. "Your home is a place that should reflect who you are, so it's the logical place to begin when you're setting goals for the New Year."

We came up with a few resolutions to get you started:

Resolution: Frame the artwork and family photos that have been gathering dust in the back of the closet.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

You could: Take all of your prints and pictures to a custom frame shop where you can sift through thousands of frames and countless types of photo mats. Sure, the results will be spectacular, but you'll likely spend an amount equivalent to your monthly mortgage to have it done by the pros.
You should: Spend an afternoon wandering through a craft store (with your prints) assessing your options for DIY framing. The shelves are stocked with frames in all sizes and precut mats in a rainbow of colors -- all at a fraction of the price of custom framing. Achieving a custom look is just a matter of mixing and matching the frames and mats. "You can also buy a precut mat and cover it with a patterned fabric," suggests Caroline Tiger, who blogs about design at design-phan. "You can get the fabric, cheap, in a fabric store or on etsy.com, where people sell vintage fabrics. And just glue it on...no sewing required."

Resolution: Seal the drafts coming through the windows to help cut your energy bills.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

You could: Replace all of the windows in your home. The project, which requires a team of professional installers, is expensive. In fact, it can cost up to $1,000 to replace a single window. And according to Remodeling magazine, the ROI of new windows is limited: Homeowners will recoup just 77% of their original investment during resale.
You should: Pick up insulating film with a low-E coating at a home improvement store. The film has an invisible layer of metallic oxide that traps heat indoors and helps reduce heat loss through older windows by up to 40%. Unlike the bulky plastic film your parents used to cover the windows during the winter of 1978, this film fits seamlessly over your windows. Home improvement stores sell low-E film for $3 to $12 per square foot. You'll save enough on your heating bills to splurge on a pedicure!

Resolution: Make your home more secure.

You could: Pay professionals to install an expensive home security system. You'll pay a flat rate for the system installation and monthly monitoring fees to keep it operating.
You should: Install motion sensor lights around the perimeter of the house, including front and back doors. "Taking away the cover of darkness [by adding lights] is a deterrent to criminals," explains Tom Davidson, co-author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Home Security. "It's just one thing you can do to improve your home security." Make would-be criminals think twice about breaking in by putting a "Beware of Dog" sign in the front window. No one needs to know your guard dog is an eight-pound Chihuahua named Peanut.

Resolution: Paint the stark white bedroom a relaxing shade of blue.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Photo Credit: Jennifer Cawley, Getty Images

You could: Spend an entire weekend priming and painting the entire bedroom, making sure to let the primer dry for several hours before applying the first coat of paint.
You should: Paint a single wall -- known as a feature wall -- to add a pop of color to the room. "Feature walls are a great way to create focus in a room," explains Erika Woelfel, director of color marketing for BEHR. "A unique color on a single wall draws your eye in that direction." According to Woelfel, feature walls painted in vibrant colors like lipstick red add a sense of playfulness to a room, while using dark colors like chocolate brown can actually make a space feel bigger. Whether you paint a single wall or the entire room, opt for paints like BEHR Premium Plus Ultra that have the primer mixed in. Surprisingly, it costs less to buy a gallon of a paint/primer combo than buying the paint and primer separately. Plus, eliminating a step cuts the project time in half.

Resolution: Turn the guest bedroom into a yoga studio.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

You could: Unroll a yoga mat in the middle of the floor and vow to start spending 30 minutes a day practicing Downward Dog.
You should: Take the time to create a mini sanctuary. "The entire room has to make you want to be in the space," Leeds explains. "Look at the overall space as well as the details, like paint color and curtains, to figure out how to make a room that feels like a retreat." Choose furniture and accessories with your end result in mind. Include things like meditation pillows, a small water fountain, scented candles and an iPod docking station for playing relaxing music. If you don't have an entire room to devote to yoga, try moving the guest bedroom furniture to one side of the room and creating a mini yoga studio on the opposite side.

Resolution: Clean out the garage.

Photo Credit: jupiterimages

You could: Declare the task too daunting and let the rusted lawnmower, broken patio furniture and dusty treadmill continue to take up valuable real estate in the garage for another year. You could also put the task off until spring, reasoning that it's better to wait until you can throw open the garage doors and turn your cleaning crusade into a profitable garage sale.
You should: Start now. Go through the entire garage, sorting items into four piles: keep, sell, donate and trash. Put all of the items in the "keep" pile into labeled boxes and bins and return them to the garage, and drop off items in the "donate" pile immediately. If the items are too large for you to move -- like that neglected freezer in the back corner of the garage -- call a local charity to inquire about neighborhood pickups. List the items in the "sell" pile on a website like Craigslist, or take them to a consignment store. You'll make a few bucks and have a clean garage -- long before garage sale season starts this spring.

Resolution: Organize the master bedroom closet.

Photo Credit: Corbis

You could: Have a closet designer provide an in-home consultation and recommend an organizer that is customized for your closet . The process requires hiring professional installers and writing a sizeable check.
You should: Take a DIY approach to closet organizing. Armed with your closet measurements, head straight to the experts at retailers like IKEA and The Container Store who offer free space planning assistance to customers. You'll get a customized plan and the freedom to pick the products that work best for your space and your budget. Most pre-packing organization systems are easy set up, eliminating the need to spend hefty fees for professional installation. In a single weekend, you can have a picture-perfect closet -- and space for your Carrie Bradshaw-sized shoe collection.

Resolution: Stop letting dishes pile up in the sink.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

You could: Spend 30 minutes every evening washing and drying the dishes, making sure every plate and utensil has been put away before your spaghetti dinner has even digested.
You should: Load up the dishwasher instead. Believe it or not, using the dishwasher is more energy efficient than washing the dishes by hand. You'll free up time to kick back with the latest issue of your favorite magazine and do your part to help the environment. No dishwasher? Fill the sink with soapy water and let the dishes soak overnight. Tomorrow, you can do the dinner dishes from the past two nights.

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"The Small House Movement is Gaining Momentum and I Want In"

Jodi Helmer — 2009-12-10T07:47:00 00:00

Filed under: Green Design, Design, etc, House Tours, News & Trends

Helmer in her home office.

Some people spend the first few minutes in a hotel room testing the firmness of the mattress or slipping the miniature shampoos into their suitcases. I imagine the room as a home and ask myself, "Could I live here?" It becomes a game, the object of which is to determine how little space I really need to live well.

Small spaces appeal to me. I like the idea of downsizing my life to fit into 500 square feet - or less. My current home is almost double that size, which is still 50 percent smaller than the average American home. Even though I work at home and share the space with my partner, Jerry, and our three dogs, the house still feels too big.

Yes, I want less space.

My penchant for small spaces isn't new. I chided my sister for having a small bedroom in our childhood home, but I secretly coveted her cozy little room. While I was in college, I sought out a tiny study carrel in the back corner of the library as my classmates clamored for spaces at oversized tables. They'd spread books and papers across as much real estate as they could claim. Not me. As an adult, I have lived in everything from a 550-square-foot apartment to a 1,800-square-foot house. Ironically, or maybe not, the smaller places always felt more like home.

I'm not alone in the quest for a smaller space.

Though exact numbers of small space-seekers are hard to pin down, statistics show that our homes are getting smaller. The average square footage of a new home has dropped six percent in the past 12 months and further declines are expected, according to the National Association of Home Builders. NAHB reports show that 59 percent of builders plan to decrease the square footage of the new homes they build in 2010.

The Small House Society, an Iowa-based organization that promotes smaller living spaces, averages 1,000 hits to its website per day - up from just 100 hits per day when the organization was founded in 2002.

There's debate about what constitutes a "small home". Sarah Susanka, author of The Not So Big House: A Blueprint for the Way We Really Live, subscribes to the notion that a not-so-big house is less about square footage and more about overall space.

"It's a house that is one-third smaller than you thought you needed," she says.

For some, the quest for smaller space is pure economics: It costs less to purchase and maintain a smaller home. The small home movement is also popular among environmentalists who want to lower their carbon footprint. The bottom line: Smaller houses are a better fit for the way we live.

"It's about living in a house that fits like a well-tailored suit; a home where there are not entire rooms that go unused," says Susanka. "It's a collective shift in our way of thinking that comes with the realization that we can live comfortably in a lot less space than we think."

Photo: Jodi Helmer

While I love the idea of living in a cozy home that has less of an impact on the planet and just enough room for the necessities, the mere mention of downsizing is met with resistance among family and friends. My sister wonders whether less square footage means her daughter will have to sleep in the bathtub when she visits. Friends joke about the need for bunk beds in order to accommodate two adults and three dogs in a smaller bedroom. A well-meaning relative wonders whether the desire to move into a smaller home means my freelance career isn't going well. Even Jerry was unconvinced that smaller was better - until we went to IKEA.

A few months ago, while wandering the aisles in search of a mirror, we stumbled upon two mini apartments set up in the middle of the store. We both fell in love with the design and layout of a space that topped out at 375-square-feet.

"It has to be bigger than that," Jerry declared after checking out the living room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom in the compact space.

"It's not," I countered. "Look, it's written right here on the wall - 375-square-feet."

"I could live here," he said.

Who knew that all it would take for Jerry to realize that a small, well-designed space could easily contain all of our creature comforts was a trip to a 365,000-square-foot superstore?

Determined to offer more proof that small spaces could be livable, I started talking about the trend. I shared stories from a writer who blogs about living in a 480-square-foot cabin and showed him articles about couples who were making it work, including a couple in New York who call a 175-square foot apartment home. I pointed out small homes on television makeover shows and in magazines. To my surprise, he was intrigued by the idea of living in less space and had some great ideas about how to make small spaces more livable.

I also told him about my favorite hotel room game.

We had the chance to play together when we spent a weekend at the Hotel deLuxe in Portland, Oregon, in October. After we settled in, I started the game.

"So, could you live here?" I asked.

He took a few minutes to look around before answering.

"Maybe in two adjoining rooms..." was his response.

It looks like my love of small spaces might be catching on. Who knows? By the time we're ready to celebrate the holidays in 2010, we just might be exchanging gifts in a 500-square-foot cottage in the woods (with an extra large bathtub to accommodate visits from my niece).

Jodi Helmer is the author of The Green Year: 365 Small Things You Can Do to Make a Big Difference.

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10 Ways to Save Time During the Holidays

Jodi Helmer — 2009-12-01T15:56:00 00:00

Filed under: Solutions, Fun Stuff, Crafts & Projects, Holidays

You've made a list and checked it twice - and it's causing heart palpitations. There is so much to do and not much time left to get it all done. Grab a cup of hot cocoa and spend a few minutes checking out these tips for tackling everything on your to-do list - including all of the decorating, shopping, baking and entertaining - in a fraction of the time.

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Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Host a cookie party: You could spend hours baking cookies solo or you could invite friends for an afternoon of cocoa, conversation and cookie dough. Swap stories while rolling out dough and cross an important item off of your holiday to-do list. "You'll have more than enough cookies to serve throughout the holidays but more importantly, you'll have the memories of a cherished afternoon with friends," says Monique Tilford, co-author of Your Money or Your Life.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Proof holiday cards online: 'Tis the season to snap photos, which means department store photo counters are crowded. Check the proofs of your holiday cards and place your order online. You can even have the cards sent directly to your house instead of trying to squeeze in an extra errand to pick up the printed cards on your lunch break.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Save time in the kitchen: Monica Bhide, author of Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen, advises making part of your holiday meal ahead of time so you're not stuck in the kitchen on the big day. "The best dishes to prepare in advance are ones that can be reheated without losing texture or flavor," she says. Her favorite dishes to make early include cranberry sauce, vegetables, dinner rolls and desserts like pumpkin pie. "Advance preparation really reduces the stress so that the host can enjoy the gathering," she says. You could also have part of the meal catered: Gourmet delis and supermarkets offer entire premade holiday meals that were designed to heat and serve.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Decorate with natural materials: You don't need to spend all afternoon crafting the perfect centerpiece. A simple glass bowl filled with dried branches and colorful cranberries or a grouping of pillar candles will look stunning on your dining room table. Ditto for a simple poinsettia that you can buy at the supermarket along with your other holiday staples. Remember, it doesn't have to be complicated or time-consuming to look great.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Schedule time with Santa: You could wait in line for hours for a chance to sit with jolly old Saint Nicolas and whisper your holiday gift list in his ear (while little ones dressed in itchy party clothes throw temper tantrums in line). Or, you could make an appointment to have your kids' photos taken with Santa and skip the lines altogether. Photo studios all over the country offer Santa photos by appointment. Schedule a time first thing in the morning to give the kids less time to get their holiday clothes wrinkled and dirty!

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Shop and ship: Who wants to lug extra suitcases filled with gifts through security lines at the airport? Instead, ship gifts in advance. Not only will you save on hefty baggage fees, traveling with a carry-on means you can skip the long lines to check luggage at the airport and less time having your bags checked in the security lines. "It takes just a bit of organization to get the presents in the mail before the trip but it's worth it," says Jacobs. "It's one less thing to worry about during an already stressful time." Just remember to wrap gifts in unsealed gift bags in case the post office or delivery service has to inspect the packages.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Let someone else do the wrapping: Instead of agonizing over wrapping paper choices and spending precious hours looking for ribbons and bows in the perfect shade of crimson, leave the wrapping to the experts. Drop your gifts off to be wrapped at one of the kiosks in the mall. They'll take care of the wrapping and you'll have extra time to attend to some of the other things on your to-do list. Most online retailers also offer gift-wrapping for a nominal fee. You can have gifts wrapped and shipped to the recipients without ever stepping foot in the mall.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Order postage online: Standing in line at the post office during the holidays often takes longer than finding the perfect gift for everyone on your list. The good news: You can access all of the same services online. Calculate postage, print shipping labels, order stamps and track shipments with the click of a button. Just be sure to leave plenty of time for gifts to reach your nephews in Colorado and your best friend in Maryland: Shipping early is your best bet to avoid post-holiday deliveries.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Hire help: Yes, it'll cost extra to have a professional hang the holiday lights on the eaves and clear the dust bunnies from the guestroom. Consider it money well-spent if it lowers your blood pressure and frees up time for you to focus on the most important part of the season: Spending time with loved ones.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

Make a list: Wandering around the mall in the hopes of stumbling across the perfect present can take hours. Channel your inner Santa Claus and make a list of all of the gifts you need to buy this season. Shopping with a list ensures you don't forget anyone (and won't have to spend extra time fighting crowds at the mall for a missed gift) and can also help prevent overspending. You can save even more time by choosing gifts from a single store: Shop in your favorite bookstore for a pop-up book for your niece, pretty stationary for grandma and a book of photography for a friend. "It's a great way to shop because you're not wasting time running all over the mall," says Connecticut-based professional organizer Leslie Jacobs.

Put the Happy Back in Your Holiday

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Give Thanks to the Planet with a Green Thanksgiving

Jodi Helmer — 2009-11-03T13:01:00 00:00

Filed under: Green Design, Party Ideas & Table Settings, Fun Stuff, Parties & Entertaining, Holidays

Thanksgiving is more than just a day to overindulge in turkey and pumpkin pie; it's also a day to count your blessings. Give thanks to the planet by taking a few simple steps to make your turkey day celebrations more eco-friendly.

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How to Green Your Thanksgiving

When it comes to choosing a Thanksgiving bird, Tofurkey (a turkey substitute made from tofu) is the best choice for the environment. If you can't imagine turkey day without the turkey, go organic.

"Organic farming is less chemical-intensive and much more eco-friendly than factory farming operations," says Honor Schauland, campaign assistant with the Organic Consumers Association. "Look for turkeys that are labeled organic, hormone-free and free range and, if possible, choose a turkey from a local farm. The farmers market is a good place to start."

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a great excuse to set the table with the good china and cloth napkins. Opting for plates and napkins that can be washed - not tossed - after dinner is the best choice for the environment. To have the least impact on the planet, wash the napkins in cold water and use phosphate-free dish detergent to scrub the cranberry sauce from the dishes.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

Think twice before scrubbing your treasured silver serving pieces with conventional silver polish. Most store-bought silver polishes contain harsh chemicals like ammonia that are great for getting silver to shine but are not so good for the environment. Opt for white toothpaste instead. Squeeze a drop of toothpaste on your finger and rub it onto the silver for instant polish. It's a less expensive alternative that isn't harmful to the environment.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

The most traditional Thanksgiving decoration - the cornucopia - is also the most eco-friendly. For a centerpiece, fill a reusable cornucopia with organic gourds and mini pumpkins that can be composted after your holiday celebration.

When it comes to flowers, "The options can be a bit limited but there are a small number of growers scattered around the country and some online retailers selling organic flowers," says Schauland. "Organic and local flowers are the most environmentally-friendly options, you just have to get creative when it comes to finding them. Ask the local florist, look at the farmers market or cut a bouquet from the fall blooms in your backyard." We also like Flowerbud.com for farm-fresh flowers.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

Soy candles are made from natural ingredients and last longer than conventional paraffin candles. They also put 90 percent less soot into the environment than paraffin candles but are just as effective for setting a festive mood at the Thanksgiving dinner table.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

It's hard to imagine a Thanksgiving celebration without a toast. This season, raise a glass to the environment, too. "Choose wines that are sustainable and organic (the wines don't have to be certified organic but should be made with organic grapes)," says Gretchen Roberts, wine expert and founder of Vinobite.com. "Ask your wine store clerk for help with finding good brands."

Be sure to look for wine bottles with real corks. The plastic stoppers and twist-off caps that are used in some wine bottles can't be recycled. Cork is a renewable resource that is both biodegradable and recyclable.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

After a day of entertaining, your kitchen probably looks like the site of a natural disaster. As tempting as it may be clean as you go, resist the urge to put piping hot leftovers in the fridge. The steam from your stuffing and gravy will raise the temperature in the refrigerator, making it work harder to stay cool. Go ahead and enjoy an extra slice of pumpkin pie - and a few hours away from the kitchen - before putting the leftovers in the fridge.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

It wouldn't be Thanksgiving without leftovers. Once all of the meat has been salvaged for turkey sandwiches, use the remains of the turkey to make soup. Simply boil the turkey carcass in a pot of water with carrots, onions, celery and salt until the stock turns golden brown. Add pieces of leftover turkey and serve piping hot. It's one of the most delicious ways to recycle.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

Reduce, reuse, recycle are the hallmarks of green living and are especially important during the holidays. Reduce the amount of waste by looking for foods with limited packaging and eating leftovers instead of tossing them in the trash; reuse decorations from past years; and recycle everything from wine bottles to aluminum foil after the guests have gone home.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

Whether you're going to grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner or spending the evening at a potluck with friends, talk to other guests about sharing a ride. Carpooling helps reduce your carbon footprint by decreasing fuel consumption and reducing the release of toxic exhaust gases. It's also an opportunity to commiserate about having to listen to grandpa's off-color jokes and gossip about the gaudy turkey appliqué on Aunt Maude's holiday sweater on the way home.

How to Green Your Thanksgiving

Still planning your Thanksgiving recipes? Let AOL Food help!

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Quiz: What's Your Thanksgiving Personality?

Jodi Helmer — 2009-10-23T14:59:00 00:00

Filed under: Party Ideas & Table Settings, Fun Stuff, Quizzes, Holidays

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Quiz: What's Your Color Personality?

Jodi Helmer — 2009-09-30T10:30:00 00:00

Filed under: Color

Got four white walls? Take this quiz to find out how to pick the perfect paint color.

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Decorating for Two

Jodi Helmer — 2009-08-22T09:15:00 00:00

Filed under: Decorating, Solutions, Your Home, Projects, Design, etc

No one wants to end up like the couple from When Harry Met Sally who begin their lives together with an argument over the merits of a wagon wheel coffee table. Moving in together can be stressful - especially if you hate his antique sword collection and his passive-aggressive comments about your Laura Ashley drapes. Before ordering monogrammed towels and putting both names on the mailbox, follow these tips for creating a harmonious home a deux.

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Decorating for Two

Expect a rollercoaster of emotions: Despite the excitement over moving in with her boyfriend, Tony, Kristine Hansen confesses that she was a little anxious, too. "I kept thinking, 'Am I going to lose my style? Is it going to feel like my space?'" she recalls. A little nervousness about combining lives - and living spaces - is normal, says Regina Leeds, a professional organizer and author of One Year to an Organized Life and Sharing a Place Without Losing Your Space: A Couple's Guide to Blending Homes, Lives, and Clutter, who works with couples to create shared spaces.

Decorating for Two

Mix medieval swords and paisley pillowcases: Hansen knew that the Oriental rug and antique weathervane that filled the living room in her Milwaukee, Wisconsin, home-to-be weren't exactly a match for her collection of seashells and woven baskets. Rather than packing away his traditional accessories or relegating her beach-inspired finds to the attic, the couple broke all the decorating rules and combined their favorite pieces into the décor. "I realized that it isn't my style verses his style; we're building a new style together," Hansen explains. As it turns out, opposites attract: His dark wood tones and her colorful accessories work perfectly together.

Decorating for Two

Establish his-and-hers spaces: Yes, the whole point of moving in together is to go from "his" and "hers" to "ours" but it makes sense to maintain some solo spaces, says Portland, Oregon-based professional organizer Vicki Norris. Separate drawers in the bathroom can spare you the agony of digging through 14 tubes of lipstick, three eyelash curlers and a flat iron just to find the single toothbrush you have stashed in the drawer. A space that's all your own, whether it's a single drawer or an entire room, gives you license to be as messy - or as neat - as you choose without worrying about how your habits impact your partner.

Decorating for Two

Unpack boxes and uncover other issues: There is more lurking in those cardboard boxes than Def Leppard CDs. "The possessions we move into our new homes are the witnesses to the lives we've led," explains Leeds. "Arguments are never over boxes of books or ultra-feminine bedspreads; those things are just a cover for talking about the real issues." Leeds advises couples to talk about the feelings that arise over certain objects: Do you object to the black leather sofa because he bought it when he lived with an ex? Does he despise the bodice-ripper novels stacked on the bedside table because they make him self-conscious?

Decorating for Two

Become a novice CSI: All those evening spent in front of the TV are about to pay off. Moving in together requires some recon work. "I call it 'forensic organizing' because you have to look for clues about what a person needs," says Norris. Instead of waiting for your partner to go shopping for a closet organizer or to offer up his opinion on plastic verses wooden hangers, case the bedroom to find out how he organizes his clothes. (He might not use hangers at all)! If he prefers piles, give him more shelf space in the closet; if he's more of a toss-and-go kind of guy, add some hanging pegs to the back of the closet door. "Organizing is all about figuring out what works for your life right now - not what worked before you moved in together," Norris says.

Decorating for Two

Expose his Achilles hee: Caroline Tiger is passionate about good design (the Philadelphia native blogs about all things design-related at design-plan.squarespace.com but her husband, Jonathan, is all about function, not form. "I collect antique and vintage china and we joke that he doesn't understand why I'm hanging plates on the wall when we can't eat off of them," she says. After several attempts to explain that the plates are pieces of art, Tiger decided to take a different approach: She appealed to his love of history. "When I explain the antique plates and platters in the context of history - what they say about the time and place they were made - he gets it."

Decorating for Two

Remember the tortoise and the hare: The "slow-and-steady-wins-the-race" parable from the children's fairytale applies to creating a home together, too. You're not going to convince him to love shabby chic overnight and it's going to take longer than a few decades for you to appreciate his collection of bobbleheads. It is, as Tiger explains, a process: "It's not like when you lived alone and could paint the bathroom purple on a whim. You need buy-in from the other person," she says. "I've learned that even if you're sold on an idea - like new chairs for the deck or a new color for the entryway - you have to keep in mind that your partner will need some time to get used to it."

Decorating for Two

Leave the vintage swords, baseball bats and boxing gloves hanging on the walls: Your partner's favorite "sports memorabilia" is not to be used against him. "Emotions can run high when you're combining households," says Leeds. "Talk things through to avoid fighting over stuff." At the end of the day, it's more important to live with a partner who is loving and supportive than one who understands that posters of Budweiser girls do not qualify as art.

Decorating for Two

Learn to compromise: We had to say it: Living happily ever after is all about compromise. Once Tiger convinced her husband to love, er, accept, the plates hanging on the walls of their Philadelphia rowhouse, the pair tackled their disparate organizing styles. "When I was living alone, I'd read [the newspapers] and recycle them the same day but he doesn't do this," says Tiger. "I bought a big basket - hand-woven in Amish country! - for all of the newspapers that pile up in the living room during the week. He puts all of the papers in the basket, which keeps them out of sight and keeps the living room uncluttered until he's ready to recycle them." Who knew that a basket could help keep the harmony in a marriage?

Decorating for Two

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Surprising Uses for Plants and Flowers

Jodi Helmer — 2009-07-09T10:58:00 00:00

Filed under: Gardening, Galleries, How-To

You already know that cotton is spun into clothing fibers, dandelion greens taste great in salads and the scent of lavender helps you relax. There are other surprising - and sometimes downright odd - uses for the plants growing in your backyard.

*Always take caution when ingesting non-food-grade plants.

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Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Basil
The same herb that makes spaghetti sauce so flavorful can also be used to soothe your stomach if you overeat at your favorite Italian restaurant. Basil has antiviral properties and has been shown to alleviate stomach cramps, nausea, diarrhea and indigestion. "It's one of the most medicinal herbs on the planet," says Boroch. Pluck four-five sprigs of fresh basil from the garden, mix with boiling water and let the herb steep for 20 minutes. Dried basil works, too. Mix one teaspoon of the herb into a cup of boiling water and steep for five minutes before sipping.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Strawberries
There is a reason Strawberry Shortcake had such a flawless complexion: Her namesake plump red berries are a source of vitamin C and antioxidants. Mix six strawberries with a cup of sour cream for an all-natural facial mask. "The fruit acids in the berries even out skin tone and the sour cream provides a mild lactic acid exfoliation," says Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide: Your Essential Resource to Organic and Natural Skin Care, Hair Care, Makeup, and Fragrances (HCI, 2008). "Plus, it smells fantastic." The vitamin C in strawberries may even promote collagen formation.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Roses
Roses, the trademark flowers of romance, are fragrant and flavorful accents to dishes ranging from rose petal jam to morning muffins. "Cooking with roses doesn't have to be complicated," says Monica Bhide, author of Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen (Simon & Schuster, 2009). Bhide suggests using the colorful petals in salads, adding them to homemade lemonade or garnishing ice cream with rose petals and dark chocolate. Just remember, the darker the petals, the stronger the flavor. Getting started is as simple as plucking the petals, cutting off the white tips, which tend to be bitter, washing them under cool water and showing a little love to your favorite recipe.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Coconut
Coconuts are best known as kitschy vessels for rum punch and colorful umbrellas. The tropical fruit has other uses, too. The fiber material of the husks, called coir, can be used to make ropes, brushes and baskets. Recently, the fibers have become a staple in the eco-friendly clothing lines of manufacturers like Marmot, Timberland and Merrell. The fabric, marketed under the trade name Cocona, is derived from the coconut shells. It's lightweight and durable, wicks moisture and offers UV protection and odor absorption, making it a popular choice for active wear.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Witch Hazel
Move over Purell, there is a new hand sanitizer in town. Beneath its long branches and canary-colored flowers, witch hazel is hiding antibacterial properties. Extract from the bark has a high antiseptic content and is rich in essential oils like eugenol and hexenol, which helps kill bacteria on the skin, according to Gabriel. Preparing a hand sanitizer from witch hazel requires a time-consuming steam distillation process so it's not practical to make an extract from a backyard plant. "The bark contains potentially irritating and toxic tannins that are removed from the extract during distillation," Gabriel explains. Instead, head to the natural foods store where witch hazel extracts are readily available.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Willow
You've heard of willow furniture but had no idea the same bark that was used to make a coffee table could help relieve a headache. Willow is often called "Nature's Aspirin" because the salicylic acid in the inner bark acts as a natural pain reliever. "Native Americans brewed a tea from the bark to use as a pain reliever," says Tamara Walkingstick, Ph.D., with the Department of Agriculture Cooperative Extension Service at the University of Arkansas. The bark in all 170 species of willow trees contains the natural pain reliever. You're better off to take a bottle of Bayer on a hiking trip, however, because preparing the pain-relieving tea is not as simple as just peeling and boiling the bark.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Milkweed
In gardening circles, milkweed is best known for attracting Monarch butterflies. Outdoor enthusiasts know that the compact plant has much more important uses in the wilderness. Milkweed is edible (the leaves need to be boiled to eliminate toxins and reduce the bitter taste), the white tufts that are released with the seedpods make excellent tinder to help start a fire and the inner bark of the stem can be twisted into rope or used as a thick bowstring. It might not be practical to rely on a single plant for food, fire and shelter construction but it's nice to know that the colorful perennial in the backyard can be used MacGyver-style.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Juniper
It's ironic that the same evergreen whose coarse needles can trigger a minor skin irritation can also help reduce itching. The juniper's small blue berries can be used to help soothe the skin after an insect bite. "Juniper berries have strong antiseptic properties that help kill off infection," notes California-based naturopath Ann Boroch. An essential oil made from juniper berries is best for taming itchy bites. "The extraction process brings out the natural essential oils," Boroch explains. In a pinch, boiling the berries or crushing them and rubbing the paste directly on the skin will work, too. The heady scent of the evergreen actually repels insects so just sitting near a juniper may help prevent bug bites.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Black Walnut Tree
Forget the fishing rod; catch "The Big One" using crushed walnut hulls. The hulls contain a chemical called juglone, which depletes water of oxygen and causes fish to rise to the surface. Juglone doesn't kill the fish; it acts as a sedative that makes the fish sluggish and easier to catch. The technique is best used in the slow-moving waters of ponds or lakes.

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

Passionflower
Is Fido depressed? Cheer him up with flowers! Passionflower, a showy vine that is popular in tropical gardens, is also an effective mood elevator for pets. Research published in the Journal of Ethnopharmacology found that the plant extract helped reduce anxiety and lessened depressive symptoms like fatigue and lethargy. It's also a mild sedative that is effective for calming fearful dogs, according to Greg Tilford, co-author of Herbs for Pets: The Natural Way to Enhance Your Pet's Life (BowTie Press, 2009).

Alternative Uses for Plants & Flowers

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