How to Keep Pests Out of Your Garden Naturally & Effectively

In spring, nothing's more fun than watching your plants come up and flowers bloom...and nothing's worse than watching them get destroyed by pests. We know of some natural, inexpensive ways you can keep ants, aphids, deer, raccoons, and other pests out of your garden--so your petals and leaves can stay intact. Visit our new website for ways to keep pests out of your garden!

Tip of the Week: A Surprising Crayon Remover

To remove crayon marks from wood, rub mayonnaise over the area and leave on for 10 minutes, then easily wipe off.

Tip of the Week: Power Shower Spray!

Don't spend money on those expensive daily shower sprays. All you need to keep mildew out of your shower is a mixture of one part vinegar and 10 parts water in an empty spray bottle! Bonus: You don’t have to worry about a toxic cleaner hitting the baby’s bath toys.

Tip of the Week: Got Greasy Wallpaper?

This week's tip is a quick and easy fix: To remove grease stains from wallpaper, place a brown paper bag over the stain and press with a warm iron. The grease will transfer to the bag.

The Most Efficient Way to Pack a Carry-On Bag

With more and more airlines charging fees for checking baggage, knowing how to get as much stuff as possible into a carry-on bag is more important than ever! Check out this great slideshow from the New York Times, where a flight attendant shares her secrets for packing 10 days worth of clothes (and a clutch!) in one small carry-on bag.

All-Natural Beauty Night: Make Your Own Face Masks, Toner, and More

One of my favorite parts of gathering household tips is finding all-natural solutions for skincare and beauty products--which is great, because Bruce doesn't really know the difference between eyeliner and mascara (don't let his HSN presentations fool you--he had to ask me what pressed powder was when we bought it for his demonstration). That's why I'm so excited to be having some of my best friends over tomorrow night for an all-natural beauty evening. Bruce and the boys are off to a movie, and we'll be making an exfoliater, toner, face masks, and moisturizer, all from natural ingredients I have at home.

Visit our new website for face masks, toner, and other beauty products you can make at home!

Tip of the Week

Ooops, I almost forgot to post this week's "Tip of the Week" over at our homepage, WhoKnewTips.com! Here it is: To light hard-to-reach wicks at the bottom of jar candles, use an uncooked strand of spaghetti. Light the end of it, then use it like a fireplace match.

What are your greatest tips? Let us know via our "Submit a Tip" page and you could be featured in our next book!

Four Quick and Easy Household Repairs: How to Fix Banging Pipes, a Dented or Squeaky Floor, or a Sticking Door in 15 Minutes or Less

We all have those small household repairs that never seem to get done. Every time you notice them, they irritate you--but it seems like it would be even more irritating to spend the time to fix them! Luckily, some household repairs are easy to fix in very little time: 15 minutes or less! If you have banging water pipes, dents in your wood floor, a sticking door, or a squeaky floorboards, then you're in luck! We've compiled our tips and tricks to make these common household problems fast and easy. Visit our new website to learn how to fix banging pipes, how to fix a sticking door, and more!

Natural Gardening Tips: Plant These Plants to Repel Bugs, Fertilize the Soil, and More

Planting a garden takes enough time and energy as it is, but you can make maintaining it a little easier by planting plants that repel bugs, fertilize your soil, and attract insects that will pollinate your plants. Make your garden work for you with these super-powered plants!

Last Minute 2009 Tax Tips

Finally got cracking on your 2009 taxes and need some tips? Read below for a few of our favorites from our Super Tax Saving Secrets book!

• Did you buy a car, light truck, motor home, or motorcycle in 2009? You can deduct the sales and excise taxes for up to $49,000 of the purchase price as long as you purchased it after February 6, 2009 and before January 1, 2010. By utilizing this deduction you will get cash back on your tax return, kind of like a delayed rebate. Enjoy!

• If you think you may qualify for interest deduction from your home equity loan, it’s important to know that it is not unlimited. You can generally deduct interest you pay on the first $100,000 of a home equity loan. After that, it depends. If the home equity loan was used to improve your first or second home—or to purchase a second home—you can probably take the deduction on an amount up to $1 million or the value of the home. IRS Publication 936 Section 2 contains more detail. If you use the alternative minimum tax (AMT) on your 1040, your home equity loan deductions will only help you if you used the money for home improvements.

• Should you use the American Opportunity Credit or the Lifetime Learning Credit? Both are credits you can take if you, your spouse, or your dependents were enrolled at an eligible educational institution and you were responsible for paying their college expenses in 2009, but you can't take both (for the same person) during the same year. The American Opportunity Credit, which is scheduled to expire after 2010, provides up to $2,500 for the first $4,000 of qualifying educational expenses.

• Need to file an extension? An extension will give you extra time to get your paperwork to the IRS, but it doesn’t extend the time you have to pay any tax due. You’ll also owe interest on any amount not paid by the April deadline, plus a late payment charge if it amount already withheld doesn’t cover at least 90 percent of your total tax. To request an extension, you’ll still need to submit Form 4868 by April 15. You can also e-file an extension request using tax preparation software such as TurboTax.

• If you finished filling out your return, but are unable to pay the full amount of tax due, don’t request an extension. Instead, go ahead and file your return on time and pay as much as you can. The IRS will send you a bill for the balance due. To apply online for a payment agreement, click here for more info and to set up a payment plan. If you are unable to make payments, call the IRS at 800-829-1040 to discuss your payment options.

• Need a little break while doing your taxes? Check out this page of tax humor.