Picture Perfect: The view through our new (and clean) windows.My husband and I are taking measures to cut costs. Factors that lead to the decision include rising energy costs and our decision for me to leave the work force to be home full-time with our 17-month-old and soon-to-be newborn.

My post today is a continuation from last week's entry about our decision to enter the Alaska Housing Finance Corporation’s Home Energy Rebate program. In an effort to boost our energy rating from the current 1+ rating, we have replaced our windows, plan to blow insulation in the attic, and hope to replace the boiler and water heater.

We replaced all windows upstairs last Wednesday and I must say it was a fairly low-key event. The crew arrived at around 9:45 and was finished by 2:30! Granted, it was their last job before the Thanksgiving holiday, so there was a lot of motivation to complete the replacements as quickly as possible.

The difference is amazing. For one, it is quieter. We live on a very busy street and the noise level has gone down significantly. The house is much warmer and the cool air pockets are gone. In fact, I had to open the window in our bedroom for a few minutes just to get some circulation going through the house. My only complaint is about the trim which was included with the price of the replacements. We were told the trim would match the other trim around the doors. It doesn’t. In fact, it looks nothing like our old trim. Just a little word of advice, make sure the trim you want is understood before the crew arrives.

I’ll continue to keep you posted on the process as we move forward with making our home more energy efficient via the AHFC Home Energy Rebate Program. Next week, I’m changing gears a bit and will focus on maintaining a healthy, balanced lifestyle through the holidays. That is a very tall task for me because I’m seven months pregnant and could have eaten an entire turkey on my own on Thanksgiving (seriously, it’s a good thing other people were around).