There is a major movement to help honeybees, who are losing valuable habitat all over the world. Bees are the most important part of the pollination process, and it's important for all of us to make small changes to protect, nurture and support bee populations. One easy way to help is to beautify your lawn with untreated flower and plant varieties that bees love. Consider flowers like lilacs, lavender, verbena and sage. Also, plant vegetables and herbs like tomatoes, pumpkins, sunflowers, oregano, mint and rosemary. Not only do honeybees love them, they are all fairly easy to grow, too.

When going on vacation or leaving home for long periods of time, there are simple steps you can take to avoid wasting energy at home. In the warmer months, set your thermostat at 85 degrees, but never completely turn it off -- it will force your refrigerator to work harder. For the water heater, turn it down to low (or turn it off at the circuit breaker if you have an electric one) or onto vacation mode if it's gas. Unplug large electronic equipment like TVs, DVD players, cable boxes, coffee makers and computers. And if you have a pool, lower the temperature setting and reduce the filter run times. All of these steps will add up to significant savings.

Many of us plant gardens in the spring and might be wondering if we can use old potting soil in our gardens. If you left potted plants outdoors with the soil still inside, you can still mix it into the garden or actually reuse it for potted plants. Since potting soil is technically soil-free -- it's a mix of peat moss, perlite and compost -- all you have to do is mix it with fresh organic compost. You'll end up with a nutrient-rich mix perfect for either your garden or new houseplants. Just shake out the roots from the old plant before mixing in the new compost, and you'll be good to go.