Curl up by an easy green fireplace with your cat

A cool weather happiness formula:  Happiness = curled up by fireplace + cat + book

Can we enjoy this and be healthy and ecological too? Yes! We discovered an alternative to firewood that works nicely. I found JavaLogs at WholeFoods last year, and places like Ace Hardware are stocking them now.

Our cats and our furniture both get REAL close to the fire, and our grate doesn’t block all sparks, but the Java Logs are super safe. They don’t send out sparks and they don’t fill the air with smoke. They emit just a little clean-scented stream of smoke up the chimney.

Tip: To make the flames brighter, as in the photo, you need to stoke it a bit.

And no, they don’t make your house smell like coffee, which is a plus or a minus, depending on how you feel about coffee.

Java Log says that they divert 12 million pounds of coffee grounds from landfills per year and emit up to 78% less carbon monoxide and up to 66% less creosote than cordwood fires.

No wood chopping or firemaking skills required
Leave the wrapper on the Java Log and get a match. You just need to light it in 3 spots designated by red arrows on the wrapper, and you’re done. City folks love that. The 5lb logs burns well for about 3 hours.

Enjoy. And here are some other items to optimize your Cool Weather Happiness Formula:

+ beverage of choice
+ your sweetie if you’ve got one at the moment
+ good music in the background