As August comes to a close, some parts of the country may be starting to cool off, but the heat in Georgia and the rest of the South usually hangs on through September.   There are some ways to cut down on air conditioning use and the resulting electrical bill and still keep your house at a comfortable temperature.  

·       Grill out instead of using the stove and oven.  You can even grill veggies.  Check out the grill recipes on this website.  http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/grill/

·       Also, try cold meals like salads that involve minimal cooking.  Check out this recipe site for some ideas.  http://family.go.com/food/pkg-summer-recipes/

·       Washers, and especially dryers, generate a lot of heat.  Do the laundry early in the morning or late in the evening instead of during the hottest part of the day.  Better yet, forego the dryer altogether and hang your clothes out to air dry.

·       You might be surprised to discover how much ceiling, box and oscillating fans help cool your house and allow you to use your air conditioning less.

·       If you only sleep upstairs, and have two AC units, why cool the area all day?  Run the upstairs thermostat up to 80 degrees until about an hour before you go to sleep.  You will save money by not cooling parts of your house unnecessarily.

·       By the same token, if no one is home all day, why keep the house cool?  Run all of your thermostats up while you are not at home, and install timers to turn the AC on about an hour before you get home.

·       Closing blinds and curtains during the day will help keep the heat out, and only turning on lights that are absolutely necessary will help as well.

·       LED and CFL light bulbs give off less heat than traditional light bulbs.

·       Planting lots of trees in your yard will make a noticeable difference in the heat as time goes by and the trees grow to provide plenty of shade.

·       Speaking of shade, making sure your outdoor AC unit is shaded will help it operate more efficiently.

·       At night, you can put your heavy comforters to the side and sleep under the sheets only.  This way fans may be all you need to keep cool overnight.

Minimizing your air conditioning use might save you a significant amount of money which you can put toward a Fall vacation trip to the mountains or a unique family Christmas gift.  Using less AC power is also better for the environment and will help make your household eco-friendly.  So, turn up the thermostat, turn on the fans and enjoy the rest of your summer.

Use Houseplants to Improve the Air in Your Home

Humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. In contrast, houseplants take in carbon dioxide and emit oxygen. So, what a great team -- humans and plants!

This unique partnership opportunity means that you can potentially improve the air quality in your home by placing a plant or two in each room.

Research conducted by scientists at NASA has shown that the plants that seem to do the best job of helping to purify the air in a home include:

Reed palms,                            Boston ferns,                          Peace lilies,
English ivy,                              Weeping fig,                           Rubber plant
Chinese evergreen,                  Spider plants,                         Bamboo,
Cornstalk,                                Heart leaf philodendron,          Gerbera daisy,
Moth orchid.                            Dracaena                               Australian sword fern

All of the plants do not necessarily have to be positioned by a window in direct sunlight to thrive. Ask a horticulturist at your local nursery which ones can still undergo a high rate of photosynthesis in shaded areas. Photosynthesis is the process plants go through to create their own food. Some require more sunlight than others for this process.

Plants also absorb harmful chemicals, known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), that accumulate in your home over time.  Placing well-selected plants in each room of your home may make a noticeable difference with any allergy-sufferers in your family.

Research has also shown that houseplants do a better job of cleaning the air if they are not placed in a drafty area; therefore you may want to position your plants away from heating and air conditioning vents.

Plants have the added benefit of being much less expensive and more sustainable than having a complicated air purification system installed in your home. So, if you want to purify your air and beautify your home at the same time, try using plants in your home decor.

Do You Work with Morons? Practice Anti-Stress Techniques at Your Desk

Work can be challenging, and every job has its share of crazies. Don’t let them get to you. You can practice anti-stress techniques at your desk to calm and rejuvenate your mind and body.

Breathing is the most vital component of relaxation. It is surprising how shallowly we breathe.  Close your eyes and breathe deeply – inhaling for five seconds and exhaling for five seconds.  This has the added benefit of resting your eyes which could be under strain from staring at a computer screen for hours.

Try stretching your neck to the right and then to the left. Roll your head slowly in circles to the right and then to the left. Roll your shoulders slowly forward and back. You might enjoy listening to a nature sounds CD download a free nature sounds app on your cell phone.

Take off your shoes under your desk and point and flex your feet. Also, roll your ankles to the right and to the left. You might also try standing up and stretching your arms to the ceiling. Reach up with one arm as high as you can and stretch over your head and to the side. Reverse and repeat on the other side. Slowly stretch forward to touch the floor. Relax and hang there for about a minute. Then slowly roll your spine up to a standing position.

When you take your break, you might try lighting a scented candle and sipping a warm cup of green tea. Try keeping a blessings journal. Meditate while you are sipping the tea, and jot down your blessing for the day in your journal.

A lovely plant and photos on your desk of your family may make your office a more pleasant place to spend the better part of your day.