10/3/12

Many of us have the ubiquitous packets of ketchup in our office or home junk drawer. If the ketchup is past its prime to use on french fries, turn it into metal polish instead. Squeeze the packets open on tarnished copper and brass cookware, rub with a cloth and the brilliant metals should shine through in a few minutes. Just rinse and buff to finish.

10/2/12

Another reason to avoid artificial fragrance: it can confuse bees. Bees are vital to the natural world thanks to the important work they do to pollinate flowers. They are attracted to the sweet-smelling scent from actual flowers, and are also attracted to artificial scents found in body washes, perfumes, shampoo, air fresheners and scented candles. This confusion by bees can lead to fewer pollinated flowers. One way to help is to choose fragrance-free options whenever possible.

10/1/12

Has the power gone out to your home recently? Not sure what's safe to eat or what to toss from the refrigerator? The U.S. Department of Agriculture has a website that lists foods you can keep and ones you should throw away. The department warns that appearance and odor are not good indicators of which foods are safe to eat. For example, milk should be tossed, but butter and processed cheese are fine to keep. Fresh fruits that are cut should be tossed, but an open jar of fruit juice is fine to keep. For the whole list, visit foodsafety.gov.