Condo Blues

33 Realistic Ways to Green Your Gift Wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I like wrapping gifts. I have quite the reputation as a good wrapper, yo. It doesn’t have to be hard, expensive, or wasteful. I’ve developed many tips and tricks for wrapping beautiful gifts through...

Toy Donation Drive By

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:01:00 +0000

Husband, Blitzkrieg, and I loaded up the car with new toys and drove over to one of the local TV stations for the NBC4 Firefighters for Kids toy drive. Husband and I had a blast shopping because we...

How to Make a No Slip Microwave Heating Pad

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

They go by many names: microwaveable heating pad, hot rice pack, bed buddy, aromatherapy heating pad, hot wheat bag, flax seed heating pad, cherry pit pack, hot therapy pillow, herbal heating pad,...

National Brownie Day is a Real Holiday?

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:41:00 +0000

I like to eat brownies. I also like to support local businesses and when those local businesses make brownies, I get an extra happy in my tummy. Cheryl & Co. is a based in Columbus and they...

Sparkly Glam Recycled Outdoor Christmas Décor

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:28:00 +0000

I wanted to do something a little different to shake up my outdoor Christmas decorations this year. I’m leaning towards glitzy glam, because I’m still pining for those shiny silver and red trees I...

Holiday Helper: Making Quick Meals From Scratch

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I'm so excited that my friend Lisa from RetroHousewife Goes Green offered to do a Guest Post on Condo Blues. Take it away Lisa! Thanks to Lisa for letting me do a guest post for her! Her blog is...

The Low Key Christmas Party – a Green Holiday Favorite!

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 01:51:00 +0000

Last year I read an article in the New York Times Style section where the writer boo hoo’ed that because the economy was tanking they had to skip throwing a swanky expensive Christmas party and ended...

Mom’s Homemade Soy Candles

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 +0000

My Mom has an addictive new hobby – making scented soy candles. Since I love burning candles and Mom usually gives her creations as gifts to people like say, me, this is one addiction that I...

Recycled Buttons? Oh Yes Please!

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

I was shopping at Joann’s for fabric for Christmas gifts. I found myself in the button section, not that I needed new buttons for my project; I planned on reusing some buttons from my grandmother’s...

Habitat Restore Treasure Hunt

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 18:32:00 +0000

One of my favorite places to shop (and donate) materials for my creative reuse projects is the Habitat Restore. Several readers have asked me. “What’s the Habitat Restore?” The Restore is a thrift...

Add a Blanket to Your Bed Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 14:19:00 +0000

My furnace is just a touch under the Energy Star rating, is less than 5 years old, and works well so we’re keeping it. However, I am able to make it run more efficiently by cleaning the reusable...

9 Outdoor Fix-Ups that Lower Heating Bills

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:33:00 +0000

Winterizing the outside of your home in order to lower your energy use, save money, and lower your heating bills is as easy as a walk around the house, a walk around the outside of the house that is....

Green Moms Carnival: Saving Money through Green Means

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

This month, The Green Moms Carnival takes on the myth that going green means spending tons of money. I’m so excited to host this, my first Green Mom’s Carnival because the topic is close to my...

How to Conduct Your Own Home Energy Audit

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:24:00 +0000

Unlike some areas of the United States, my local gas and electric companies do not offer free home energy audits to their customers. After much digging on my gas company’s Website, I found a link to...

6 DIY Recycling Ideas for Non DIYres

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:53:00 +0000

It only takes a short drive to go from my city that has a formal recycling program for glass, paper, metal, and plastic to tiny rural town America that tried and failed to make their city...

Candyland Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:19:00 +0000

Little Mr G. had a birthday. Birthdays mean cake. No crappy grocery store bakery cake for this kid. Mr G’s mom made a cake from scratch, plunked it on a clean and reused cake...

Practically Green

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 13:00:00 +0000

When I got my free review copy of Micaela Preston’s book Practically Green Your Guide to Ecofriendly Decision-Making I devoured it in almost one sitting. Yeah, I liked it that...

Decorate Your Pumpkins with Stencils!

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

Husband wanted to carve pumpkins this year for Halloween. Intricate carving with stencils kind of pumpkins like the Bruce Campbell/Evil Dead pumpkin our friend carved last Halloween. I wasn’t...

Blitzkrieg’s Balloon Boy Costume!

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:04:00 +0000

Blitzkrieg needed a costume for the Capital Area Human Society’s Halloween Pet Parade but what do you do if you dog hates costumes? Hmmmm…Think. Think. Think. After watching way too much of the...

Reverse Trick or Treat: Green or Just Mean?

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:31:00 +0000

I’ve tried writing this post for two weeks. The subject turns one of the happiest times of my year into a depressing stress ball of emotions. I’m talking about Reverse Trick or Treat. Here’s the...

I Have a New Friend, Her Name is Alice.com

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:22:00 +0000

Alice.com is a web store where you can buy household cleaning and sundries online and have they shipped directly to your door. Their free shipping has appeal. I thought it was a great idea but I...

I’m an Outlaw, a Craftin’ Outlaw That Is

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 22:05:00 +0000

Last Saturday I went to the Craftin’ Outlaws craft fair. It's a far cry from the doily covered craft fairs I went to as a kid with my Grandmother. Many of these artists use reclaimed materials,...

How Much Attic Insulation is Enough?

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 02:55:00 +0000

I wondered exactly how much insulation I had in the attic. It’s a good thing to know because the proper amount of insulation improves your home's energy efficiency, it’s environmentally friendly...

HairZing Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 15:51:00 +0000

We have a winner to my Hairzing contest. I used a randomizer to select the winner... Catherine! Photo courtesy of HairZing Here's Catherine's winning comment: I like the silver...

Porch Chair Revamp Take 2

noreply@blogger.com (Condo Blues) — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:00:00 +0000

I cheaped out on paint and fabric when I revamped the freebie chairs on my front porch. Well, even after living under a covered porch, the weather did a number on them and they looked like this a...