11/21/12

When children outgrow their winter coats, you can help give a family in need a chance to bundle up and stay warm this winter. One charity that collects, cleans and distributes lightly used children's coats is Baby Buggy. Not only will it accept your coats, it will assess the value and send you a letter for tax deduction purposes. Learn more at babybuggy.org.

11/20/12

If you use a water filtration system at home, the good news is that both portable and faucet systems do a great job of removing harmful mercury, lead and chemicals from your H2O. The bad part? Many of us toss our old filters into the trash when we replace them. Tossing these metal- and chemical-soaked filters in the trash can lead to cross contamination in our landfills. Save the filters and dispose of them with your household hazardous waste (HHW) instead. Ask your local township for a calendar of HHW drop-off days to dispose of your filters properly.

11/19/12

Who knew upcycling could also be a de-stressing activity? The Journal of the American Medical Association found that a person's heart rate, blood pressure and skin temperatures dropped when he or she crafted. One easy way to turn trash into kid-friendly treasure is to collect empty juice and milk carton containers and paint the exteriors with craft paint. Allow the paint to dry, and let kids decorate the fronts like buildings -- with windows, doors and signage. Embellish the scene with toy cars and dolls to make your own miniature city.