Well, more paint brushes and screw drivers were used than hammers, but you get the jest. This weekend was a project weekend!
I had picked up some paint chips this week and decided I’d like to paint my bathroom and kitchen. Conveniently, Kevin was away this weekend (luckily I had pitched my colour ideas earlier in the week) so I had the apartment to myself.
After breakfast with my parents on Saturday morning, I stopped in the Home Depot next door to the restaurant to pick up supplies. I was excited when I saw the CIL Naturaliving line of paints. I wasn’t sure how easily I would find an eco-friendly paint, but it wasn’t difficult at all! Unfortunately, this line of paints are only available for white-base colours and the one I had chosen needed a medium base, so I went with the Martha Stewart Living medium-base paint which at least has low VOCs and low odour, and just happened to be $10 off.
In addition to my painting project, I had a few smaller tasks on my list. One of which was to add new weather-stripping to some of our windows and seal others for the winter months to cut down on wasted energy from some serious drafts. A few simple steps, a hair dryer and sticking down some foam stripping made a huge difference! Then I replaced some burnt out light bulbs with Philips Energy Saver light bulbs which I was able to find in a “soft white” colour so they blend in with my other bulbs. I’m replacing my traditional bulbs as they burn out since each of these particular types of bulbs costs $7-9. Even though these bulbs have a much longer lifetime and can cut your energy costs, it can still be a pretty significant investment to replace all of them at once depending on the types of bulbs needed.
I also wanted to try switching to a motion sensor light switch in the kitchen. I find that I’m in and out of the kitchen so often that I end up leaving the light on when I leave the room thinking I’ll be right back. I was able to find one at Home Depot for $22, but I ran out of time and haven’t yet connected it. I’ll let you know how that goes.
Finally, there were a couple of things I needed to do to that weren’t very green, but also weren’t avoidable if I wanted to fix up a few things. I was pleasantly surprised to see that a small “eco fee” (only 5-6 cents) was added for these items at the register. I was glad to see that the fee is insignificant enough to not make the price unreasonable, but I still haven’t been able to find out whether this is government implemented or if this is a Home Depot initiative.
There are lots of things you need to do every year to maintain or improve your home. Eco friendly options are available in more types of products everyday. And while the eco-friendly option might be a bit more costly, consider the impact you’re having on your immediate environment and your family’s health when you opt for products containing strong chemicals and other harsh ingredients. We have other options, we just need to find them!
Everyday Green Girl 