How green is your world? For some of us, the inconvenient truth is this: When it comes to “greening” our home, our lifestyle, our family and our pets, we are not always sure where to begin. Here are some easy-to-embrace, eco-friendly tips. Try some. Try them all. We and the planet may be better for them.

In the midst of today’s soft housing market, and during a time when saving money is top-of-mind, many homeowners are embarking on small, do-it-yourself improvement projects around the home instead of extensive overhauls or making the move to a new home.

Ice sends thousands sliding, slipping and falling each year. And unfortunately, many of those falls result in serious injury. You can’t control the weather, but you may be able to keep ice from forming on your walkways. One innovative company, HeatTrak, manufactures outdoor mats that, when plugged into an electrical outlet, melt snow and ice at a rate of two inches per hour. Commonly used by businesses and university campuses, HeatTrak mats have recently become available to homeowners.

Economic news got you feeling the blues? A little jolt of color can take care of that. Budget-consciousness doesn’t always mean having to abandon your dreams for a more colorful living space. Using a little creativity and materials such as spray paint, you can still enjoy a love affair with color, without a big commitment of time or money.

Each year, DIY Network gives one lucky winner their very own state-of-the-art vacation retreat that is designed by the viewers. Online, viewers vote on the many different phases of each home project, then watch as construction is documented in TV’s only interactive home-building series, Blog Cabin. Locations for the three cabins thus far include mountain-side retreats and lakefront getaways that encompass everything about a vacation destination.