Five surprising facts about fireplaces
When it comes to creating ambiance and warmth in a home, nothing can beat a fireplace, especially during this time of year. But are you aware that the right fireplace or stove can also help reduce your heating costs? Or that your existing fireplace's efficiency can be boosted significantly by installing an insert, and for less money than you might think?

Tips to help you save money and the environment
Spring is here, and after the long winter many people are taking the opportunity to do some much-needed maintenance to their homes, lawns and gardens. While you are pulling together your "honey-do" list, consider making some eco-conscious or green changes, which will help you shrink your carbon footprint and save money.

Make your house clean and green
When you clean your house in the spring, you really want it to be clean. Dirt, dust and germs are banned, and all appliances, floors and walls are scrubbed clean. The best way to make sure your living space is clean and healthy is to use safe, natural cleaning products you create yourself, using natural and inexpensive ingredients you can pick up at any natural grocery store.

Gardening - Why chefs and the first family are growing their own food
Everyone knows that some of the best ingredients to cook with can come from as close as your own backyard. These days, more and more chefs and restaurants are choosing to adopt an important tradition of the culinary arts: growing their own produce in gardens that they tend themselves.

Digging up dinner: Get in on the growing trend and raise your own veggies
In addition to pruning your grocery bill, raising your own veggies offers the benefits of freshness, flavor, convenience, healthful exercise, socialization opportunities and the ability to have more control over what your family eats. If you're ready to try your hand at picking your own produce this year, roll up your sleeves, dig in, and arm yourself with this helpful advice from the experts.

Make a home remodel work for you
The challenging economy, coupled with increased interest in energy efficiency, is fueling greater demand for home products that deliver performance and savings as well as style.

High performance technology makes the new generation of wood stoves greener than ever
Whenever a "Back to the Future"-type movie or commercial runs, it's always funny to see larger-than-life telephones, computers and even cars. These blast-from-the-past visual cues remind us of the technological advancements we enjoy every day. However, in the case of wood stoves, it's more difficult to actually see the high-tech evolution as it's hidden within the firebox.

Green your spring cleaning routine
Do you feel like Mother Nature set up camp in your home over the winter? Cold winter months spent indoors often translate to dirt and clutter buildup around the house. And, if you're like television personality Hannah Keeley, with those first few warm spring days comes the irrepressible urge to throw open the windows and get down and dirty with some serious spring cleaning.

Seek safety when purchasing energy-efficient home appliances
Have government or manufacturer rebate programs enticed you to purchase a new home appliance, like a clothes washer or refrigerator? Or are you simply in the market to upgrade? Before purchasing any major appliance, it's important to consider all your options before you make a final decision.

How to add touches of glamorous green to your home decor
Going glam and being green don't need to be mutually exclusive, especially when it comes to decorating your home. Makers of furniture and home decor items have started incorporating environmentally friendly practices and materials into their products, allowing consumers to have greener households without compromising their personal style.

Greening the kitchen with eco-friendly cabinetry
Homeowners embarking on a kitchen remodel typically must select the style, the quality of craftsmanship and the materials that meet their unique values and project goals. With the pressing need to increase energy efficiency and conserve resources, green remodeling continues to gain in popularity.

Roofs now can take on an artistic look
Some things get better with age - wine, cheese, cars. Building supplies don't usually fall into that category. So, if your house is looking a little shabby, try giving it a facelift by updating one of the largest exterior surfaces - your roof.

Cloth vs. disposable: Modern moms switching back to cloth
More modern moms are rediscovering the benefits of cloth diapers.

Slim tile: Eco-friendly solutions for updating your kitchen and bath
The bathroom and the kitchen - are there any other rooms that see more traffic? Whether it's battling family members for mirror space on busy mornings or milling around the stove as dinner cooks, they are the two rooms that are guaranteed to get the most use. Naturally they should be functional and good-looking, but more and more, people are demanding that these high-traffic spaces also be environmentally friendly.

Bring early spring to your home with indoor gardening
Do images of flowering trellises laden with yellow, pink, green and purple blooms dance through your dreams? You may be ready for some warm spring-like temperatures, but the weather outside is still a little frightful. Ignore the weather and bring spring inside with some indoor gardening.

Tax credit helps homeowners get relief from 'sweating' windows
Water vapor on windows is unsightly. It obstructs the view to the outside, and a sweating window is a sure sign that it needs to be replaced. And, there couldn't be a better time to replace those sweaty, unsightly windows. Under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) still in effect for 2010, homeowners can take advantage of up to 30 percent in tax credits for energy-saving upgrades - including qualifying energy-efficient windows.

Landscaping with retaining walls adds curb appeal, usability to your home
The best investment you can make in your home - both for your pocketbook and your personal enjoyment - is in landscaping. Real estate experts agree that every dollar you put into your yard eventually will return one to two dollars when you sell. And at a time when home values are sagging, that's something to consider.

The 60-degree factor: What to do when the temperature tells you it's time to get out in the lawn and garden
Like an alarm clock for our senses and our gardens, the thermometer swelling to 60 degrees awakens us in the spring. We all get the irresistible urge to get outside, birds are chirping, animals come out from hibernation and plants start unfurling their leaves and flowers to color our world.

Ten tips for living more sustainably in 2010
The beginning of a new year - and a new decade - is the time many people pledge to live differently. For many, that change means living a more sustainable lifestyle. Sustainability, once only a buzz word, is now fast becoming the way to live consciously.

Gardening is making a popular comeback
Change has come to America. The pop culture phrase "show me the money," boiling throughout business and industry, has cooled down and is forcing people to take a hard look at what is really important in life.

Stop home energy dollars from leaking out your walls
As home heating and cooling costs soar, your energy dollars literally might be going out the window - and the walls. Small and not-so-small air leaks through covered walls, floors, ceilings and normal openings such as windows and doors can add up to big losses. While retrofitting older homes with weather stripping, insulation and caulk helps seal air leaks, for new homes and additions, building tight walls can prevent air from escaping.

When it comes to good lighting, the future is now
Imagine not having to change a light bulb for years. There are LED products available in 2010 that will make frequent light bulb changes so 20th-century.

Buying a home or making green home improvements? Don't miss out on these tax credits
A wide range of tax law changes over the last year will result in considerable savings for millions of Americans on their 2009 federal tax returns. Homebuyers and homeowners have some of the most to gain from the changes.

Opening the window to federal remodeling tax credits
As warm weather approaches and the tax credit for energy efficient replacement windows is in full swing, now is the perfect time to consider upgrading your home with new windows to help save on cooling costs in those hot summer months, and to also save on heating costs when winter rolls around again. The tax credit for energy efficient replacement windows and doors, originally introduced in 2009 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is set to expire at the end of 2010, which makes this year the best time for homeowners to replace their windows and upgrade the look and feel of their home.

Bring on the birds - Simple solutions to turn your backyard into an avian oasis
You can engage in spring's revelry and bring beautiful birds to your own backyard. Convincing songbirds and favorites like hummingbirds to visit your yard is a simple as providing them with plentiful sources of food, water and nesting material.

Get a jump start on growing food and flowers this spring with raised garden beds
The popularity of urban gardening has exploded over the past couple of years, due in part to increased awareness about food safety, the financial stresses of the economy and a growing desire to be eco-friendly.

Greening your home to improve health and save money
You can just smell it. You install new carpeting in your home, and the air in your living room takes on a brash, chemical scent. That can't be good. The health and safety of the family is a top priority for all, yet it's surprising how common it is to neglect easy ways to protect them. If you are planning to remodel, redecorate or even build a new home, what should you consider?

Five ways to use green technology in your home
"Green" living is no longer a trend; American homeowners' commitment to sustainability is here to stay, from all indications.

Water is not the 'infinite' resource many believe
Do you ever think about how the water coming out of your faucet makes its way into your home? Or look out at the river as you're driving to work and expect it will always look the same? Though water is often perceived as an infinite resource that can't become endangered, by 2015, a majority of U.S. states may face water shortages. Some of those places may be right there in your backyard, and the loss of these ecosystems could affect your daily life.

How to conquer problems in your organic garden
Gardening is becoming more popular than ever, thanks to a number of converging circumstances, including the First Lady's planting of a White House organic garden. Because of the sagging economy, people want to save money anywhere they can, and vegetable gardening is a great way to save money on foods that can be costly. Additionally, more and more people want to live a "green" lifestyle, and you can't get more local than picking vegetables right in your back yard. Plus, when you start an organic garden, it's even more environmentally friendly.

Growing roses is easy with these simple tips
No other flower can evoke romance in the garden like a rose. As America's favorite flower, roses can be found adorning homes in quaint coastal villages to rural farmlands, modern cities to quiet mountain retreats. With a little know-how, you can grow healthy, beautiful roses that you can show off with pride.