School daze? Pack lunches in reusable containers, washable sandwich bags, and real silverware vs. plastic. A green way to save money!

Forget harsh cleansers – oil up! Baby oil doubles as chrome polish and olive oil works great for stainless steel.

Keep the muddy paw prints outside of your sleigh by traveling with a bath mat – protects your seats from a muddy mess!

Love plants but hate leaks? Place your petunias on a beautiful bread plate - catch that water with a catchy plate!

Have a goal in mind when watching TV. Watch your program, then turn off the tube to avoid “TV time travel” (aka "Where did my night go?").

EUREKA! Remove light bulbs that are burned out, hot, or just stuck by using a tennis ball cut in half to protect your fingers.

More than 50,000 plastic bags will be trashed in the time it takes you to read this post/tweet (1 million per minute). Buy reusable bags – it helps.

Ring around the toilet? Drop a bubbling denture tablet & leave for 30 minutes, then brush away with ease. Not with your toothbrush. To be clear.

When life gives you lemons, make lemon oil to prevent mold and mildew on your bathroom tiles. I know, such a cliché…

Healthy elves love GAMES! The family that plays together stays together AND saves energy by unplugging its electronics.

BLINDing me with science! Dust closed blinds by wiping an old dryer sheet up & down: creates antistatic barrier, preventing dust buildup.

Vanity fairest of them all: corral your clippers, tweezers, and bobby pins with a magnetic strip behind your medicine cabinet door! 

Tidy elves love baby oil! Baby oil is a great way to remove latex paint from your skin! (Inversely, paint makes a lousy baby oil remover.)

Hard time with hard water stains? After a shower, swipe those yellow spots off the ceiling with ease with baby wipes!

How long do you shower? Wasting water? EGG TIMERS make an inexpensive, eggcellent way to stay focused and save water!

Viva la Vinegar! Arm yourself against underarm sweat stains: spray white vinegar on stains before washing and they vanish.

Price tags can be a sticky problem. A cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol will dissolves the glue with no mess to you!

Don’t let your bed sheets give you nightmares. Avoid mismatches and mayhem by storing bed linen sets in one of their own pillow cases.

COUNTER intuitive! 4 tablespoons of baking soda + 1 quart of warm water = a green, all-purpose countertop cleaner!

Running late, zipping up a dress or coat, and SNAP, off pops the zipper tab. Use a paper clip or safety pin as a makeshift tab. 

Pit stains on your white tee giving you a headache? Take some aspirin…crush 3 tablets, add water, soak overnight, and rinse with hot water!

Special thanks to Ellen Burbage for today’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip. Ellen’s tip: “For those of you with little elves, keep a laundry basket for each child, so when you sort the laundry by basket, each child can put their own laundry away.  Thanks, LLen!

Healthy elves love BIKES! Great for short trips, fitness, saves money and gas, and reduces your carbon footprint. No bike? Check out a bike share program!

Seeing red from rust rings? Pour cola on the spot, let sit for 5 minutes, then wipe with damp cloth. Shaving-cream can crisis over!

Under the sink even fills me with dread. Neutralize that nightmare nook with rolling drawers for pots and pans and a lazy susan for cleansers.

Did you know you can reuse sandwich bags? Just wash them out, let dry, and pack tomorrow’s lunch with a smile!

Healthy elves nourish their FRIENDSHIPS. If you are too busy to connect with your friends regularly, plan your days better.

Tidy elves love GLOVES. Don a rubber dishwashing glove, wet it, and wipe your hand over surfaces. Pet hair will not “stay!”

World’s best dryer? That GIANT BALL OF FIRE overhead! Line dry clothes for fresher smelling, longer lasting garments, and a lower energy bill.

Drawers clogged with empty plastic bags? Two simple solutions: stuff them into an empty paper towel tube or tissue box as dispensers!

It’s okay to be shady…when you’re parking. Fuel can evaporate out of the tank in the heat and a hot car takes gas to cool the inside.