Do you have a large number of items like furniture, clothes and workout equipment you'd like to donate to charity but don't have the means to actually bring it to the donation center? The Salvation Army has made it easy to donate toward its good works through its website, satruck.org. Simply enter your ZIP code, and the site will direct you to the local Salvation Army center. Select the items you want to donate, choose a pickup date and a truck will come and take away your items. And don't forget: The Salvation Army also provides a tax deduction valuation list for your donated goods, which you can deduct from your personal income taxes.

When it's time to discard your fresh Christmas tree after the holidays, be sure to give it a thorough inspection first. Make sure anything artificial -- string, tinsel, ribbon, ornament hooks -- is completely off the tree. Since most communities turn fresh trees into mulch, these plastic and metal bits and pieces can get shredded and inadvertently blended into the organic mixture. These small bits of trash can end up washing into creeks, then rivers, and eventually into lakes and oceans, where they cause pollution. If you want to take an even bigger step, avoid putting anything plastic on the tree to begin with. Decorate with natural materials and keepsake ornaments you know will never have a chance of accidentally being left on the tree come Dec. 26.

Many people use firewood as a source of heat during the winter months. While it may seem like a time-saving idea to stack large amounts of wood inside the home, it's best to bring in wood on an as-needed basis. When you bring in firewood, you risk introducing mold spores into your home, which can affect your indoor air quality. For people who have asthma and other respiratory illnesses, this can be a health problem. Most people want to avoid a mold infestation in their home anyway. Instead, store firewood outside in a dry place, like the front porch, and bring it in when needed.