Hitting the slopes can be an expensive proposition. It can also be a wasteful one if you’ve never skied before and decide it's not for you -- only after buying all the necessary equipment and clothes. Before you make the financial commitment, considering renting. Ski equipment is easy to rent, but now ski clothes (parkas, snow pants, helmets, etc.) can be rented. The website getoutfitted.com makes it easy: Browse and order your rentals online, and the company will ship them directly to your house. When you’re done, just pack them all in the box and use the prepaid shipping label to send them back.

Need a small ice scraper for your car to help you navigate through the rough and chilly winter weather? Since ice scrapers are inexpensive and easy to find, go one green step further and look for one that’s made from 100 percent recycled materials. Many scrapers are now made from 100 percent recycled plastic from old soda, juice and water bottles. The same bottles you put out for recycling are collected, shredded and made into new products, including these ice scrapers. And if you’re a small business looking to promote, many online promotional product companies now stock them and can customize them with your logo.

A throw pillow can be impossible to clean, since most don't let you unzip the cover and take out the insert. If your decorative pillows need a good cleaning, try disinfecting them with all-natural borax cleaning detergent. Sprinkle the borax generously over the pillow and let it sit for at least one hour. Then use the handheld attachment on the vacuum to clean it up. Not only will this remove the surface dirt, it should also remove a significant amount of bacteria, mold and any other allergy-causing germs.