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!

Special thanks to Linda Schweigart for this week’s Help Heidi Friday tip, which I hope won’t be critically panned.  Linda’s tip: when buying a non-stock pan, be sure it doesn’t have polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), which releases toxic fumes above 500° F. Find an eco-friendly, PTFE-free version instead! Thanks, Linda!

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!

Special thanks to Gina Meronek for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip, who lets the adults know that partying and cleaning do not have to be mutually exclusive! “Who needs Febreeze when you have Fleischmann’s? Make your own fabric deodorizer from vodka and essential oil. A bottle of vodka in a sprayer alone will deodorize the vilest of smells, and a few drops of your favorite essential oil will make it even sweeter!”  Thanks Gina – clean responsibly!

Special thanks to Allison Burbage Duston for today’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip.  Ever get a card from a friend filled with glitter? Hilarious, right? Yeah, me neither.  But a lint brush makes pixie dust from funny friends and crafty kids disappear!

Special thanks to Drew Thibodeau Persinger for today's rock and ROLL "Help Heidi Friday" tip: "use paper towel or toilet paper rolls as cuffs to organize wrapping paper."

Special thanks to Miriam Reichenbach, one sharp cookie, for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip. How sharp is she? Miriam’s tip: "Need to sharpen those scissors? Cut several layers of used, then flattened, tin foil into strips." Voila - newly sharpened scissor blades!”

Special thanks to Drew Thibodeau Persinger, a shoe-in for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip.  Drew’s tip: “Don’t relegate show organizers to just shoes, they’re also a great storage solution for household cleaners.”

Special  thanks to Jaclin Madarang for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip - that a common appliance is the Swiss Army Knife of tidiness! Jac’s tip: “Hair dryers are can dewrinkle (on hot), dust out-of-the-way spots (cold), detach photos from sticky photo albums, and melt wax spills and crayon marks (on hot, then wipe away).   Also, they dry hair.  Thanks, Jac!

Special  thanks to Jaclin Madarang for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip - that a common appliance is the Swiss Army Knife of tidiness! Jac’s tip: “Hair dryers are can dewrinkle (on hot), dust out-of-the-way spots (cold), detach photos from sticky photo albums, and melt wax spills and crayon marks (on hot, then wipe away).   Also, they dry hair.  Thanks, Jac!

Very special thanks to the Big Elf himself for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip, my inspiration, Bill Schweigart.  Swag’s tip: Healthy elves take TIME. Take sick days when healthy. Reevaluate priorities. Smell roses. Indulge your life – it’s too short not to live it. We miss you.

Special thanks to Kelly Scanlon for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip.  Kelly spies…a great way to donate old eyeglasses.  Check out your local Lions Club – they donate to people, and peepers, in need.

Special thanks to Allison Burbage Duston for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip! She’s a brand new bride as of New Years Eve AND she’s this week’s HHF tipper? Now that’s a big week.  And now for her “RING in the New Year tip”: To remove a stuck ring before exercising or an activity that could scuff it, just rub a little olive oil on your finger first and it slides right off!  Thanks, Allison – and congratulations!

Special thanks to Kate Schweigart for this week’s “Help Heidi Friday” tip.  A tidy elf is a prepared elf, and no one is more prepared than Kate: her nonprofit, KateNation, created a free online tool that links people with needed emergency services after a disaster.  Go check it out at www.katenation.org.  You never know when you may need it. 

Special thanks to Amy Donaldson for this week’s "Help Heidi Friday" tip!  I’m a tidy elf, but Amy is a health elf (aka “nurse”) so listen up: "Healthy elves love EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database (www.ewg.org/skindeep), a site with safety information on over 65,000 personal care products such as make-up and deodorant."  Thanks, Amy!

Special thanks to Joe Costanza for today's "Help Heidi Friday" tip: "Tis the season to donate pantry items too. Those dusty cans can be put to good use." Couldn't have said it better myself, Joe!

Special thanks to Clark Lohr, a veteran (and member of the Elf Army) for his "Help Heidi Friday" tip: "Three max power minutes in a microwave sterilizes your dishcloths and sponges - sponges, where microbes lurk."  Thanks, Clark, for everything!