A lot of outdoor potted plants can’t be brought indoors to protect them from the harsh, cold winter months. When you leave your potted plants to fend for themselves, give them a little extra security using bubble wrap. Wrap the pots with a few layers of bubble wrap and use tough shipping tape to secure it in place. The air pockets act as insulation and will help keep the pots from cracking, and the wrap will also help protect the pots from things like snow shovels. Remove the bubble wrap in the spring and watch your plants come to life.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When a drip of oil from a greasy slice of pizza ends up on your clothes, there’s no reason to panic. Instead of dousing the garment with laundry detergent, try a pantry staple instead: corn starch. The powdery substance is super absorbent and will soak up the oil stain. Just cover the stain with corn starch and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. Then toss the garment into the washing machine and wash as normal to eradicate that grease stain for good.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

It seems everything can go into a paper recycling bin: scrap paper, newspapers, magazines and junk mail. But often what seems like paper isn’t actually recyclable, and that includes old photographs. While technically printed on paper, old photos have a thin polythene coating on top (which gives them a glossy or matte finish). This is a synthetic material that can clog up paper recycling machines when the photos are pulped. Rather than trying to recycle them, save the photos or toss them into the trash.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION