1/15/13

Many car air fresheners are loaded with synthetic fragrances and plasticizers like phthalates, which can create an unhealthy environment in your car. An eco-friendly way to deodorize your car requires you to raid your grill: Fill a large tea strainer (the kind for a whole kettle of tea) with charcoal, then hang it on the rearview mirror or place it in a side pocket in the car. The natural deodorizing properties of the charcoal will absorb odor and help your car smell like nothing at all.

1/14/13

Got lots of loose packing peanuts and not sure what to do with them? Don't toss them in the trash; instead, find a new home for them. The Plastic Loose Fill Council has a website that helps you find drop-off locations near you where packing peanuts are collected and reused. Simply visit loosefillpackaging.com and enter your ZIP code to find locations nearest you.

1/13/13

With the holiday season over, it's a good reminder that it can be a challenge to find good, sturdy gift boxes when you need them. The next time you need a box for a present, think the courthouse. Your local courthouse has tons of unprinted, unadorned, sturdy boxes that ballots, legal folders and other important documents came in. Often, you'll find piles of them in the hallway marked FREE. So the next time you have jury duty and some time to kill, look for the boxes and create a box stash.