Just when we Floridians thought the air was clear…the smoke is headed back to certain parts of the Sunshine State, specifically, the west coast. Winds are pushing the smoke south and west, so if you’ve got your windows open, I’d suggest closing them and kicking the a/c on. Tomorrow, we can expect hazy sunshine and lots of coughing for those of you allergic to the smoke.

One of the first things we did when we bought our house was put up blinds in every single room. Our house faces south, and with no shade in the front yard, the sun is a killer. It’s amazing how hot it can make one of the upstairs bedrooms! In fact, the blinds weren’t enough for the 2 front rooms. We added room darkening drapes as well, to block the light and heat. We went with the faux wood, white 2 inch slats through the whole house, but there is a huge selection of blinds to be found online - styles and colors you didn’t even imagine. I’m considering putting up a Roman shade over the blings in my laundry room - it would soften the look of the window and block out some of the heat there as well. You can really personalize your house with some of the choices, and make it energy efficient at the same time!