Linoleum is often thought of as an old-style flooring material - which it is - but don’t assume that old means outdated, because linoleum is the flooring material of choice for many new home owners, and with good reason.

Though it was the flooring of choice in many homes before WWII, it’s popularity waned as our fascination with anything plastic took hold. Vinyl flooring replaced linoleum just about everywhere. Even today, many flooring vendors present samples of both as though they are interchangeable. They may serve the same purpose, but eco-conscious people know there is a big difference.

Linoleum is a natural flooring, made from linseed oil, wood flour, tree resins, cork dust, ground limestone and mineral pigments pressed onto a jute backing – very environmentally-friendly. Vinyl, on the other hand, is not a natural substance, but a type of plastic made from ethylene and chlorine combined to form Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) resin, or Vinyl. 

In addition to being a ‘green’ flooring solution, linoleum is inexpensive, easy to install, comes in a variety of colours and patterns, is easily maintained, and is durable - lasting 30 to 40 years. Allergy-sufferers, particularly asthmatics and those with other respiratory ailments like linoleum, too. It doesn’t trap dirt or moisture the way carpet does, and it has bactericidal properties.

Linoleum flooring is sold in both tile and sheet form, adding to its versatility. It is an excellent choice for kitchens, entryways, playrooms, even for today’s ‘man cave’ garages. Though not as durable as ceramic tile, linoleum is resistant to scratches, stains and moisture.

About the only downside of linoleum is the odour, which can last a month or more. But it’s a harmless odour, unlike those VOC’s – Volatile Organic Compounds - from manmade options. Also, linoleum will deteriorate if continually exposed to moisture or if it is not properly maintained.

Fresh herbs from the garden are wonderful to cook with, imparting some real home-grown flavour to your meals. Now you can dry your herbs with very little fuss and no cost at all! Here’s how…

Simply lay sheets of newspaper or unbleached white paper on the seats and dash of your car, spread your herbs out on the paper, close the windows, and carefully close the doors.

Check back in a half hour to see how things are progressing - maybe sooner if it’s really sunny. Remove when done.

You’ll be amazed how quickly the herbs will dry – and how wonderful your car will smell!

“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.”
~Roger Crawford

As a parent, possibly the greatest opportunity you have to make a positive impact on the environment is to instill an eco-conscience in your children.

Anyone who has made an effort to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle will tell you that one huge obstacle is habit - most people resist change whenever faced with it. And it gets worse as we get older - getting people to change their ways becomes more difficult with age.

Energy efficiency can be applied practically anywhere and anytime in our day-to-day lives. For kids, this may be as simple as turning off the lights when leaving a room, or bicycling to school instead of asking mom or dad for a ride.

Teaching children the importance of environmental-friendliness means we ensure the long-term survival of this ‘green revival’. You may also find your children can teach you a thing or two about living green.

What would summer in Canada be without ants? They seem to thrive everywhere! That’s because ants can do some incredible things! Did j’a know these amazing ant facts;

• Ants’ jaws open and shut sideways, like a pair of scissors.
• An ant’s average life span in the wild ranges from several weeks to several years.
• Ants can lift 20 times their own body weight.
• If a man could run as fast for his size as an ant can, he could run as fast as a racehorse.
• Ants have two stomachs; one holds the food for itself and the other holds food to be shared with other ants.
• There are more than 10,000 known ant species in the world.
• An ant colony has at least one queen, but many have more than one.
• Some birds put ants in their feathers because the ants squirt formic acid which gets rid of the parasites.
• Some ants can be almost 7½ cm (3 in) long, while others are so small you need a magnifying glass to see them.
• In 2002, scientists discovered an ant colony 5800 km (3600 mi) long, stretching from Italy to Spain.

Bamboo skewers are really handy around the BBQ, but of course, they tend to burn unless you soak them well first. This can be a real pain if you want to throw some kabobs together at the last minute, unless you…

Soak all your skewers at once – for at least an hour – then after taking out what you need for immediate use, freeze the rest in a zip-lock plastic bag for future use. When needed, simply take out what you need - ready to use right away.

When cooking on your stove top, make sure you match the heat setting to the size of the saucepan. This applies to both gas and electric heat.

Gas flames should only heat the bottom of the pan and not the sides. The outer ring of an electric burner should not be glowing if the pot isn’t large enough to cover it.

Matching heat setting to the pot size will mean you are not wasting fuel/energy to heat the air, and it will also help prolong the life of your saucepans.

I find I use my push-broom a lot more these days, as I resist the temptation to use my energy-guzzling leaf blower for everything. If you are doing likewise, you will appreciate these two push-broom tips;

1. To prevent – or at least lessen – that infuriating curl in the bristles, hang your broom up rather than resting it on the floor when not in use – which only compounds the curling tendency.

2. Many screw-on types of push-broom heads come with 2 holes for the pole. Alternate which one you use regularly so you are reversing the pushing action on the bristles. 

“It’s a sure sign of summer if  the chair gets up when you do.” ~Walter Winchell

“If all else fails, immortality can always be assured by spectacular error.” ~ John Kenneth Galbraith

“Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life.” ~Brooke Shields

“Swearing was invented as a compromise between running away and fighting.” ~Finley Peter Dunne