Dusting your lamp can be a “shade-y” business. Clean your cloth lamp shades with a lint roller instead of unwieldy vacuum attachments. 

Baking soda can save your bacon. It can smother and fight SMALL class-B fires (flammable liquids like gas, oil, and grease).

Plant TREEmendous savings with summer sun-blockers (deciduous trees) on the south side of your home and winter wind blockers (evergreens) to the north.

Every Friday, write out your “brag sheet” - what you’ve accomplished personally and professionally that week - then plan your next week!

Nasty sponges? Catch the microWAVE! Soak in a water/lemon juice solution and zap for 1 minute. (Let cool.) Kills bacteria and odors!

Viva la Vinegar! 2 tbsps of this diVINE GARnish, then a wash, will bust the toughest coffee stains from your morning mug.

Now this is a close shave! To remove a ketchup or mustard stain: wet area, cover with shaving cream, let sit for 5 minutes, then wash as normal.

Keep a list of important dates.  At month’s end, check for next month’s big days - never miss another birthday or anniversary again!

Save time, money, and power and go old school – on a nice day, hang laundry on an outdoor clothesline and let the sun do its thing. Oh, and HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Santa Spotlight: SLOW COOKERS! An easy, timely, safe, and super-efficient way to cook a delicious dinner when you’re not even home!

Doctor’s orders: fill out doctor's office forms ahead of time. Going online or having them fax/email them to you = less time in waiting room!

Do your worst FIRST. Task on your list, that is! The sense of accomplishment will defeat procrastination (an energy-sucking vampire) every time. 

Coat closet exploding? Donate old coats and totes, replace large items like vacuums with smaller models, and use shelving and bins.

Tidy elves love tea! Tasty treat & natural cleaner. Soak rusty tools in a bucket with black tea and water. Spend time sipping, not scrubbing!

Tidy elves know when to take a break. Work for an hour at a time on any project then take a 5-15 minute break. Stay sane out there, elves.

Yay, it’s…Income Tax Day? Keep returns forever, but save space buy shredding backup material (receipts, statements,  etc.) over 7 years old!

Composting 101: Fill sturdy container with ratio of 3 browns (leaves, branches) to 1 green (grass clippings, table scraps), stir, wait.

Special thanks to Ellen Burbage for today’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip. Ellen’s no basket case – she keeps a basket on the bottom step of her staircase and puts everything she needs to take upstairs all at once at the end of the day!

Has your kitchen table become more like a desk? Take a night and find a home for papers and clutter. Not tidying before eating equals mellower meals! 

Prevention is worth a pound of...pesticide? Keep a tidy kitchen & seal foundation cracks to keep bugs out and harmful sprays obsolete!

Let’s face it, floors are filthy. Cut down on the nasty by instituting a no-shoes-indoors policy!

I’m a basket case for BASKETS! They make arty caddies for kid’s snacks, remote controls, office supplies, mail, smaller baskets….

I know the Easter Bunny (he’s on the Holiday Council with Santa) and he’s a fan of plastic reusable eggs you can save and use year after year!

To dye for: avoid messy dyes and decorate your Easter eggs with markers, stickers, glitter, sequins, ribbons, fake gems, and more!

Wash your hands before and after handling eggs with hot, soapy water, and if you eat the eggs you dye, use only food-grade dyes!

Shoe holders aren’t just for shoes anymore. You can use clear ones to store cleaning products and save cabinet space!

Save money AND food - when stocking your fridge or cupboards, put new items in the back. It pushes old items forward so you finish them first!

Clean to a soundtrack! Music, podcasts, audiobooks...adding entertainment to your chores makes the time fly by!

Santa Spotlight: DRY ERASE MARKERS make communication with the other elves in your home easy - write on memo boards, glass, mirrors, and more!

No fooling - a barrel full of monkeys won’t feed your plants in a drought, but a barrel full of rain will! Rain barrels save water and money!