12/7/13

Millions of people visit our national parks every year, and the U.S. National Park Service has some easy tips for how you can help preserve them when you visit. While an unusual rock, gorgeous flower, starfish or even shed antlers found in the woods may seem like the perfect souvenir to bring home -- don’t. Not only is it illegal, but imagine if every person who visited the park took just one thing: It would significantly degrade the park and impact wild animals. Instead of driving to a park and fighting for a parking space, research if commuter buses exist that can drive you to and from the park. Less traffic, less hassle -- and you’ll have more time to enjoy your visit to the park.

12/6/13

If bringing outdoor plants indoors to protect them from the cold winter months is out of the question, plant them in the ground instead. Leaving container plants in their pots -- plastic, ceramic or terra cotta -- is a guaranteed death sentence. As the temperatures dip, their roots will freeze, and even the hardiest of plants will die. If it’s impossible to transfer them into the ground, transfer your container plants to a warmer area, like a garage, and cover them with burlap or an old bed sheet. Come spring, your plants will thrive and bring you beautiful flowers.

12/5/13

Many of us soak our cookware in water for several hours or overnight to loosen baked on food to make clean up easier. While that does work to loosen grime, it also can warp the pan over time, making it defective and difficult to use. To protect your cookware investment, allow your frying pan to cool to room temperature, and then immerse it in water for several minutes. That should be enough soaking time to make cleanup easier without risking any damage to the pan. And if you need a little extra help, sprinkle baking soda to use as an abrasion and scrub away.