ArcaMax

Many people like to hang a wreath on the door to decorate the front of the house. And many birds mistake wreaths for potential places to nest and call home. Since killing a bird that nests in your wreath is illegal in most communities, try this little trick: Embed some magnets inside the wreath. The natural magnetic field can be disruptive to ...Read more

Brown paper bags can be used for more than just packing a lunch. They are a fantastic item to have in the kitchen for a plastic-free and recyclable way to store produce items. Fresh mushrooms, potatoes and all types of berries and avocadoes thrive when stored in a paper bag. It protects them and allows them to breathe, all while the paper itself...Read more

If you see a houseplant with yellowing leaves, one of the most important things you should do is trim them off. Yellowing, almost-dead leaves won't revive and turn green again, so it's better to help the plant by removing them so it can dedicate all of its energy to generating new leaves. When you are done pruning, be sure to wipe the pruning ...Read more

Yes, paper coupons from the Sunday circular can be used to help those in need in your community. Clip them and check if local food banks, homeless shelters or senior centers can use them to save money or share with the people they serve. Just be sure the coupons aren’t expired, and allow enough time for recipients to use them.

ANDREWS MCMEEL ...Read more

Face painting is one of the many costume traditions of Halloween, but cosmetics sold at costume shops rarely come with a list of their ingredients, which could mean things like lead, arsenic and even mercury in your face paints. To avoid the possibility of spreading these chemicals on your kid's face, try this DIY solution: Use cornstarch, water...Read more

Instead of poisons or glue traps to keep field mice out of your home, try prevention to live in harmony with them. Use a flashlight outside your home at night to try to find small holes or cracks mice may find to enter. Plug those holes with steel wool or insulation; doing this not only prevents entry for mice, but it also helps insulate your ...Read more

Whether you're using ground turmeric, dried rosemary or fennel seeds, all the seasonings in your spice rack should be organic. Conventional dried herbs and spices are grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Worse, they are often irradiated to kill bacteria. Organic herbs and spices, on the other hand, are cultivated without chemicals and...Read more

Putting brightly colored paper into the recycling bin is like tossing a red sock into a load of white clothes. Colored paper can contaminate paper recyclables and cause a whole batch to be thrown out. If you want to use reams of colored paper, avoid the deeply saturated or super-bright papers; instead, look for pastel sheets. Paper recycling ...Read more

An infestation of spiders, ants and beetles in your home during the winter months could be traced back to one source: firewood. Keeping firewood stacked up or in a basket by your indoor fireplace could be the source. With warmer temperatures inside your home, nesting insects inside the wood become active and flourish. Even keeping firewood by ...Read more