There are a bunch of little tricks you can employ to cut back on power consumption at home-which not only has environmental benefits but keeps you from wasting cash too-and it's highly unlikely you'll even notice a difference. Between the National Resources Defense Council's site and powerscorecard.org I found some really good tips. Here's a re-cap of six simple, painless ways to cut back:

1. Check this: refrigerators suck up a whopping 20% of your household electricity use. Time to turn them down! Aim for somewhere between 38-42 degrees in the fridge, and 0-5 degrees in the freezer. If you've got an energy saver switch, make sure it's flipped on. Doors should be sealed tight: to test, stick a dollar bill between the gaskets and close the fridge door; if the bill is hard to pull out you're in good shape. If not, it's time to replace the gaskets.

2. Wash only full loads in your dishwasher (yet another reason to learn to pack them efficiently!), and if you have time, let them air dry

It's easy to add springtime cheer to your Easter table! We'll show you how to make the perfect centerpiece or display colorful eggs with these DIY ideas. You can also find 4 more clever craft ideas and our most popular Easter dinner recipes and spring desserts here.


Extra Speckle Here's a spot-on Easter decorating idea: Showcase DIY speckled eggs in a nest of wheatgrass. First, dye hard-cooked eggs in pastel shades. Then make flecks: Dilute brown acrylic paint with water until it's the consistency of cream. Dip an old toothbrush into the paint and, with the brush a few inches from the egg, run your finger across the bristles, splattering paint onto the shell (lay egg horizontally, splatter, let dry, rotate, and repeat). To arrange, turn over a ceramic bowl; place a terra-cotta pot base on top. Pile up eggs; tucking in cut wheatgrass to make a nest. But note: These eggs are adorable, not edible.

Get Recipes for Sweet Springtime Desserts



Hop to It Easter treats are in the bag,

It's finally here, but along with that fragrant word 'spring' comes the often dreaded chore of spring cleaning and organizing your closet. With the help of the ever-organized "unclutter" queen and author of 8 books on organization, Donna Smallin, we are offering our top 7 tips that will make your life easier and your closet a dream to navigate!



Tip #1 Use vertical space
There is so much wasted space in our closets, so take advantage it. Put that shelf above the closet rod to good use with the help of sturdy covered storage bins. They're stackable and they don't tumble like a pile of sweaters.

Tip #2 Removable adhesive hooks
They turn bare walls and the back of closet doors into useful hanging space! Can you say "oh, there's that handbag". These easily removable hooks are a great find.

Tip #3 Re-purpose shower curtain hooks
Link shower curtain hooks for a handy hanging, space saving, scarf and belt display. Thread your scarves through the hooks and hang them right on the rod.

Tip #4

I'm in spring cleaning mode, and one of the things I'm doing as part of the process is laundering my down pillows. It's an easy enough ritual, and should be embarked upon annually to keep them fresh (though washing them any more than that can actually shorten their lifespan). You can do it right at home with your own washing machine, but it's a little bit more labor intensive than taking care of a regular load of clothes. Check out step-by-step instructions after the jump.

1. Inspect the fabric for any tears or rips-the last thing you want is a bunch of loose feathers clogging up your machine.
2. Treat any spots with your usual stain remover.
3. To keep things balanced, wash pillows two at a time. Use the delicate setting, with cold water and a small amount of mild detergent.
4. Give them a second rinse in the machine to make sure they're spic-and-span.
5. Gently wring out any excess water.
6. Put them in the dryer with a couple clean tennis balls (some people recommend using

Following this weekend's big cross-country move, I'm subletting an apartment for the first time ever and living in someone else's place, surrounded by someone else's stuff, has had me thinking about what makes a house feel like a home (aside from the people who live in it). I'll be in this apartment for the next four months-short enough where I can definitely make do without a lot of my usual creature comforts, but long enough where I wanted to take along a few extras besides just clothes to make me feel more at ease in the new space. Here's a list of the things that make any home feel way more homey:

Throw blanket. Maybe this is holdover from my childhood "blankie" years, but I swear, there are few things more comforting than being able to cocoon yourself in a soft, cozy throw.

Scented candle. A familiar scent can instantly make you feel at ease, plus candlelight creates a warm, soothing glow.

Music. The stereo I shipped has yet to arrive and I'm anxiously awaiting its arrival. Great

I'm moving TOMORROW and it just occurred to me that I probably need to tip my movers. This being the first time I've ever moved with professional assistance, I'm pretty clueless as to the proper etiquette here.

So I'm tossing it out to the rest of you: what's the deal with tipping movers? I'm planning on ordering lunch for the crew, but beyond that, do you just decide on a random amount of cash to give each guy ($10? $20? More?!), or do you tip based on a certain percentage of their fee?

There are few better, easier, less expensive ways to add instant ambiance to your home than by spreading out a bunch of little candles in clear glass votive holders. The only problem? Trying to remove the candle wax that pools and dries at the bottom of the holders. I've attempted the freezer method several times before (where you toss your votives in the freezer for a couple hours and then chip away at the chilled wax with a dull knife) but found the process messy, and somewhat ineffective-inevitably, even if you're able to get most of the wax off, there's still some residue left on the glass which makes it look dirty. Thankfully, I just discovered a really simple alternative to solve the caked-on wax conundrum.

Yesterday a friend tipped me off to the fact that you could microwave the votive holder to melt the wax, and wipe the interior with a paper towel to get it sparkling clean. I tried it just now and it works brilliantly. Since I wasn't sure how long it would take to get the wax

When it comes to the latest home decor trends, nature is taking top billing this season. From bold leaf designs and exotic animal prints to bamboo and other natural materials, it's all about bringing nature inside. We recently caught up with Kelly Killoren Bensimon for a tour of her nature inspired Hamptons retreat where she showed us how she's bringing the outdoors in. Kelly also explained how she's mixing old and new, high and low, and keeping her family in mind when it comes to everything in her home.



Kelly is an author, model, jewelry designer and former editor of Elle Accessories. She currently appears on Bravo's The Real Housewives of New York City.


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