4/30/12

More than $100 billion in prepaid gift cards are sold every year, and more than $5 billion of that never gets used. If you have a card with a small balance on it and you're not sure what to do with it, visit donatemycard.com to support your favorite charity. The site makes it easy: Find your charity, enter the details on your card and donate the remaining balance to a good cause. Imagine what $5 billion could do to make this world a better place!

4/29/12

Your freezer is a free and highly effective way to deodorize and clean everyday things around the house. Musky books, a well-worn baseball cap and jeans you don't want to shrink can all be tossed into the freezer to be "cleaned." Freezing these items overnight helps kill smelly mildew and other bacteria. Even hard-to-wash throw pillows can be placed in the freezer to kill dust mites that might be lurking inside.

4/22/12

Flimsy plastic clothes hangers from the store can be upcycled into useful snack food closures in one easy step. The next time you go shopping and you come home with pants hangers -- usually with two clips holding your pants snugly in place -- pop off the clips, and use them to keep pantry staples fresh. Roll down a bag of cereal or chips, and clip it closed. Of course it's best to leave hangers at the store to be reused, but for the strays that make it home, this is great way to upcycle them.