If you have a bunch of apples that are getting a bit mushy, use them to naturally deodorize your home before you toss them in the compost. Just cut the apples in half and place them wherever you have smells you want to neutralize: next to a litter box, inside a closet that stores shoes or even overnight inside a car overnight that unfortunately smells like cigarette smoke. The apples have the consistency of a natural sponge and they hold onto odor, so the longer they have their cut side open, the more neutralizing can occur. After 24 hours, just toss the cut fruit in the compost.

Sure, a plastic soda or water bottle can be recycled, but why not easily upcycle it into a modern bird feeder for the backyard? Just wash and dry out a bottle and fill it with a store-bought birdseed mix. Then use an inexpensive insert called the Soda Bottle Birdfeeder that screws onto the opening so you can invert the whole thing and hang it from a tree. The metal cap has chambers that release seed in small doses so it's bird-friendly and squirrel resistant.

Who knew that some flowers are more than just beautiful to look at, but are useful to help maintain the natural organic health of your garden? Plant lots of chrysanthemums in your garden because they contain a natural chemical called "pyrethrin," which is toxic to insects. These beautiful flowers are easy to grow and come in a wide variety of colors, so you can mix them in between vegetables and other plants that are normally a treat to ravenous insects.