Alternative Energy - Alternative Fuels; Natural Gas, LPG, NGV

The Green Bedroom

January 30th, 2012

There’s Zen, peace and harmony in my bedroom somewhere, but it appears to be concealed by a mountain of clothes that need putting away, my son’s confiscated toy crossbow and my husband’s boat-sized work boots collection. My dressing table ought to be chic and vintage, but instead it’s covered with tubs of moisturiser, hair products and make-up. Part of the battle is that I try to be green, so I find it very difficult to just chuck things away. I also love a bargain, so I’m forever getting great deals online or BOGOFs at the supermarket, and all these items need storing somewhere.

by o5com

The mantra is, of course: reduce, re-use, recycle. This applies to every room in the house. It’s a real challenge to be green, streamlined and budget-friendly, but here are a few ideas I’ve found worth trying for the bedroom:

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To buy or Not to buy? The Pros and Cons of Car Ownership

January 20th, 2012

To buy or not to buy? That is the question. When considering car hire, Sydney might seem like a city where you need your own ride. On the other hand, entering the world of car insurance quotes and fuzzy dice can seem daunting. This quick guide to the pros and cons of car ownership might help you consider your options.

Cars
Photo: Alex ’77

Money

Cars are a major investment, expensive to own and maintain. For price comparison, let’s look at a glacier white 3 door Toyota Yaris with auto transmission. The drive away price for this automobile, before any deals that might be had at your local, is in the vicinity of $18,241.66. Over a period of four years, the average resale time for a car, the resale value drops to about forty five percent for small cars and luxury cars. Other types of car are much lower. That makes the total investment $10,032.92 after trade in or resale.

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How to Create a French Provincial Style Kitchen

January 18th, 2012

You will find that it is relatively simple to turn any kitchen into a French Provincial style kitchen. It is just a matter of choosing the right fixtures and fittings for your kitchen and investing in the right style of furniture. This style of kitchen suits a period home and is perfect for a country home. You don’t, however, need to have a period home and if the French Provincial style is what you want in your traditional home, then by all means, decorate accordingly. You can buy appliances, such as Westinghouse fridges, that don’t look out of place in this style of kitchen. You can have a cabinet maker match a panel to go on the front of your dishwasher so that it matches in with the kitchen cupboards. If you are working on a budget you can do your kitchen up yourself, although any new light fittings will need to be installed by a qualified electrician.

French Kitchen
Photo: NancyHugoCKD.com

Flooring

Your flooring should also reflect the French provincial style theme to tie your whole overall look of your kitchen together. Floorboards give a kitchen a warm, welcoming glow. The colours of the timber can vary from a lighter honey colour to a more rich red timber. Darker colour timbers should be kept to larger rooms. Another great flooring for a French provincial style kitchen is tiles, with white giving your kitchen a fresh, clean look.

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The car’s the biggest thing

January 16th, 2012

If you make all sorts of efforts to live an environmentally friendly, carbon neutral lifestyle, but you still drive a conventionally fuelled vehicle, then you’re spitting into the wind.

Honda Insight