DIY Life

I dare you to find an American household without any carrots in the fridge. Granted, most will probably be the scrubbed-clean, prepackaged, more expensive baby carrots. If you'd like to save money (and waste less food!), read on.

First of all, buying whole carrots -- or, better yet, growing them -- is cheaper than buying baby carrots. A good thing, right? Well, if you learn how to peel them just so, you'll be able to save more of the carrot... and more money.

According to eHow, if you peel away from you with a sharp-bladed peeler, you'll peel off less carrot. Additionally, if you peel the top until no green is showing, then peel the tip as well -- no chopping -- you'll end up with more of the carrot.

It seems like a simple way to be frugal while respecting the Earth's resources.

I know, I know, you're hearing about the green movement everywhere, and it's even more prevalent now that the gas prices have risen sky-high. You want to do your part, but sometimes it's hard to know where to begin.

You want to start where it will do the most good and save you the most money, right? Green Home has put together a table that can help you figure out the best ways for you to go green.

I'm concerned about gasoline right now, as I drive a (smallish) SUV -- my next car is a hybrid, I promise! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that I could save over $2000.00 over the next five years if I just drive more slowly (under 60 m.p.h). Tell that to my lead foot, then join me after the break for more green money-saving tips.

At my house, we really try our best to live in an environmentally friendly way, for our health and the Earth's. We eat local, fresh food as much as we can, we never use chemicals on our lawn or plants, we don't clean the house with chemicals, and we have quite the raging compost pile.

It seems that we got a bit overzealous with the composting, in fact. Last fall, after carving a stunning Jack-o-lantern, we responsibly dumped the innards of the pumpkin into our composter.

Throughout the autumn, we had several pumpkins displayed on our walkway and stoop. When it was time to put up the Christmas decorations, we plopped the pumpkins in the composter. Follow me after the break; I'm going somewhere with this...

I'm a green gardener. I'm loathe to use toxic chemicals in my yard. However, there are certain situations when only toxic will do. Like, for example, when I recently had to kill a tree. Read on if you're in the same boat and would like some tips. Oh, and be sure to check out my photo gallery, too!

The Camphor Laurel: An Invasive Pest

First up: a bit about the tree in question. The offending plant was a camphor laurel tree (cinnamomum camphora), a native of East Asia that has become an invasive pest here in the US and in other countries, like Australia. Yes, this plant is the source of stinky camphor oil, which is found in products like Vicks® cold remedies.

In my backyard, the camphor is a big pain-in-the-butt-plant. My nemesis. My arch-enemy. It self-sows everywhere. I must have pulled hundreds of tiny seedlings by hand since learning (the hard way) to be more vigilant. Hand weeding camphor seedlings is a nuisance, but it sure beats trying to eradicate them once they become established.

Join me each week as I explore the naturally aromatic side of DIY. Helpful recipes for your "scentual" pleasure: from essential oils, herbs, and other botanicals to soap-making, body care products and other useful blends.

I know what you are thinking: Why, oh why, would I want to own that smelly tea tree oil? I certainly can't make something aromatic with it, so what aromatherapeutic good is it to me?

It's true, tea tree oil doesn't smell as pretty as some of the essential oils (it sure doesn't stink like some oils -- neem, for example), but it can enhance some blends, especially mints. For all of the following reasons, you'll want to have some tea tree oil around:

I live north of Atlanta, Georgia, an area currently under homeowner outdoor watering restrictions. Not much is allowed because of a lingering drought. In addition to trying to do my part to conserve water, I want to be able to water my plants, without waiting for Mother Nature to send the rain. I liked Dan Chilton's article on rain barrels, but I wanted to do something a bit different. I built my barrel in about two hours and it's now the repository for all my recycled water and rainfall, such as it is.

Peruse the gallery, follow the construction steps, and you can be the proud owner of your very own rain barrel and, might I say, the envy of your neighbors.

This can be a great way to source out a rare vintage find, or expand your collection of designer handbags without shelling out the big bucks. Keep your closet fresh this spring by getting rid of stuff you don't wear, and swapping them for things you will. And needless to say, this is a great way to find those rare pieces you've been coveting for your next DIY fashion creation.

[via: Lifehacker]

Water: can't live without it. Learn some painless ways to conserve it around your home, both inside and out.

Have you just gotten home from the market loaded down with organic food and don't know what to do with the plastic grocery bags? Go fly a kite!

Are ready to commit to a low-flush toilet and aren't sure how to retrofit your commode? We can help.

In many homes, the bathroom is the last vestige of privacy (unless you have kids) and also one of the most eco-unfriendly spots in the house. Here's several things you can do to change that (sorry, no advice on how to keep the kids from interrupting your bath).

For even more Earth-friendly tips, be sure to check out our sister blog, Green Daily.

Make spring cleaning a little less onerous this year by tossing out the harsh chemicals you usually use and cleaning up with essential oils instead. Find recipes for bathroom cleanser, dish soap, glass cleaner, and more.

Many people like to celebrate Earth Day each year by planting seeds and flowers in the yard. Before you haul out the hoe and shovel, consider making seed bombs. Let 'er rip!

Have you pledged to your family and your wallet to cut down on fuel consumption and pedal around on your bike instead? Pull that forlorn bicycle out from the corner of the garage, dust it off, and then use these handy tips to give it a tune-up.

Weed killer and other pesticides can be bad for the environment and terrible for your health. Try this approach that uses a common household ingredient that you probably have leftover from Easter.

Eco-friendly. Go green. Environmentally aware. Call it whatever you want, we love it when the DIY tips we give you are also good for the environment. As we celebrate Earth Day today, let's take a look at some of the ideas we've shared in in the past that can help you get green.

Nothing says "I'm helping save the Earth" more than a compost pile filled with leftover food scraps and grass clippings. Here's everything you need to know to start your own compost heap, including what kind of organic materials you can toss in (egg shells) and what you can't (meat scraps).

This long list of ideas on how to make your home eco-friendly covers everything from programmable thermostats to spark igniter pilot light systems. Even if you already practice green living, you might find one or two ideas on here that you never thought of.

It is important for all of us to watch what we eat -- for our health and our waistlines. Studies have shown that an intake of less calories helps us live longer and the less that goes in, the less that stays on.

The big snack companies are capitalizing on this and packaging their snacks in 100 calorie bags. Convenient? Yes. Healthy? Debatable. A pretty cool idea? Sure. But if you do it yourself, you'll do it better than the big companies, for a slew of reasons.

1. You can make perishable snacks, thereby using fresh foods that are healthier.
2. By packing your snacks in reusable containers, you'll be saving waste and helping the environment.
3. Choosing your favorite snacks and counting them out into 100 calorie portions is an eye-opener: it really helps us think about what a portion should look like and how much we as a society really do overeat.

What do you mean you don't want to take out the time to count out the calories of your favorite snacks? Join me after the break as I do that part for you!

Our fabulous sister site, Green Daily, has just launched an equally fabulous guide to green gardening. If you frequent Green Daily you will already know the site offers a wealth of info on everything green. From climate change to household conservation tips, from celebrity tidbits to technological innovations--they got it covered. And now -- ta-da -- green gardening, too!

Among the attractions are container gardening tips, book reviews, planting advice and soil preparation pointers. The Green Daily bloggers have also looked into a subject I'm trying to learn more about: landscaping with native plants. Last but not least, the Green Daily Gardening Guide offers up many colorful photo galleries for your viewing pleasure.

Finally, may I also say that green gardening advice is so very needed. We gardeners need to unlearn many environmentally harmful practices that we grew up with and never thought twice about. Like the routine use of herbicides and pesticides, to name just one thing that makes me go "grrr." Thanks, Green Daily, for helping spread the word.

So, fellow gardening enthusiasts, put down that shovel and kick off those dirt-encrusted boots. Put your feet up in front of the computer and enjoy this brand new blogging attraction!

We have all seen LEDs become more and more prevalent in our daily lives. They are as common as traffic signals in major cities (after the whole energy rate fiasco a few years ago) and power indicators on most items. They are also as frivolous as LED hats to support your favorite team.

Manufacturers and retailers are starting to see the future in LED items as well, as they realize that a lot of people are looking to save energy. People want to support being "greener," sure, but they also want to keep a few more dollars and cents in their bank accounts.

Here are a few items I have come across that demonstrate how LED products will continue to make inroads in new categories of retail.

Happy St. Patrick's day! Why not have some fun in your garden this St. Paddy's Day and sow a clover lawn. "But why would I want a clover lawn?" I hear you ask.

Answer: to give your leprechaun a nice place to frolic, of course! Or think of it as your way to honor the famous saint of the Emerald Isles, whose emblem is -- as we all know -- the shamrock, or three-leaf clover.

According to WikiHow, the best kind of clover to grow here in the US is actually White Dutch Clover. (Don't worry, it still looks very Irish!) A good place to sow your seeds is anywhere that your pre-existing lawn was struggling due to unfavorable conditions, such as too much shade or poor drainage.

For even coverage, mix the clover seeds with soil and then spread that mixture around, raking it smooth as you go. Next, gently cover your seeds with a very thin (quarter inch) layer of soil. The last step is watering, which should be done every day until the seeds can be seen sprouting. Use only a very fine mist to water--anything more vigorous will disturb your baby seedlings.

Have you ever seen the Chicago River on Saint Patrick's Day? As you probably already know, it is colored a brilliant shade of green for the occasion. This has been a Chicago tradition for decades now. It provides a bit of family-friendly fun for the kids, and a welcome midday distraction for the Loop's office workers. The green color achieved is shockingly bright -- I mean so bright you'll think your eyes are deceiving you.

So how do they dye the river green? I went looking and was delighted to find that it's no big secret. According to Green Chicago River, the event organizer's official site, it takes 40 pounds of vegetable dye to create a carpet of green that lasts four to five hours. Of course, they don't dye the entire river with that--just one section a couple of blocks long.

Interestingly, the vegetable-based dye replaced an oil-based dye that was initially used. Environmentalists lobbied for the change, arguing that oil-based dye was hardly an eco-friendly substance to be shoveling into a river.