211 King Street | Old Town Alexandria | Virginia | 22314 | (703) 683-2074 | info@mindfulhands.com
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News from the farm: Blackberries are here! Plan a trip out to Great Country Farms for blackberry picking ($2.29/lb). If you're a member of our farm co-op/CSA, then you'll receive 1 pint of u-pick berries absolutely free! As a member, you also receive FREE admission to the farm all year plus 10% discount off any additional produce you purchase at the farm.
Membership in our organic farm co-op is now CLOSED for 2010. If you would like to be added to the notification list for next year, send an e-mail to info@mindfulhands.com or sign up for our newsletter (see above, top left).
What's New
The Washington, DC-area is experiencing one of the hottest summers in history, as is much of the east coast. Chris & I just recently installed a room air conditioner in our bedroom. Our home has central air conditioning but as we live in a 3-story
shoebox, we found our electric bills to be far too high for a house that was still uncomfortably warm. The central a/c was wonderful at keeping the basement cool, only so-so on the main floor, and did nothing for our bedroom upstairs. We are rarely home except in the evenings, so a single room a/c for our bedroom is not only far more energy efficient but also a lot easier on the pocketbook.
Since then, I've found a few other ways of keeping cool by reducing indoor air temperature. Even simple things, like turning off lights when you leave a room and keeping windows and blinds closed, can dramatically reduce the amount of heat generated inside your home. Here are a few other simple solutions to beat the heat:
- Turn up the thermostat as high as possible during the hours when no one's home, or turn off the a/c altogether. Better yet, invest in a programmable thermostat.
- Run heat-generating appliances in the early morning, late evening, or when you're not home (this includes clothes dryers and dishwashers). Better yet, line dry your clothes if you can.
- Use ceiling and floor fans to circulate the air. Fans use far less electricity than air conditioners and the cooling breezes they generate will allow you to run the a/c at a higher temperature.
- Install working window shutters, put up awnings, or plant a tree to shade your windows from the sun.
- Try "tuning" your double-hung windows to suck the hot air out and bring cooler air in.
These are just a few suggestions for chillin' in the summer heat. Check out these additional resources for simple, low-cost ways to stay cool while being green:
Going Green With Gaiam - Speaking of going green, we're happy to announce a new partnership with Gaiam, one of the leaders in the green home movement. Through our relationship with Gaiam, we can offer you more eco-conscious products and resources for your home and garden, such as organic bedding, composters and rainbarrels, and natural home cleaning supplies. Check it out in the Earth Matters section of our website.
