Healthy and Green Living » Green Home Decor

5 Simple Gifts From The Garden

Judi Gerber — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:08:36 +0000

If you are a gardener, and the hustle and bustle of the holiday shopping season — the traffic, the crowds, and the department stores — wears you down, you can venture into your garden to soothe your soul and to make gifts for friends and loved ones. You don’t need to spend a lot of time [...]

Fake vs Real: Which Christmas Trees are Greenest?

Melissa Breyer — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:01:37 +0000

As a kid growing up in Los Angeles I was always attracted to the Christmas lots that had trees frosted with pink or turquoise fake snow. (What were they thinking?) I have yet to see those special specimens since, but it�s no surprise that as an adult I lean toward non-traditional trees. Part of that is just my stubborn attraction to the unique, but much of it stems from my feelings for trees.

Although I know that Christmas trees are farmed like any other harvested plant, it still makes me sad to think of those noble little guys whacked down for my temporary pleasure. But my humble homemade feather tree is starting to molt�and I wonder if it�s time to join the 29 million American households who will buy a fresh cut tree this year? Or should I opt for an artificial tree? How about a living tree that will take a Christmas miracle of its own to actually end up planted in my garden? To forego a tree altogether is way too bah-humbug for me, so what is the greenest Christmas tree option?

11 Natural Holiday Decorating Tips

Judi Gerber — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:01:37 +0000

For many of us, December brings the holidays, and whether it’s Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, or Christmas that’s celebrated, family and tradition are always in the forefront. To celebrate, we can add some festive touches from our own natural landscape and bring the sense of calm and serenity we usually feel in our gardens inside our homes during [...]

10 Stop-Shopping Tips

Annie B. Bond — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 17:01:25 +0000

Some people hate shopping, some love it&#151and the ones who love it seem to really love it. In a my-credit-card-is-through-the-roof-and-I-have-way-too-much-stuff kind of way. Too much stuff usually means clutter and clutter, for many, is the bane of the day.

Don’t Waste Wilted Herbs–Make Sachets!

Megan, selected from Planet Green — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:13:46 +0000

It happens all the time. For those of us who don’t have kitchen herb gardens, we get our herbs at the store, and that often means having to buy more than we need. But don’t fret the wilted stuff. There’s a great use for the herbs left over from last night’s dinner. Make scented sachets! What [...]

The Power of Paint and Color: DIY

Ronnie Citron-Fink — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:06:05 +0000

Imagine for a moment that you are standing in the paint department of your local home improvement store with paint chips and fabric swatches in hand. While contemplating the overwhelming color selection of eco-paint color choices, you start asking yourself “Do I want the room to feel soothing, energized, sexy, dramatic, calming, appetizing, healing, [...]

Nature�s Harvest Table 5 Ways

Cait Johnson — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:01:33 +0000

One of the most beloved holiday traditions in my family is foraging together for beautiful elements from nature to decorate our table. Bringing the season indoors just feeds our souls, and there is nothing more beautiful to us at this time of year than natural offerings of gourds or garnet-colored native corn or tendrils of curly willow or grapevine.

10 Ways to Use Gourds & Winter Squash (slideshow)

Melissa Breyer — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:01:14 +0000

I think it’s a shame that pumpkins get hijacked by Halloween. Although they make a brief comeback for Thanksgiving in pie form, it’s really all over for them much too early in the season. So what’s a pumpkin-loving girl supposed to do? This one makes a shift to other members of the Cucurbitaceae family: gourds [...]

Decorating How-to: Bringing Autumn Magic In

Cait Johnson — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:01:35 +0000

There's nothing more luscious than inviting nature indoors in the fall: The brilliant colors of autumn make our homes feel deliciously warm and cozy as the weather turns cooler. Changing leaves, swags of grapevine, and vibrantly-colored apples and squashes make gorgeous, inexpensive decorations.

6 Crafty Tips for Getting Cozy This Fall

Ronnie Citron-Fink — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:01:07 +0000

Mark Twain said, �Shut the door - not that it lets in the cold, but that it lets out the coziness.� Cozy is one word that sums up what we aspire our EcoNests� to be: sheltering, snug, homey, intimate, and comfortable. Whether your home is modern, traditional, small or big - it can always be [...]