Here's something you probably didn't know you can compost: your clothing. Backyard compost piles are designed to break down organic matter into beneficial mulch, and while items like apple cores, leaves and grass clippings make sense, so do garments that are made from 100 percent wool or 100 percent cotton. The key is to keep things like rayon, polyester and buttons out of the pile. If you cut the pure wool or cotton garments into small pieces, they can be safely added to the compost bin.

Planning your big summer vacation? If you believe half the fun is getting to your destination, consider using trains instead of airplanes for your trip. While it may take longer to get there, train travel has a much lower carbon footprint than flying on a gas-guzzling plane. According to the International Energy Agency, car travel accounts for 71 percent of CO2 emission, planes account for 12.3 percent and railways just 1.8 percent. So go green and embrace the romantic and fun idea of seeing America by rail.

Many of us live in communities that have water restrictions, especially when it comes to taking care of lawns and gardens. A simple trick to help keep things cooler is to allow the branches on bushes and shrubs to stay full and as low to the ground as possible. Branches create shade, and if you add leaves and mulch on top of the soil, it creates a double cooling effect that reduces evaporation. Less evaporation means less water is needed to keep your plants healthy and alive.