Earth Day

Today is Earth Day! A great way to celebrate is to make (big or small) changes in your daily life that you can sustain in the long run that will help protect and preserve our planet. You may feel as though your daily habits won’t make a dent in the enormous ecosystem, but small changes add up and lead to a big effect. Today, we’re taking it back to the basics of the three Rs – recycle, reuse, reduce.

Recycle According to the EPA, the United States generated 262.4 million tons of trash in 2015. 137.7 million tons of that ended up in landfills. So much of that trash could have been recycled; so much of the materials that end up in our landfills can be recycled. Plastics, aluminums, paper – all things we use on an almost daily basis. If we make it a habit to recycle those, we can help eliminate the amount of recyclable trash that ends up in landfills, and contribute to the sustainability of recycled items that come back to market.

Reuse Recycling doesn’t just apply to trash. Reusing items again and again, for the same or for other purposes, is a form of recycling as well. A great place to start is to buy items that can be used more than once, such as using nylon or cloth bags every time you shop for groceries, instead of plastic bags. Newspapers or magazines can be repurposed as wrapping paper. Glass jars can be reused in a multitude of ways around the house. Old shirts can be used as dusters. Think about items in your home and how you can find different uses for them.

Reduce Here are a few tips you could incorporate into your daily routine that can make a real difference. Replace paper towels with reusable bamboo paper towels. Use glass tumblers for your water instead of plastic bottles. Stainlees steel straws can replace single-use plastic ones. By reducing the amount of trash you generate, you are reducing the number of items that would potentially end up in landfills. Now think about what would happen if we all made these small changes – it would definitely make Earth a better place!

Share any tips you’ve got below!   

Spring Styles at Home

Looking to brighten up your space for spring and summer? Check out the tips below for how to get your home ready for the warmer months ahead. 

Pastels Painting is one of the quickest and cheapest ways to transform any room in your home. By sticking to pastel shades – think blush pinks, baby blues, mint greens, soft yellows, and muted warm or cool tones – any room will immediately become lighter and brighter. If you don’t want to commit to painting all the walls, you can choose one and create an accent wall. Or, you could repaint any shelving in the room to add a pop of color. Adding throws, pillows, or other decorative pieces in pastel shades will have the same effect, and will make the space more festive.

Flowers “Florals for spring? Groundbreaking.” Name that movie! But seriously, is there anything that screams spring more than fresh, colorful flowers? It can change the look and feel of a space. Bunched in large arrangements, or single stems placed in small vases, flowers can be used to decorate a space, as well as breathe life into it. Beyond the aesthetics, the invigorating scents of fresh tulips, daisies, and garden roses can brighten your space and your mood. If you happen to be allergic or just don’t enjoy the maintenance, you can always achieve the same look with fake flowers. Investing In high quality pieces will insure beautiful flowers for years to come.  

Indoor/Outdoor Living A great way to bring the summer vibes indoors is to create areas in your home that will remind you of sun, sand, and surf. For a nautical theme, you could reupholster your couch using whites and blues. For a tropical vibe, add palm tree or banana leaf print pillows or throws. Stick to light colored wood pieces for end tables and use “outdoor furniture” re-purposed for use indoors. By incorporating colors, styles, and pieces that remind you of summertime fun, you can bring easy, breezy outdoor living indoors and enjoy it year round, even if the weather doesn’t comply. 

Spring Cleaning Tips

Most people dread deep cleaning and de-cluttering their home. But, there’s no better time than spring to lighten and brighten your space after the heavy winter months. Keep reading for some tips.

Closets Three words: keep, donate, discard. The most efficient way to tackle your closet is to first remove every article of clothing and other items (accessories, hats, bags, etc). Decide whether you want to keep it in your closet, donate it, or trash/recycle it. The rule of thumb with clothes is that if you haven’t worn it in the last 12 months, you probably won't wear it, and so shouldn’t keep it. Ultimately, you choose what to keep, what to donate to family or charity, and what to recycle. Once you have completed the sorting, it’s time to add all the items in the keep pile back into your closet. To stay organized, hang clothes by color or sleeve length, or any other system that works best for you. By doing this, you’ve not only cleaned out your closet, but also organized it!

Indoors Now that the closets are clean and neat, it's time to tackle the rest of the house. Get out your tools (duster, mop, vacuum, etc) and get to work! While you’re cleaning, take inventory of all of the furniture in your home. If you no longer want these items, or if they don’t work with your décor, donate or recycle them. It clears up space and potentially makes room for new items. In addition to cleaning your floors and furniture pieces, don’t forget one of the most neglected parts of a home – the walls! Take a damp cloth or towel and wipe down those walls. Also, make sure your air filters are replaced regularly and vents are properly cleaned. 

Outdoors Your house is clean! What about your outdoor space? While you’re in cleaning mode, make sure your backyard, patio, balcony, and/or porch is also included in your spring cleaning routine. Mow the grass, tend to the garden, clean the pool/Jacuzzi, pressure-wash the driveway, wipe down the outdoor furniture, wash the windows, and clean or organize the garage and whatever else you like. The goal is to clean your home from the inside out. You could do this all yourself, or hire a cleaning company to do it for you. Either way, your home will be in sparkling condition and ready for you to enjoy in the coming warmer months.

Have you started spring cleaning your home?