If you're running the water to get hot water....

There is a Chinese saying that "water is money". Well, that is true in many ways. For those of you with water meters, you see that your consumption of water relates directly to your water bill. In developing nations, water is a sacred resource and clean water is moreso.

When hot water sits in your tap for a little while, it can get cold. If you need hot water, often you run the tap (i.e. your dishwasher needs hot water to help it clean; babies need warm water for cleaning bums) until the cold water in the hot water tap goes warm or hot.

That amount of water, we've measured, amounts to a two litres or four depending on how far away the tap is from the hot water source. The water, nonetheless, is just water.

So, what do we do? We run the cold water in the hot line into a Brita water jug and we use it for drinking or cooking. Conversely, you can save this water for watering plants around the house.

Clean bathtubs with dish detergent powder

We've found another use for powdered dish detergent. You can use it to clean bath tubs (try at your own risk though). We simply wet a cloth, use a light sprinkling of the stuff and then wipe until you hear no noise (i.e. bathtub scum makes noise, as it is rough - once the surface is smooth, it should not make any sound). Then just rinse.

How does it work? We think it's primarily enzymatic in nature (dish detergent contains enzymes) and works on the scum you leave behind (which is primarily protein - skin cells). The other stuff serves to make things shiny.

Careful that you don't get any into your eyes. If you get it onto your skin, flush with water. The enzymes will dissolve your skin somewhat and give you a very slippery feeling.

Good luck

Passports for Kids <1, and replacing it before 3 (in Canada)

We had to get a passport for our son last year and he was very young (<1 year old). You can replace that passport, at no charge, until age 3. Some countries require that passports be somewhat up to date for travel with very young kids.

Here's an excerpt from the Passport Canada Website: http://www.pptc.gc.ca/cdn/16-.aspx

"Children who have been issued a passport in their first year of life (between birth and 364 days) are entitled to a one-time gratis replacement passport. This is in recognition of the rapid change in the features of children of this age. However, the applicant must submit:

• a new application completed in full and signed by an eligible guarantor,
• new photographs taken within one month of the date the request for the gratis replacement is received,
• an original proof of Canadian citizenship,
• custody documents, if applicable, and
• the original passport.

The maximum validity period of the replacement passport is three years from the date of issue of the original passport."

Sun shields for cars - save on AC

If you ever park your car outside on a hot sunny day, you'll know that their dashboards and rear parcel shelves get quite hot. Invest in a few sunshades and make the heat a little more bearable.

That way, you won't have to turn on the AC for as long to cool down the car, as the car is not as hot as it would normally be.

Good luck!