While there are rules and programs in place to properly dispose of prescription pills so they don't end up in the wrong hands, we often don't realize over-the-counter medication needs any special disposal methods. But the reality is that these pills -- pain medications and sleep aids, for example -- should not be flushed down the toilet or tossed into the trash. Instead, mix them with used coffee grinds, sour milk or anything completely unappetizing before tossing them. Adding anything edible could make them tempting to wild animals or your family pet.

If you're a novice at backyard vegetable gardening, but your first season was successful, you may want to take advantage of the cooler weather to expand your garden. In multi-season climates, when the leaves change color, you can pile compost and soil right onto grass to naturally prepare it for plantings in the spring. Covering grass with a few inches of organic planting matter in the fall will suffocate the grass; let it break down and you'll have new raised beds when the snow melts away.

Want to make an instant face scrub that exfoliates and hydrates dry skin in two easy steps? Just raid your pantry for chia seeds and coconut oil. Mix the two together and gently wipe your face. The chia seeds naturally exfoliate dead skin cells, and the coconut oil hydrates. Allow the mask to sit on your skin for a few minutes, then rinse it off to reveal baby-soft, hydrated, healthy skin. This beauty treatment uses food-grade ingredients you might already have and has no chemicals.