Sick houseplant? Make it a healthy cocktail. Try pouring a little carbonated water instead of regular tap water when watering unhealthy plants. The reason? The bubbly water has something called macronutrients, which include carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, phosphorous, potassium, sulfur and sodium. These are all nutrients that plants need, and when done through water, they absorb it quickly and can heal themselves -- and also grow at a faster rate. Even if you just have a little leftover club soda, give it to your plants, and say "cheers!"

Do you have a collection of beloved T-shirts you just can't bear to part with? Or maybe that your kids have outgrown? Yes, you can donate them to charity. But you can also have them upcycled into a cozy blanket. For people who don't like to sew, Project Repat takes your shirts and cuts them into squares, which are then sewn into a quilt, all lined with a 100 percent recycled fleece backing. It's as simple as boxing it up, sending it away and waiting a few days to get your brand-new quilt. Learn more at projectrepat.com.

It may not lead to a picture-perfect backyard, but leaving the dried heads of your flowers intact in the fall through the winter can do a lot of good. As they poke through the wintery white snow later this year, the seed heads provide needed nutrients and sustenance to birds. They land on the dead flowers and peck at the seed heads. You can also collect dried flowers with seed heads and bundle them into a "bouquet" of sorts. In the winter, hang them from a tree so birds can feed from your buffet.