(NAPSI)—Before summer kicks into high gear, consider converting your home into an eco-friendly and energy-saving one. An excellent place to start is with your window coverings. Cooling your house with cellular shades, solar screens or window film provides a multitude of benefits that can not only save you money, but create a more enjoyable home environment as well.

Technology has been connecting families for generations. The invention of the phone let us hear voices of loved ones far away, and the creation of the Internet helped us to see them. Today, those same technologies that we’ve used to bring our families closer together are helping us to connect with and support families who are worlds apart. In doing so, the very concept and experience of “gifting” and philanthropy is being transformed.

(BPT) - It’s got all the hallmarks of a great home improvement – adds value, enhances livability and beauty, and creates a perfect gathering spot for family and friends. So why wouldn’t you add a swimming pool to your outdoor living space?

(BPT) - Patio season has arrived, and opportunities for outdoor social gatherings will abound in the coming months. Birthdays, graduations, showers, holidays and any other reasons to enjoy warm weather will call for unique outdoor party solutions that differ from indoor events. Here are a few ideas to make al fresco entertaining a snap.

(NewsUSA) - As arguments for switching to renewable energy become more urgent, homeowners are finding new options to help finance rooftop solar systems.

More than just a relaxing getaway, the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort offers families a fun, educational experience with their summer Edu-tainment program. Everyone in the family will find something to enjoy while at the resort. Kicking off May 24 and running through Sept. 2, these exciting and enlightening activities will create lasting memories for the whole family. Some of the offerings this year include previous family favorites Mad Scientist workshops, Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum creature experience, poolside Dive-in movies and stargazing, as well as several new additions including poolside yoga, solar tours, golf clinics, and cooking classes with the resort’s renowned culinary team.

After forming an exploratory committee to consider running for governor, Sen. Al Melvin, R-District 11, is confident that his bold ideas could lead him to the state’s top position in 2014.

(BPT) - Warm weather heralds home improvement season. It’s also the season of high electric bills as air conditioners hum to life in response to rising temperatures across the country. When you’re making summer upgrades to your home, improvements that make your house more livable and attractive are even more rewarding when they also help put money back in your pocket.

(BPT) - Do the words “aging in place” and “home improvement” conjure images of institutional-looking grab bars in bathrooms and overhead kitchen lights that could illuminate an airport runway? Many people eschew certain types of home improvements for the same reason others refuse to wear hearing aids – the negative connotations of age.

(BPT) - Is your backyard ready for bliss this summer? You probably look forward to spending as much time outdoors as possible during warmer months. But do you really have everything you need to ensure you can enjoy your outdoor living space from dawn to dusk – and beyond?

(BPT) - You’ve replaced your home’s 20-year-old windows with new, Energy Star-rated models, upgraded to electricity-sipping appliances and there’s not a single incandescent light bulb to be found anywhere in your house. You may be wondering what more you can do to further reduce your home energy bills.

(BPT) - From intense heat to extreme snow, your roof protects your house from the elements all year long. When is the last time you checked to make sure your roof was in good shape? No matter what the seasons are like in your area, now is the time to begin preparation for extreme weather by giving your roof a second look. 

More than just a relaxing getaway, the Hilton Tucson El Conquistador Golf & Tennis Resort offers families a fun, educational experience with their summer Edu-tainment program. Everyone in the family will find something to enjoy while at the resort. Kicking off May 24 and running through September 2, 2013 – these exciting and enlightening activities will create lasting memories for the whole family. Some of the offerings this year include previous family favorites Mad Scientist workshops, Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum creature experience, poolside Dive-in movies and stargazing, as well as several new additions including poolside yoga, solar tours, golf clinics, and cooking classes with the resort’s renowned culinary team.

Come celebrate Earth Day with us! Pima Community College is hosting an Earth Day event at Northwest Campus on Wednesday, April 17.

(BPT) - For time-stretched gardeners who prefer to enjoy their backyards rather than work in them, several new products make outdoor living easier. Each offers a thoughtful solution to a common outdoor living problem, providing time-saving help to gardeners, gadget geeks and all who love to focus on fun outdoors. 

Catalina State Park is a 5,500-acre gem, which attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year. They are drawn by views of the soaring Catalina Mountains, the miles of hiking and biking trails, the overnight camping and equestrian areas and the rich and varied program of activities organized by Park rangers and volunteers.

(BPT) - Forget wondering who’s the fairest; when it comes to choosing home improvements that make your home look good – from the curb and to potential buyers – it may make more sense to ask “Who’s the greenest of them all.” Sustainable home improvements not only help reduce utility costs and boost owner satisfaction with their homes, they also make a house more appealing to potential buyers.

(NAPSI)—For enhanced curb appeal of your home, nothing beats a front door with beautiful doorglass.

Come celebrate Earth’s resources at the Annual Tucson Earth Day Festival and Parade in combination with The Water Festival on Sunday, April 21, 2013. The events are from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Reid Park, off Country Club Road north of 22nd Street. The Parade starts at 10 a.m. Last year, there were nearly 100 exhibitors and about 4,500 attendees.  In its 19^th year, the Tucson Earth Day Festival and Parade with the theme Green Planet, Green Future is partnering with the 4^th Annual Water Festival, presented by Tucson Arts Brigade, a community arts and education organization.

 

Experience fun and engaging exhibits that provide hands-on activities and take-away information about how to preserve Earth’s resources for our children of the future. A wide variety of topics will include water conservation, water quality, air quality, household hazardous waste, habitat conservation, alternate fuels, sustainability and other eco topics. In addition, the Earth Day Festival will feature a Farmer’s Market and The Water Festival offers water-inspired entertainment and workshops.

 

Be a spectator or join the parade. Schools, bands, families, community and youth groups, mascots, businesses and agencies will be marching in the parade, sharing friendly eco-messages that focus on this year’s theme “Green Planet, Green Future.”

 

Learn about alternate-fuel vehicles. Curious about saving money on fuel and reducing greenhouse gases? Vehicles powered by clean fuels such as biodiesel, compressed natural gas, electricity, ethanol, propane and even waste vegetable oil may be on display.

 

Participate in the Model Solar Race Car/Solar House Competition which is open to middle school students to show off their design and construction skills. Kits for this competition are available from the Society of Women Engineers atwww.swetucson.org/solar.

 

Enjoy the Art Show, “The Vibe” Live Art Happenings, and the Design for Water Solutions Contest. Featured at The Water Festival, at the DeMeester Outdoor Performance Center, these activities invite artists to display or sell their water-inspired visual, performing and literary arts. Aztec performance group Danza Mexica Cuauhtemoc, Tucson Women’s Chorus, One Heartbeat, and Richard Noel are among featured performers, plus Mermaid Odette will be in the wishing well. The RUMBA will feature art made from recycled materials. The Water Festival encourages creative water solutions for our arid environment.

 

 

Join the 3-mile “Walk for Water” featured at The Water Festival and presented by Aveda Institute. You are invited to walk to raise funds for water in impoverished nations, where three miles is the distance that many women must walk to provide water for their families. The walk is 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., before the official festival start time, at The Water Festival’s venue, Reid Park DeMeester Outdoor Performance Area.

 

For more info on the Tucson Earth Day Festival and Parade, go to www.tucsonearthday.org, call (520) 206-8814 or e-mail tucsonearthday@yahoo.com. Find the festival on Facebook at Tucson Earth Day Festival.

 

For more info on The Water Festival, go to www.WaterFestivalTucson.org, call (520) 623-2119 or e-mail info@WaterFestivalTucson.org. Find the festival on Facebook at The Water Project.

“Clean coal” is a fantasy created by mining and power companies to convince us we can keep burning coal forever without harming ourselves, or the environment. The truth is, coal is dirty, harmful stuff. In the short term, we need to install scrubbers to catch coal’s noxious emissions before they make their way out of the smokestack. In the long term, we need to phase out coal-powered energy sources and replace them with cleaner alternatives.

(BPT) - The trend toward smaller, more efficient homes is still in full swing, with new home builders offering floor plans that lower square footage while amping up usability. If your home is older, however, or you live in an apartment, your smaller space may just feel ... well, small.

Like many products and pursuits that have developed over the decades, recreational vehicles have come a long way from the tow-a-longs of the early to mid-20th century. Before motorized recreational vehicles hit the road, pulling a trailer behind your car or truck – loaded with food, sleeping and cooking gear – was the best way to get you and your family out of the city and into nature for a long weekend.

(BPT) - Las temperaturas más templadas y los días más extensos, equivalen a que el invierno se convierte cada vez más en un recuerdo distante. Sin embargo, los dueños de viviendas ecológicamente conscientes saben que la llegada de un tiempo más cálido también implica la posibilidad de un mayor uso del acondicionador de aire y las voluminosas cuentas por gasto de energía.