Many stores are temporarily banning reusable shopping bags to protect workers from getting ill from viruses that may be harbored on them. If you'd like to avoid using single-use plastic when shopping, try two options. In the grocery store, ask for cardboard boxes (shallow ones used for produce, for example) and use them to fill up and carry your groceries home; the cardboard is reusable and recyclable. Or opt for no bags at all and wheel a cart full of purchased groceries to your car, where you can fill up your reusable bags yourself.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Sure, it's money-saving, but it's also fun to regenerate vegetables from vegetable scraps. Put the end trimmings of romaine lettuce in a shallow dish with about half an inch of water and place it in a sunny spot. In a few days, the romaine stump will start to grow off shoots of new leaves that can be eaten. Even a sprig of basil can be regenerated into a whole new plant. Just place at least a 4-inch stalk in water until roots start to grow. After they are long and healthy, you can transplant it into soil to really see it thrive.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know that the kitchen sponge you use to hand-wash dishes should be replaced about every two weeks? One way to help maximize the life of a sponge is to keep it clean by disinfecting frequently in a dishwasher or microwave oven. You also can replace a traditional sponge with a slightly more expensive microfiber sponge. These sponges last for several months and also dry much more quickly than conventional sponges, which means bacteria have less time to grow and build up on them.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION