Green Home

The Abundance of Less captures the texture of sustainable lives well lived in these ten profiles of ordinary—yet exceptional—men and women who left behind mainstream existences in urban Japan to live surrounded by the luxuries of nature, art, friends, delicious food, and an abundance of time. Drawing on traditional Eastern spiritual wisdom and culture, these pioneers describe the profound personal transformations they underwent as they escaped the stress, consumerism, busyness, and dependence on technology of modern life.

Are you tired of feeling like you have a brown thumb when it comes to having plants? Have you given up hope of ever having a thriving indoor garden? Fear not, fellow plant lover! You can become a successful plant parent with the right tools and knowledge.

Compact Farms is a guide for anyone dreaming of starting, expanding, or perfecting a profitable farming enterprise on five acres or less. The farm plans explain how to harness an area's water supply, orientation, and geography in order to maximize efficiency and productivity while minimizing effort. Profiles of well-known farmers such as Eliot Coleman and Jean-Martin Fortier show that farming on a small scale in any region, in both urban and rural settings, can provide enough income to turn the endeavor from hobby to career.

For beginners and owner-builders, green building is a sustainable construction method that has a low impact on the environment. Green buildings usually incorporate LEED standard construction requirements in order to become certified; however, a homeowner can be an “owner builder” and construct their own home without the need of hiring a General Contractor in many cases, plus they usually do not need certification even if they build to LEED standards. Although standard construction methods and materials are often used, such as 2x4 or 2x6 framing with fiberglass insulation, or SIP panels,...

Like many people, Beth Terry didn't think an individual could have much impact on the environment. But while laid up after surgery, she read an article about the staggering amount of plastic polluting the oceans and decided then and there to kick her plastic habit. Now she wants to teach you how you can too.

Whether you're a sustainability newbie or a seasoned green living enthusiast, this book will empower you with the knowledge and tools to clean smarter, live healthier, and tread lighter on the Earth. Say goodbye to harsh chemicals—and hello to a fresher, cleaner, greener way of living.

Skip the trial-and-error — here’s the foolproof way to farm mushrooms in your own home. And with the straightforward, no-BS approach that you’ll find in this audio, you’ll soon be picking your very own psilocybin mushrooms, right from the comfort of your own home.

On the ship to America, Norwegian immigrant Amalia Gunderson makes a solemn promise to a dying mother, vowing to watch over her five-year-old daughter, Ruth. Together, Amalia and Ruth trek to Iowa to claim the farm and former boardinghouse that Ruth has inherited, despite opposition from a difficult cousin. Struggling with an empty house and scarce resources, Amalia resolves to return the boardinghouse to its former purpose, aided by the kindness of strangers and the resilient spirit of her young charge.

Would you like to get your cleaning done without putting the rest of your life on hold? Would you like your house cleaning to have a professional makeover? If you do, then Super Simple Home Cleaning will help you do just that, and more! This easy to read how-to-guide by Amazon bestselling author Judith Turnbridge will not only help make your home clean, safe and harmonious for you and your family to live in, but to do so in a way which is easy on your pocket and friendly on the environment. Here’s how… Whether you are doing your weekly chores or embarking on some serious deep cleaning, ...

Converting your home to solar energy is one of the best investments you will ever make. You’ve heard that installing solar power reduces the value of your home. Or that your roof will leak if you install solar power. You may even have heard that if solar panels are imperfectly installed, your house will burn down. Don’t believe any of it. They’re just not true.

If the power grid fails, it’s not just your lights that go out. It’s your water supply. It’s your heating and cooling system. It’s all your usual ways of cooking food or doing the laundry. Without the grid, life as we know it changes in an instant.

Let It Shine is a fully revised and expanded edition of A Golden Thread, Perlin's classic history of solar technology, detailing the past forty years of technological developments driving today's solar renaissance. This unique and compelling compendium of humankind's solar ideas tells the fascinating story of how our predecessors throughout time, again and again, have applied the sun to better their lives-and how we can too.

Critically acclaimed memoirist Wade Rouse has gathered some of America's best known humorists-authors, comedians, and actors-to offer biting commentary on what it means to share a life, and a heart, with a dog. From battling for bed space to trying to transform a pampered NYC pup into a Texas rawhide, and from helping a shelter rescue navigate through her new life to interpreting dog run dynamics (and politics), being a canine companion has challenges as tough as any agility course, but laughter is just a tail-wag away.

Do you wish for a more resilient, sustainable, and empowered way of providing for your family in uncertain times? Are you worried about unreliable power grids, uncertain water supplies, or overly complex food chains? Veteran homesteader and star of Discovery's Homestead Rescue Marty Raney shares a big-picture vision of how ordinary families can become radically resilient homesteaders: powering, feeding, and caring for themselves through their own efforts, and on their own land.

There is a better way to live. Humans should have free time, good food, affordable shelter, time in nature, space to think, and living systems that help people thrive while healing the land. Welcome to Acorn Land Labs. We fuse permaculture, off-grid systems, local lifestyles, and simple living into a fresh way to live well. Join us as we reinvent the world around us into something healthy and good.

Nate Jackson is the last person Jansy Miller expected to see at Jackson Lodge. Her brother's best friend had moved away ten years ago to start a business and a new life in New York City. Now he'd returned to Montana with his wife and child to save his marriage. When Nate's wife leaves while he's away on business, Nate asks Jansy to watch his daughter for a few days. What begins as a one-time opportunity to help an old friend turns into a full-time nanny position. As the two of them work together to raise Gabrielle, their friendship rekindles and and soon sparks begin to fly. But can Jansy ...

Buying a home is exciting—but also complex. This book isn’t a step-by-step guide; it’s a collection of expert tips to help you make informed decisions, avoid costly mistakes, and navigate the process with confidence. Inside, you’ll learn: How to assess your financial readiness Mortgage and negotiation strategies to save money What to look for when touring homes The role of inspections, appraisals, and contingencies What to expect at closing and how to avoid surprises These tips give you a strong foundation, but buying a home isn’t a DIY process. A Certified Full-Service ...

In an interconnected world filled with goal-oriented perfectionists, Lagom reminds us to slow down, to decompress and destress, to be mindful of sustainability yet not deny ourselves pleasure. But lagom is not a rigid set of rules - sometimes you need more, sometimes you need less, and that's fine, too! With this idea-filled guide, you can learn to find greater balance, well-being, and harmony - and, most importantly, make time for the things that matter most in life.

Most people who are considering off grid living, are those who are wanting to escape the stress and busyness of city life, and enjoy the peace and tranquility of country living. Owning your own property, and providing for your needs with self-sufficiency projects sounds wonderful and fun, but what are the most important self-sufficiency/survival projects, and how do you accomplish them? That is where this book will help.

When Christine Platt set out on her journey to live with less, she never intended to become The Afrominimalist. She just wanted to tame the chaos in her closet! But after struggling with the austerity and whiteness of mainstream minimalism, Christine realized why minimalism often seems unattainable for so many: the emphasis on all-white, barren aesthetics distracts from the practice of living with intention. And so, she decided to do things her way by curating a life of less influenced by the African diaspora.