4/5/14

If spring cleanup in your backyard means cutting tree limbs and branches, think about postponing your yard work until the first days of summer. Wild animals like squirrels and raccoons use tree hollows as nests for their babies in the early parts of spring, and birds use trees to build nests to lay eggs. If you can't wait to trim your trees, ask your landscaper or arborist to do a comprehensive survey of the trees you want worked on to make sure there are no active dens with wild animals inside.

4/4/14

If you detest junk mail but still like to know what money-saving coupons might be available to you, you can stop the junk and save money, too. Valpak is one of the largest mailers of printed coupons for local businesses in your geographical location. You can stop paper mailings by visiting their parent company site, coxtarget.com, to withdraw your name from future mailings. To keep seeing what values there are in your community, you can use the free Valpak app or website, Valpak.com, to pick and choose savings when you need them by printing out exactly which coupons you want.

4/3/14

Think twice about keeping decorative pillows on your bed. If you're in the habit of tossing them onto the floor each night before drifting off, you may actually be making your bed unhealthier and dirtier. Pillows that rest on the floor can collect dirt, bacteria, dust mites and other creepy crawlies. When you make the bed in the morning, you're bringing those unwanted microorganisms right onto your bed. Instead, just keep the pillows you actually sleep with on the bed or place the decorative pillows on a chair or side table instead.