Nestlé : Starting Your Own Herb Garden

Nestlé : Starting Your Own Herb Garden: Save money by growing your own herbs in a sunny window.
"Here are a few helpful tips to get you started:
Tip 1: Make sure you have a spot in your house that receives full sunlight for at least half of the day, a south or west facing window would be best. If your growing space does not accommodate this, think about using a fluorescent lamp to supplement your herbs growing needs.
Tip 2: Choose your herbs. Make a list of the herbs you know you love and use frequently. Explore other herbs that you think you may like to have. If you’re not sure, check your supermarket shelf to give you an idea.
Tip 3: Separate your herbs based on their required growing conditions. Look at the seed packets for specific growing conditions.
Tip 4: Separate your herbs in different potting containers. These can all be added together in one decorative planter if you like. Make sure your pots provide good drainage as this is probably the most important factor for a successful herb garden. Mixing your soil with crushed stone or gravel can help improve drainage. Separating your herbs also allows you to adjust the amount of water you give each plant depending on their needs."

DIY Air Conditioning

Ancient Romans had air conditioning. In the summer, they would seal all their windows and doors, but open a hole in the center of their house down into a tunnel that travelled under their house for 20 feet or so, to the outside, and opened in a shady spot. This underground tunnel contained air cooled by the earth.

To draw cold air into the house, the Romans had a black-painted, 3 foot chimney on their roof. When the sun heated the chimney, the hot air inside the chimney (and house) would rise, and pull the earth-cooled air into their home. Since air in underground caves is 65 F year-round, this process cooled their homes considerably.

You may be able to cool your home by blowing the cool air from your basement through your duct work, or by aiming a fan up you basement steps. Alternatively you can freeze water in water bottles, place them in a dish drainer (set atop a towel to absorb condensation), and direct a fan across the ice filled bottles.

If you're feeling a bit more adventurous, check out this air conditioner constructed by a student. This homemade air conditioner uses a fan, an ice water filled cooler and copper tubing. Note: you can pick up the zip ties used in this project at the dollar store to further reduce the cost of this project.

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DIY Cooling Scarf

A cooling idea from the folks in "The Land Down Under". The Watersorb site shows how to use polystyrene crystals to make cooling ties, vests, and helmets. Read testimonials on their site from service people in the armed forces who have found these useful even in the hottest of climates.

Although you can purchase the crystals from Watersorb, I wondered if there might be a cheaper source. I googled a few more sites, and...yup! You can use plant crystals. According to Debbie Colgrove at About.com Sewing , the crystals work great! (Debbie uses plant crystals from a gardening store.)

Hmm... I wonder if there are any reasons I couldn't use crystals from my local dollar store?

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