Dark Sky Festival at Harmony

Looking for something to do saturday night other than wash your hair or organize your closet? There is an interesting festival going on in Harmony, Florida. Harmony is actually a unique town itself. It is a sustainable and environmentally conscience community. It's about 40 minutes south of downtown Orlando, near the Kissimmee area. It's a master planned community that does a great job of balancing nature and living. This weekend, you can check it out, and have a good eco-time. 

The 6th Annual Dark Sky Festival will be held on Saturday, April 25th from 6pm -11pm. The festival will highlight the importance of protecting dark skies and highlight the wonders of astronomy. Protecting dark spaces might not be something on the forefront of people's minds but the light we emit effects not only wildlife, but our ability to see stars. If you live on the coast, you might have a better appreciation for this initiative when it comes to sea turtle nesting season. There is actually such a thing a light pollution and all the light we emit also disrupts our ability to take in the stars.

What can you do about light pollution? Well the obvious answer is to turn off your outdoor lights, but here are some other options. Put your outdoor lights on a timer, keep them on until you go to bed. You will also cut down on your energy costs. If you own a business and keep the lights on to ward of burglars, make sure you keep the wattage down and put a shield over the light so it only covers a certain distance within the building.   

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Green Tweets

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Silly things to do on Earth Day

Looking for fun ways to be green and celebrate Earth Day? Here are some silly ideas.

Share a shower with a friend. Save water.

Instead of riding your bike to the store, why not jump on a pogo stick or uni-cycle? Lets start a new green revolution of pogo commuters!!! (I’m joking if you can’t sense the sarcasm)

Have either a candlelit dinner and turn all the lights off to the house, or maybe play some board games by candlelight, entertaining and energy saving.

Want to get your greenie a gift? Skip the fresh cut flowers and bring home a potted plant. Reuse and re-enjoy.

Make a green coupon book. Like those ones you made mom, only these are green things to do, like garden, or ride your bike to the store. Give to a fellow greenie or make yourself redeem them for extra credit. (the earth does give out brownie points, it’s called karma, it can bite you in the bum or make your day)

Get naked. Cloths require washing, washing requires energy and water. Save both. I’m sure your peeping neighbor will enjoy. Just don’t forget to refrain from checking the mail that way, then your Earth Day could go from fun to awkwardly sitting in jail……naked.

Cook an organic meal. Eating organic is not only super healthy, but the farming practices prohibit fertilizers which get in our water supply and oceans. Have you heard of the Gulf of Mexico dead zone. It’s pretty much fertilizer choking the oxygen supply and nothing will grow.

Drink some organic beer or wine. If you live in Orlando, Orlando Brewing makes a fine ale, even super tough firefighters and mechanics aren’t ashamed to go organic with their beer. It is also popping up in all sorts of local bars and grocery stores.

If none of the above suit you, then go buy a reusable bag or CFL and be a boring greenie. JK!!

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Happy Earth Day!!!

mmmmm cupcakes!!!

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I'm ready to move into the new HGTV Green Home

HGTV has unveiled their 2009 Green Home Giveaway!! I caught a few minutes of the tour on HGTV as well as their site. There are so many awesome features and I am pretty impressed with the design. I was also happy to see that they did not go for the obvious wow factor by installing a pool. While pools always make homes dazzle and are a guilty pleasure of mine, they are not the most eco-friendly aspect of home ownership. They require constant maintenance, and that time could be better spent on a garden or going to the beach. So the backyard rocks a bocci ball court instead, which I would have subsituted for some hammocks or maybe even a water garden with some fish and turtles. That's just me, it just seems to be lacking something in the backyard area. The side garden however is awesome, and comes with a composter. The back patio is amazing and once I win this house there will be plenty of parties thrown on it.

What is the best green feature of the home? For me, it is the framing. I know that is boring, but using Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs) for the exterior framing is going to keep that hot Florida sun out, and keep the home cool. The ICF framing is also super solid and can withstand our o-so-fun hurricane seasons. It's a win win. None of the components of the wall are green persu, but being green isn't all about recycled and organic materials. When it comes to building or remodeling, it's all about using products and systems that can last a very long time. It's that whole "re-using" concept. Example, you are racking your brain whether you should splurge for the organic carpeting or just buy the $2 tile at Lowes Buy the $2 tile and save yourself the $ for other green projects. Carpet life-span is short and it's not nearly as durable as tile and requires frequent replacement. Always choose materials for your home projects that have the longest life-span.


The HGTV Green Home is located in Traditions, which is a new community in Port St. Lucie Florida. I have been to the area before when I used to work for Pulte Homes. The HGTV builder choose the area because of the lack of green building going on in the relatively new community in order to inspire more green homes to be built. Most of the homes going up in Traditions are your standard production homes, which I will never buy. (que "Little Boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of tickytacky..... little boxes all the same") I know that Pulte's DiVosta homes in the area are built to very high energy codes, but that is where the green really stops for most production builders, if they even bother building higher than the minimum code.

*If you are in the area, you can actually tour the house for a $15 donation to Big Brothers & Big Sisters of St. Lucie. (You would think that there would have been some kind of green charity tie in, but guess not.) I'm hoping to make it down there and get a picture hugging the walls or something.

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Farmers Markets are for greenies

Want an easy way to go green?
Get those fruits and veggies from a local farmers market. Not only are you supporting local growers but you are not contributing to emissions produced from transporting food from far distances. You will find a great selection of organic greens and other goodies like handmade flavored pastas....mmmmm pasta. Grab a buddy, a basket and your bike and enjoy shopping in the fresh air. If you live in Central Florida check out these local farmers markets

Orlando Farmers Market
Downtown Orlando @ Lake Eola
Sundays 10am-4pm
*bonus. Dogs allowed, live music playing.
*super awesome bonus. Beer Garden!!!


Cocoa Village
Brevard Ave Gazebo
Wednesdays 10am-5pm
*I found so many goodies here for such a small venue. From hydroponic cilantro to those delicious homemade pastas...again with the pasta I know.


Melbourne Community Farmers Markets
Held every Saturday at a different location (see above link)
It's plastic bag free and ready for you to explore.



Know of any other great Central Florida Farmers Markets??
Leave a comment and let us know where and when :)

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