Bamboo flooring. I told you it was beautiful!

Has anyone ever noticed that creating a home that could in anyway be considered "environmentally friendly" to the new, more technologically advanced world is monetarily unrealistic? Well, I have. As a newly wed soon to be searching to own a home, I have been researching REALISTIC ways to live a more eco-friendly life. Like sewing or golf gives meaning to other's lives, seeking out new forms of being more at one with the world that provides so much for me gives my life a sense of pride. So here is a list of items and options that I have come across so far.

1. Flooring

-As you know, wood flooring is WOOD and wood comes from TREES and yes, trees are now grown on tree farms that take up enormous amounts of space and doesn't offer the habitat diversity that forests do, among other issues. A GREAT and BEAUTIFUL alternative option to wood floors is bamboo. It comes in many different colors and "grains", can be found for as little as $1.50/ sq. ft., and here is the scientific part; It's a grass so it grows back faster than trees and takes up less space to farm and harvest!

2. Energey efficiency

-I can only say one thing; solar energy! If you are building a new house, solar energy provides a life long commitment to energy efficiency and a money saving investment. Although expensive to install, the savings benefits over the lifetime of the solar panels are in no comparison.

3. Decorative Accessories

-Of course you have counters, light fixtures, and an array of accessories that can't be mentioned although they bring me such excitement I would like to. Some options I've found are of course RECYCLED materials. You can find just about anything you need in a recycled form and I think anyone alive in the twenty-first century need not be told the benefits of recycling. And of course, fluorescent lightbulbs. Let's just say that my in-laws phase lights (lights that have three different settings: dullest, dull and bright) were replaced with fluorescent light bulbs and they turn on, brightly, on the dullest phase. (i.e. Less electrical energy for more light power).

I know it doesn't seem like a lot for right now but I know that A. Everyone doesn't have time to read a ridiculously drawn out blog and B. I don't have a lot of time to research. :-) I am no expert in home decor, appliances or environmentally friendly redecorating, but I do know that with a little bit of effort, any house can be updated to the evolved lifestyle that is taking hold of the country. If you have any suggestions, please, POST THEM HERE, or if you would like to research your own eco-friendly home options, just type in what you need on your favorite search engine plus the words recycled or eco-friendly before it. (Ex: Eco-friendly counter tops)