My home office.

All day, buzzing electronics surround me. My computer bounces with emails while my phone charges for its next call. As the weather changes, I adjust light fixtures and the thermostat to regulate the temperature. Whether you work from home all day like I do or just sit at the computer at night to pay bills, you are probably surrounded by opportunities to help the environment and reduce your overall home electricity bill. Home office energy efficiency tips provide simple, effective ways to change your consumption. These 10 home office energy efficiency tips can be implemented in your home office, cubical space or companywide. . . .

If you are living in Maryland right now, there has never been a better time to improve the efficiency of your home. Why? Because in 2008, Maryland General Assembly passed the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act. This act aims to reduce per capita energy consumption at peak demand by 15 percent from 2007 to 2015. Currently, we live in the middle of this push for Maryland to reduce its energy consumption. . . .

Green settings let me wake up my computer with a wiggle of my purple mouse.

Every day my morning starts the same. I jiggle my mouse and wait for my screen to flicker to my folder-filled desktop. The inside hums; the lights steadily increase their glow. Each electronic indicator brings me closer to the workday but also costs me more energy. . . .

Switching to a low-flow showerhead can save you water and money in the bathroom.

Nearly 17 percent of residential water disappears down the shower drain, but with a low-flow showerhead, you can conserve water and your bank account. By changing this one fixture in your home, you reduce your yearly water use by 2,900 gallons, or 18,50 venti coffees from Starbucks. That’s a lot of liquid. . . .

Cole and I enjoy the Pennsylvania Capitol.

When you build your state capitol to impress during the American Renaissance, it glimmers. Even though I have no other capitol to compare it to, the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg, Pa., did not disappoint. You would think I would have visited the Kansas or Nebraska Capitol, considering I lived in the capital a year. Regardless, it's stunning. With a sticker price of $13 million from 1901-1904, you expect the marble, gold and stained glass. . . .