In the summer months, thunderstorms may mean relief to us humans, but it can be a scary experience for our pets. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has launched a free smartphone app to help pet owners. If your dog or cat goes missing (especially during a traumatic moment like fireworks or a thunderstorm), this app helps you take the right steps to find it. The app includes strategic steps to use when looking for your pet, a personalized missing pet recovery kit, a digital missing pet flyer that can instantly be shared across all social media channels and access to health records for your pet. Just search "ASPCA" in the app store and download for free.

Backyard gardening is hot, hot, hot right now, and everyone from novice gardeners to green-thumb pros are sharing more than tips online. The online forum GardenWeb is a great place to share ideas, tips and ask questions about gardening. But it's also a free forum to connect gardeners who have excess seeds with those who want them. Often, all you have to do is send a self-addressed stamped envelope to the gardener with seeds, and he'll ship you free seeds. Remember to share the wealth: If you have leftover seeds after planting, offer them up the next time you're surfing the web.

African elephants are often illegally hunted by poachers for their ivory tusks. Obviously, one way to help protect elephants is to never buy products made from ivory. But unlike intricately carved ivory tusks, statues and jewelry that are clearly made from ivory, there are many home items also made from ivory that aren't clearly marked. Things like billiard balls, dominos, fans, piano keys and carved collectibles can also be made from ivory. The easiest way to tell if an item is ivory (and not bone) is to run your fingers across it. If it's smooth like butter, it's likely ivory. If it has any texture or pockmarks, it's likely bone. When in doubt, move on.