Category Archives: Innovative Solutions

Garden Tools & Tips, Innovative Solutions, Storage Solutions

Make Your Garden Beautiful While Making a Difference

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Cedar Fence PlanterCedar Storage BoxCedar Dollies

Cedar accessories can make a beautiful statement in your garden while serving a sturdy and long-lasting function. Beautiful cedar planter boxes are perfect for people with limited space who want to grow delicious fruits, vegetable, and herbs. Because cedar is naturally weather and insect resistant, the planters will last for many years to come. Cedar plant dollies have casters that make them a perfect solution for moving heavy plants or providing versatile plant stands. They offer stylish and functional support for a little price. If additional storage space is your goal, cedar storage boxes make the perfect place to keep all of your lawn and garden tools, garden hoses, or whatever else you have in mind. The beautiful red wood color will no only give you stylish design, it will also last for many years to come.

The best part about the products mentioned above is the source from which they come. Cedar Creek Illinois, Inc, or CCI, is a subsidiary of Knox County Council for Developmental Disabilities, Inc. (www.kccdd.com). CCI specializes in work and career opportunities for individuals with disabilities. This wonderful program allows the disabled to become self-supporting citizens who can contribute their talents, skills and labor to the communities in which they live. All of the fine cedar products listed above were made in the United States by disabled Americans working through this company. Your purchase not only gives you a beautiful addition to porch, patio, or garden; it also gives someone a chance at employment that they might have never gotten otherwise. What could be better than that?

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Indoor Living Spaces, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Green Energy – For the Planet AND the Pocketbook

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Energy Saving Green Logo
“Going Green” is a trend that is gaining momentum every year and has become a lifestyle choice for many Americans. Not only does it allow you to do your part in conserving our precious resources, but it can also save you hundreds of dollars a year in utility costs. Making small changes can yield huge differences. Replacing just one regular light bulb in your home with an energy-efficient light bulb will reduce that outlet’s energy consumption by 75% and save you up to $40 a year! Imagine the difference that you can make if you replace all of the bulbs in your home. Another important energy-saving tip is to make sure that your doors and window are properly sealed. Drafts and broken seals can waste hundreds of dollars a year in heating and cooling cost and waste unnecessary energy. You will also want to make sure that you are using energy-efficient appliances. Seventeen percent of your household energy is spent on large appliance operation (refrigerators, clothes washer and dryers, and dishwashers). If you are not using an EnergyStar certified appliance, consider upgrading. It will save you money in the long run.

Solar power is also a great way to save energy in and around your home. If you are not ready to install solar panels on your roof and rely solely on the sun, you can still implement small uses of solar power around your home. Consider using Chinese Solar Lanterns or Umbrella Solar Lanterns at you next outdoor party instead of traditional lighting sources. Add solar powered path lights to your driveway or sidewalk. Consider investing in solar swimming pool heaters in place of traditional heat sources for your pool.

Green power is here to stay. More and more people are realizing that making these small, but powerful, changes are a necessary step toward protecting our plant AND our pocketbooks. Start making your home energy-efficient today and you reap the benefits for many years to come.

Chinese Solar LanternsUmbrella Solar Lanterns

Source: US Department of Energy (http://www.energysavers.gov)

Innovative Solutions, Portable Fun, Shade Solutions, Videos

Portable Shade for Families on the Go!

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Umbrellas offer outstanding shade and protection to your family at home, but they are not exactly portable. Normally, the thought of dragging a heavy umbrella around on family outings does not seem possible. You also have the added dilemma of finding somewhere to support the umbrella. The perfect portable shade solution is here! Take the shade with you with the Auto-Mo-Brella. It is extremely easy to attach to your car, truck, or SUV’s hitch and will be covering you in seconds! The Auto-Mo-Brella is perfect for camping, tailgate parties, trips to the park or the beach, sporting events, or anywhere else that your adventures take you.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Innovative Solutions, Insect Control, Outdoor Entertaining

Insect Control Keeps Pesky Bugs Away!

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Mosquito Eliminator

If you do lots of outdoor entertaining on your porch, patio, or backyard during the spring and summer months, you know that there are many factors you must consider to keep your guests comfortable. Providing temperature control and shaded areas are usually taken care of, but do you ever consider pest control? Mosquitoes, flies, and other insects can really put a damper on your party atmosphere. Here are two choices to rid your yard of these pesky party poopers.

The Mosquito Eliminator is a useful solution that will also add beauty to your backyard. No eyesore bug zappers for you! The Mosquito Eliminator uses ultraviolet black light technology combined with specially formulated attractants to cover an area of up to 1,000 square feet. Each cartridge holds up to 6,000 insects and will last for thirty days. They are perfect for patios and decks, outdoor eating areas, gardens, and even horse barns. Best of all, there are no harmful chemical pesticides and it meets environmentally friendly guidelines.Fly Patrol

If you are looking for something slightly smaller, the Fly Patrol Insect Catcher is perfect for you. Covering 300-400 square feet, it is a great fit for your porch or patio area! It looks like a decorative wall scone, but uses the same ultraviolet black light and attractant technology as the larger Mosquito Eliminator. It will trap up to 1,000 flies per cartridge to ensure that your guests are comfortable.

Your next warm weather, outdoor party will be a definite hit with good food, great friends, and outstanding insect control.

Environmentally Friendly Ideas, Innovative Solutions, Outdoor Lighting Ideas

Smart Solution: Burn the Midnight Oil with a Solar Shed Light

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Problem: You regularly work on projects in your storage shed, garden shed, or greenhouse, but once the sunlight begins to fade, you are forced to abandon your work until the next day.  Interrupting a productive work cycle can be immensely frustrating.  What if the train of thought you were riding the previous day doesn’t come chugging back into the station?  Many projects ultimately go unfinished for this very reason.

Solution #1: Hire an electrician to run an electrical line from your house to the storage shed.  Unfortunately, this means tearing up part of your yard in order to accommodate the wiring.  Oh, and another thing…electricians don’t come cheap.

Solution #2: Attach an LED solar shed light to your storage shed, garden shed, or greenhouse, and get back to work.Solar Shed Light  Solar lights require no special wiring since they get their power from the sun, and there are no set up costs or operating costs beyond the initial purchase of the light.  Simply mount the accompanying solar panel to the sunniest side of your storage shed, and it will soak up the sun’s rays during the day.  The solar shed light then uses that stored energy to properly illuminate your task inside the storage shed until you are ready to pack it in for the day.

Thanks to smart solutions like the solar shed light, you can be the one who decides when work is finished instead of living at the mercy of the setting sun.