ArcaMax

There’s nothing wrong with using a drive-thru window to pick up a quick meal from a restaurant or a prescription from your pharmacy. But if you’re waiting for your order for more than 30 seconds, you’re not only wasting fuel, but you’re also releasing unhealthy emissions into the air. According to the Sierra Club, sitting in your idling ...Read more

If you use your oven a lot only during the holiday season, now is a good time to give the inside a thorough cleaning. First, avoid using chemical degreasers and sprays to clean your oven; anything that’s unsafe to breathe should never be used where you prepare food. Reach for baking soda instead. Make a thick, creamy paste with water, then ...Read more

If you use your backyard as an extension of your home and a place for your family dog to play, be careful which landscaping plants you choose. What may seem like a pretty harmless-looking flower can actually be deadly to dogs. According to the ASPCA, hardy perennial flowers are incredibly toxic to them. These include flowers like mums, hostas, ...Read more

When you’re using your oven to bake dinner for a crowd, one of the worst things you can do to affect the food and your utility bill is open the oven door unnecessarily. Ovens use a lot of energy to get hot, and every time you open the door, the temperature inside drops by about 25 degrees. When you close it, the oven uses more energy to get ...Read more

Do you have old dried-out spices that have lost their punch in the kitchen? Don’t toss them -- use them to freshen your carpets instead. Mix the spices with baking soda and sprinkle the blend over a rug or wall-to-wall carpeting. Spices like cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme and mint work well; just avoid anything that might stain. Let...Read more

Did you get a living pine tree for Christmas so you can plant it in your yard later? Follow a few simple steps to help it thrive once spring arrives. Keep the tree indoors for no more than a week; if it stays inside too long, it can lose its winter hardiness. You might also consider decorating and displaying it on your front porch or outdoors ...Read more

If you're lucky enough to fly somewhere and have the option of a meal on the plane as part of your travel, you can take steps to reduce food waste. If you get an upgrade to a premium class and you plan on sleeping during the flight, go to the airline's website to opt for "no food" so no meal will be prepared for you. This will help reduce food ...Read more

When it comes time to wrap gifts during the holiday season, think reusable, reusable, reusable. One easy idea is to wrap gifts using a new kitchen or bath towel so that it can be reused after the present is unwrapped. You also can use things you might already have around the house: large pieces of paper that were used for kids’ artwork; old ...Read more

If you're having a hard time keeping houseplants alive, or you're going on vacation and would like them to thrive while you’re away, give your thirsty houseplant a good drink of water, then place a layer of newspaper on top of the soil and water until the newspaper is completely saturated. This helps seal the moisture in the soil so the roots ...Read more