1/18/10

Before you leave your house for the day, shut the drapes over the windows. As the blustery, chilly air blows outside, the drapes will help to minimize the cold air from seeping inside. Be sure to lower the thermostat, too, if no one will be home all day, and raise it back up when you come home.

1/16/10

If a pile of old woolen scarves are weighing you down, recycle them into a cozy blanket perfect for curling up in. Simply pin scarves together in a pattern you like and bring them to a local dry cleaner for sewing (or sew it yourself if you're handy). For a few dollars, they'll finish off the blanket for you. Got lots of scarves? Make an extra one for the car to keep your passengers warm, too.

Running errands today? Try doing them back-to-back to save gas. When you start up a car that has a warm engine, it pollutes up to five times less than one that hasn't been driven recently.

Tip: If you stop at a strip mall where you need to make two stops, try parking between both stores and walking to each one, instead of driving to both stores.