10 Easy Ways to Lower Winter Heating Bills

In 2008, my family went on a year long experience to try lowering our heating bills by %20 thinking it was a lofty goal we may not meet. a slew of Greenzillas swore up and down that the only solution was to trash everything that came new with our house (and was working great) and replace it by buying new top of the time super energy efficient everything. Replacing working and still fairly new things didn't seem very eco friendly. Instead we focused on changing old habits and a few inexpensive home improvements.

And we beat our goal by reducing our use and bill by 32%.

10 years later and we’re still using less energy to heat our condo than comparable energy efficient rated homes in our area – and we’re toasty warm doing it too!

10 Super Simple Hacks That Keep Your House Warm and Your Heat Bill Low

Friday Favorites Linky Party 411

Let's get this party started! Time to link up and share your fantastic craft and DIY projects, recipes, tutorials, and ideas! I can't wait to see what you have in store for us this week.

16 of the BEST DIY Green Cleaning Products and Solutions You Need to Try Right Now!

Often people ask me how I have time to do all of the DIY I do on Condo Blues. My not so secret secrete is most of my crazy experiments happen when I'm trying to find something, anything, to keep myself occupied during my yearly Cabin Fever. 

Otherwise this is what I'm like from mid January until June.

I don't know who made or owns this gif (please let me know so I can credit them)

 but it often the image in my head when I see one.more.gray.day. outside my window

How to Clean an Essential Oil Nebulizing Aromatherapy Diffuser

 I’ve been poking around at upgrading my candle essential oil diffuser. I didn’t realize how many types and choices are available since I bought my ceramic diffuser ages ago:

1. Candle Essential Oil Diffuser – Good for a start but it’s too easy for the candle to boil the essential oil and water dry. Not to mention the whole never leave a burning candle unattended thing.

2. Reed diffuser – Swing and a miss. Slow acting and only good for small rooms like a bathroom. You need new reeds every time you want to use a different essential oil in it.

3. Ultrasonic essential oil diffuser – Uses water and heat to produce a mist of essential oil in the air. They are often made out of a ugly hunks of plastic. The last thing I need (per my allergist) is to add humidity to the air in my home due to my (rather annoying) seasonal allergies which makes it a no go.

4. Nebulizing essential oil diffuser -  Uses an air pump to release the essential oil from the diffuser as waterless mist. Many people feel a nebulizer is a better option because it doesn’t change the makeup of the essential oil with heat or weaken the aroma with water – which makes it the perfect type for me!

Friday Favorites Linky Party 410

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DIY Mad Scientist Mason Jar Bank

I need something in my laundry room to organize the loose change I sometimes find in the washing machine and dryer. My laundry room is too small for a cute piggy bank on the washing machine or dryer but I do have the wall space to make a hanging spare change organizer out of my favorite resource – a recycled glass jar.

My laundry room has a heroes and comedy horror movies theme since I think laundry is an evil chore (AND it keeps all of the odd toys and posters in one room  instead of throughout the house). I figure I shouldn’t make a normal laundry room spare change jar and instead made a Mad Scientist coin bank.

Hey, you never know, turning into a mad scientist could turn into a lucrative side hustle!

How to Make a Hanging Mason Jar Coin Bank