Projects to Get You Off the Grid: Rain Barrels, Chicken Coops, and Solar Panels


Instructables.com - 2010
    Twenty Instructables illustrate just how simple it can be to make your own backyard chicken coop, or turn a wine barrel into a rainwater collector.Illustrated with dozens of full-color photographs per project accompanying easy-to-follow instructions, this Instructables collection utilizes the best that the online community has to offer, turning a far-reaching group of people into a mammoth database churning out ideas to make life better, easier, and in this case, greener, as this volume exemplifies.

Dog Training 101: Step-by-Step Instructions for raising a happy well-behaved dog


Kyra Sundance - 2017
     Using a visually driven, playful presentation, Dog Training 101 offers step-by-step instructions to train your pup to be a happy, attentive, and well-mannered canine. You will use positive training methods—including humane counterconditioning and positive redirection—to build a joyful relationship with your dog, who will become a willing partner in the process.   Teach your dog basic commands, such as:SitDownStayComeDrop itLeave itLearn real-world tactics for managing common household problems, such as:Leash pullingJumping on visitorsBegging at the tableGetting into the trash canGrowlingPeeing (submissive, excited, and marking)Kyra will also help you teach your pup to overcome common fears, among them:Loud soundsBeing left aloneCertain peopleVacuum cleanerThe bathtubThis comprehensive guide also includes step-by-step advice for bringing a new dog into your household: preparing for a new dog’s arrival, tips for a smooth transition into the household, introducing him or her to your family, and acclimating your dog to his or her new world.Fun games you can play with your dog offer both opportunities for bonding and a chance to practice rules and boundaries within a defined structure. A “Good to Know” chapter offers an array of useful information, including the Heimlich maneuver for dogs, a list of weird things dogs do that are perfectly normal, and a list of common poisons. Bond with your dog as you strive toward common goals with Dog Training 101.

Take More Vacations: How to Search Better, Book Cheaper, and Travel the World


Scott Keyes - 2021
    Although 2020 has been anything but a great year for travel, once it’s safe again we’ll all be eager to make up for lost time. When that day comes, Scott Keyes will be there to make sure we never overpay for flights again. After all, vacations are supposed to be fun escapes, but the confusion of buying flights—not knowing when to book, where to buy, what to pay, or where to go—can erode the joy of travel.Though airfare can be unpredictable, it’s not indecipherable. With an understanding of how airfare works and a new strategy for planning vacations, anyone can get up and go. Take More Vacations will first explain what’s stopping us from traveling as much as we want to and the cognitive biases that push us to overpay for flights. Readers will discover why the traditional way of planning vacations undercuts our ability to enjoy them, and how a new approach can lead to cheaper fares and more trips.Next, Keyes explains why cheap flights never have to be inconvenient flights, and all the steps you can take to get a good fare even when you don’t have flexibility. He lays out practical advice on when and where to book, the hidden reason to avoid budget airlines, and the surprising best week for international travel. He debunks myths (don’t bother clearing your cookies), explains why airlines regularly sell $300 roundtrip flights to Europe, and shows how small airports actually get the best deals.Imagine if vacation planning was as fun as the trip itself. Take More Vacations challenges the conventional wisdom that it costs thousands of dollars to fly overseas and shows readers how to make previously unthinkable trips possible.

Vanlife Diaries: Finding Freedom on the Open Road


Kathleen Morton - 2019
    More than 200 photographs feature the vanlifers, their pets, and their converted vans and buses--VWs, Sprinters, Toyotas, and more--with the interiors uniquely customized and decorated for their work and hobbies, as well as the stunning natural locations that are the movement's inspiration. Interviews and narrative captions share the stories of these nomads and how they decided to pursue vanlife, and provide practical tips and inspiration for downsizing, finding and converting your vehicle, and working and living on the road.

Decluttering at the Speed of Life: Winning Your Never-Ending Battle with Stuff


Dana K. White - 2018
    Yet a home with too much stuff is a home that is difficult to maintain, so where do we begin? Add in paralyzing emotional attachments and constant life challenges, and it can feel almost impossible to make real decluttering progress.In Decluttering at the Speed of Life, decluttering expert and author Dana White identifies the mind-sets and emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter. Then, in her signature humorous approach, she provides workable solutions to break through these struggles and get clutter out--for good!But more than simply offering strategies, Dana dives deep into how to implement them, no matter the reader's clutter level or emotional resistance to decluttering. She helps identify procrasticlutter--the stuff that will get done eventually so it doesn't seem urgent--as well as how to make progress when there's no time to declutter.Sections of the book includeWhy You Need This Book (You Know Why)Your Unique HomeDecluttering in the Midst of Real LifeChange Your Mind, Change Your HomeBreaking Through Your Decluttering DelusionsWorking It Out Room by RoomHelping Others DeclutterReal Life Goes On (and On)As long as we're living and breathing, new clutter will appear. The good news is that decluttering can get easier, become more natural, and require significantly fewer hours, less emotional bandwidth, and little to no sweat to keep going.

Solar Power Demystified: The Beginners Guide To Solar Power, Energy Independence And Lower Bills


Lacho Popo - 2015
    It reveals you the reasons why photovoltaic solar panels are continuing to gain worldwide popularity and are becoming more important as a source of renewable energy. You can see the question “To go or not to go solar?” discussed in its practical aspects. Furthermore you are advised what kind of solar electric system you need and how to evaluate whether your home is ‘solar-ready’ or not You are also introduced to the basics of photovoltaics and to the main types of solar electric systems and their components. The book is intended to provide basic information to everyone who makes first steps in the world of photovoltaics and needs the matter explained in an easy-to-understand and straightforward way. The book exposes: Photovoltaics in the world of renewable energy Advantages of photovoltaics in a summary Why are photovoltaics continuing to gain worldwide popularity? Why is the cost of photovoltaics decreasing? Drawbacks of photovoltaics What are the main applications of solar electric systems? To go or not to go solar – that is the question! Some issues to consider before going solar Why would you need a solar electric system? Don’t go solar before reading this! What kind of solar electric system do you need? How big solar electric system do you need? How to finance the cost of your solar electric system? Financial incentives Is your building solar-ready? How to assess your location for solar resource? Why the condition of your roof does matter Free solar panels Solar power for business owners Energy efficiency above all How to improve the energy efficiency of your building The basics of solar power Solar electric systems Grid-connected solar electric systems Stand-alone (off-grid) solar electric systems Advantages and drawbacks of stand-alone systems Why are off-grid systems attractive? Main applications of stand-alone solar electric systems Selecting your solar vendor What to be careful about Grab the book and get started saving money on electricity and becoming energy independent now!

Apple Island Wife: Slow Living In Tasmania


Fiona Stocker - 2018
    It was the lifestyle change that many dream of and most are too sensible to attempt.Wife, mother and now reluctant alpaca owner, Fiona jumped in at the deep end. Gradually Tasmania got under her skin as she learned to stack wood, round up the kids with a retired lady sheepdog, and stand on a scorpion without getting stung.This charming tale captures the tussles and euphoria of living on the land in a place of untrammelled beauty, raising your family where you want to and seeing your husband in a whole new light. Not just a memoir but an everywoman’s story, and a paean to a new, slower age

Confessions of a Learner Parent: Parenting like a boss. (An inexperienced, slightly ineffectual boss.)


Sam Avery - 2017
    Both are pretty easy to put off as they're very expensive and tend to wreck your house.' Stand-up comedian Sam Avery (aka the Learner Parent) started his award-winning blog when his twin boys were born. A million nappies, Peppa Pig episodes and a lot less sleep later, he shares all the lows, highs and hilarious in-betweens of his experiences of first-time parenthood in this, his highly anticipated first book. Sam's honest, messy and laugh-out-loud account of trying for a baby (which transpired to be babIES) and figuring out what to do with them once they arrived - right up to the toddler years of talking, walking and tantrum-ing - will have you crying with laughter between your own nappy changes and nursery runs.

Bad Tourist: Misadventures in Love and Travel


Suzanne Roberts - 2020
    A woman learning to claim her own desires and adventures, Suzanne Roberts encounters lightning and landslides, sharks and piranha-infested waters, a nightclub drugging, burning bodies, and brief affairs as she searches for the love of her life and finally herself. Throughout her travels Roberts tries hard not to be a bad tourist, but owing to her cultural blind spots, things don’t always go as planned. Fearlessly confessional, shamelessly funny, and wholly unapologetic, Roberts offers a refreshingly honest account of the joys and absurdities of confronting new landscapes and cultures, as well as new versions of herself. Raw, bawdy, and self-effacing, Bad Tourist is a journey packed with delights and surprises—both of the greater world and of the mysterious workings of the heart.

The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn't, and Get Stuff Done


Kendra Adachi - 2020
    It's about doing what matters to you. "I could not be more excited about this book."--Jenna Fischer, actor and cohost of Office Ladies podcast The chorus of "shoulds" is loud. You should enjoy the moment, dream big, have it all, get up before the sun, track your water consumption, go on date nights, and be the best. Or maybe you should ignore what people think, live on dry shampoo, be a negligent PTA mom, have a dirty house, and claim your hot mess like a badge of honor.It's so easy to feel overwhelmed by the mixed messages of what it means to live well.Kendra Adachi, the creator of the Lazy Genius movement, invites you to live well by your own definition and equips you to be a genius about what matters and lazy about what doesn't. Everything from your morning routine to napping without guilt falls into place with Kendra's thirteen Lazy Genius principles, including:- Decide once- Start small- Ask the Magic Question- Go in the right order- Schedule restDiscover a better way to approach your relationships, work, and piles of mail. Be who you are without the complication of everyone else's "shoulds." Do what matters, skip the rest, and be a person again.

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook: 125 Family-Friendly Recipes with Surprisingly Tasty Twists


Kelly Senyei - 2021
    Some of the 125 tried-and-tested recipes are surprisingly simple, like her Vanilla Bean Drop Doughnuts made with Greek yogurt, or the Sweet and Tangy Baked Chicken Wings made with blackberry jam. Other recipes are nothing short of genius, such as the Kale Panzanella made with croissants, the Healthy White Chicken Chili made with hummus, or the Crispy Slow Cooker Carnitas made with cocoa powder. And just because the secret ingredients are surprising doesn't mean they're expensive or hard to find, either. Kelly is a busy mother of two, and she made sure every ingredient can be found in any supermarket. Her family-friendly recipes cover every occasion, from crowd-pleasing snacks and 30-minute entrées to make-ahead sides and holiday-worthy desserts.

Afoot and Afield: San Diego County: A Comprehensive Hiking Guide


Jerry Schad - 1986
    The book covers all the worthwhile hiking destinations throughout the county - including the coast, foothills, mountains, and desert - in trips ranging from the short family excursions to multi-day backpacks. This long-awaited fourth edition of San Diego County's most recognized and comprehensive hiking guide has been fully updated and expanded to cover 250 hikes and all new maps.

Little House on a Small Planet: Simple Homes, Cozy Retreats, and Energy Efficient Possibilities


Shay Salomon - 2006
    Many of us have suffered the consequences of an inflated mortgage, an unmanageable construction project, or a house simply too large to keep clean. Will our dream home always be a celebration of excess, and a drain on our lives? Some wise people buck the trend. They build, remodel, redecorate, or just rethink their needs--prudently and calmly constructing a joyful, sane life around themselves. They think, sometimes literally, outside the box, and they live close, warm, and simple, applying spiritual and social solutions to their material desires. Pockets of people all over the continent are realizing the benefits of scaling down. They are designing a new dream, one that reunites extended families, makes space for friends, and emphasizes home life over home maintenance. Little House on a Small Planet is a guidebook to this movement, and an invitation to join. Author Shay Salomon offers fourteen basic principles for the design and habitation of efficient, high-density homes. These fourteen principles outline the invisible supports of a happy home, set within the context of a future, more caring society. With floor plans, photographs, advice, and anecdotes, Little House on a Small Planet asks and answers, "What fills a home when the excess is cut away, and how do we get there from here?"

Passalong Plants


Steve Bender - 1993
    These botanical heirlooms, such as flowering almond, blackberry lily, and night-blooming cereus, usually can't be found in neighborhood garden centers; about the only way to obtain a passalong plant is to beg a cutting from the fortunate gardener who has one. In this lively and sometimes irreverent book (don't miss the chapter on yard art), Steve Bender and Felder Rushing describe 117 such plants, giving particulars on hardiness, size, uses in the garden, and horticultural requirements. They present this information in the informal, chatty, and sometimes humorous manner that your next-door neighbor might use when giving you a cutting of her treasured Confederate rose. And, of course, because they are discussing passalong plants, they note the best method of sharing each plant with other gardeners. Because you might not spy a banana shrub or sweet pea in your neighborhood, the authors list mail-order sources for the heirloom plants described. They also give tips on how to organize your own plant swap. Although the authors live in and write about the South, many of the plants they discuss will grow elsewhere. from the book Amid the clamor of press releases touting the newest, improved versions of this bulb or that perennial, what keeps people interested in old-fashioned plants? Nostalgia, for one thing. It's hard not to feel a special fondness for that Confederate rose, night-blooming cereus, or alstroemeria lovingly tended by your grandmother when you were a child. Such heirloom plants evoke memories of your first garden, of relatives and neighbors that have since passed on, of prized bushes you accidentally annihilated with your bicycle. Recall the time you first received a particular plant, and you'll recall the person who gave it to you.

Rick Steves Belgium: Bruges, Brussels, Antwerp & Ghent


Rick Steves - 2015
    Stop and smell the tulips as you hike past whirring windmills. Visit the ultramodern European Parliament. Explore beyond the cosmopolitan bustle of Brussels with trips to Ghent and Antwerp. When it’s time for a break, sample fine chocolates or sip local beers—each served in its own distinctive glass.Rick’s candid, humorous advice will guide you to good-value hotels and restaurants. He’ll help you plan where to go and what to see, depending on the length of your trip. You’ll get up-to-date recommendations about what is worth your time and money. More than just reviews and directions, a Rick Steves guidebook is a tour guide in your pocket.This first edition guide replaces Rick Steves' Snapshot Bruges & Brussels, ISBN 9781612382296.