3/18/13

Here’s a gardening trick to lighten your flowerpots' weight and help your plants thrive: Recycle packing peanuts in container gardens. Fill your potting containers with a few inches of polystyrene packing peanuts you've gotten in packages, then top with potting soil. This will help lighten the pot to make it easier to move around, and it will help with drainage to keep your plants healthy and happy.

3/17/13

Here's an easy upcycling idea to keep the small cords for your cellphone, digital camera and other devices neatly organized and ready to go: use an old eyeglass case. Coil your cords and stash them inside the case. They'll be neatly organized and can be stashed in your bag or suitcase when you travel, too. If you don't have an old eyeglass case, try using old pencil cases.

3/16/13

Bed bugs have become such a health epidemic that the phrase "don't let the bed bugs bite" is literal for many people. One way to help curtail the risk of bed bugs at home is to make cleaning your mattress a regular part of making your bed. To clean your bed, simply strip it to the bare mattress and generously sprinkle baking powder and kosher salt on top. The baking powder will deodorize the bed, and the salt will dehydrate any potential bugs or bed bug eggs that may be lurking in corners. Then vacuum, making sure to pay special attention to crevices and tufted areas where critters may be lurking.