1/26/09

Did you know aluminum foil is recyclable? After you're done baking a casserole in the oven, just peel off the aluminum and crumble it up into a ball. If it's coated with last night's dinner, a quick rinse under the sink should remove any leftovers. Toss it in the curbside recycling bin for pickup.

Are your winter boots and shoes full of ice and snow? Here's a quick and simple way to dry them out: Place the shoes on top of a stack of newspapers and stuff the insides of shoes with newspaper, too. It'll absorb excess moisture and help the shoes dry quicker. Bonus! Since newspaper is designed to absorb ink, it'll absorb other things, too ... like odors! If you regularly stuff your shoes with newspaper, it'll help them keep fresher.

1/25/09

Time to water the plants? As your morning shower heats up, fill a watering can with the cold water before it goes down the drain. Let the water come to room temperature and give your thirsty plants a soaking (plants prefer tepid water to bone-chilling cold H2O). What's that, you don't have a houseplant? Then go pick one up, because it can help purify the air in your home by filtering out toxins. Foolproof, hard-to-kill varieties include the spider plant and succulents.

1/24/09