Do you need to remove a wallpaper border but you just can't face the task? We have a homemade solution that is so easy you won't believe it. Simply mix 3/4 cup water with 1/4 cup white vinegar and put the mixture in a spray bottle. Spray the border until it is wet and let it sit a few minutes. This mixture will allow the wallpaper border to actually slide right off the wall. You can use vinegar and water to remove wallpaper from entire walls by increasing the amount of solution you make.

Are you sick of all those annoying solicitation calls right in the middle of dinner? Here is a tip to get off of their list. A bit morbid perhaps, but it works. The next time you get a sales call, tell them you are deceased. Simple as that. “I’m sorry, John Smith is deceased,” and then hang up. Companies (and charitable organizations) do not want to waste their money calling houses that won’t make them money. The minute an organization finds the name is deceased, they will mark the name in their database as a “do not call – deceased.” Have some fun with it and sound REALLY sad!

My coworker told me she cashed in her yearly change jar yesterday, and was excited to announce she had saved $475. WOW! She has a special jar that she throws all her loose change in. In less than a year, she had already made that much.

I am starting my own change jar with my children. We will plan on what we will spend the money on and save the coins together. We will give some of the money to charity, and probably use the rest for a higher ticket item that we normally would not buy or for a special family outing that we otherwise could not afford.

This will be a good lesson for them on the benefits of both saving and giving – and will teach them how to make a little money go a long way.

I have just discovered an amazing group of people who give away things and ask for what they need. It is called Free Cycle, and was created to help keep things out of landfills. I’ve seen everything imaginable change hands in the last week. Beds, bedding, bikes, refrigerators, chainsaws, a wood burning stove, dog crates, clothes and building materials – you name it! I even saw someone giving away two 2-liters of diet coke – and someone took it!

It is absolutely worth the time to look at http://www.freecyclefinder.org/ for a yahoo free cycle group near you. You can get rid of unused things that are treasures to others (with a quick, free pickup!) and find some wonderful items for yourself along the way. This is better than recycling – it is free cycling!

To keep your house smelling fresh, keep a mint plant in rooms that tend to get musty. Besides being decorative, the mint will absorb stale odors. This especially works well in a nursery, bathroom or kitchen. And when you want a boost to your iced tea, pick and rinse off some mint leaves from the kitchen plant - very tasty!

The next time you throw a dinner party, serve white wine rather than red. If there are any spills, you won't be regretting your choice! And if you do have to face a red wine stain, our favorite way to remove the stain is to combine Dawn liquid dish soap with hydrogen peroxide. Pour this on your stain and let it sit before laundering. If you don't have these two ingredients handy, then remove the red wine stain by covering the stain with salt. Let it dry and then brush the salt off of the stain. Launder normally.

Just try this before you think it is "over the top" cleaning. The next time you use your can opener, take a moment to clean it. Simply run a paper towel through it, cranking the handle of the can opener as if you were opening a can. Take a look at the paper towel. Black, greasy gunk that you have been grinding into your food.

Now aren't you glad you cleaned it?

There are so many uses for vinegar that we could hardly list each one. But here are a few of our favorite little vinegar secrets:

If you have children, chances are you have found play-doh or silly putty ground in to your rug or carpet. This gooey, squishy stuff is very hard to get out of the rug! We have tried using WD-40 with a bit of success, as well as a stain remover liquid. But the best thing we have found to get out play-doh and silly putty is plain old rubbing alcohol.

Simply saturate part of a rag with rubbing alcohol and rub the silly putty or play-doh with it until it is removed. You may have to do this several times with different parts of the rag. This works especially well with silly putty – the alcohol simply melts it away! Of course, if this is an expensive rug, either spot test it or have it professionally cleaned.

Household tips are truly at their best when they come from Mom. How about a few of these?

The next time you go on a long car trip with your children, hide some lifesavers for the last hour of your ride. Wait until they are so bored they can’t stand it and then take them out. Give each child one lifesaver and tell them to try and make it last for five miles. Then give them a new one after each five mile increment. Of course you can adjust this to every ten minutes or whatever works best. You will soon find your children playing games to see who can make his or her lifesaver last the longest.

You don’t have to pack up your camping gear to make s’mores this weekend. Instead, save up some money toward the purchase of a fire bowl or fire pit for your own backyard.

Fire pits can range from about $70 to over $250, depending on what you are looking for. But you don’t have to spend a lot of money to create a camping atmosphere at home. The pictured fire bowl cost $69 at Lowes and is not only well built but attractive too. It will hold three to four nice sized logs and comes with a grilling grate and beautiful mesh top as well.

Find a safe place in your backyard with little brush or leaves nearby. Keep a small fire extinguisher on hand, “just in case.” Then break out your s’mores ingredients and get to cooking.

It is amazing how quickly you can gather up family in your backyard when the campfire is blazing. Get ready for quiet family time, special talks and simply enjoying the outdoors – without even leaving your neighborhood!

This is the time that many are going on vacation. But it is also the time for afternoon thunderstorms and potential power outages.

So before you go on vacation, fill a ziplock bag with ice and place it in the freezer. When you return, check to see if the ice is still intact. If the ice is no longer in cube form, the electricity was off long enough for your food to have thawed and refrozen.

Unfortunately, this means it is time to throw out your potentially spoiled food and call the insurance company to see if the cost is covered. Remember, when in doubt, throw it out.

This is also a good tip for those who vacation on the weekends in a second home. Keep a bag of ice cubes in the freezer while you are away as an indicator of a possible power outage. After all, better safe than sorry!

Do you visit the Laundromat to wash your clothes? What about your college-bound children? Then we have a great tip for you!

Separate your whites from your other clothes and wash them first, using bleach along with your detergent. Yes, this will make your whites sparkling… but even better – you will be sanitizing the washer before your load of colors.

Have you noticed the water stream from your faucet becoming less powerful? Or does the water dribble or spray to the side? This may be an easy fix if you are feeling handy.

Faucets are supplied with an aerator, which keeps the water flowing in a steady stream. The screen on the aerator will eventually trap calcium deposits and rust over time, causing the water to flow unevenly.

The fix? Carefully unscrew the aerator at the end of the faucet. To avoid scratches, place masking tape around the end before touching it with pliers. Wash off the screen to remove debris. If the screen is crusted with particles, soak overnight in vinegar. Finally, replace the screen and aerator to enjoy a more steady flow of water.

Got static cling? Then we have a quick fix for you to try.

The next time you find your pants desperately clinging to the side of your legs, put two safety pins on either side of the inside cuffs. This will add weight to your pants, quickly resolving your static cling problem.

You can also use this trick with a skirt by placing a few around the inside bottom.

Are you tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up every morning? Then try a few of our tips to defog your bathroom mirror. For an immediate fix, place your blow dryer about six inches from the mirror and turn it on to the hottest setting.

If you would like to keep your mirror from fogging up in the first place, coat the surface with foamy shaving cream, then wipe clean. This will prevent your bathroom mirror from fogging for several showers.

For a longer term solution, cover the mirror with a thin layer of petroleum jelly, then wipe away. Although this is initially quite messy, it will keep your mirror from fogging for up to two months. Now that is something to sing about in the shower!

Tired of scraping grease and cooked on food off of your stovetop? Then try our little secret for keeping your stove clean.

Before cooking, wipe a thin layer of car wax onto your stovetop. This will not only give it a nice shine, but will make for an easy clean up!

Then the next time your food sticks to your stovetop, cleaning will be a breeze!

How would you like to reduce your power bill and conserve energy at the same time? Now there is a way to "go green" in your home, simply by unplugging the appliances that are sitting idle!

There have actually been studies conducted that identified "leaking electricity" - a result of leaving appliances plugged in when not in use. Some of the worst are your cell phone charger, power to your computer's peripherals and chargers to items like your child's gameboy.

For example, take a look at your printer. Is it off? Even if it is physically off, it is leaking electricity and costing you extra money.

These items alone can cost you more than $70 a year - simply by leaving them plugged in. This may sound small, but multiply it by every household in America - in the world - and you will see a huge savings in both money and energy if we all "went unplugged!"

We have a great safety tip for you. Keep your spare set of car keys next to your bed. Then, if you ever hear what might be a burger, simply activate your car’s alarm! This will send the would-be robber away, and immediately wake your neighbors, who will come out to see what is happening!

Remember, always keep your house well lit. Leave a very large dog bowl in the back with a name like "Spike" on it. A few large dog toys in your yard may also deter a robber. Lock your doors and windows, and have an alarm system installed if you can afford it. Don't be scared, just be safe!

If you travel, chances are you know how simple it is to spend more money than you had planned. Credit cards, checks and money orders are just too easy – as are the temptations in new stores and restaurants.

The next time you travel, plan your daily spending amount. Bring cash with you, or use an ATM daily for your spending money. Then paperclip each day’s money separately, and carry only one day’s worth on your travels outside of the hotel. You will be surprised at how much you save. This may also tempt you to keep a little aside each day for an especially nice dinner towards the end of your vacation.

Safety first! If you are staying at a hotel with cash, you may wish to keep the money in the hotel’s safe. If you prefer traveler’s checks, simply place your daily amount in a paperclip rather than the cash.