Java Scrub: The next time you brew a cup of fresh, shade-grown, organic coffee right at home, don't toss the used coffee grinds into the trash. First, spoon some warm grinds into your hands and mix it with your favorite hand soap. Now scrub away. The grinds will exfoliate dead skin off your hands and the soap will keep everything squeaky clean. Scatter the remaining grinds around your evergreen shrubs and trees; it's an energizing fertilizer for them!

1/28/10

Time to water the plants? As your morning shower heats up, fill a watering can with the cold water before it goes down the drain. Let the water come to room temperature and give your thirsty plants a soaking (plants prefer tepid water to bone-chilling cold H2O). What's that, you don't have a houseplant? Then go pick one up -- it can help purify the air in your home by filtering out toxins. Foolproof, hard-to-kill varieties include the spider plant and succulents.

1/27/10

Tip: Be sure to wipe the paws of our canine friends after a walk outdoors; the de-icing mix can harm them. Keep a pile of small towels by the door for easy cleanup.

1/26/10