hellobeautifulcreatures

T ankless water heaters have been in use all over the world for fifty years, largely because of smaller homes and higher energy costs outside the United States. In fact, tank water heaters are only used in the U.S. As natural gas and LP prices rise (as they have for the past decade) it will cost consumers more to heat water. Imagine cutting water heating costs by 50 to 70 percent – think tankless water heaters . Tankless water heaters – often called “on demand” water heaters – only heat water when needed. Tank water heaters , on the other hand, keep the water hot all of the time and, when on standby, loose about 6 degrees an hour. Heat in the form of Btu’s also escapes up through the flue pipe constantly . Tank water heaters are incredibly inefficient and yet are used in the majority of American homes. Tank water heaters have a life expectancy of around 10 years, depending on incoming water quality . Tankless water heaters , on the other hand have a life expectancy of 20 plus ye...

Celebrate Earth Day by Planting a Tree" width="300" height="200" />Every April 22, millions of people in nearly 200 countries celebrate Earth Day , and I’m one of them. Originating in 1970, Earth Day is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on how we can make our Earth a better place. It’s a time to be mindful of your impact on the Earth and challenge yourself to adopt new, environmentally friendly habits that conserve resources, save money, and encourage healthy living all-around. In fact, with wonderful benefits like those, doesn’t it make sense to live every day like it’s Earth Day? Well, you can. Over the years, my family and I have used Earth Day as a starting point to implement new and creative changes in our lives. Here are 30 ways we celebrate Earth Day that you and your family can try, too. Some of them may seem small, but small changes add up and if you sustain that change for the rest of your life, it will profoundly lighten your environmen...

A t seven years old, Abdul El-Sayed sat in the eye of Hurricane Andrew, the most destructive hurricane in US history until Katrina. Living near Miami, El- Sayed drank juice while swaddled under mattresses between his father and stepmother, who was holding El-Sayed’s newborn baby brother just home from the hospital. The 1992 storm had taken an unexpected turn southward , and the El-Sayeds could not be evacuated. The wind made an awful rattling sound on the screens. The front door blew in. The wind and the rain whipped into the house, “as if the ocean was coming at you”. El-Sayed’s father, Mohamed, crawled on his stomach to shut the door, the rain whipping his face, the wind beating his body. The eye of the storm passed directly over them and the National Guard eventually evacuated them. At the moment, American politics feels a bit like being in the eye a hurricane. Donald Trump has stated America’s nuclear arsenal is “locked and loaded”, should North Korea make any false moves a...

Setting out on a FunShip Voyage to Cuba! The Carnival Paradise passes the historic El Morro Castle in Havana, Cuba, on its first voyage to the city on Friday, June 30, 2017. Photo courtesy of Sven Creutzmann/Carnival Cruise Line. August 14, 2017 Today, I embarked Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Paradise in her homeport of Tampa, Florida to set sail on one of Carnival’s newest and most unique itineraries: a five-night voyage to Havana, Cuba . Carnival Paradise arrived in Havana for the first time on June 30 of this year, becoming the first Carnival ship in the company’s 45-year history to ever visit Cuba. All of this was made possible by the easing of travel restrictions against the island nation by the U.S. Government – though how long this will all last is anyone’s guess. Cuban and American flags…Photo © 2017 Aaron Saunders …adorn Carnival Paradise ’s soaring atrium. Photo © 2017 Aaron Saunders This isn’t my first visit to Cuba. As a Canadian, I’ve traveled here in the past as ...