2/2/11

Many dogs and cats in shelters are in need of homes. One way you can help is to sign up as a "friend" on your local shelter's Facebook page and learn about animals that are close to being put down. By posting the dog or cat's photo and profile on your wall, your friends can also re-post the information on their walls, thereby helping the animal find a home quickly.

2/1/11

Reed diffusers are an easy way to add natural scent to a room without burning candles or spraying artificial fragrances. But buying new diffusers -- the vial of oil, the container and reeds -- in addition to all the packaging can be wasteful and expensive. Instead, buy a refill of oil and use an old waterproof vase and a handful of Chinese food takeout bamboo chopsticks as the reeds. You'll save money and get the same effect.

1/31/11

A slow computer is not always the result of a virus or a lack of memory on the hard drive. Sometimes, it can be a surge protector that the computer (and any additional computer accessories) is plugged into. Surge protectors are necessary to help prevent damaging electrical surges to your computer, but they, too, can wear out in about three years. To test to see if your surge protector is the reason for the slowdown, simply swap it out with a different one and run your computer.