2010 Home & Health Guide

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2 Hersam Acorn Newspapers Home & Health 2010

Time to Wake Up to a Healthier Lifestyle

– Christie Harris

Our lives are busy, often times too busy to prepare healthy meals. Packaged foods have become the norm in our society (just pop it in the microwave), but processed convenience foods leave our bodies wanting more. We are waking up to warmer weather. Now we need to wake up to the nutritional benefits of whole foods.

Whole foods are unprocessed vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and grains. Whole foods do not contain preservatives like their canned or packaged counterparts, and provide higher concentrations of essential vitamins and minerals.

It’s easy to eat healthier during the warmer months. Fresh food is either a few steps away in the garden, or a quick trip to the local farmers’ market. If you are a grocery store gatherer, look for the organic label. Organic producers do not apply pesticides to their crops; all in all a good thing.

There are even options for those without a green thumb or an eas-ily accessible farm market. Many local producers offer community supported agriculture or CSA. Essentially the consumer buys a “share” in the CSA and in return receives seasonal produce each week. Some CSAs include eggs and other products, but the majority of a share comes as vegetables.

The CSA transaction between farm and consumer reaps rewards for both. Families and individuals have access to whole, fresh foods with high nutritional value. For the farm, benefits are an early increased cash flow, community building, and time spent marketing their product before it gets too busy with the summer growing season. In addition, we know where our food is coming from; a big bonus when you consider we eat lettuce during the winter, which was grown where? And sat on a shelf for how long?

You are what you eat, and so are the animals we consume. For meats, consider buying farm raised beef or pork and free-range chicken. These animals eat whole foods, by foraging grasses and seeds with a higher nutritional value, thus their meat is leaner and better tasting.

And, whole foods are easy to prepare, which takes the convenience excuse out of the conversation. It only takes a few minutes to make a nice salad with fresh lettuce, or sauté just-picked green beans with garlic and ginger. And, though subjective, not much tastes better than a “still warm from the sun” tomato and cucumber sandwich paired with a slab of locally made cheese.

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A Hersam Acorn Newspapers Publication

Jen Hathaway, cover design

Melissa Miller, page design

TriState Pennysaver News109 South Street, Bennington, VT 05201

802-447-3381

Vermont News Guide99 Bonnet Street, Manchester, VT 05254

802-362-3535

Yankee Shopper

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Renee Tassone, General Manager

Home & Health 2010 Hersam Acorn Newspapers 3

– Sarah Hammond

We all have probably heard some casual conversation about the use of common house plants and the betterment of our immediate envi-ronment. However, this is definitely something worth taking seriously. Recent studies have shown that the psychological effects of house plants aren’t the only effects. Good news from a NASA study is that the com-mon house plant improved the air quality of the test home. In fact, they reported that houseplants were able to remove up to 87 percent of air toxins in 24 hours. Plants can remove a variety of toxic air emissions including carbon monoxide, ammonia, formaldehyde, benzene and xylem.

Not only do plants allow you to breathe more easily, but supporting studies say that they make you happier, too. A Chicago cardiologist, Bruno Cortis says that in his experience house plants have made his patients calmer and more optimistic. He also stated that his patients seemed to recover more quickly with the view of a garden as opposed to a wall.

The University of Agriculture in Norway has been a major con-tributor to the most recent studies. One of the concluded theses is that indoor plants reduce fatigue, headaches, coughing and sore throats by more than 30 percent. This is done by the plant’s ability to increase the humidity and decrease the dust in your environment. This is a study where the conclusion is supported separately by studies written by Dr. Leona Rolgers in the “Comprehensive Office Series” in which she states

that “complaints about headaches, stress, heart/circulation symptoms and colds decrease when indoor plants are present but also richly deco-rated rooms help keep your air clean.” Furthermore, she has stated that plants increase productivity in an office space. Interestingly enough, many participants in a local panel attested to the outcomes of creativity, focus and overall increased sense of diligence when indoor plants were decorating their office or cubical space. Luther Burbank once stated that “a flower is an educated weed waiting to inspire.” He may not be too far off.

There are many excellent resources out there for anyone who wants to get serious about using plants for clean air and health advantages. For now, here are the 9 most common, easy maintenance house plants that are most effective in removing potentially harmful chemicals, including those in paints, varnishes, dry cleaning fluids, car exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke from the air in your home. Dragon tree, ivy, ficus, philo-dendrons, spider plants, peace lilies, ferns, chrysanthemums, and palms. A great guide for looking up care of house plants is “A Pocket Guide to House Plants” written by Rob Herwig.

As always, make sure you research plants for any potential allergens, poisons, especially in homes with children and pets.

It’s very important to take our environments seriously, especially since we are now learning more the direct affect they have with us men-tally, and in this particular case, physically. House plants are a simple, inexpensive way to improve the air in our homes and offices and our mental state. Of course, making our personal spaces beautiful doesn’t hurt either.

House Plants, Clean Air, Clear Mind

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Planning Spring & Summer Projects on Your Home? Was Your House Built Before

1978? If ‘YES’, You Need to Read This

– Norm St.Onge

Beginning on April 22, the new EPA “Lead Safe” law regarding reno-vation, repair and painting work performed on houses, apartments and child care facilities built prior to 1978 goes into effect. Formerly known as the EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting law (EPA RRP), this law has nothing to do with local building codes or permits; the EPA law is being implemented and enforced at the federal level; compliance is not optional.

As a licensed and certified contractor, here are some of the questions my customers have asked:

What’s the deal with lead paint? Dust from lead paint is an extremely hazardous toxin. Even in microscopic amounts it’s particularly danger-ous to young children where it can cause learning disabilities, damage to the central nervous system and kidneys to name but a few. The health effects to adults and pets are just as serious.

What is the “EPA RRP” law? Simply put, it’s taking consistent precau-tions to contain the dust created by sanding, scraping, demolition, and other common construction and painting activities. At the completion of the project the work area must be thoroughly cleaned using a formal-ized multi-step process. All debris must be double-bagged and disposed of as hazardous waste. All of these steps must be documented, requir-ing both the contractor and homeowner to sign off; these files must be maintained by the contractor for three years.

What kind of work is covered under these new rules? Just about everything. Interior & exterior repairs, painting, renovations, remodel-ing, replacement windows & doors...anything that disturbs a painted

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surface in pre-1978 housing. This isn’t just about carpenters and paint-ers either; plumbers, electricians, heating and cooling contractors... essentially all trades must be EPA certified and comply with law.

Why haven’t I heard of this until now? The new law has been quietly out there for a couple of years. The EPA has done a terrible job of notify-ing contractors and homeowners alike, but with the final implementa-tion date quickly closing in there’s a sudden scramble to implement contractor training, certification and homeowner awareness.

What is contractor training and certification? Beginning on April 22, any contractor performing work on a pre-1978 house must be an EPA Certified Renovator. By current EPA estimates less than half of the contractors in the U.S. will be trained and certified by the April 22nd enactment date.

This sounds like it’s going to cost me more money. Well, it will. Factoring in the cost of containment and cleaning materials and the additional labor, the EPA RRP will add some cost to your project. There are a number of variables that will impact the final numbers but a real-istic estimate is a 4-8% cost increase. Considering the potential health issues and EPA penalties the increased cost seems almost inconsequen-tial in comparison.

We won’t get caught, can’t we just ignore it? Of course you can ignore it. The same way people ignore building codes and permits and use unlicensed contractors every day. But, all it takes is one grumpy neigh-bor – or a case of lead poisoning - to ruin your day. The EPA penalties start at $37,500 per day plus the potential for prison sentences.

Norm St.Onge is a licensed contractor, VT EMP Certified and EPA RRP Certified Renovator based in southern Vermont. He can be reached at (802)442-7400 or [email protected]

Additional Resources:

1. The State of Vermont, Office of the Attorney General: http://www.atg.state.vt.us/issues/consumer-protection/lead-issues.php

2. US Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov/lead/pubs/renovation.htm

3. Leadsafe Vermont: http://www.leadsafevermont.org/home.html

...Planning Spring & Summer Projects on Your Home... Along the Way – Décor on a Dime“It’s a good thing that when God created the rainbow he didn’tconsult a decorator or he would still be picking colors.” – Sam Levenson

– Cindy Butler

Hmmm. A shortcut to indecision might involve papering our walls with all those little paint chips found at our favorite home improvement store but...who wants thousands of colors covering a wall? There are very few hard and fast decorating rules for those of us on a budget. But there are some general guidelines which will simplify our choices.

Paint is the beginning of easy, inexpensive improvements. My mother used to say that a coat of paint covered a multitude of sins. And she pro-ceeded to paint every old or potentially shabby surface in our home! This was before it was chic to be shabby.

The first thing you need to take into consideration is the direction your windows face. For rooms with southern/western exposure (lots of light and potential heat) you might want to consider cool colors: blues, greens, lavenders, which would lend an aura of coolness and serenity. For rooms with northern/eastern windows, the reverse is true. Determine which warm colors: reds, yellows, oranges, you’d prefer to lend warmth and brightness to your rooms.

You also need to ‘play’ with colors you love – even if the natural light in your home dictates a cooler or warmer shade. Our homes are our safe havens, a sanctuary of colors which refresh us, soothe and nurture us.

Alongside fresh paint, you may want to consider, surprisingly, sheets! Often, flat sheets (prints or solid) give good value for the amount of material provided. They may be made into light-weight draperies, turned into a custom-made duvet cover, or full balloon (or ruffled) valances, pillow covers, casual napkins and tablecloths.

In the bathroom you may make a gathered skirt for your pedestal sink (or to cover old exposed pipes), using Velcro strips to secure. Another use for the remaining fabric from this project is to stitch a wide band as decoration, to the lower portion of new hand and bath towels. You might also use a matching or complimentary sheet as a shower curtain. Either stitch rib-bons to the top by which to attach to rod, or add button holes through which rings would slip onto rod. Paint and fabrics can be used together beautifully to give your home a fresh new look.

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– Christie Harris

At home there’s a green movement afoot and there are conflicting ideas about what “green” means. Often, it’s just about making educated choices about available products whether they are household clean-ers, paint for the walls, or furniture and flooring.

We don’t often think about indoor air quality. Exposure to volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, can cause diz-ziness, respiratory stress, and trigger asthma attacks.

Household all-purpose cleaners can certainly affect indoor air. Bleach, anti-bacterial sprays or wipes, and glass, tub and tile cleaners all emit VOCs. The good news is that there are many citrus or plant-based cleaners on today’s mar-ket and they work just as well for the same cost. Or back to basics, steam kills bacteria and lifts stubborn stains.

If you are thinking about a new wall color, low VOC paints are available from your favorite hardware store and are a smart choice if you are concerned with indoor air quality.

When it comes to decorating your home, look for products that use sustainable woods like bamboo. Bamboo grows quickly unlike our deciduous hardwoods, which take decades and even centuries.

Sustainable flooring and carpeting choices are increasing as more com-panies become environmentally aware and quest to answer the green consumer’s demand.

There are water saving, energy saving fixtures and appliances on the market, too. Think about it... each time you flush a toilet you are using

fresh potable water. Gallons of it. Low-flow or low-flush toilets are one way to reduce the fresh water consumed by flushing. Not for the feint of heart, there is energy around the household uti-lization of composting toi-lets. These wonders use no water at all.

Recycling isn’t a new idea, but the products made from recycled materials are flooding the market. Rugs, decking, pet beds... all made from recycled milk jugs. Glasses and dinnerware

from recycled windshield glass. Mulch mats for the garden from recycled tires. Re-purposing is a bit different and requires some cre-ativity. For instance, candle holders or clocks from scrap metal, gears, nuts, and bolts. License plates as purses or mailboxes or flowerpots and pencils from reclaimed currency. For those less creative; think about buying antique or thrift, rather than new. Though different, recycling and re-purposing have one common denominator. Stuff doesn’t go to our landfills.

Finally, look for where the product is made. It takes more energy and fuel for products made in China to reach your home than the ones made right here in the States. Better yet, buying from domestic produc-ers keeps the jobs at home.

What Does Green Really Mean?

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10 Quick, Easy, and Inexpensive Decorating Tips for Spring

– Ceil Petrucelli

Spring is a great time of year to make a few changes around your home. Redecorating your home doesn’t have to be expensive. With a little creativity, ingenuity, and elbow grease, plus a few good tools, you can often do much of the work yourself. Some projects can be pretty easy and take less than a weekend to complete. Here are a few ideas that can yield some instant results and make a major impact, too.

Are you pressed for time? On a budget? These are 10 quick, easy, and low cost ideas that can give your home a fresh new look with a mini-mum of effort.

1. One of the easiest and cheapest ways to transform a room is to eliminate as much clutter as possible. Streamline your collections; remove all the little knickknacks and dust collectors; put things

away. The trend now is to keep things simple, spare, and serene-looking.

2. Give your home a thorough cleaning. Make a list; go through your home room by room and make note of what needs to be done. Then set aside some time to either do it yourself, or if you can afford to, hire someone to assist you, especially with some of the bigger projects. Take it one step at a time; one project at a time so it isn’t so overwhelming.eliminate clutter...

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3. Rearrange your furniture! Reuse and reduce by rearranging! Instead of buying new furniture, move it around or swap things out

from different rooms. Sometimes our rooms get stuck in a rut. We need to shake things up a bit and look at our rooms with new eyes. Not only is this very budget-friendly, it’s very eco-friendly, too.

4. Paint can transform a piece of furniture, a room, or a whole

house. Paint is still one of the easiest and least expensive ways to make a change when you’re redecorating. When painting, try to use low or no VOC paints for a more eco-friendly environmental impact. When buying paint, only buy as much as you need since there’s no easy way to dispose of paint. If you have leftover paint, see if you can donate it to a local school, shelter, or non-profit.

5. A new piece of artwork can totally transform the look of a room. It doesn’t have to be expensive, either. On a budget? You can pick up inexpensive prints online, at a local museum store, a local art gallery, or even at auctions, flea markets, and tag sales. You can often buy them already matted and framed, or you can do it yourself or have it done professionally at a local frame shop.

6. Antique shops and second hand shops are often excellent resources for interesting and unique pieces. Tag sales and flea markets are also great sources for treasures which can be transformed and given a new and repurposed life. Think creatively and keep an open mind when you’re poking around looking for your “buried treasures.”

7. You can repurpose and recycle an old dresser with some paint, new knobs, and some creative thinking and elbow grease. Get creative with stencils, faux finishes, decoupage, antiquing and crackle glazes,

...10 Quick, Easy, and Inexpensive Decorating Tips for Spring...

rearrange furniture...

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wallpaper, colorful papers.... The possibilities are almost endless.

8. You can make a wonderful mirror from an old window. I actually have a few in my home which I picked up at salvage yards over the years, then had a local glass shop insert a mirror.

9. An old chair with a good frame can be reupholstered or slip-covered. There are lots of options to choose from - inexpensive to custom. You can either do the work yourself or have it done pro-fessionally. Sometimes a slipcover is a tem-porary solution until you can afford to buy that new sofa or chair. Or just add some fresh new throw pillows instead!

10. Do you have a favorite lamp or light fixture that looks dated? You can replace the lampshade for an easy fix or paint the base a differ-ent color. Lots of options to choose from and you can get really great results with a minimum of effort.

These are just a few tips to get you started. For more ideas, there are lots of online resources, magazines, and books available – not to men-tion all the home improvement shows on TV!

Ceil Petrucelli is an interior designer, decorator, and home organizing con-sultant based in Bennington, VT and is the owner of Ceil Petrucelli Interiors and The House Therapist. She can be reached at [email protected] or her web site www.ceilpetrucelliinteriors.com

...10 Quick, Easy, and Inexpensive Decorating Tips for Spring...

replace lampshades...

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– Ceil Petrucelli

This is a great time of year to clear out your clutter, eliminate a lot of accumulated “stuff,” and free up a lot of space in your home. Clearing out your junk can be an incredible freeing experience – but where do you start? It can sometimes seem overwhelming when you’re first con-fronted with that overflowing closet, overstuffed drawers, or a garage that has so much stuff stored in it that there isn’t room for your car!

But before you get started on “de-cluttering” or getting things orga-nized, you should take a look at the bigger picture first and formulate a plan of attack. Here are a few rules of thumb to follow when you begin the process.

1. Start with the area that is giving you the most “pain” or “angst.” Which area of your home or office is bugging you the most? If you find yourself saying day after day, “I can’t find anything in my closet” or “My kitchen cabinets are a disaster” or “My office looks like a bomb went off ” – that’ll give you a major clue where to begin.

2. Have a plan of attack. Make a list of all the areas that you’d like to work on, in order of priority. Be sure to include a deadline to com-

plete each project. This will help you to focus, set some goals, and keep the bigger picture in mind as you work your way through. It’s also easier to stay on track when you have a list with a deadline written down. Also, there’s a greater sense of sat-isfaction and com-pletion when you start crossing things off your “to do” list.

3. Limit your scope. Tackle one small area at a time - start with a drawer, a shelf, a closet, a small section of your kitchen or bedroom. Don’t attempt to clean out the entire place at once. Chances are, you’ll get overwhelmed, overloaded, and frustrated and will want to give up on the entire project before you can finish.

4. Plan to set aside time each week (or each day if you’re really ambi-tious!) to work on a different area. Set a time limit. Once you get started, you’ll be surprised at how quickly it goes. It’s really amazing what you can get accomplished once you “get in the groove.”

5. Work systematically and with purpose. Do your best to move through your home or office in a systematic way, finishing one area at a time before you start another. Avoid hopping from one task to the next if possible. There is nothing more frustrating (and emotion-ally draining) than to be surrounded by a bunch of half-finished projects. It’ll be even more difficult down the road to pick up where you left off or find things if you’ve only organized half your closet or half your files and the other half is still a wreck.

6. Find the organizing style that suits you best. Different strokes for different folks. Each person has a unique style and personality, and organizing isn’t any different. Some people work best if they empty an entire storage area before organizing it. Others find that method too overwhelming and choose to tackle their clutter one item at a time.

Home Organizing - Taking it One Step at a Time

have a plan of attack...

work with purpose...

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Sometimes, it’s a combination of both, depending on the circum-stances. You need to decide for yourself which method works best for you. There is no “right” way – only what’s right for you.

7. Get some help! If you can recruit some “organizing assistants” to assist you – do it! This is a big job and it’ll go a lot faster if you have some help. Consider asking your family members, friends, or even your neighbors. You can barter - I’ll help you if you help me. Then

you can have a neigh-borhood tag sale and sell all your unwanted stuff later! Or, you can consider hiring a professional orga-nizer who can remain objective and can keep you on track.

8. Be kind to yourself! Cut yourself some slack! This is hard work - not just physi-cally, but emotionally and mentally as well. Don’t get frustrated with yourself if you can’t tackle everything on your “to do” list in a weekend! Don’t drive yourself until you drop - clearing out

clutter doesn’t have to be painful. Just work at your own pace. Set some goals and time limits - maybe 15 or 30 minutes to start. Then once you get started, plan for longer sessions. Usually 4-6 hours for each session is the maximum I suggest to my House Therapy clients.

9. Reward yourself. Every time you finish a particularly challenging task, reward yourself with something that makes you feel good about yourself. Even adults need to get “gold stars” for their accomplish-ments. Don’t go out and buy something - reward yourself with a cup of tea, a half hour to take a walk, indulge in a bubble bath or a mani-cure or pedicure, make a healthy snack for yourself from some fresh fruit and yogurt. Take an hour to read a few chapters in a good book or read a book to your kids or grandkids.

These are just a few tips to get you started. For more ideas, there are lots of online resources, magazines, and books available – not to men-tion all the home improvement shows on TV!

Ceil Petrucelli is an interior designer, decorator, and home organizing con-sultant based in Bennington, VT and is the owner of Ceil Petrucelli Interiors and The House Therapist. She can be reached at [email protected] or her website www.ceilpetrucelliinteriors.com

...Home Organizing - Taking it One Step at a Time...

work with purpose...

organizing assistants...

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House Detailing!��

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Documents

2010 Home & Health Guide