It's called "the jungle effect," and it's a simple way to create warmer air inside your home with just the power of plants. When you keep a nice collection of houseplants inside your home, they release moisture vapor into the air, which in turn boosts humidity levels in your home. Dry winter air can cause cracked or dry skin and irritated throats, so the extra moisture from houseplants actually can help you look and feel better. And that moisture traps heat, which helps keep your home feeling warmer, too.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you have screens for your windows and think it's time to take them down in preparation for the winter months, you might want to keep them up a little longer. One of the easiest ways to prevent insects from coming into your home as they seek warmer places to avoid the cold outside is by leaving window screens in place a little longer. A screen on your window provides an extra barrier that can keep pests outdoors. After the first few frosts, you can take out the screens and store them until the warmer months.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Another reason to eat fresh fruit whenever possible: The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) actually allows mold in frozen and canned fruit. The FDA calls the accepted levels "food defects" that are allowed in the processing of fruit because they believe these pose no health hazards to humans. This includes up to 60% mold count on canned or frozen berries, 45% mold count on frozen whole or sliced strawberries and 20% mold in canned pineapple. By eating in-season and fresh, you can know exactly what you're eating and whether it's 100% mold-free or not.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION