One of the easiest ways to save water during spring and summer months is to know exactly when it’s time to water your lawn. First, try this simple trick: Step on your lawn. According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense program, if the grass bounces back after you step on it, there’s no need to water. If it lays flat, it’s time to water. And even then, only water early in the morning or late at night, when the sun’s rays don’t evaporate the water. When it’s coolest outside, the ground will have the best chance to soak in all of that invigorating H2O.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you see a cat and wonder if it’s a stray or feral, there’s one thing you can do: Check out its ears. Often, when a cat is neutered, a painless procedure is done to its right ear that gives it a small notch or tip. It’s designed to inform the public that this cat has in fact been neutered, is likely not feral and has a home. If a cat does not have a notch, there is a high likelihood it’s a stray. Humanely trapping and bringing the stray cat to a veterinarian to neuter helps control the cat population.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Many of us have gift cards for stores like J.C. Penney, Target and Kohls, with just a few dollars left on the card. Instead of letting the cards go unused, you can donate them to the nonprofit Sew Much Comfort, which takes new clothes and retrofits them into adaptive clothing (with hook and loop closures) to provide wounded service members with normal-looking clothing that they can easily put on and remove. Since 2004, Sew Much Comfort has distributed more than 122,000 pieces of clothing to wounded soldiers. Learn more and donate at sewmuchcomfort.org.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION