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Home Decorating: 5 Green Ideas on a Budget

ecorating your home to be environmentally friendly shouldn’t be expensive. And it shouldn’t just be for the environmental activists either; we all have a responsibility to our communities, and to our families. There are many ways you can decorate “green” for a lot less “green”! Here are The Budget Decorator’s top 5 ways to green up your home, on a budget!

Diary of a New Homemaker
for Friday, October 16, 2009

The Year of Breaking Things

It's only October and I'm already waiting happily for 2010, not because this year's been so horrible, but because it's been so up-in-the-air. I've decided 2009 is the Year of Breaking Things.

My brain broke in February (well, it'd been broken for years, we just figured it out then). It's repairing itself fairly well. I still have ups and downs but they're not nearly as ^UP and _DOWN as they used to be.

My uterus broke in April, and I discover I didn't write about it here! I've been so distracted. I nearly bled to death in April, from a regular old period. I ended up in the hospital for two days for a near-emergency ablation and two units of blood. Who knew you could bleed to death THAT way!

Our kitchen ceiling broke in August. The upstairs toilet plugged and ran at the same time, and there was nowhere for the water to go but out. The upstairs bath flooded for about 30-45 minutes. We discovered it when water came pouring out of the walls in the pantry hallway and basement staircase--it had come through the bathroom's pocket door into, rather than down, the walls. And we saw a little bit of water coming out of a light fixture. Long story short, the next morning we woke to a crash and discovered the kitchen ceiling on the kitchen floor.

A Seasonal Taste:

Leaf Walk

risp fall days are the perfect time to get out with the family for a "leaf hunt." Whether you opt for a hike in a nearby woods, a stroll around the block, or just some time in your own backyard, gather up some of nature's bounty to use for these fun, fall activities. A Nebraska mom said, "Once we were out, the boys (9 and 11) didn't want it to end. It was a great time to talk about 'things' and to enjoy the crisp weather and leaves underfoot. We took turns describing the sound of the leaves underfoot. Potato-chip crunch and cellophane were two."

A Taste of the Clean and Organized Section:

Bulb Storage

OK, your friends may tease you for buying a bulb storage system, but you'll have the last laugh when you have perfectly secure and organized light bulbs while theirs break inside the flimsy cardboard containers. This foam container stores up to 11 light bulbs. For more information visit: brookstone.com.