12/2/13

The nonprofit Partners in Development works to help people in extreme poverty in countries like Haiti and Guatemala; it provides financial support, guidance, education and supplies to help the poor create their own businesses to spur economic development in those countries. As its network of volunteers visits these countries, they find a need for lightly used suitcases and duffel bags to help store and bring needed supplies. If you want to donate your luggage, visit pidonline.org to learn more.

12/1/13

One energy hog in the kitchen is the stove, and an easy way to make sure your gas or electric stove works as efficiently as possible is to periodically clean the drip pans and grates. It's easy: When your stove is cooled down, remove the drip pans and grates and soak them in the sink for an hour in a mixture of baking soda and white vinegar. Use a scouring sponge to clean the burners on the stove, and wipe them dry with a towel. Replace the drip pans and grates, and you should save some energy.

11/30/13

The United States Postal Service has a simple green tip when sending holiday presents through the mail this year: Reuse what you have. Yes, you can use the perfectly sturdy cardboard box your new shoes came in as a gift box to send through the mail. You can run old magazines, direct mailers and old mail through a paper shredder to use as packing material to protect fragile items. And instead of driving to the post office, save fuel and print out postage online at USPS.com and schedule a pickup at your home; the post office comes to your home six days a week anyway, so why not have them pick up your packages free of charge?