If you love coffee and want to help birds, there is one thing you can do: Buy "Bird Friendly" certified java. Coffee is often grown on farms in tropical climates where forested land is cleared to grow coffee plants. But there are greener and kinder ways to grow coffee, and that's where this certification mark comes in. Developed by the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center, "Bird Friendly" coffee is grown on farms under existing forestlike habitats. Birds are given a place to thrive, and coffee is grown under the shade of the trees.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know the average desktop computer creates as much carbon emissions as a car that drives 820 miles a year? To help maximize your computer's energy efficiency, try a few simple tricks that you'll hardly notice are in place. First, reduce the monitor's brightness level, even if it's just a little bit; even a small decrease will help save electricity. Unplug external items like speakers, drives and other devices if you aren't using them. And when you're not using your computer, shut it down completely instead of keeping it in standby mode.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Want your fresh floral arrangement to last longer? Give it a shot of vodka. Yes, just a splash of vodka in the water can help prolong the life of fresh-cut flowers. The alcohol helps keep the water clean and free of bacterial buildup, and the flowers benefit from drinking a little vodka, too, because the alcohol/water mixture helps lower the production of ethylene gas, which is a ripening gas that speeds up the decomposition process. Less gas means longer-lasting flowers.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION