12/20/10

Fruit flies can appear from almost nowhere and turn your tranquil kitchen into a jungle nightmare. Instead of reaching for the chemical insect spray, try this time-tested and nontoxic alternative instead. Simply fill a bowl with white vinegar and add a few drops of liquid dish detergent. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar and the soap will coat their wings, making it impossible for them to fly out. In a few days, your fruit fly problem will be solved.

12/19/10

While taking showers conserves more water than filling up a bath tub, some days you just need to luxuriate in a hot bath. One way to save water is to simply displace the water with your own body weight as the water fills up. When the tub is about one-quarter of the way full, get in. As the water continues to rise around you, it'll get to the level you want while using less. Your body is taking up more room, which means the tub needs less water to fill up.

12/18/10

Many people like the convenience of those new single-serve coffee makers that brew a cup of coffee by using a pre-filled plastic pod. The problem? Millions of those disposable pods end up in the trash every day and aren't biodegradable. Instead, look for refillable pod inserts, which you can fill with your own ground coffee and rinse out when finished. You can use them over and over without any waste.