Your old real evergreen Christmas tree can be reused to help your backyard garden thrive and grow. Instead of relegating it for curbside trash pickup, grab some shears and give it a pruning. Cut branches into smaller pieces, and use the evergreen boughs as mulch to protect bushes and flower beds. Pine breaks down quickly into beneficial mulch, so come springtime, it'll go away as your plants emerge from their winter slumber.

When we get cuts or scrapes on our bodies, many of us reach of hydrogen peroxide to kill germs and bacteria. The power of natural hydrogen peroxide can also work wonders in your kitchen to keep it clean and disinfected. All you have to do is fill a spray bottle with hydrogen peroxide (use the 3 percent-strength kind) and spray away on counters, cutting boards and anywhere else you want to kill germs. It also leaves surfaces streak-free.

According to the Paper and Packaging Board, there are many more items you can put into the paper recycling bin at work or at home. In addition to magazines, copy paper and old phone books, you can also put clean and dry cereal and food boxes, shoeboxes and even paperboard boxes that once held laundry detergent. Boxes used to hold cosmetics and greetings cards are usually accepted for recycling, too.