How To Go GREEN Like a New Yorker

featured April 20 on BONDNYMagazine.com

In honor of Earth day on April 22nd, we challenge you to GO GREEN like a real New Yorker! Unsure how to do that? Check out the options below!

1. Adopt a Street Tree!

Did you know that you could adopt a street tree in NYC? Our street trees provide shade in the summer, beautify our city and improve the air quality all year round. But they need care. Million Trees NYC offers workshops on how to care for trees. You can attend a tree-planting, request a street tree, or even pick up your own.

Find more info at: http://www.milliontreesnyc.org/

2. Go Green with Your Delivery (and Take-Out)

I’ll be the first one to admit, I get a lot of meals delivered. We are all busy New Yorkers. An easy way to go green is to ask for no plastic cutlery. Eat your food in style with your silverware, and cut down on the plastics that are produced. Many delivery websites also have a “go green” option that you can select, making this green step even easier!

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by Anjie Cho

Holistic Spaces Store

Ways to Save Energy for Earth Day!

In honor of Earth day...which is this Tuesday, April 22nd, I’d like to share 5 simple ways to reduce energy consumption in order to save money and save our precious natural resources.

Turn off lights when not in use!

There’s no reason to have a light on in every room or when you’re not even home. This is, by far, the easiest way to reduce energy consumption.

Switch to LED or CFL bulbs

Switch to energy efficient lighting for the times you do need light. There are easy-to-find and inexpensive alternatives to incandescent bulbs, and the technology for CFLS (compact fluorescents) and LED (light emitting diodes) has vastly improved. Just be sure to look for warm or soft white colored bulbs (2700-3000K).

Avoid Vampire Power

Use power strips, and turn them off when not in use. A lot of electronics, especially those with any sort of “standby” light continue to draw energy although they appear to be off. If you plug them into a power strip and then turn off the strip you can ensure they will no longer draw “vampire power” as it is termed when appliances in the “off” position continue to use small amounts of electricity. This may be helpful for appliances, printers, DVD players and other peripheral devices including televisions and gaming systems. On average, 40% of electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off but still plugged in.

Adjust your thermostat

Check with your local utility company, to see if they offer free programmable thermostats. Keep the temperature moderate, for instance the AC should stay at 78 or medium. Even going up or down a couple of degrees can make a huge difference. Be sure to weatherize properly as well.

Unplug!

Finally, unplug your cell phone and laptop chargers. Like other appliances, they use energy even when the electronic item is not being charged!  

Reducing energy consumption is an important part of saving the planet we reside on. Many people are unaware that they, as individuals, can make a difference, but changing the world can be easy by using these 5 simple tips, one at a time.

by Anjie Cho

Holistic Spaces Store

eHow.com Video: Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

Ideas For Painting Flat & Imperfect Walls

The type of paint as well as the treatment of the wall can greatly improve any wall imperfections!

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Video Transcript

I'm Anjie Cho, and these are some ideas for painting flat and imperfect walls.

Imperfections and blemishes on your walls can definitely be an eye sore, but there are ways that you can improve the appearance of paints. The finish of the paint, as well as the treatment of the walls before you paint, are very important.

Before you start, make sure to fill the imperfections with Spackle, like so. You can get Spackle along with a putty knife at any hardware store. Let it dry, then make sure to sand the surface smooth with sandpaper.

Second, the type of paint is very important. Matte or flat finish paints will hide the imperfections the most effectively because they are not as reflective as egg shell, semi-gloss or glossy finishes. The more reflective the paint, the more it will accentuate the imperfections, 'cause the light will hit, will reflect off the uneven surfaces. I'm painting here with the zero VOC eco-friendly paint, which I recommend for a non-toxic holistic home.

Preparing the wall with Spackle and using a flat or matte finish paint is a fairly easy and inexpensive way to improve the look of your flat and imperfect walls.

by Anjie Cho

Holistic Spaces Store