39 Steps

Home & Garden

Custom trellis can add focal point, new dimension to Southwest gardens

If you think of your garden as a canvas, then a custom designed trellis is like a living sculpture. Aesthetically combining ornamental metal work and climbing plants, a custom trellis can be an expression of both your green thumb and your artistic taste. It can be a simple flat panel or a three-dimensional sculpture that [...]

Read More »

To lower air conditioning costs, start with maintenance

(StatePoint) — To make sure your home stays cool while your energy bills stay low this summer, check that your air conditioning system is operating properly. If you have a central air conditioning system, be sure to get it checked by a professional. Consumers may be unaware that the HVAC/R (heating, ventilation, air conditioning and [...]

Read More »
Natasha Winnik stocks water-based wood stains at Originate. (Deborah Mayaan)
Natasha Winnik stocks water-based wood stains at Originate. (Deborah Mayaan)

Options for green building materials growing in Tucson

I used some green blue paint on my walls last week, and ordered some green green paint and green purple paint. These are not artsy descriptions of green tints, but rather a palette of environmentally friendly paints I got from Originate Natural Building Materials Showroom here in Tucson. Originate was able to match shades I [...]

Read More »

Buying a new home? Check out the kitchen

(NewsUSA) — Buying a home is the largest investment most people will ever make, so it’s no surprise that such a big decision may seem daunting. There are, however, some simple guidelines that can help you find a home that you will be happy with for a very long time. A recent study conducted by [...]

Read More »
Dichroic glass mezuzot cases by Tucson artist Daryl Cohen (www.glassdesignbydarylcohen.com)
Dichroic glass mezuzot cases by Tucson artist Daryl Cohen (www.glassdesignbydarylcohen.com)

Artfully or plainly encased, mezuzot provide a mitzvah at your door

Surfing the Internet you find the darndest things, including a mezuzah and scroll “box” you can download to your computer screen. According to the eMezuzah sales pitch (at http://download.cnet.com/ eMezuzahh/3000-2135_4-10170822.html) the scroll is available in both English and Hebrew. When you think about it — since the Internet has become a very real doorway to [...]

Read More »
Components of a rainwater harvesting system found at a foreclosed property in Tucson
Components of a rainwater harvesting system found at a foreclosed property in Tucson

Buying or selling a green home in Tucson

Looking for a green home has become easier, thanks to an upgrade to the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) that lets realtors mark options in eco-friendly categories such as lot design, water and energy efficiency, and indoor air quality. In Tucson, looking for some green features or evaluating the potential of a home to become more [...]

Read More »
One of more than a dozen watergardens at Gail Barnhill’s home in Tucson
One of more than a dozen watergardens at Gail Barnhill’s home in Tucson

Add music and color to your backyard with watergardens — yes, in Arizona

For years, I’d longed for a gurgling watergarden pond brimming with blooming waterlilies, frolicking goldfish and darting dragon and damselflies but had no idea how to go about it. Fourteen years ago I finally had it with the “wishing and hoping” and bought a 300-gallon Rubbermaid stock tank, dug a (big) hole, stuck the tank [...]

Read More »
EarthBox® with seedlings (Deborah Mayaan)
EarthBox® with seedlings (Deborah Mayaan)

Plant vegetables, herbs now in beds or containers for Passover harvest

Even as the lights of Chanukah dwindle, we continue to connect to our ancestors and rededicate our land. It’s not too late to plant a winter garden and enjoy eating greens into the spring, including bitter herbs for the Passover Seder. While seeds have a low germination rate when planted in cold weather, there are [...]

Read More »

Avoid swimming pool accidents: key safety tips for homeowners

(StatePoint) — Swimming and lounging by the pool are some of the great joys of summer, but homeowners need to take precautions to ensure that children, grandchildren and visitors are safe. Drowning is the second-leading cause of accidental death for children under five in the United States, and each year thousands of children are treated [...]

Read More »
Sunflower in Deborah Maayan's Tucson garden
Sunflower in Deborah Maayan's Tucson garden

Sunflowers yield healthy treat, mood-busting blooms

When I think of snacks in Israel, along with the ubiquitious Bamba (peanut butter-flavored corn puffs), something healthy comes to mind— sunflower seeds. While I didn’t quite get the hang of splitting shells easily with my teeth like a sabra, I did acquire a taste that I fulfill not only with hulled seeds from the [...]

Read More »