In many old houses, the fireplace was the central focus on the house where family and friends gathered to enjoy the warmth from the fore as well as the warmth of company.  Aside from its use for old-fashioned central heating, the fireplace also served as the cooking area for the family as well as the decorative center of the room.  Indeed, it served so many purposes that families of old will be excused for their use of such an often inefficient source of energy. Nowadays, fireplaces in modern homes merely serve as decorative touches to the décor.  Central heating is, after all, present in almost all house, thus, making the fireplace lose its practical purpose of the olden days.  Then again, it does have a practical purpose although not in the traditional sense - fireplaces add value to the house in case it is to be sold. If your house still has a fireplace, we strongly suggest repurposing it as soon as possible.  There are many reasons for doing so.  First, the air drafts from the chimney will spread the soot over the room, which makes it more difficult to clean the area.  Second, the wood or the synthetic starter logs used ...

Organic tomato gardening is perfect for almost every backyard, however small.  All you need is a sunny corner.  And nothing beats the taste of freshly picked sun ripened tomatoes from your own garden!  Follow our tips for the perfect home grown organic tomatoes. 1. Location Tomatoes need support and like a sunny, sheltered site.  They usually prefer slightly acidic soil.  A south or west facing fence or trellis is ideal.  Some varieties grow up to 6 feet tall, others are smaller. 2. Variety There are many different kinds of tomato.  If you want a truly organic garden, you will want to start out with organic tomato seeds.  Otherwise you can use regular seeds and simply avoid using chemicals on your plants. The best way to choose a tomato variety is to ask around among your neighbors.  They will have the same climate and soil type, so what works for them will probably work for you.  Maybe they will even share seeds with you. 3. Feeding Successful organic tomato gardening requires some attention.  Feed plants at least twice in the season with a good organic fertilizer.  Slow release fertilizers in the soil are more effective than liquids.  Spraying with kelp and fish emulsion from time to time will ...

Many people really enjoy cheese.  There are many types of cheese, from feta, to gouda, to mozzarella, cheddar, swiss, and more.  Although they may not be the best for staying slim, you may not realize that they may not be the best choice for the environment either.  Surely you would think that cheese is more eco friendly and humane than going with something like a big steak. There are even many vegetarians that still think this way.  Many eat cheese on a regular basis.  Cheese has a lot of protein in it, it is full of great calcium, and a variety of other great nutrients that are important, especially if you are not eating some meat.  You will also find that cheese tastes great too. You may think that eating cheese is a great choice.  More than likely you think you are going with a green lifestyle and great choices that are great for your health, the environment, and the animals.  However, this may not be the case.  In fact, there is a good chance that the cheese you are eating is as bad as the meats out there today. Why is this a problem.  Well, one reason that cheese is not a ...

Sure, you want to get rid of those weeds in your yard or in the cracks in the sidewalk outdoors. However, you don't want to blast the environment with nasty chemicals either.  There is another way!  You can use earth friendly weed killer instead of using chemicals to eliminate weeds.  In fact, water is the best option. Of course, you can't just water the garden and expect the weeds to die.  What you need to do is take some water, then boil it, and use it on the weeds that are along the path or driveway.  This is a simple solution, and there are other earth friendly weed killer options that you can use as well. Another great idea for killing off weeds is strong saline salt solution.  If you have a gravel driveway and you want to get rid of weeds, then this is a great option.  Of course, you don't want to use it near other plants that you want to keep alive.  Make a salt solution and use it on the weeds.  It will kill off the weeds and keep them from growing in that area again. White vinegar also can help you kill off weeds in an earth friendly ...

One of the beauties of adopting a green lifestyle is that you can give an old item in the house a new lease on life.  You can call it repurposing, reusing or recycling because the aim is always the same - to spare the environment from yet another of man's garbage. Yes, even your old wool jacket with the tattered edges can be repurposed in so many ways.  You have to use your imagination coupled with crafty hands and voila!  Your old wool jacket into something - no, make that many things - new. This is definitely better than donating your wool jacket to donation centers, thrift stores and consignment sites.  After all, you do not have the full assurance that the wool jacket will be used by other people or that it will be repurposed by the new owner instead of being thrown into the garbage.  And you must know by now that once in the garbage, it will most likely end up in the landfill where it will contribute to environmental pollution. And so, repurpose your old wool jacket you must, if only to save the environment.  But did you know that by repurposing something you can save money as well?  ...