Before undertaking any home renovation, set a budget and plan the work. You don’t have to undertake a full renovation right away, you could work on a room by room basis to make it feel less overwhelming.

If the budget stretches to it, employing an architect or interior designer can really help. They will have ideas and suggestions that you may not have thought of and will usually have trade contacts that can ultimately save you on the overall cost of your renovation project.

Getting a layout that works for the way you live is the most important goal when you undertake a home renovation.

This does not always mean extending. Sometimes moving a door, wall or window can open up a space to be more useful for you.

Or you could consider repurposing a room. For instance if you have a playroom space and the kids are all grown up, how about turning it into a study, pantry or utility room? An underused bedroom could become a walk in wardrobe, freeing up space in your main bedroom to make it feel more restful. Or a garage could be converted to house a new shower room and downstairs bedroom. The possibilities really are endless.

From improving insulation to installing a more energy efficient boiler, retrofitting your home is one of the best ways to save money and increase the value.

When we renovated our home our builder wanted us to put in an oil fired central heating system. Having lived for many years in the UK we were more used to gas and insisted that this is what we wanted.

We are delighted with the results. We can not only heat our home efficiently but we also use gas for cooking too. Despite living in the city centre, we are not on a gas mains, so we had a Calor bulk gas tank installed. Best of all, they monitor our usage and re-fill automatically when it’s getting low. I really couldn’t imagine switching to anything else now.

We also installed solar panels and from May to October we get enough hot water for 2 adults and 2 kids.

Even if you currently have an oil fired central heating system, by simply changing your boiler and tank, you can easily move to gas. And Calor are currently offering new gas central heating customers a FREE boiler and Smart Energy Monitor when they move. (T&C’s apply)

Unless you have purchased your home from new, and even then if you have been living in it for awhile, undertaking a renovation gives you the opportunity to put your own stamp on it.

From a simple decoration job to updating kitchens and bathrooms, you can inject your personality into your home. The most cost efficient way is to change soft furnishings such as rugs, curtains, blinds or lighting. Also changing or getting a company in to deep clean carpets or sanding floors and revarnishing them will all make a huge difference to the look and feel of a space.

Changing the colour on walls, doors, skirting boards and ceilings will give your home a fresh new look. Wallpaper is also making a comeback and can be a great solution to add colour and texture to truly transform a space quickly.

Look for clever ways to increase natural light when doing a renovation. Updating windows and doors or making openings bigger or adding roof lights are all great ways to improve natural light coming into your home.

Adding mirrors and using reflective colours on walls can work too. Or removing curtains and adding blinds that are hung above the window or door opening can help get more light into a space.

Consider adding glass doors into your garden where you currently only have a window. This can help bring the outside in.

If you have space, adding a patio with the option to add an awning will increase the likelihood of you using the garden in autumn and spring when the weather may not always be great. Invest in a flame tower or a gas patio heater and your garden can be another room all year round.

When we renovated our home, the best part of the whole process, apart from getting a lovely home at the end of it, was that it made me declutter!

We all have items in our homes that we no longer need. Tackle decluttering room by room and have different plies for donations, sell, keep and bin! Be ruthless, if you haven’t used something for 12 months the chances are you don’t need to keep it! Also think if it will go in your new space, if not it may be time to donate or sell.

If you are going to sell items, take good photos and post them on reputable websites. If you have a lot of stuff to sell, set up an email account to use for this purpose. Price everything fairly and state whether items need to be collected or if you are willing to mail or deliver.

Everything from mattresses to toys and games, soft furnishings, kitchens, bathrooms and furniture are traded online and not only are you getting paid for your unwanted items, but you are giving them a new lease of life.

Set a budget at the outset and stick to it. As well as considering how much you can afford, look at the ceiling price of similar homes in the area and don’t exceed that value.

The cost of renovating your home can vary wildly. Make sure to get at least 3 quotes for every job you want done. Read the small print to ensure you are comparing like for like.

Once you are satisfied that you have the right person for the job, put a contract in place and keep a tight reign on the budget.

Even a simple renovation can add considerable value to your home. But ultimately the aim is to make your home to best it can be for you and your family to enjoy.

Why is it so important? Energy efficiency in a home context refers to the effective use of energy to perform various tasks, from heating and cooling to powering appliances. The benefits are substantial. According to the US Department of Energy, efficiency upgrades can result in savings of up to 30% on energy bills.

Furthermore, additional studies reveal that energy-efficient homes have a smaller carbon footprint, contributing to environmental sustainability. So let’s look at how to make your house more energy efficient, what it will cost you, and the expected results.

The first step towards energy efficiency is conducting a home energy audit. This involves a comprehensive assessment of energy consumption and potential improvements.

Homeowners can either hire a professional or conduct a simple audit themselves, checking for drafts, inspecting insulation, and identifying energy-guzzling appliances.

However, window replacement Winnipeg experts say that if homeowners plan to apply for government incentives when renovating their houses, the energy audit can only be made by a professional assessor who will check your home’s overall thermal performance and suggest the most efficient home improvements.

Proper insulation is crucial for maintaining a home’s temperature and reducing energy consumption. Energy Star, a program run by the US and Canadian governments, reports that homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs by properly sealing their homes and adding insulation.

There are several popular DIY methods for improving home insulation that experts recommend if you want to boost energy efficiency while on a tight budget:

• Sealing Cracks and Gaps: Small cracks and gaps can be a significant source of heat loss. Homeowners can use caulk to seal gaps in the stationary components of their homes and weatherstripping for the moving parts, like doors and operable windows.
• Installing Window Insulation Film: Window insulation film is a plastic film which can be applied to glass windows to reduce heat transfer. It’s a cost-effective way to improve the insulating properties of windows, especially for those who can’t afford double-glazing.
• Adding Insulation to the Attic: The attic is often the biggest source of heat loss in a home. Adding insulation to the attic can be a relatively straightforward DIY project that can significantly impact a home’s energy efficiency. Several types of insulation are suitable for attics, including blanket insulation (batts and rolls) and loose-fill insulation.
• Using Door Draft Stoppers: A draft stopper is a simple and cost-effective way to prevent drafts from entering under doors. They can be easily made at home with common household materials.
• Insulating Water Heater Tanks: Insulating your hot water tank is an easy and inexpensive way to improve energy efficiency and save on water heating costs. Insulation blankets are available for this purpose.

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Windows and doors significantly impact a home’s energy efficiency. Energy-efficient models can reduce heat loss in winter and keep homes cooler in summer. Many homes in North America are still equipped with single-pane windows, resulting in energy loss of around 30% and high energy bills.

New triple pane windows offer a lot better insulation and thermal performance, being up to 55% more energy efficient than regular units. Even though window and door replacements can be considered a major home renovation project, it is one of the best renovations to boost your house’s energy efficiency while retaining an ROI of ~70%.

When choosing new windows and doors, make sure to consider factors like energy ratings (minimum 34), local climate, and the window’s orientation. Moreover, install only Energy-Star-rated models after consultation with your local replacement experts to decide on the best fitting units.

Appliances and lighting are significant contributors to a home’s energy use. According to statistics, they can account for up to 25% of a home’s energy consumption. Therefore, focusing on these areas can lead to substantial energy savings.

When it comes to appliances, it’s essential to consider their energy efficiency when purchasing new ones. Energy Star-certified products, for instance, use less energy than their non-certified counterparts. They might cost more upfront, but the energy savings over their lifetime often make up for the initial cost. These appliances range from refrigerators and dishwashers to air conditioners and water heaters.

Furthermore, regular maintenance of appliances can also improve their efficiency. For example, cleaning the coils of a refrigerator can help it operate more efficiently. Similarly, emptying the lint filter in a dryer after every use can improve its efficiency and safety.

Lighting is another area where energy efficiency can be improved. Traditional incandescent light bulbs consume a lot of energy and need to be replaced more often than their energy-efficient alternatives. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs, and halogen incandescent bulbs use 25-80% less electricity and last three to 25 times longer.

Moreover, considering natural light can also contribute to energy savings. By strategically using window coverings to allow or block out sunlight, homeowners can reduce the need for artificial lighting and heating or cooling.

Adopting energy-saving habits is vital in improving a home’s energy efficiency. These habits don’t require a significant investment but can lead to substantial energy savings.

One of the simplest habits is turning off lights when leaving a room. According to the International Energy Agency, if everyone in the world diligently turned off lights when not in use, the world could see a 1.4% reduction in total energy consumption.

Using energy-saving modes on appliances is another easy habit. Many appliances have energy-saving features that reduce energy consumption when the appliance is not in use or when it’s operating at less than full capacity.

Washing clothes in cold water can also save energy. As per statistics, almost 90% of the energy consumed by a washing machine goes to heating water. Switching from hot to cold water for an average of three loads per week could save up to $37 per year.

Lastly, regular maintenance of heating and cooling systems can improve their efficiency. This includes replacing filters regularly and having the systems serviced by a professional annually.

Improving your home’s energy efficiency can seem like a daunting task. Still, by taking it one step at a time, homeowners can make significant improvements that benefit both their wallets and the planet.

No matter how small, every effort contributes to a more energy-efficient home and healthier environment.

If you use gas for heating and/or cooking, and the energy bills you are receiving are making you wince at the costs, then you’ll be looking for ways to save on your gas bill.

Here are some top tips and simple suggestions for how to reduce gas bills.

Having your gas boiler serviced every year is a simple win because an annual service will make sure that your boiler is operating as efficiently as it can be.

Having a regular service can prevent soot from building up, enabling the boiler to run smoothly, reducing your gas consumption, as well as improving your carbon footprint.

If you are considering switching gas suppliers check and see if their switching package includes an annual gas boiler service for free. Or some suppliers even offer a new boiler as part of moving to them, so it’s worth shopping around.

Before you get started with this, look up what your current gas supplier plan costs you per kWh. This will be on your last bill. You will need to this to compare and look at other suppliers/discounts you could avail of.

Don’t automatically stay with the same provider, make sure to check every available supplier’s rates at least at the time when your contract is up (but sometimes worth checking well before end of contract too).

Never assume you are on the best rate with your own supplier. Remember it costs them money to acquire a new customer so don’t be afraid to ask them to match their new customer rates to keep you.

And even though it may cost a fee to break a contract before its end date, you should also calculate if it would be worth paying the fee if you would save more on a new supplier’s cheaper rates.

To check in on latest offers and rates, use a switcher website. Most switcher websites offer calculators so you can put in details of your home and usage and they will recommend the best rate.

Some also offer to talk to you to work out the best rate, and be aware too that you may well be on the best rate at the moment. But at least having done your research you know you can’t save any more in that case.

Top tip: keep a spreadsheet of your last 12 months bills – how much gas (and electricity) your household used each month in kwh – as this will help you work out more easily what your usage is likely to be across a year for switching.

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Make sure you only have the heating on when and where you really need it at that time of day.

While nobody wants to get up in a cold house (I’m remembering my childhood!) do you really need to heat upstairs when everybody is getting up getting dressed and heading downstairs anyway?

If you have heating zones on a timer, then only run upstairs heating before bedtime to avoid using extra gas if nobody is upstairs. If you don’t have a separated heating zone system in your house it could be worth putting that in, we did this a few years ago and got a grant towards it as well.

Check your timer settings and see when you think you really need it on, to reduce the time the heat is on unnecessarily.

And turn off any heating in unoccupied rooms as well – no point heating them if you are not using them!

Most home gas consumption (80% or so) is heating, and in particularly during colder months. So a really simple way to reduce your gas bills is to look at your thermostat.

Try turning it down by one degree to start with. Turning your heating down by just one degree has been estimated to cut your gas consumption by 7%. So if you can go lower and still be comfortable, then go further if you can. Your home should still be comfortable even at 19C.

It may be tempting to go for prepay gas supply as it can help control your usage and eliminate bills, however you should be aware that you may be paying a premium. You will need to check the tariffs to see what you are paying vs bill pay.

Opting for Bill Pay, Online Billing and Direct Debit can all save you money on your gas bills.

Again knowing what kWh rate you are on currently, what your usage is and what discounts you would get by switching to these options is going to make it easier to decide.

If you don’t submit regular meter readings, then your gas company will estimate your usage and you could end up with higher bills.

Always submit when requested and interim reads are good to submit too. Sign up for their alerts by SMS and email to remind you to do your meter reads.

(If you have a smart meter then you don’t need to do this).

If you use gas for cooking, then think about ways to reduce gas use there:

• Instead of your gas oven, consider using your microwave or air fryer. Veggies will steam more quickly and efficiently and your air fryer will cook more efficiently than hob or oven frying.
• Slow cookers can be really efficient compared to using ovens, so if you have one press it into action.
• Always match your pan size to your burner size on the hob
• Cover your food when it’s cooking to keep heat in
• Try to do one pan cooking where possible, e.g. this one pot pasta recipe or making a dinner casserole in one dish or a tray bake chicken type recipe where you throw all the ingredients in and only use one source of cooking heat.

About 20% of your gas bill will go towards heating water. Be mindful of when and how you use hot water. For example, showers rather than baths help to use less hot water.

If you have a hot water timer, be canny with how long you have your hot water set to switch on for, and turn the boiler off unless hot water is needed.

While a new boiler can be expensive, they are also a good investment if your boiler is over 12-15 years old, you could end up cutting your bills by a lot.

New A-rated boilers (any boiler with over 90% efficiency) can give you significantly more heat for your money compared to older boilers. And replacing your boiler is also more eco-friendly as a more efficient boiler will use less fuel to heat your house and reduce your carbon footprint.

It’s worth seeing if there are any government grants available to help at least part-fund this cost. Or if a new energy supplier is offering a free new boiler as part of switching to them.

Last but certainly not least, draught-proofing is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to save energy and your gas bills. If you have unwanted gaps that are letting cold air in and warm air out, then it’s time to stop up the gaps. By doing this you may then be able to turn down your thermostat, as well as further saving money on your gas bill.

• Get the kids involved and go round the whole house and check for drafts.
• Seal any gaps in windows, doors, walls and floors. Many inexpensive solutions are available at your local DIY store.
• Hang thermal curtains & blinds if your windows or doorways currently are draughty.
• Close your curtains in the evening to keep the heat in.
• Draught excluders can sit along the gap at the bottom of doors, you can use old tights stuffed with old clothing if you don’t have the money to invest in buying new ones.
• Cover letterbox with draught proof flaps and your keyhole, you can get metal covers that screw to the outside of your keyhole and stop the wind coming in.
• Don’t forget about your loft entrance, if it’s letting cold air in, then insulating it may save a lot of heat escaping there.

As part of BRITA Ireland’s commitment to fighting against the damage that single use plastic does to the planet, they have teamed up with Seal Rescue Ireland, as one of their major sponsors. Along with sponsoring one of their pools and kennels, they have also sponsored a number of seals including Arctic seal Cloudberry, a species very rarely found in Ireland.

Seal Rescue Ireland (SRI) is a registered charity that works around the clock to rescue, rehabilitate and release seal pups found sick, injured or orphaned across the coast of Ireland.

As the only seal rescue centre in the Republic of Ireland, they respond to reports nationwide and aim to rehabilitate the pups back to full health so they can be returned to the wild.

SRI promotes ocean conservation and sustainability through active education, community engagement and research programmes, in order to protect our marine environment and all life within.

Did you know that using a single BRITA MAXTRA+ cartridge can reduce the use of up to 150 one litre single use plastic bottles?

“One of the biggest threats to Ireland’s wild seals is the build-up of plastic waste polluting the seas which they call home” says Melanie Croce, Executive Director, Seal Rescue Ireland.

By the end of 2022 BRITA Ireland expect to recycle 20,000 cartridges through freepost returns alone to Bluestone, a whopping increase on the 5,000 returned cartridges in 2021.

The ambition for 2023 is to double this figure to 40,000, and you can help!

BRITA have been actively seeking out ways to help fight against pollution in Ireland through organisations such as Seal Rescue Ireland and Reforest Nation, whilst also working with the Whale and Dolphin Conservation Trust on an international level.

Customers can recycle their used BRITA cartridges all year round by sending to:

Freepost License FAU V92, Bluestone Sales & Distribution, 26 Oaktree Business Park, Trim, Co. Meath, C15 HK40.

By recycling your BRITA Filters before the end of January 2023 you are also helping Seal Rescue Ireland as BRITA will donate €1 for every cartridge received by this date to them. If you include an email address in with your returns BRITA will email you a promocode for 25% off your next refill purchase on bluestone.ie!

In addition to the freepost option BRITA’s recycling programme is now actively being rolled out in stores across the country. Find out more about BRITA’s recycling programme and where else you can recycle your cartridges here.

Get the kids involved too, helping to package up your filters for posting or dropping off at one of the many drop off points around the country.

Be sure to recycle as many as BRITA filter cartridges as you can before the end of January 2023 as each one is worth €1 to Seal Rescue Ireland to help them continue their amazing work with these stunning sea creatures.

As our bills continue to spike and household costs soar, understanding how we use our household appliances – and how much this costs us – is essential. Changing how, when and how often we use them could make a significant difference to the bills at the end of the month.

Of course, there are appliances we can’t simply unplug and use less, such as the fridge and freezer, but we can be more savvy with our usage and perhaps more economical with use of things like the dryer, hot water heating, and household electronics.

Forget plugging your phone in to charge overnight and instead just have leave it for the hour or two it actually needs and then unplug. Similarly, don’t leave the fridge or freezer door open for too long – grab what you need and close the door immediately. Teach your family not to ‘browse’. According to the SEAI, for every 10-20 seconds the door is open it takes 45 minutes for the fridge to cool down to its original temperature.

Download our cheat sheet to the cost of household appliances and electronics so you can keep track of where your biggest costs are, and hopefully make some cost-saving changes.

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With a little planning and awareness around which of your appliances cost the most to run, there are quite effective ways to reduce the use of household appliances and electronics. All it takes is a few simple changes to make sure your gadgets stay useful and not costly.

1. Only run the dishwasher when it is full.
2. Only boil as much water as you need, not a full kettle.
3. If the oven is on, use it to bake or cook multiple things at the same time. Meal planning will help with this – cook today and tomorrow’s dinner at the same time, then reheat portions in the microwave when needed.
4. Use your slow cooker more, it uses considerably less energy than the oven.
5. Use the microwave – it uses less energy than the oven as it heats only the food and not the whole internal space.
6. Use a tiered steamer to cook several items in one pot at the same time.
7. Turn down the washing machine – lower temperatures use less energy. Clothes that are not very soiled can be washed at 30c. According to Energy Saving Trust, washing machines, dishwashers and anything else that uses water are known as ‘wet appliances’. These appliances take the top spot in terms of how much energy they use, accounting for 16% of total energy bill costs. The power needed to heat the water that they use pushes up consumption, making them energy-hungry household appliances.
8. Skip the dryer. Use an indoor clothes airer or outdoor clothes line to dry clothes.
9. Don’t leave your water on all the time. Set your water timer to come on 30-60 minutes before it will be needed (e.g. morning showers, kids bath time, etc)
10. Have tiles or wooden floors? Consider sweeping up rather than vacuuming every time.
11. Turn the shower off and don’t waste hot water while you shampoo your hair, wash your body, etc.
12. Don’t leave the water running – obviously not an environmentally friendly choice at any time, but in particular with the hot water that you’re paying to heat.
13. Skip the hairdryer and towel dry your hair instead.
14. Turn devices off standby or unplug when not in use. Don’t forget about lamps, chargers, etc.
15. Don’t leave computers and laptops on standby or in ‘sleep’ mode; turn it off if not using it for more than an hour.

Date: May 13th at 3pm

Come and see the actions being taken for biodiversity at Valentia Meteorological Observatory in Cahersiveen and learn about how you too can support biodiversity. Learn how creating and maintaining meadows and hedgerows attracts many bird, insect and plant species.

For more information and to book a place, click here.

Date: May 14th from 10am to 5.30pm

Free event available from the National Park Information Office, Upper Lake, Glendalough

Date: May 14th and 21st

Come along and join in counting plants, animals and insects on a farm in the Kerry Biosphere.

A BioBlitz is an event that focuses on finding and identifying as many species as possible in a specific area over a short period of time. At a BioBlitz, scientists, families, students, teachers, and other community members work together to get a snapshot of an area’s biodiversity.

For more information and to book tickets, click here for May 14th and here for May 21st.

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Dates: May 20th

Celebrate the wonderful world of bees for ‘World Bee Day’. Hosted during National Biodiversity Week, this guided walk and talk will be led by Property Curator Matt Wheeler and wildlife expert Harm Deenen. You will learn all about the Johnstown apiary and the wild honeybees that inhabit the Estate, as well as more unusual types of bee which are also important for pollination.

The walks take place at 11am and 2pm and places must be booked in advance.

For more information and to book a place, click here.

Dates: May 20th at 9.15pm

Wander the Gardens at night in search of beautiful bats. Join the Irish Wildlife Trust for a free National Biodiversity Week event hosted by the National Botanic Gardens.

At this exciting evening bat walk you will have the opportunity to walk the National Botanic Gardens at dusk with an Irish Wildlife Trust guide in search of beautiful bats. Learn about the life cycle of these fascinating creatures and hopefully get to see and hear some of the bats of the Bots.

Booking is essential. For more information and to book tickets, click here.

Dates: May 21st at 10.30am and 2.30pm

Swift populations have declined in recent years and this is attributed to the loss of natural breeding sites. Swift boxes give the birds a safe place to breed. During this workshop, Nessa Doran O’Reilly, programme manager at Rediscover Furniture, will help you and your child assemble a Swift box.

Working as a team you will learn how to use a marking gauge, how to glue and pin, and also how to pilot drill and screw your nest boxes together ready to be brought home. All tools and materials will be supplied.

This event is taking place for Biodiversity Week and it is kindly supported by the Irish Environmental Network. Suitable for ages 8+

For more information and to book tickets, click here.

Dates: May 21st at 11am and 2.30pm

Explore urban wildlife in the Rediscover Centre pond and garden, doing a range of fun hands-on activities such as pond-dipping and bug hunting. Children will learn about food chains and food webs, Irish ecosystems and how small daily actions can help promote and conserve our natural environment. Suitable for children aged 6 to 12 years.

For more information and to book tickets, click here.

Date: May 21st

Solas Eco Garden Centre are celebrating World Bee Day with lots of buzzing events and workshops, including:

• Bee Friendly Planter Workshop at 12pm (€15, booking required)
• Bee children’s craft and face painting from 12pm
• All about Bees and Bee Keeping with expert Beekeepers Roger and Angela at 2pm (adults €5, children free, booking required)
• Buzzing tunes from the DJ from 2pm

For more information, click here.

Date: May 21st at 7.30pm

Thus will be an event for children with storytelling, followed by stargazing for all. Tell your story, read a poem, and be otherwise enchanted by John Flannery and his trip through the world’s myths and legends of the sky.

Bring your inspiration! Space is the place…(also bring a blanket, cushion, etc to keep warm as the evening unfolds)

For more information, email darksky.cloughjordan@gmail.com

Date: May 22nd

Dale Treadwell of Naturally Wild will be bringing his 5 B’s of Biodiversity workshops to Kilkenny Castle for Biodiversity Week on Sunday 22 May. Dale is well known for his stints on RTE jnr television and will bring with him stories of the Wild, fun filled games and activities, bug hunts, how to make a solitary Bee Hotel and more. Fun for young and the young at heart.

These are outdoor events and suitable for children age 5 to 12 years. Outdoor clothing and footwear required.

For more information and to book tickets, click here.

Our word searches are perfect to print off and add to party bags, take on car journeys or holidays, bring to restaurants, or just to entertain the kids at home on those dreaded rainy days.

All you need to do is download your free Earth Day word search here and print it out – that’s it. Fun, free and easy (but just in case you want to check the answers, you’ll find them here)!

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If your kids are word search fans, you’ll be delighted to know that we have more word searches for you to download.

From Harry Potter and dinosaurs to Disney characters and places around the world, you can check out all our word searches here – and the best bit is that they’re all FREE to download!

Use this Happy Earth Day colouring page from Doodle Art Alley as your Earth Day window sign – proudly display your artwork to those around you.

Could this colouring page from Crayola be any more true? We really do hold the earth, and its fate, in our hands.

Don’t miss the chance to have your say! We’re looking for parents to get involved and give their feedback on all aspects of family life.

Plant some seeds (or better still, a tree) this Earth Day and use this colouring page from SuperColoring to start a conversation with your children about climate change.

This fun mindfulness colouring page for Earth Day is one of several available at iHeartCraftyThings.

Fans of SuperWhy? will enjoy this detailed character colouring page from PBS.

All the key messages of Earth Day are reflected in this picture, available to download from Crayola.

This colouring page from SuperColoring is the perfect poster to get creative with – make it as colourful as you can and a real celebration of Earth Day!

Love your planet is the key message this Earth Day! You can download the page from Coloring Pages – it would make a great poster!

Make every day Earth Day is a vital message. Introduce some environmentally-friendly changes to your home today and stick with them beyond Earth Day. Download your poster from Doodle Art Alley.

Conservation and climate change make a world of difference (get it?!). Planting a tree may seem like a tiny contribution, but the benefits are huge. Download this colouring page from SuperColoring.

What an important life lesson – we do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. Download your poster to colour in from Doodle Art Alley.

Adults and kids will all enjoy this mindfulness Earth Day colouring page from Soul Flower.

We always had a rule of “one in, one out” when it came to toys. I was lucky enough to have space in the attic to store toys when they weren’t being used, so I could rotate them on a regular basis.

But many homes simply don’t have this space, or children get bored playing with the same toys and want new ones to enjoy. The wooden toy rental service from DluluKaloo offers parents an ideal solution.

To place your order, visit DluluKaloo and select the wooden toys you like or use their tailor made bundle service where you fill in details of what you want and they match the bundle to your needs – pay a security deposit + monthly rental fee, starting from €25, and get your bundle for a month to enjoy.

Once you’re finished, you can either send it back, exchange it for something different (just like a wooden toy library), or you can keep it!

• If you decide to keep the whole bundle – no rental fee will be charged
• If you decide to keep parts of it – your rental fee will be reduced
• DluluKaloo cover the cost of delivery to you and you cover the cost to send the items back.
• If you would prefer to buy without renting – that is absolutely fine.

The benefits of wooden toys are endless – they encourage a child’s imagination. They are safe, durable, and of course environmentally friendly.

Below are a small selection of the wooden toys that are offered through the rental service. You can find more on DluluKaloo Facebook, Instagram and website.

The Eureka Acrobat Balance bike 2 in 1 is safe, flexible and fun. It has an adjustable seat which can be removed to convert the bike into a scooter.

It can be rented for 1 month for €25 and is suitable for children aged 3 to 6 years.

The JUUPI pickler triangle supports the development of motor skills in children from the age of 12 months. It can be set up indoors or outside and can be folded away when not in use.

It can be rented for 1 month for €35 and is suitable for children aged 1 to 6 years.

This Montessori bundle comes with a spinning drum, Lilliputiens activity panel and an object permanence box. Each object works in a different way to improve fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, concentration, sight, hearing and imagination.

The bundle can be rented for 1 month for €25 and is suitable for children aged 6 months+

The KateHaa Waldorf Rocker is an innovative toy helping children develop a variety of different skills. It can be used in a variety of different ways including as a see-saw, a rocker, a climbing frame and a shop stand or whatever your little one imagines! Best of all it can be folded away when not in use.

You can rent the wooden rocker for 1 month for €35 and it is suitable for children from 1 month+

The Egmont wooden garage and crane contains 3 trucks, 2 cars, road signs and containers ensuring hours of fun! It comes with a 2nd toy bundle of your choice.

The Egmont wooden garage toy bundle can be rented for 1 month for €25 and is suitable for children aged 3+

The KateHaa wooden balance board is a fun toy that can help improve gross and fine motor skills, coordination, posture and strengthen muscles. It comes in 4 sizes and is recommended by physiotherapists around the worlds.

The wooden balance board can be rented in starter, original and large sizes for 1 month from €25 and is suitable for ages 0 to 99 years+!

The KateHaa activity play cube, climbing ramp and ladder offers children the opportunity to climb, crawl, balance and improve their gross and find motor skills, balance and strength in a safe, fun way.

The activity cube bundle can be rented for 1 month for €45 and is suitable for children aged 6 months+

DluluKaloo are based in Greystones, Co Wicklow and have been in business since 2020. Like many new businesses, it was born from a need they didn’t feel was being met.

Their youngest child Ruadhan was 9 months old and was showing an interest in playing with toys. They wanted to move away from plastic toys but struggled to find high quality, wooden alternatives that were in their price range.

And so they launched DluluKaloo, offering a variety of gorgeous wooden toys including the brands: Alphabet Jigsaws, Bauspiel, Clicques, Egmont toys, Ette Tete, Friendly toys, Goki, Gnezdo toys, Holztiger, Juupi, KateHaa, Lilliputiens, Skandico, Skazki Dereva, Tickit and many many more, as well as one-off handmade pieces and toys based on the educational Montessori principles.

The business is a real family affair, with eldest daughter Daniela helping to select, test and approve all of the toys on offer. Daniela can also take credit for being the inspiration behind the unique name. Her first two words: ‘Dlulu’ meaning ‘Elephant’ and ‘Kaloo’ meaning ‘a Ball’ were combined to create the name.

All of the wooden toys on DluluKaloo.ie, Facebook and Instagram can be purchased or you can rent any of the items for up to a month or more. And if your children love them, you can purchase some or all of the toys at a discounted rate. Or once they have finished playing with them, send them back.

You can choose the wooden toys you wish to rent or get in touch and DluluKaloo will create a custom rental bundle based on your needs.

Remember, this is a conversation to have with the whole household – even little ones can learn to switch off the lights and close the door when they leave a room, or to be aware of switching off devices and unplugging as needed.

1. Only boil as much water as you need, not a full kettle.
2. Don’t leave the fridge or freezer door open for too long – grab what you need and close the door immediately. Teach kids not to ‘browse’. According to the SEAI, for every 10-20 seconds the door is open it takes 45 minutes for the fridge to cool down to its original temperature.
3. Keep space in your fridge to allow air to circulate.
4. Don’t put warm food into the fridge; leave it to cool fully before chilling.
5. Only run the dishwasher when it is full.
6. Use the microwave – it uses less energy than the oven as it heats only the food and not the whole internal space.
7. Defrost your freezer every six months to keep it working as efficiently as possible.
8. Thaw frozen food in the fridge overnight. Not only is it best practice for food safety, it will also help to keep the fridge cool.
9. Use the right size hob ring for your pan. The closer the fit, the less wasted energy and the easier it will be to maintain temperature.
10. Use lids on your saucepan to speed up heating and maintain temperature.
11. Keep your freezer full as it means less energy is needed to keep it cold. If your freezer is looking a little empty, fill water bottles about two-thirds full and freeze.
12. Batch cook as much as possible and freeze leftovers for another day.
13. If the oven is on, use it to bake or cook multiple things at the same time. Meal planning will help with this – cook today and tomorrow’s dinner at the same time, then reheat portions in the microwave when needed.
14. Leave the oven door once finished cooking and let the residual heat warm the kitchen.
15. Use a tiered steamer to cook several items in one pot at the same time.
16. Use your slow cooker more, it uses considerably less energy than the oven.

1. Turn down the washing machine – lower temperatures use less energy. Clothes that are not very soiled can be washed at 30c. According to Energy Saving Trust, washing machines, dishwashers and anything else that uses water are known as ‘wet appliances’. These appliances take the top spot in terms of how much energy they use, accounting for 16% of total energy bill costs. The power needed to heat the water that they use pushes up consumption, making them energy-hungry household appliances.
2. Avoid washing half loads. Only wash your clothes when you have a full load.
3. Skip the dryer. Use an indoor clothes airer or outdoor clothes line to dry clothes.
4. If using the dryer, use dryer balls to speed up drying time.
5. If using the dryer, keep light (e.g. t-shirts) and heavy items (e.g. towels, jeans) separate. Trying to dry them together will result in the dryer being on for longer.
6. Don’t dry clothes directly on the radiator as it will block the heat to the rest of the room. Instead, use a clothes airer.

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1. Check the temperature on your water boiler – the flow temperature controls the heat of the water to the taps and shower. This is often set too high; it should be set to 60c which will ensure water is at a high enough temperature to keep safe from bacteria multiplying.
2. Keep an eye on your thermostat – between 18 and 21c is ideal.
3. If you can, turn it down by one degree. According to SEAI, you can reduce your heating bill by 10% by lowering your room temperature by just one degree.
4. Don’t leave your water on all the time. Set your water timer to come on 30-60 minutes before it will be needed (e.g. morning showers, kids bath time, etc)
5. Don’t use your thermostat as an on/off switch. Set it to your desired temperature and then leave it.
6. Get your boiler serviced regularly to ensure it’s as efficient as possible.

1. Close doors when you leave a room to ensure residual heat stays inside.
2. Make sure curtains don’t cover your radiators so heat makes it into the room not out the window.
3. Bleed radiators to ensure they are at optimum output, so you don’t risk turning up the thermostat to compensate.
4. Make sure furniture (e.g. couch) isn’t right on top of the radiator or it will absorb the heat.
5. Turn down radiators in rooms that aren’t being used regularly.
6. If you have an unused chimney, consider blocking it up to prevent heat loss. There are both temporary and permanent options available.
7. Have tiles or wooden floors? Consider sweeping up rather than vacuuming every time.
8. Use draught excluders (or even rolled up towels) around doors and windows.
9. Use silicone sealant to fill gaps around doors and windows, as needed
10. Install a letter box draught excluder if you don’t already have one.
11. Open curtains in the morning and allow passive heat to warm the room during the day.
12. Close curtains just before it gets dark outside to keep the residual heat inside.
13. Many external doors can be a source of heat escaping. Consider a curtain over the front/back door to keep the heat in.
14. Put exterior lights on a timer or motion sensors to reduce the need for lights to be on all night.
15. Use thermal silver foil behind radiators, particularly those on external walls, as this will reflect the heat back into the room.

1. Choose showers over baths.
2. Shorten your showers. According to Energy Saving Trust, keeping your shower time to just 4 minutes could save a typical household £65 a year on their energy bills.
3. Turn the shower off and don’t waste hot water while you shampoo your hair, wash your body, etc.
4. Turn the pressure down on your shower; more pressure means more water, and that requires more heating.
5. Don’t leave the water running – obviously not an environmentally friendly choice at any time, but in particular with the hot water that you’re paying to heat.
6. Make sure your hot water cylinder is wrapped and insulated.

1. Turn lights off when you leave a room.
2. Turn devices off standby or unplug when not in use. Don’t forget about lamps, chargers, etc.
3. Wear layers to regular your body temperature.
4. Feeling cold? Make adding another layer or warmer socks your first choice, rather than turning on the heating.
5. Put a hot water bottle into your bed 30 minutes before bedtime.
6. Add blankets on top of bed covers; woollen or cellular blankets and layers of thin blankets hold heat well.
7. Leave a blanket over the arm of the couch for snuggling up in the evenings.
8. Unplug chargers once phones are fully charged – don’t leave them overnight as they often only need an hour or two to be fully charged.
9. Don’t leave computers and laptops on standby or in ‘sleep’ mode; turn it off if not using it for more than an hour.
10. Skip the hairdryer (one of the most energy-consuming appliances) and towel dry your hair instead.
11. If you receive an estimated bill, call your energy supplier with an accurate meter reading.
12. If you have a tariff that provides cheaper electricity at certain hours, consider waiting to put on a wash.
13. Opt for the eco setting on appliances (e.g. washing machine, dishwasher) – it’ll be cooler and/or take longer, but will use less energy.
14. Look after your appliances to keep them working their best – clean the filters, don’t overload the washing machine drum, descale as needed, etc.
15. Get the whole household involved – you can’t optimise savings and reduce energy consumption if everyone isn’t on board.

1. When replacing appliances and white goods, choose the most energy efficient models.
2. Install a smart meter.
3. Insulate your home – around doors, windows, walls and in particular the attic. If you have a loft hatch/door, it could be a source of heat loss that needs rectifying.
4. Replace halogen bulbs with energy-saving LED alternatives.
5. Opt for thermal lined curtains and blinds.
6. Investigate the possibility of solar panels and alternative energy sources.
7. Replace windows with double- or triple-glazed versions.
8. Install water timers that will limit water usage.
9. Install a more energy efficient boiler.
10. Investigate the smart devices that are available to help you have more control over your energy usage.
11. See if you are eligible for an home improvement/eco grants to help reduce your energy consumption.