Backyard Landscape Design for Elegant Outdoor Living by Allen Quay

Backyard landscape design takes the ordinary outdoor space behind your home and transforms it into a fabulous, natural living area that enhances your property while offering even more usable space for recreation, entertaining, and more. Contemporary landscape plans for backyard space usually combine the best features of your home's interior with the relaxing atmosphere of nature for a beautiful and functional outdoor area that accents the architectural style of your house.

There are several different factors involved in creating the perfect backyard design for you and your family. Blending your outdoor space with both the outer appearance and interior style of your home is the best way to ensure a uniform design that is just as beautiful as it is functional. Consider:

• Implementing the color scheme used within your home into your backyard landscape design.


• Decorating with outdoor furnishings and accessories that complement those found inside your home.


• Providing easy accessibility from inside the house to the most functional areas of your backyard.


• Designing your landscape plans around a central outdoor theme that complements your tastes as well as the look of your home.

 

Building Functionality with Outdoor Rooms

Your backyard landscape design should be just as useful and enjoyable as the inside of your home. Depending on the size of your yard and the needs of your family, there are a variety of outdoor living areas that can be integrated into your design plan to create dedicated space for entertaining, playing, and relaxing.

Outdoor dining rooms are quite common and often connect to the inside dining area of the home for convenience and flexibility. Your dining area may feature a rustic family picnic table, a quaint, intimate patio table, or an elegant wrought iron dining set for eight, depending on the overall style of your home and your needs.

An outdoor kitchen can be a great convenience if you plan on entertaining in your backyard regularly. From a simple gas grill to a custom design with fine outdoor appliances and counter space, there are many possibilities to make your outdoor cooking area practical and beautiful.

Living rooms are also integral parts of many backyard designs. Before selecting the best location for your outdoor living room, consider:

 

• The time of day it will be used most.


• The activities the space will be used for primarily.


• The effect sunlight will have on the location.

Decks, terraces, and fine outdoor furniture and accessories can make your outdoor living room a favorite spot all year round.

Recreation areas are equally important parts of a functional and pleasant backyard. Tennis courts, play areas for pets and children, hobby workstations, and custom swimming pools can add personality to your outdoor space and provide years of enjoyment for your family.

 

Bring the Comfort of the Indoors Outside with Accessories

Modern outdoor accessories are available in an assortment of styles and designs, some very similar to those found inside your home. Choose weather resistant fabrics and materials, accenting your outdoor area with colorful pillows and rugs. Fine patio furniture, candles, elegant water features, and even outdoor curtains and shades can add a homey feel to your backyard landscape design.

 

Enjoy Your Backyard Both Day and Night with Landscape Lighting

Carefully planned lighting can create just the right mood in your outdoor living areas. Contemporary electric lamps designed for outdoor use, path lighting, outdoor fireplaces, and simple candles are just a few options for a beautiful and functional landscape lighting design for your backyard.

With a little planning, the right outdoor accessories, and lighting that creates just the right atmosphere, you can finally have the backyard landscape design of your dreams. A professional design service can help you create the perfect plan for your home, your needs, and your budget, while increasing the value of your property.

It Took a Recession to Push Green Living into the Mainstream by Mary Butler

While home improvement retail giant Home Depot is feeling the effects of the down economy, and has decided to close its 34 Expo Design Centers, a new home improvement retailer is taking root: Green Depot. Green Depot, which has no relation to Home Depot, recently opened a 3,500-square foot store in downtown Manhattan. The eco-based hardware store, which sells basics such as paint, as well as kitchen cabinets, flooring, and insulation, originated with the Brooklyn-based supplier of green building materials and lifestyle products of the same name.
Green Depot is small potatoes in comparison to Home Depot. But its existence -- and the existence of such green home improvement retailers cropping up across the country -- sends a strong message: green living is growing more and more mainstream everyday.
Green Living in an Eco-Conscious Society
Sure, it's trendy. And yes, people who can afford to live in Manhattan can also afford to live an eco-conscious lifestyle. But as the cost of energy rises--this winter, heating costs have doubled in some parts of the country--living in a sustainable fashion has never made more sense. Personal finance guru David Bach and his co-author, environmental journalist Hillary Rosner, were among the first to make this connection with their best-seller, Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying (Broadway, 2008). Now there are countless titles flooding the market, touting the same idea that being green helps keep greenbacks your pocket.
Green Living and Home Improvement
Of course, there's always a caveat. And in the case of home improvement, it's the fact that you might have to spend a little more up front when you buy sustainable building materials. But that pricier purchase often comes with the promise of paying you back in savings and good health down the road. If you've shopped for home appliances recently, you can attest to this. Whirlpool and General Electric, among others have recently introduced expensive high-efficiency washers and dryers. But none is priced without mention of the savings they can bring. Whirlpool's $1,200 top-loading Cabrio HE washer, for instance, is touted to save as much as $900 in water and energy costs over its lifetime.
From eco-friendly building materials to solar power, Green Depot to high-efficiency washers, it seems more than a little ironic that it took a recession to push green living further into the mainstream.

Merits Of Natural Based Cleaning Materials by Timothy Greensland

Be natural means to use natural products. We are all serious about the preservation of the environment and we can support the environment only with the help of natural products,one of the major causes for environmental damage are from the after effects of the chemical based cleaning products using at our homes. The natural cleaning products with its contents of citrus,coconut or other known herbals are ought to give a pleasant feeling and a sense of satisfaction.

The natural cleaners and the chemical based traditional cleaners will do the same job and the convenience will also be the same. The difference is the feel better effect of the natural products as it is not carrying any chemical irritants for the skin or allergic substances. The price differences are also affordable.

Before you start on the natural cleaning products,just make a comparative study with the chemical products which you are handling now. Instantly,you will find the difference.

When you realize and start getting the benefit of natural cleaning products at your home,you will tend to think about the energy saving devices also which is another contributing factor for the environment. You will also think about other nature based convenient products like face cream,hair care products etc which naturally give you very soothing effects.

But at the same time you can not expect all the positive effects. Please take into consideration that all natural based products are not entirely free from the negative effects. Many of the natural products like the oil,herbs etc will give a very unpleasant feeling if you happened to consume by mistake or otherwise.

Natural or green products will mean that it is friendly to the environment or conducive towards a healthy environment. So to be an effective user of natural products you have to clearly understand them. We will have to read carefully of the instructions labeled for each of the products as a protection to your family. In spite of this small negative point,comparatively,the natural products are much safer than the chemical based substances.

Recycling is one of the important aspect towards the healthy environment. Once your decision for the natural products are there,you have to make sure for the recycling of the containers as far as possible. As a matter of fact,recycling is the most positive aspect for natural living.

The manufacturers who are conscious of their contribution towards the environment are using the containers which are recycled. There are still others who are using the containers of bio degradable properties especially for the products which are powder in nature.

Natural cleaning products are going to catch the imagination of the world and will be implemented in a bigger way. Many products we can order through on line. Also there are specialized retailers for natural products and also the fair trade programs give considerable publicity for this.
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List of Green Living Ideas by B. Green

There are lots of good green living ideas. For those who aren't sure what it means to "Go Green", it is basically taking steps in your everyday living to help the environment. Most people have no idea how our daily actions affect the environment. Below is a list of ideas for living green:
Purchase Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
Just about any light fixture around your home or workplace can use energy efficient light bulbs. Your local hardware store usually has a wide assortment of bulb types to choose from. There are bulbs for many different purposes that use less energy which will save you money. Energy efficient bulbs last a lot longer than your average light bulb.
Purchase a Programmable Thermostat
Programmable thermostats not only save you from adjusting your heating/cooling when you get home, but they also save energy by controlling the atmosphere throughout the day.
Recycle
Recycling is one of the best and easiest ways to help out the environment. Call your local Waste Management company and ask them about recycling. Most of them will offer this service to you at a low fee. Organic recycling is becoming more popular and some urban areas are now supplying this pickup service along with standard recycling pickup. Organic recycling is usually a combination of food scraps and food-soiled paper products. What is composting? Basically composting is combining yard waste and moisture in a controlled area so that it can sit for a few months and process into landscaping fill.
Use less Water
Some things you can do to make sure that your water usage is less would be: shutting off the faucet while brushing your teeth or using the garbage disposal frequently. You also should check your toilets, baths, and faucets to make sure that they aren't leaking. Most of the time leaks can be fixed relatively cheap.
Eat Organic Foods & Buy Organic Cleaning Supplies
Buy foods that have fewer pesticides is better for both you and the environment. Nowadays most farmers/growers try to reduce the need and cost of chemicals to grow their products. Be careful in what you buy and visit the local farmers markets in your area. One of the best products to use as a cleaning agent is white vinegar. If you prefer not to smell vinegar there are plenty of organic supplies that you can buy from your local grocery or hardware store.
Do You Unplug Electrical Items When Not In Use?
Be sure to unplug any electrical items that you don't use on a regular basis. By doing this you will save yourself a decent amount of money throughout the year. Good examples of this would be, microwaves, lamps, portable fans/heaters, or you can buy a special surge protector that will take care of this for you. There are also green living room ideas.
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Green Living - The Successful Way to Convert to All Natural Products

Green Living
There are many areas of life that positive changes can be made that will bring health benefits & develop a more eco-friendly approach to our lifestyle. An Important Warning - change must be implemented slowly if you wish to succeed for the long term.
Eco Friendly Lifestyle - The Key
To succeed in making any alteration in habit or pattern:

• Requires a valid reason
• A practical goal to work toward
• An appropriate strategy to implement change

Any effort to transform numerous habits all at one time:

• Is likely to be a total failure
• If not failure... the Change may be short lived only

Embracing Healthier Living - One Fact
This Fact remains true:

• Whether your aim is to live a more Natural life
• Begin a Weight Loss Diet
• Giving up smoking etc.

The big picture is often - way too big...! If it is too big & too overwhelming, you have almost certainly failed. Often the failure will be evident before you even begin.
Why Choose Natural Living - What is Your Goal?

• For your baby to have the safest beginning prior to birth
• Choosing to make healthy lifestyle changes in your family from this point on
• Or wish to choose more natural environmentally friendly products for the safety of our Planet
• Beginning the process today, will always be better than waiting until tomorrow

How to Implement Chemical Free Living

• Safe house cleaning products & methods
• Implementing more Organic food, Clothing
• Safe Baby Skin Care proves to be a popular Starting Point for many
• Chemical Free Skincare & Personal Care Products make good sense

Consider which category is the most important to you & your household - begin with that ONE category only.
A single adjustment is far easier to implement:

• Than a huge transition
• Finding it to be far too Expensive
• Too Involved or Complex

We do not want to fall in to this extremely common trap, only to give up on making a change that is really, really important.
All Natural Items
Natural Baby Bath Products is a popular choice to begin with. Which ever Naturally Safe, Chemical Free or Organic Product category... the principle remains the same. Deciding the category & searching out reliable products can be implemented next. A word of caution - Not all Product Labels highlighting the word "Natural" indicate genuine safety...!

GJH. International - Julie Hodges Easy to understand information Partnered with a Commonsense Approach - Increases the Potential to Successfully Manage Health & Wellness. Free Information Guides & Strategies highlighting Natural Health Care, Health Tips, Product Awareness & Suggestions. Subscribe Today...If Improving the Health, Safety & Wellbeing Rank Highly in Your Priorities. http://mentalhealthweightloss.info http://organicbabyitemsonline.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Julie_Hodges

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EAT NATURAL LIVE LONG by Emiley David

Healthy living is prominent thing for health conscious people. Yoga, exercise, and many other fitness session helps in staying slim and toned. Work pressure, emotional stress and junk foods all are harmful for body. Not only these things but also the cosmetics we apply on our skin and the food we eat are full of chemicals and preservatives. Therefore, it is beneficial to turn towards organic and natural things which heal and rejuvenate our body all the time.
Organic foods and drinks help in relaxing our muscles and tone our skin. There are so many organic foods and drink, among that Aloe Vera is very beneficial and healthy drink
It is very ancient medicinal herb used in various types of treatment. There are 300 types of Aloe Vera available in the market but only 4-5 varieties are used for medicinal purposes. Aloe Vera drink makes your intestine healthy, and removes all kind of toxins from the body. It improves digestion and regulates the bowel movement. It promotes weight loss and supplies boost of energy. It also supports functioning of heart when used on regular basis. Aloe Vera drink reduces the risk of lung cancer and boosts the immune system.
Another important healthy drink is tea tonic tea which is high in antioxidants that it helps you in fighting inflammations. Tea tonic is diuretic that helps in fighting kidney diseases and bladder related disorders. It cleans liver and treat diarrhea in both adult and child cases. Also it is recommended in arthritis and rheumatism. Tea tonic tea cures sore throat and cough.
Colostrum also known as the first milk is the form of milk produced by the mammary glands of mammals which is somewhat yellow in color, thick and viscous. It consists of so many immunoglobulin that helps in building immune system. The bovine colostrums or the human colostrums come in powdery form so that one can consume easily, it is available in the form of capsules. Some people experience "Incidents of Healing" in which the body removes toxins. It cures digestive problems, skin problems, acne or rash, and flu-like symptoms. These symptoms usually disappear after a few days, if you listen to your body, you will know where colostrum has disappeared in your body to do its job. Colostrum growth factors may cause pain in some places the old injury, during healing. If this becomes uncomfortable, you can stop taking colostrum for a few days, and resume again with smaller amounts, then increase gradually to achieve optimal result. It is also suggested for athletes to improve their performances as it increases their muscle mass.
All these organic things help in maintaining the body and soul together. These foods increase the life span of the human being. It just adds the quality in your eating and drinking habits. Before buying the organic foods, check for the certification and logo of that particular company. If someone is sensitive towards particular herb then it is better to look for alternate option.