Beyond busy? 18 ways to beat the clock.
By Sharon Franke

1. If you're always searching for a pen, stock one in every pocketbook, and put one in your checkbook.

2. Store buttons in clear pill dispensers so you can easily spot the one you need.

3. Schedule your next haircut before you leave the salon.

4. Keep scissors in every room - that way, you won't waste time trying to find them if you have to open a package, cut a tag, or quickly wrap a gift.

5. Buy stamps, print labels, and arrange package pickups at usps.com.

6. When you find a useful number in the phone book, highlight it so it'll pop out the next time.

Related: Too Little Time

7. Skip the photo store. Order prints from an online service such as snapfish.com, the top scorer in GH Research Institute tests.

8. Reserve books online instead of driving over to the library to do it in person. (You can renew books online too.)

9. Stash lint rollers in lots of places (the laundry room, closets, your car's glove comp

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Here's your new plan for swapping out your old habits for new ones:

1) START SPECIFIC
The more concrete you can be about your goals, the better, notes Julie Naylon, owner of No Wire Hangers, a Los Angeles - based professional organizing service - "not just a general Get organized," she says, "but a Clear off my desk by filing my piles of papers."

2) START SMALL, GO SLOW
It's easy to get overwhelmed and give up when dealing with life-altering changes. So break big goals into baby steps. If you're trying to stick to a budget, resolve to pack a lunch three days a week instead of going out. You'll feel accomplished making even small changes - and small changes are easier to stick to.

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3) PRACTICE DAILY
Whether you're trying to get up earlier or watch less TV, you'll need to be consistent with your efforts in order to see results. "Practicing once in a while or when you think of it is not enough," Charles Duhigg says. "Remember, you want th

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By Erin Dailey

Nope, it's not just for taming your tresses. Photo by: Getty Images

1. Detach a photo from an album. To work a delicate photograph off one of those sticky pages, blow warm air onto the back of the page while gently tugging the photo free.

2. Dust tough-to-reach places. Set the dryer on cool and point it at dusty shelves or intricate knickknacks to blow the debris right off. (Start from the highest shelf to make gravity work for you.)

Learn how to clean these common dust collectors.

3. Dewrinkle plastic shower curtains or table-cloths. Blow hot air onto fresh-out-of-the-bag material to "iron" out wrinkles-just keep the dryer 12 inches from the surface so it won't melt.

4. Perfect frosting or icing. To harden frosting on cakes or cookies, blow cool air directly on it. To brighten a dull finish, give the icing a hit of hot air.
Get 8 recipes for delicious layer cakes.

5. Erase crayon marks or wax spills. Kids gon

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Here at Cook's Country, we put healthier spins on these iconic pasta dishes. Our foolproof recipes are developed to cut fat and calories -- but keep all of the flavor. Which ones will make it to your dinner table?

BEFORE: Traditional Fettuccine Alfredo

Calories: 580
Fat: 43g
Saturated Fat: 27g

AFTER: Cook's Country Low-Fat Fettuccine Alfredo
Calories: 320
Fat: 12g
Saturated Fat: 6g

HOW WE GOT THERE:

• Standard recipes contain 1½ cups of heavy cream, a stick of butter, and 2 cups of cheese. Many low-fat Alfredo recipes cut calories simply by switching out the cream for lower-fat dairy products such as half-and-half, whole milk, or evaporated milk.
• With very little roux (just 1 tablespoon of butter and 2 teaspoons of flour), we were able to thicken the sauce nicely without heavy cream. Instead of using only half-and-half, we settled on ¾ cup whole milk and just ¼ cup half-and-half for a happy medium of creamy texture, rich taste, and reduced fat.
• As for the cheese,

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