Back in the day before my hubby and I had children, we were at war – not with each other or with a neighbor.  We were at war with our 1973-built townhouse.  We were determined to turn our energy sucking behemoth into a model of efficiency.  So each weekend, we would get up on Saturday morning, head to our neighborhood home improvement store and get ready for a weekend of battle.  We painted, we redid our bathrooms (although I admit we kept the high-flush, inefficient toilets), we insulated the attic, and we strategically placed hardwood and carpeted floors throughout our home.  When all of that was done, we decided to really test our marriage.  We tackled the kitchen, making it a lean, mean Energy Star blessed machine.  We were definitely what one would call weekend warriors.  Flash forward a few years.  Now each Saturday morning, you can now find me and my husband trying to sleep while attempting to ignore the sound of Sesame Street and praying that the baby doesn’t wake up.
 
For those of you from our neck of the woods, who are still waging the weekend renovation wars, I have some good news that will save you a few dollars and make your home a more efficient place:
 
The Dominion State has decided to give Virginians a sales-tax holiday on Oct. 5-8 for purchases of select Energy Star-related appliances to save energy and money and to protect the environment.  During the four day-day holiday, customers won't have to pay state and local sales tax on Energy Star-qualified products that cost $2,500 or less.  This gift to weekend warriors includes everything from light bulbs to ceiling fans and refrigerators. Click here for more information.