If your trusty suitcase has truly seen its last trip and isn’t suitable for donation, consider two alternatives before tossing it in the trash. First, the company TerraCycle offers a program (for a fee) that disassembles and recycles the suitcase’s components, like zippers, nylon fabric and more. While this option can be pricey, there’s a budget-friendly alternative: Repurpose the suitcase for storage. Old suitcases are great for holding out-of-season clothes. During warmer months, for example, fill yours with sweaters, add a few cedar blocks or balls to keep them fresh and moth-free, zip it up and tuck it away in storage.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

It’s easy to make new plants from existing plants by taking cuttings and transplanting them into soil to grow. When you want to grow a new plant from a cutting, a simple ingredient from your kitchen pantry can help. Cinnamon powder is just as effective as commercial rooting hormone powders and helps stimulate root growth in cuttings. Just dip your cutting in water, then dip it in cinnamon. Plant the cutting in a pot of soil and watch it grow. The cinnamon is naturally antibacterial and will help fight off disease.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Now you can use the power of Google to see if your home is a good candidate for solar panels. Simply enter your home address in Google’s Project Sunroof database. The site uses Google Earth imagery to pinpoint your home and gauge your roof shape; it then computes the eligibility of your home using local weather patterns. You get a personal solar analysis, options and the names of local solar panel providers, and you can even compare financing options. All with the click of a mouse! Learn more at sunroof.withgoogle.com.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION