Check your child's car seat before traveling by air. Make sure it says "certified for use in motor vehicles and aircraft." You don't want to put a kink in your plans at the boarding gate.



Faded perennials should be cleaned and seed pods removed. The final blooms of the season will continue to pop with color when they have less competition.


Feed individual flowering plants or food crops directly through the roots. Use a powdered fertilizer mixed in water, and let it soak in at the base of the plant. It will green up with new vigor within a week.


The refrigerant line between your house and your outside cooling unit needs a "line cozy." Wrap it with foam insulation, and your inside unit will blow colder, and your electric bill will be happier.


Set your purse or briefcase (or some other essential item) in the back seat when you take trips with kids or pets. You'll be forced to check the back of the car, and no one will get left inside.