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Author Archive | Jennie Lyon

What to Look For When You’re Buying an Eco-Friendly Car

October 28, 2020 0

Buying a new car can be stressful, but it can also be exciting. With nearly 6 million cars sold each year in the U.S., it’s clear that Americans aren’t afraid to spend a bit of money on a new ride.

But not every consumer has the same priorities when it comes to picking their automobile. Some might be impressed by horsepower, which might make a car like the Shelby Mustang GT (with an actual horsepower of almost 400) an attractive option. Others are more concerned with color or special features. Safety ratings are also an important factor for many Americans — and considering that 76,000 pedestrians were injured in U.S. traffic accidents in 2012, it isn’t just motorists who feel vehicle safety should be a consideration. For a specific subset of buyers, however, there’s arguably nothing more important than environmental responsibility.

If you’re in the market for a more sustainable vehicle, you certainly aren’t alone. Environmental friendliness is no longer considered to be a mere trend; it’s now an attribute that major carmakers are actively working towards. And while electric vehicles get a lot of the glory when it comes to reducing carbon emissions, these actually aren’t the only cars that can help you reduce your environmental impact. When shopping for an eco-friendly car, here are a few things to look for.

Engine or Transmission

Yes, having an electric car is going to be a more eco-friendly choice than relying on gasoline for fuel. But you might also consider a hybrid engine or a diesel engine, both of which are relatively green. Not only does diesel provide better fuel economy than gas, but diesel-fueled cars are meant to last. This means you can hang onto your car for a longer period, which will reduce your environmental impact overall. Pay attention to the transmission, as well. Although automatic transmission cars may be easier to drive at first, manual transmission vehicles often get better gas mileage. They may also require less maintenance, which can save you money. If you’ve never driven a stick-shift car before, it might be well worth learning how.

Color

Some people make vehicle purchases based on the color of the car — and that might not be as silly as you’d think! Light-colored cars are generally considered to be more energy efficient because they’re more reflective. This can keep your car cooler in the summer months without having to rely as much on air conditioning. Having a white car can make your car’s interior up to 10 degrees cooler on a hot day! In addition, the idea that white cars have to be washed more frequently is a bit of a myth. If you aren’t driving through huge puddles of mud on a regular basis, you may actually wash your car less frequently than with another color car.

Weight

A car that’s lightweight is going to be inherently more eco-friendly because it’ll have better gas mileage due to its aerodynamic nature. Large trucks tend not to have great fuel economy, but a car made with lighter weight metals will require less fuel to get from point A to point B. Not only will that help you reduce your impact, but it’ll also save you money at the gas station. You might also consider a car with a sportier suspension or with a more retro design (think newer station wagon over SUV) to reduce your impact even further.

Other Features

When buying a car for its eco-friendliness, don’t forget about the small details; they can end up making a big difference. Choosing a car that features LED lights or that has an impeccable air filtration system can actually improve your driving experience while saving you money and helping the environment. That said, you’ll want to skip any extras that add bulk or sharp edges to the car’s silhouette. Roof racks, for example, can take away from a car’s aerodynamic design and reduce its fuel efficiency. Be sure to maintain a balance between the features you want for convenience and those that might actually take away from the longevity of the vehicle.

There are a number of eco-friendly vehicles available on the market today — and not all of them are fully electric, either. When it comes time to replace your current vehicle, consider more than features that are marketed specifically for being green. Otherwise, you might miss out on the perfect car for your family that can also help you reduce your environmental impact.

Green Your Halloween with Spot It! from Blue Orange Games

September 28, 2020 0
Spot It Halloween Green Halloween Games

We are huge fans of Blue Orange Games! We have a large media center in our family room and one whole side is full of games!

During October we fill a large jack o’ lantern bowl on our dining room table full of some of our favorite games and books. We play one every night while we eat dinner! And we still like to listen to the mister read spooky stories in the dark while eating pumpkin chocolate chip cookies! You can never be too old!

Right now, we love Sketch It!, Speedeebee!, and Flash!, they are great for the entire family, even the mister enjoys them!

Blue Orange Games has a new fun game right in time for Green Halloween – Spot It! Halloween. So fun! The Spot It! games are a fun matching game with an astounding concept: there is always one matching symbol between any two cards. To win all 5 mini-games, you have to be the quickest to spot it! Spot It! Halloween adds a twist to the traditional game with jack O’ lanterns, zombies, creepy crawlies, and other Halloween goodies. 

+ Spot It! Halloween $24.99
+ Blue Orange Games

Pest Prevention: 4 Natural Methods to Consider

August 21, 2020 0

With warm weather finally here, it’s time to enjoy all that summer has to offer. But one thing many homeowners don’t want to deal with during the summer is pests. Ants, cockroaches, and termites tend to make their way into homes when the weather is nice. And these pests can be more than just annoying — bugs can do a lot of damage to a home, which is why it’s important to take care of them quickly. But it’s not always ideal to use harsh chemicals in your home to rid of bugs, especially if you’re one of the 44% of U.S. homeowners who have a dog. Chemical pesticides can be harmful to the health of people and animals as well as harmful to the environment. So let’s take a look at a few natural ways to get rid of and prevent bugs that won’t be harmful to you, your family, your pets, or the planet.

Do Some Landscaping

Pest control should actually start outside of your home. If you have trees, bushes, and other plants right up next to your house, this can make it easier for pests to enter your home. With trees and bushes right next to the house, pests can simply crawl up them and make the jump to the house. So take a look at the landscaping around your house and make changes as needed — look for greenery that is close to the house especially near the roof, windows, doors, and cracks in the siding. You should also check the cracks in sidewalks next to your house, which is a common place for pests to hang out. While it’s true that having smoother pavement can extend pavement life by up to 25%, it’s also important for controlling pests. So start with some basic landscaping to make it more difficult for pests to enter your home.

Use Soaps and Oils

If you’re looking for a product to buy, you can consider insecticidal soaps and oils. These products are botanical mixtures and contain no harsh chemicals. You can spray these soaps or oils right on the pests or around your house as a preventative measure. If you’re one of the 20% of homeowners who have termites as their main pest issue, this may not be an ideal solution. Insecticidal soaps and oils may be less effective on hard-shelled pests unless used on the eggs. These soaps and oils will be effective against many pests, while not harming other bugs nearby, like ladybugs.

Grow Some Herbs

Some insects, like ants and spiders, don’t like the smell of certain herbs. So even if you don’t use herbs very often, it may prove to be beneficial to grow some herbs in your house, specifically in the kitchen. Some herbs to consider include mint, rue, tansy, and pennyroyal. Or if you don’t want to actually grow any herbs, you can also consider placing dried bunches of these herbs around your home. Placing herbs near windows, doors, and other cracks pests can sneak in could do the trick. Additionally, you can spray some mint, lavender, or other oils near these trouble spots for further prevention. Either way, having some of these herbs in your home is sure to help deter pests from entering.

Change Out Stored Items

Homeowners tend to change things in their house regularly, especially with interior designers recommending updating home decor at least every 10 years. But there are some items in a home that rarely get changed out — stored items, like towels, toiletries, cleaning supplies, and bags are perfect nesting locations for pests because they don’t get moved around often. The average home in the U.S. has 300,000 items in it. So during the warmer months, it’s crucial to check on your stored items. Make your way around the house and check those cupboards and drawers you rarely go into to move the items and wash or replace them as needed. While this may seem like a nuisance, it can go a long way in preventing pests from settling in your home.

As you can see, you don’t have to resort to harsh and harmful chemicals to keep your home pest-free this summer. These simple tips will help prevent and kill pests in your home while keeping you and your family safe — all while being better for the environment, too.

Top Tips For Making Your Home More Eco Friendly

August 7, 2020 0

Saving the environment is a concern that radiates through a number of generations right now, which is why you are seeing more people interested in making their home more eco friendly. If this is something that you have been thinking about doing, but you’re not sure what steps you need to take, it’s a good thing that you have come across this article. Down below, we’re going to be looking at some of the things that you can do to make your home more eco friendly, so keep reading if you want to find out more.

Change Up Insulation

What kind of insulation do you have in your home right now? If you’re not sure, head up to the attic where you will be able to find out what’s up there, or send a professional if you know nothing about this sort of area. In fact, it’s probably better to send a professional to check it out anyway, just in case there is any asbestos up there. They know what safety precautions need to be taken to ensure that they are at the least amount of risk of being impacted by it. If someone in your family has been impacted by the asbestos severely, then you might want to look into contacting mesothelioma attorneys who have strong experience to help you with your case.

Once you have discovered what insulation you have, you can decide whether or not to change it. Depending on what kind of material has been used, you may need to switch to a more eco-friendly option. Take a look online to find out what these alternatives are and then make the choice that suits your home best.

Make Use Of Solar Energy

Another thing that you can do is make use of solar energy. If you live somewhere that is particularly known for having a lot of sunshine, then you are going to see significant improvements on your energy bill, as well as doing your part for the planet. Relying on solar energy is a far more sustainable method than using electric and fossil fuels all the time, so make sure that you seriously consider this. You don’t have to rely solely on this type of energy, of course, but anywhere you can is going to be a significant improvement.

Take A Look At Your Windows

Finally, have you checked your windows lately? If there is anything wrong with the sealant or there is a crack in the window, then you’re going to be letting heat out of your home, meaning you will be using heaters more often. If you can instead make sure that your windows are up to standard, you’re not going to lose as much heat, making your home more eco friendly. Not using things like radiators is always a good option for the environment, so do what you can to make this possible.

We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now have a better understanding of what you can do to make your home more eco friendly. Good luck, and hopefully, you will see the results that you are looking for soon.

3 Eco-Friendly Ways to Renovate Your Home

August 4, 2020 0

After spending so much time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, you may be among the large portion of homeowners who are itching to renovate their space. However, the construction and remodeling industry can be a wasteful one. Many of the traditional materials or techniques you would use when renovating your home can be harmful to the environment.

Luckily, there are plenty of ways to make your home renovation environmentally-friendly as well as aesthetically-pleasing. Let’s take a look at the eco-friendly ways in which you can renovate your home this year.

Choose Bamboo For Flooring

If you’re taking on a big project like remodeling a room in your home or finishing your basement, which can cost 80% less than buying a bigger home, consider what type of wood you’re choosing for your flooring. Due to rampant industrialization, deforestation is a serious problem around the world and any project that involves using wood can further exacerbate the issue.

Bamboo, however, is durable, moisture-resistant, and grows back faster than wood. There is an abundance of bamboo in the world that you can harvest without destroying its roots. Not only does this make it an environmentally-friendly option, but growing bamboo also requires fewer pesticides. By choosing bamboo, you’ll get chic flooring that is better for your health as well as the health of forests around the world.

Use Low-VOC or VOC-Free Paint

An easy way to be eco-friendly while doing home renovations is to use low-VOC or VOC-free paint for any painting projects you’re doing. Short for volatile organic compounds, VOCs produce molecules that are harmful to the environment as well as to your health. When VOCs are in the interior paint you use, you’ll be negatively affecting your indoor air quality and potentially causing irritation to your eyes and respiratory tract. As acute upper respiratory infections are already among the top five medical diagnoses seen in urgent care centers, you certainly don’t need to impact that bodily system any further.

Other products, like varnishes and disinfectants, also tend to contain VOCs. By being conscious about whether the products and paints you use contain VOCs, you can improve the air quality in your home.

Choose Recycled Metal For Roofing

Replacing your roof is an important home project that will have a lasting effect on your home. You should replace your roof every 30 to 40 years, so the material you choose now will impact your home for decades to come. The material you choose for your roof can also have a long-lasting impact on the environment. One of the most eco-friendly choices for roofing is recycled metal.

By using recycled metal, you can help reduce waste and the need for producing new materials for your roof. Metal roofs have a long life expectancy, meaning that you won’t have to use resources to replace it or repair it frequently. This type of roof can also help keep your home cool because it has reflective properties that bounce the sun’s rays away from the home. This feature is also eco-friendly, as it can help lower your energy usage.

On top of these strategies, there are many other ways you can renovate your home while helping the environment. Whether it’s using recycled materials for your various projects or buying energy-efficient appliances after remodeling your kitchen, there are options for practically every room in the house. All you need to do is put a little forethought into the project and find the right resources to allow your eco-warrior side to shine.

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