When buying old books, do a quick inspection to make sure they aren't infested with bed bugs. Look at the edges of the book where the pages stack up; do you see black spots? This may be a sign of bed bugs. Open the book and look at the pages and binding to see if any small insects are nesting inside. Since they can be hard to see, try laying the book against something white (like a piece of paper). When in doubt, seal the book in a plastic bag for 24 hours to suffocate the bugs.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When you need hydration or drinks on the go, the greenest choice is to fill a reusable water bottle. But if you want flavored beverages like sports drinks, coffee and tea, the next best thing is to choose the "instant" or powdered forms of these drinks and make them yourself. When you compare premade beverages in glass or plastic bottles to the mix-yourself versions, the shipping and refrigeration of bottled drinks has a much higher carbon footprint than pouches of powder. And while the pouches themselves are not recyclable, the packaging waste is significantly less than bottled drinks.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

If you're in the habit of clipping your fingernails and letting the trimmings go down the drain, stop. While fingernails are composed of organic materials called keratin and biotin, nails really do not biodegrade, so trimmings can clog drains and cause problems over time. And because they are so strong and durable, using a chemical drain cleaner actually won't break them down or make them go away. Instead, try trimming your nails outdoors, or just put the trimmings in the trash.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION