Ever wonder why so much produce is wrapped in plastic shrink-wrap or in plastic packaging, including certified organic fruits and veggies? It can be frustrating when you're trying to limit your plastic consumption, but there is a reason: It turns out that when one piece of produce -- an apple, for example -- spoils, it can speed up the ripening process for all the other produce in that bin at the market. Keeping it separated helps with food waste. And organic produce can't touch conventional produce, which is why it's often separated by plastic. Frustrating, yes, which is why shopping at your local farmers market is often the greenest choice.

With colder weather around the corner, one thing you can do to save energy at home is called "draftproofing." Take a lighted incense stick around your home to find hidden drafts. When you hold the stick near walls, attic doors, entry doors, fireplace dampers and windows, see if the smoke goes horizontally. If it does, there's a leak that needs to be sealed. Caulk, foam and weather stripping can help insulate and fix this problem quickly and easily.

Halloween usually means face painting, but since cosmetics sold at costume shops rarely list ingredients, that could mean things like lead, arsenic and even mercury in face paints. If spreading these chemicals on your kid's face makes you feel uneasy, try this DIY solution: Use cornstarch, water and food coloring. You can customize the exact shades you want and feel good that you're using food-grade ingredients to achieve a spooktacular look.