You've heard of secondhand smoking, but did you know there is also thirdhand smoking? The children's health advocacy group Healthy Child Healthy World says thirdhand smoking is when toxic residues left behind from a smoker remain on things like clothes, fabric, furnishings, walls, bedding and other porous surfaces in a room. While the simplest step to protect children is to avoid smokers altogether, that can't always be the case. If you go into a room that has traces of smoke, open a window and use fans to circulate air. Ask people who smoke to change clothes and wash hands before interacting with infants and children.

Sure, you can donate items like lightly used clothes, kitchenware, books and other household items to Goodwill, but did you know you can also donate gift cards -- no matter the amount remaining? Billions of dollars go unused every year on gift cards -- some with as little as a penny left -- but they can be donated easily. The charity can look up the remaining balance on the cards and either resell them in stores or consolidate them through a third-party vendor that gives a percentage of the total balance to the nonprofit.

This may seem against conventional wisdom, but don't keep flour in the pantry or in a countertop container like mom did. More of us are using whole-wheat flour instead of white flour, and the wheat germ can go rancid very quickly. Once you open your bag of whole-wheat flour, transfer it to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator or freezer to help keep it fresher longer. Flour, like baking soda, can absorb odors very easily, so make sure the container really is airtight, otherwise your next batch of scones might taste like onions, garlic or leftover Chinese takeout.