A friend of mine told me this weekend that Dawn dish washing detergent was perfect for  killing pet fleas. They said you first must take off the collar and soap up around the neck. This would prevent fleas from going to your pet’s face as you wash the rest of their body.  There are about a zillion other uses for this diverse detergent.  From One Good Thing by Jillie,

A cup of Dawn detergent poured into a clogged toilet allowed to sit for 15 minutes and then followed with a bucket of hot water poured from waist height will clear out the toilet. 

Any way to keep the plumber away works for me!

With 2010 rapidly drawing to a close, tax season is just around the corner.  And what better time to insulate to keep your house warm and cozy?  Free from Broke reviews some of the available tax credits when striving for energy efficiency,

The amount of credit you can take is subject to a combined $1,500 ceiling for tax years 2009 and 2010.  This means that if you took advantage of this credit on your 2009 tax return, then you may have to reduce any credit claimed on this year’s return that exceeds the $1,500 threshold.

In addition to the above conventional improvements, you can also deduct large alternative energy products such as solar electric and solar water heating property costs, wind energy turbines, geothermal heat pumps, and fuel cell stack assemblies.

The site reviews the many tax credits that are available, including new roof, windows, and energy star appliances.  Read more … just in time to give a loved one a new holiday gift!  They’re happy and you’ll be happy at tax time!

Photo by Kat Kellner via Flickr Creative Commons.

I saw former President Bill Clinton on television last week and something he said caught my attention.  If you paint your roof white, your heating and cooling bills will be significantly reduced.

It’s a wonderful solution for people hoping to save money or save the environment. According to MSNBC.com,

Herb Van Gent points his infrared gun at a square of still unpainted gray shingle and clicks the trigger. He gets an immediate temperature reading: 143 degrees and rising. Then he aims it 5 feet away to a square of roof I have just painted: 98 degrees and decreasing.

He smiles.

“A 45-degree difference and we’re only on the first coat,” he says. That means it also will be cooler inside the building, he says, saving energy.

Nice.

Photo from Smart Power Blog.

This concept of paper furniture is great!  My guess is that this furniture could potentially be very inexpensive, but even better – it’s biodegradable!  From Inhabitat, what do you think?

The sun’s heat and light provide an abundant source of energy that can be harnessed in many ways.
In my quest to discover what there is to know about solar power, I found all kinds of uses for the suns rays that can help us conserve energy. First off was my discovery of solar water heaters.

Also called solar domestic hot water systems, solar water heaters generate hot water for your home in any type of climate, fueled solely by sunshine.

Solar water heating
systems usually cost more to purchase and install than conventional
water heating systems. However, a solar water heater can usually save
you money in the long run. Check out the U.S. Department of Energy site on solar power for the economics of potential savings. Find out more about solar water heaters here; and if you’re feeling particularly DIY, check out how to build your own unit!

The next interesting thing I found was an article at News Scientist Tech about solar-power paint.

Scientists are developing a
way to paint solar cells with a photovoltaic paint onto the steel sheets of walls and roofs of
warehouses and other buildings to generate electricity from the sun.          
       

   
       
            
            
               
The
paint will be based on dye-sensitised solar cells. Instead of absorbing
sunlight using silicon like conventional solar panels, they use dye
molecules attached to particles of the titanium dioxide pigment used in
paints.            
       

   
       
            
            
               
Finally, the solar panel. Through the use of photvoltaic cells, solar panels make use of renewable energy
from the sun, and are a clean and environmentally sound means of
collecting solar energy.

If you are looking for information
on solar panels and don’t know where to start, check out CALFINDER’s blog on solar panels and going solar.

Not quite ready to tackle solar projects on your own???   Don’t forget the fact that searching for a qualified solar installer will never be a dilemma. CalFinder Solar does the FREE screening for you and only works with the best installers in the industry. Get a bid now!

Saving on energy costs not only helps your pocketbook, but also the environment. But old houses can be hard to keep the energy costs down on! What’s a homeowner to do? Strollerderby has ideas.

Say hello to warmer colors, and goodbye to minimalism. It
appears that several interior designers and industry insiders are saying you
should be ready to introduce color into your decor. According to Sean
O’Driscoll of the Associated Press in an article Hot Trends Of Home Design for 2008 , Minimalism is out.

“Susan Gutfreund, who designs for some of the most
expensive apartments in the U.S and Europe, said that minimalist white and
beige are being pushed out in favor of color, textures and layers. Speaking
from Paris where she is redesigning an apartment, Gutfreund said there is a
move toward warmer colors and away from the shininess and flatness of interiors
over the last few years.

In 2008, red tones take on a decidedly soft, warm feel,
such as watermelon or a carrot orange. Black and white continues to be used,
but with unexpected combinations of yellow, lime orange and fresh green,"
she said.

Janice Simonsen of IKEA Designs said

“fruit colors such
as lime yellow, kiwi and tangerine will be very popular in 2008, especially
when used in the kitchen. But blue will continue to be the number one color
choice for homeowners. In 2008, blue will be combined with camel and tan, pale green
and yellow,” she said.

Think you’re ready to try out 2008 colors but not sure
what fits your style? CALFINDER (the source for certified remodeling contractors) has an excellent post about basic color
psychology. They say,

"All too often homeowners choose colors without
understanding basic color psychology. Color impacts our mood, appetite, and
energy level. Years of color response research have shown

that certain colors
elicit specific and often strong responses."

Check out their awesome post Color
Options-Painting for a guide to help you narrow the choices when choosing
colors for your home.

Also remember you can get FREE ESTIMATES from CALFINDER for pre-qualified
contractors in your area to do the work for you when you’re ready to add that
splash of color to your life! From painting to general remodeling, to complete home renovations, they have the expert for you.

What colors do you plan to decorate with this year? Leave us a comment, we’d love to know!

The more I think about this rug, the more I like it and would like to try to DIY a version for myself. I have tons and tons of baby blankets left over from when my 3 kids were babies and I need a rug. The only thing I’m wondering about is what to use to hold it together. What do you think? DIYable?

HT: Craftzine

What a great way to bring the outside in! Do It Yourself has a great idea for taking a tree branch and making it into a rod for your curtains. With the right themed room, this would look perfect!

HT: CasaSugar

[image credit: do it yourself]

Some days I feel like Mommie Dearest. No, I don’t beat my children with wire hangers, but I hate the suckers and I am constantly overrun with them. My husband’s work shirts have to be dry cleaned, so there are usually about 3 billion wire hangers in my house at any given time.

Usually, I get tired of it, collect as many as I can find (does anyone else’s husband tend to hide things like this? oy!) and then take them back to the dry cleaners we use so they can reuse the hangers. While that’s pretty eco-friendly, Wise Bread has a post today about reusing wire hangers in different ways. And it’s a good one, go check it out.