Today is the 30th World Population Day. This global holiday started on July 11th, 1987 when the world population approximately hit 5 billion people.

Now, on the 30th anniversary, our World population is around 7.6 billion people. BBC News says, by 2100 the world is projected to have a population of 11.2 billion people. 

Our global society (especially richer countries) is fueled by consumerism, and that is leading to overconsumption of our world's resources. According to research conducted in 2000 by SERI (Sustainable European Research Institute),

"Humans today extract and use around 50% more natural resources than only 30 years ago, at about 60 billion tonnes of raw materials a year. -- On average, an inhabitant of North America consumes around 90 kilograms (kg) of resources each day." The equivalent of about 198 lbs. per day! 

The amount of weight we consume in 2017 is higher and is predicted to keep increasing if we don't start to work towards positive changes as a global society.

CO2 emissions are one of the main causes of global warming. Tiny House Build provides detailed stats on the difference in CO2 levels between an average home and the average tiny home. For the full infographic with all the stats head to Tiny House Build.

Students at Laney College in Oakland, California built a "net-zero, solar-powered" tiny home for a competition.​ Named "The Wedge" it's designed to create as much energy as is used in the home. It's solar panels supply most of the homes energy. They also thought about California's issue with water scarcity and put a compost toilet in the house that uses greywater. Read the full article about The Wedge.

Helps minimize the impact on the environment, because tiny homes require far less materials to build than a typical home. With less wood being used, It lessens the impact on the forests and the wildlife that inhabit them.

With overconsumption of resources on the rise, living in a tiny home is a responsible way to cut back. Because they average in size from 100-500 sq. ft., tiny home owners can't frivolously buy things they don't need, which in turn helps lower their day-to-day consumption. 

A main benefit to building tiny is being able to afford higher quality building materials. Because of the homes small size, people can afford to get really creative with the materials they use to build these tiny houses. Many tiny house owners are using environmentally friendly materials to build their homes. 

Reclaimed, salvaged, and palm wood are the most environmentally friendly woods to use because no trees are unnecessarily cut down.

Another alternative is bamboo. Bamboo has the durability of wood and grows extremely fast so it doesn't having a detrimental impact on the harvesting of forests. 
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Tesla's new solar roof tiles are stronger than typical roof tile shingles and cost around $21.85 a tile. The Solar roof tiles also have an infinite warranty for the lifetime of the house. 

​Solar panels are commonly used to power tiny houses. Online you can even buy affordable DIY solar panel kits. ​

Escape Homes have model tiny homes ranging in cost from $38,600 to $78,500 and financing available. Shown above is their Traveler model starting at $66,000. 

If decreasing the cost of your living expenses and being environmentally conscious by lowering consumption of resources sound important to you, a tiny house might be the perfect solution!  

Comment below and tell me what you think about the tiny house movement!

Do you have any other useful tips to cut costs on your electric bill? Comment below and let me know! 

Spring has finally sprung! With temperatures rising into the 70's and 80's, now is the time to start planning your summer garden.

The past three years I have planted a variety of plants in containers with some successes and a few failures. I have realized that the green thumb I hoped for has still yet to develop.

​One of the reasons is that my summer schedule seems more hectic and I'm not home as much. Because of that I have been researching low-maintenance plants to plant this year to help boost curb appeal. If you're a lazy gardener, like me, here are a variety of resilient plants that will thrive with little care. 

Scientific Name: Ilex Cornuta
Size of Plant: 3-4' tall and 5-6' wide
Amount of Light Needed: Full sun to partial shade
This commonly used foundation bush is low maintenance and drought resistant. It's the perfect plant for the lazy gardener who wants a simple hedges to boost their curb appeal. In April to May it blooms small white flowers. 

Scientific Name: Nepeta Faassenii
Size of Plant: 1-4' tall
​Amount of Light Needed: Needs full sun with NOT overly fertile, well drained soil. 
Catmint can be planted in the ground or in a container. This plant would be ideal for homeowners who prefer potted plants. It will add a pop of color to your front yard. Catmint is a great companion to grow with vegetables and herbs. It is an aromatic plant that naturally deters insects such as aphids (plant lice) and Japanese beetles. ​

Scientific Name: Ligustrum
Amount of Light Needed: Full to Partial Sun
This common plant has 50 different species varying from deciduous to evergreen shrubs.
Ovalifolium and Amurense Privets are two types of fast growing privets that could be used to create a noise barrier, privacy fence. Privets can be grown in containers. They need frequent watering the first year, and after that become drought tolerant. Waxleaf Privets are easily grown in Arkansas and produce white blooms every spring. ​

Scientific Name: Leucanthemum X Superbum
Plant Size: 2-3' tall and 1-2' wide
Amount of Light Needed: Full Sun and any soil type
Shasta Daisies blooms will attract butterflies in summer and fall. This perennial plant requires very minimal maintenance, they only need to be watered in the summer if rainfall is less than an 1" a week. 

Have you ever wondered where Shakespeare and his wife Anne Hathaway lived? or what ever became of Yoko and John's central park apartment in The Dakota? This blog explores homes owned by famous couples throughout different time periods in history. 

​This 12 bedroom estate situated on 90 acres, is not necessarily a "cottage" by today's standards. The Hathaway cottage is Anne's birth home and family homestead. Although the couple never lived here while married, they spent quite a bit of time on the property while William Shakespeare was courting Anne. The cottage and the gardens are now a museum that are open to the public to tour.

Nestled next to the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains in Asheville, North Carolina, The Biltmore Estate was built in the late 1800's. At the time it was the largest privately owned home in the U.S at 178,926 square feet. It was built by George Vanderbilt II. Although he wasn't married when the property was built, a few years later he married a Parisian woman named Edith. Edith redecorated the interior of the property. Their only child, Cornelia, was born and raised on the property. The Biltmore estate is now one of the most popular tourist attraction in Asheville and is still owned by a Vanderbilt descendant. 

​Located in Canton, the McKinley's lived at the Saxton house, except for his time in office while they lived at the White House. Mark Hanna, republican senator and McKinley's friend said, "President McKinley has made it pretty hard for the rest of us husbands here in Washington." William's unwavering devotion to Ida through their marriage is a testament to true love. After losing their two young daughters, Ida became very ill and relied on William's care. William insisted at political functions that Ida be seated next to him, instead of across from him which was customary. He then could hold and support her when she had seizures. After William's assassination Ida visited his grave everyday until her death six years later. 

​F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald were the wild "it" couple of the roaring twenties. Regarded as one of the best writers of the Jazz Age and the 20th Century, F. Scott Fitzgerald fell for Zelda while serving in the Army. Zelda was F. Scott's muse and many of the female characters in his novels were inspired by her. Zelda's battle with mental illness caused their romance to be very tumultuous, with her in and out of mental institutions. The Fitzgerald house is one of the last remaining homes the two lived in together. This transient couple, never owned a home, they leased this house during the winter and spring of '31-'32. They were productive while living there, writing a few novels and short stories. The novel, Tender is the Night was written while they lived here. Zelda wrote about Montgomery in her letters: "The weather here is a continual circus day -- smoky with the sun like a red balloon and soft and romantic and sensual." 

​Baseball player, Jackie Robinson purchased this home in Queens in 1950 for $100. Although it is not a nationally registered historic property, it's regarded as an important home for African-American history. The Robinson's moved in soon after a covenant was lifted that banned African-American's from living in the neighborhood. Unlike Jackie and Rachel's loving and peaceful marriage, they were harassed daily at their new home. At one point Rachel said, "When Jack started getting hate mail, we worried about the children and their playing outside." The Robinson's rose above the hatred and continued to live in the house until moving to Massachusetts years later. 

​Throughout the years the Dakota Apartments in NYC have been home to many celebrities. Most notably, John Lennon and Yoko Ono. They lived at the Dakota for 7 years before his assassination in 1980.  They enjoyed the anonymity they received living at the Dakota. “This building is chockablock full of famous people, most artists like myself tend to keep to themselves.” Said Roberta Flack, John and Yoko's neighbor. John purchased five different apartments in the Dakota. They resided in their 7th story apartment. Yoko and John used one unit as a studio and the other units for storage. Yoko Ono still resides at The Dakota and John Lennon's Strawberry Fields memorial is across the street.

The color of your front door is the first impression guests see before entering your home. Different colors will reflect the mood of your home. Let's explore what colors people psychologically associate with different emotions. 

"WHITE IS NOT A MERE ABSENCE OF COLOUR;
IT IS A SHINING AND AFFIRMATIVE THING,
​AS FIERCE AS RED, AS DEFINITIVE AS BLACK." 
- G.K. CHESTERTON

Do you agree with the correlation of colors and emotions listed here? If not, comment below and tell me what your opinion of each color is! Also, do you have a door color that isn't listed here? Comment below and tell me what mood you think that color reflects!

​2. Showcase the fireplace. If you have a fireplace in your house, keep a crackling fire going to keep the house cozy and draw attention to this selling feature.

​3. No Shoes! Post a sign on the front door or entrance that asks guest to take their shoes off. If snow is on the ground and many people are touring the house, this will cut down on the amount of water and mud that will get tracked in.

​6. Make marketing count! Winter months don’t always allow buyers to visualize the property’s true curb appeal. Include exterior pictures of the house during different seasons in the listing book.