Photo By: Chris Cambell

Instead of wasting your time and electricity on those incandescents, use energy-efficient LED lights (Light Emitting Diodes) this year. Compared to traditional bulbs, LEDs are brighter, more colorful, 90 percent more efficient, and last tens of thousands of hours longer. But, before you go out and buy two-dozen different colors of LEDs, you should know a little bit about your choices.

Currently, there are two types of LEDs on the market: Full Wave and Half Wave. The specific design differences are beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say, Half Wave LEDs are slightly more efficient than their Full Wave counterpart (by only about 5%), but they also have an annoying tendency to look like they’re quickly flickering off and on. Full Wave LEDs don’t have this problem and still last over 15 times as long as incandescent bulbs. Both Full Wave and Half Wave LEDs are also waterproof and crush-resistant so you don’t have to worry about jr. stepping on them. You can find both types of LEDs at stores like ForeverLED.com and HolidayLEDS.com.

You can find lots of ways to go green this holiday season in Indianapolis. Whatever you do, though, remember that this time of year is about giving. Help give the gift of green to those you love and have joyous holiday season.

Ahhhhh, I love the holidays, don’t you? There’s just something about the sights, sounds, and smells that’s just so…well…festive. That’s especially true here in the city of Indianapolis. Soon, families in this town will be hanging Christmas decorations, children will be helping their parents light their Manora, Nat King Cole will be singing “The Christmas Song” on the radio. But, during this wonderful and often hectic time of the year, it can be difficult to stop and think about how some of the ways we celebrate the holidays can actually have a negative affect the environment. Below is one simple way that you can help make this season a bit greener for you and those you love.

A Greener Way to Clean
We all like a clean home, especially around the holiday season when guest visits increase exponentially. But, before you put on your trusty Depeche Mode work shirt and take out your cleaning supplies, have you ever thought about what exactly is in those supplies? While they may help remove dirt and dust, most of the common cleaning products that are probably in your cupboard contain toxic chemicals that can harm your eyes, lungs, and skin! Beyond harming our bodies these cleaners can also have a harmful affect on the environment. Don’t believe me? Let’s take a look at some of the “best” of these toxic chemicals.

Photo By: Xrrr

• Butyl Cellosolve: commonly found in all-purpose cleaners, cleaning wipes, degreasers, floor polish, carpet shampoo, toilet, bath and tile cleaners plus some window cleaners. It can cause irritation and tissue damage by inhalation.
• Chlorine: typically found in bleach, dishwashing detergent, laundry soaps and powders plus some cleaning gels. Chlorinated dishwasher soap poisons over one million children in the US annually. Even the steam from a dishwasher contains chlorine fumes.
• Ethylene Glycol: a highly toxic liquid most commonly found in antifreeze, but which is also found in some window cleaners, spot removers, and jewelry polish.
• Phosphates: found in many soaps, gels, and powders, Phosphates have a hazardous effect on the environment as they help weed and algae to grow in lakes and rivers.

Scared yet? You should be because this is only a partial list ( there are even more dangerous chemicals out there ). So what can you do to become a greener cleaner this holiday season? One suggestion is to simply buy eco-friendly products. Be careful though, not all cleaning products that market themselves as eco-friendly truly are. Look for products that carry the EPA’s “Design for the Environment” (or “DfE”) label. Check out this complete list of cleaning products that carry the DfE label.

You can also save some money by making your own green cleaners using such common, nontoxic ingredients as water, baking soda, soap, lemon juice, and vinegar. They’re safe and really easy to make. Happy green cleaning!

Advantages of Apartment Moving

There are a lot of great things about moving to an apartment from a house. Below are a just a few:

Easy Repairs – In an apartment, you have a landlord or maintenance crew to take care of repairs around your home. If a light bulb blows or the toilet starts running, you don’t have to pay to have them repaired or work on them yourself. Just call maintenance and they’ll take care of it.

Less Maintenance – In an apartment you don’t have to worry about mowing the grass, treating the house for pests or replanting flowers and landscaping every spring.

Downsizing your Home – Families accumulate a lot of stuff, and moving to an apartment is a great time to get rid of the excesses in your life. Most apartments have fewer opportunities for storage than houses. You’ll likely have to put a lot of your possessions in storage or get rid of them. The best plan is to host a garage sale or donate your excess to charity. It’s a great feeling to unload the junk in your life.

Saving Money – Utility bills will be cheaper in an apartment than a house. The smaller space will require less heating and cooling. You can even find apartments that pay some utilities like gas and water. Also, if you’re moving from paying a mortgage on a home to an apartment rental, you’ll save money on property taxes as well. And, finding ways to save money is always an issue for families.

Photo By: Cleverdame107

Disadvantages of Moving to an Apartment

There are some things about moving to an apartment from a house that could be deal breakers. When searching for an apartment for your family, you need to keep the following in mind.

Space – This will be the number one issue. Family members need their space. If you have a large family, moving to an apartment may not be the best solution for you. Or, if moving to an apartment is your only option, household adjustments should be made. Allow each person to have their own space and quiet time alone to ease the crowded feeling.

Pets – If you live in a house, family pets are free to roam the yard and home. However, some apartments don’t allow pets, and if they do, a hefty deposit and fee may be required. Searching for pet friendly apartments is a must with most families.

Kids – Changing schools or losing friends can be an issue no matter where a family moves. However, your kids may be used to playing with neighborhood children, so when looking for an apartment, make sure you choose a complex or community that is kid friendly and houses a lot of families. Playgrounds and safe areas to play are musts for families moving to apartments.

Photo by: Chris Brady

Additional Family Moving Tips

• Research the new school district in which you are moving.
• Search crime statistics for the area. You don’t want to move your family into an unsafe part of town.
• Take your children with you on your apartment search. They will offer insight on things you may never have thought of.
• Make sure the area you are moving to contains all of your families favorite places to go like parks, groceries, restaurants and businesses.
• Take your time on your search. Don’t settle for an apartment you and your family don’t like. It’s hard to get out of a lease once you’re in it

Photo by: Peter D

Welcome to the Caribbean Cove Water Park in Indianapolis, IN. It’s so much more than the average hotel pool and spa area. The indoor water park includes over 50,000 square feet of indoor water recreation for the entire family to enjoy.

There’s Something for Everyone

• Kastaway Kidz Island – Home of the 700 gallon tipaway bucket and there’s tons to occupy your kids here.
• Tipaway Bucket – It’s one of the most popular areas of the water park because a huge suspended bucket of water tips over on excited kids at regular intervals.
• Activity Pool – This pool features several water sports, one of which is basketball. So, sharpen your shooting skills and have a blast.
• 2 Body Slides – Tropical Twist and Jungle Rumble Aqua Whiz- Take a whirl down these two twisty, turny water slides. It’s a great adventure.
• 2 Spas – A favorite among the adults for unwinding and loosening up.
• Lazy River – Relax and float your troubles away along this winding river. An inner tube is all you need to enjoy the ride.

Photo by: Peter D

Dry off and Relax

• Crazy Coco’s Game Arcade – With over 50 games and lots of prizes, this is the perfect hang out once you get out of the water. There are tons of prizes to be won here too.
• Calypso Café – For good eats and sweet treats, stop by the café. You’ll need to refuel after your day of sprays, squirts, streams, and surprises!

Rates and Ticket Prices

Only hotel guests are allowed access to the water park with 5 tickets included in the room rate. Room rates begin at $179 per night and can go as high as $299 per night on popular weekends of the year, like Halloween. The only instance where hotel reservations are not required to grant access to Caribbean Cove is birthday parties! So if you want to celebrate a big day in a big way, book a party at Caribbean Cove.

Photo by: Valerie Everett

Broad Ripple – Past and Present

Broad Ripple Village got its name from travelers in the 1800’s looking for a shallow point to cross the White River. There was one particular place along the river that was perfect and water rippled over the rocks. One of those travelers would go on to name a northern Indianapolis city after the beauty he experience at this river.

Today, Broad Ripple Village is reflective of the people that are living there. Charming neighborhoods with friendly people and acres of greenspace make Broad Ripple a desirable place to call home.

Photo by: Valerie Everett

Things to See and Do in Broad Ripple

Arts – Art lovers and enthusiasts will love it here. The Broad Ripple Art Fair is a city staple that all the residents look forward to. With local, national and international artists showing their work, it’s an event for the entire family. There is also live music, fantastic food and activities for the kids.

Museum – The Indianapolis Art Center can also be found on the north side of Broad Ripple and is a premiere art organization in the Midwest. The 40,000 square foot Marilyn K. Glick School of Art is here also.

Eats – Enjoy lunch an beer specials at Hoghead’s BBQ, or vegan, multi-grain pancakes at 3 Sisters Cafe. Every cuisine that your tastebuds could ever desire can be found in here at one of several Broad Ripple restaurants.

Shops – Quirky shops stock one of a kind, hard-to-find items and collectibles. Broad Ripple Village derives its character from these non-franchise, mom and pop establishments that sell everything from vintage furniture, to trendy eyewear, to gourmet baby food.

Trails – The Monon Trail is one of the most popular greenspace pathways in the nation. At around 10.5 miles long, it connects to other trails in the area and provides an ideal setting for joggers, walkers, and cyclists to enjoy.

Photo by: Craig Stephen

Other Cultural Districts in the Indianapolis Metro Area

• Fountain Square
• The Canal and White River State Park
• Mass Ave Arts & Theater District
• Wholesale District
• Indiana Avenue

If somehow you have scored a fantastic Indianapolis apartment near the Broad Ripple Village cultural district, count yourself lucky.

Photo by: S Jones

Furniture Consignment/ Thrift Store Shopping

Do an online search for Indianapolis thrift stores and consignment furniture stores. Look in the phone book and ask around also. These stores get anything and everything when it comes to home furnishings – one-of-a-kind heirloom pieces, furniture from model homes, or used furniture from people in the area. You really never know what you’re going to get and it usually takes several scouting trips to score really great items, but if you’re patient it pays off.

Yard Sale Shopping

Saturday mornings are big yard sale days and the regular shoppers are up and out early to take a look at the best items first. Check the newspaper and online for yard sales in your area and plot out a route. If you have access to a pickup truck, drive that so you’ll have room for the furniture you’re buying. And, make sure you get an early start. If you want to be strategic, plan a route in the more expensive areas in Indianapolis. You might stumble on some really great finds.

Photo by: Larry

Don’t Fortget These Accessories

• Lamps – Lampshades can be replaced and certain lamp bases can be refinished so keep an open eye out for lamps with potential.
• Rugs – If you have a color scheme in mind, you might find the perfect area rug for your space. If you haven’t even thought about room colors, finding a great rug might be the inspiration you need.
• Books – Use beautiful books as accessories on side tables and bookshelves. Even if the genre or subject matter isn’t your taste, a book with a great cover is perfect for a coffee table. Your guests might enjoy the book.
• Frames – Look for frames that would add something to your favorite photos. If the glass is broken or cloudy, you can replace it for very little at your local craft store.

Photo by: lyrabellacqua

Individual Companies

Your cable, gas and electric company all probably have an online billing system. All you have to do is go to the company’s website and register an online account. Most likely you’ll need your account number for that company to sign up. Most online billing systems will send you a notice via email when your bill is due and will allow you to pick payment options. Most common payment options include automatic debiting of your bank account or credit card. You can also choose one time billing options if you’d rather the company not have automatic access to your account. Be careful, sometimes service providers will charge a fee for paying with a credit card online.

Online Bill Pay through Your Bank

Some banks will allow you to pay your service providers through your checking account. Most banks will offer direct electronic debiting of your account. You simply choose the amount you’d like to debit and the date that you would like the payment to be sent out. Banks also offer paper payments where you choose the date and amount you would like mailed to the service provider and the bank prints a check and mails it for you. Some banks allow you to pay your bill online for free while others charge for the service.

Benefits of Online Bill Pay

• You don’t have to worry about your statement or payment getting lost in the mail.
• The amount of mail you have to sift through everyday will decrease.
• You no longer have to worry about stamps or mailing. You just press a few keys for online payments.
• Online billing reduces the waste of paper.

Things to Remember when Using Online Billing

• Make sure the site you use is secure.
• Save all confirmation numbers or online receipts.
• Do not give service providers access to your bank accounts if it makes you feel uncomfortable.
• Regularly check your accounts to make sure unauthorized debits have not been made
• Also check to make sure your bills are being paid on time. You don’t want a late fee because you didn’t check your account.

You don’t have to waste time wrestling with paper bills anymore. Even though paying bills can be painful, some of the stress involved in the payment process can be reduced with online systems.

Photo By: Fauxto_digit

You’re Stressed – A tension headache is caused by physical or emotional stress. Some common causes of physical stress are prolonged manual labor or being on your computer for too long. Tension headaches happen when the muscles around your skull contract.

You’re Pregnant – The rise and fall in hormone levels during pregnancy can cause frequent and intense headaches. They’re another kind of tension headache. They may be sparked by lack of sleep and increased stress.

You Partied too Much – Alcohol is a common cause of headaches. Many people get a red wine headache. The best thing you can do is to limit alcohol consumption in your Indianapolis apartment. Make sure to drink plenty of water during and after alcohol consumption, especially right before you go to bed.

You Forgot to Drink Water – Dehydration may be the most common cause of a headache. Your body is made up of roughly 60% water and requires a generous amount of water intake each day and most of us do not drink enough of it. If you are in a dehydrating environment, such as being out in the hot sun or in a dry airplane cabin, you need to drink extra water.

You’re Exposed to Second-Hand Smoke – Cigarette smoke is a common trigger of migraine headaches. Try to stay in a non-smoking environment. If you can’t avoid the smoke, try putting some peppermint oil on your pulse points to detract from the smoke smell.

Photo By: Mr.Thomas

It’s too Loud or Bright – Many migraine sufferers point to loud noises or bright lights as headache triggers. Advances in medicine have produced many effective migraine medications that can prevent migraine attacks from happening.

Your Sinuses are Acting Up – Sinus headaches come with deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead or bridge of the nose. The pain usually intensifies with sudden head movement. If you have a sinus headache, you normally have other sinus symptoms, such as nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the ears, and facial swelling.

Photo by: Steven Lee

Scarecrows on Parade

Hosted by the Zionsville Merchants Association, Scarecrows on Parade features a collection of unique and inventive scarecrows designed by local residents. Bring your camera along to capture the fun because the streets come alive this fall.

Fishers Renaissance Fair

In honor of their sister city Billericay, England, Fishers, Indiana hosts this annual renaissance fair where participants can experience the history, lifestyles and ceremonies of Elizabethan England.

Annual Indianapolis Fall Boat & RV Show

This four-day event is for anyone who hopes to own a boat or rv in the near future. You can check out a huge selection of new and used year-end models for these vehicles. It’ll be held on the Indiana State Fairground and you can check out their exhibitor list online before you go. You can also print a coupon for $2 off admission.

Photo by: Noah Coffey

Circle City Classic

The battle with the pigskin takes places at the newest special events venue in Indianapolis, Lucas Oil Stadium! Best known as the home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts, nearly 65,000 fans will gather for the faceoff between the Alabama A&M University Bulldogs and the Tuskegee University Golden Tigers.

Heartland Film Festival

With the Heartland Film Festival in Indianapolis, the city will play host to filmmakers from around the world. There will be exciting special events for the entire family but the feature will of course be the independent films and the international long and short films. The American Boy in the Striped Pajamas will be the film that opens the festival and you can enjoy it for as little as $12. Tickets are available online.

Grape Harvest Festival

These grape-inspired festivities include wine tastings, food and wine paring demonstrations, live jazz performances and of course winery tours!

Photo by: Julie70

Greater Indianapolis Fall Home Improvement Show

This is the perfect event for newly relocated residents with empty or uninteresting Indianapolis apartments. Browse over 250 booths of design inspiration and products for your new place. It’s 3 days of furniture, fixtures, and finishing touches to jazz up your space.

Photo by: Jeffrey Stone

What’s cuter then dressing up dogs in costumes for Halloween? The choices are limitless and you should be able to find almost anything you could ever come up with. Check out these awesome Halloween costume ideas for inspiration and get creative!

Dogs As Other Animals

These can be some of the funniest dog costumes out there because they become a completely different animal.

Skunk- You’ll be surprised by how something so smelly can be so cute. A puppy in this costume wouldn’t scare off anyone.

Pig – The costume includes a little pig tail, a hood with pig ears, and a snout for a finished look.

Bumble Bee – If your pup is sweet as honey, a cute little bumble bee costume would be fitting.

Elephant – As the largest land mammal on the planet, an elephant costume would be appropriate for those pooches who think they are the rulers of their domain.

Lion Cub – Perfect for the king of the jungle, or the king of your home at least.

Ladybug – It doesn’t get much cuter than this loveable insect. t’s an especially cute costume for smaller breeds.

Monkey – The dog with unending energy would be right for this costume. Bring some bananas as a costume accessory.

Photo by: gisele13

Dog Costumes Based on Movie Characters

Think beyond the Batman or Superman costumes and come up with something less predictable like these costumes.

Fluffy, Harry Potter – Dress your pup as Hagrid’s giant, three-headed, canine companion.

Headless Horseman, Legend of Sleepy Hollow – For a more frightful costume, let your dog ride through the night as this haunted character.

Spiderdog, Spiderman – If an action hero suits your dog well, dress them up as this red and blue courageous character.

Yoda, Star Wars – This is the wise and powerful Jedi Master.

Dorothy, Wizard of Oz – For your female pooch, a Disney character may be in order. Make the costume special with a little toto.

Snow White – You’ll need an apple and a prince to complete this look.

Indiana, Jones – How smart is your dog? Smart enough to pull off this role as a professor, archaeologist and action hero?

Photo by: Ants4pets

Funny costumes For Your Dog

These costumes speak for themselves and are good for a laugh!

• Watch Dog
• Stripper Dog
• Hot Dog
• Lucky Dog
• Football Dog
• Construction Worker
• Wolfgang Pup

The most important thing to remember is to be unique and creative when it comes to your pet Halloween costumes. Oh, and take lots of pictures!

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