Keep forgetting lunch at home? Trick yourself

• "To keep sneakers from smelling up a closet, tuck a sheet of fabric-softener into each one. Keep it in overnight, or just leave it there until you wear your shoes again." – D.F. in Texas

• Now is the time to prep your outside pipes if you live in a cold-weather area. Cover exposed spigots with a foam wrapper, and be sure to drain any in-ground irrigation systems if you expect a freeze in your area.

• If your brown sugar is too hard, just pop it in a bowl and into the microwave with a slice of bread. The bread will help soften it, and it will be ready to use in seconds!

• "If you pack your lunch at night, but forget it in the morning, try putting your keys next to your lunchbox in the fridge. Can’t leave without lunch now." – M.L. in Georgia

• "When organizing a garage sale, get the kids involved. They can clean out their rooms and create a kids' store to sell their stuff for extra cash. If they aren't into selling the toys they have outgrown, maybe they can run a lemonade or hot chocolate stand, weather permitting." – E.S. in North Carolina

• "With so many people getting deliveries these days, I always check with my neighbors when I need a box to mail something. They usually have something perfect." – S.W. in Tennessee

• "Whenever I need to remember to bring something with me for the next day (e.g., my lunch, important papers, school notes) I write it on a Post-it note and stick it on the door leading outside. If I have the item, I take the note down. Sometimes I write the day of the week, if I need different things on different days." – A.M. in Florida

• Taco Tuesday was never so easy! Slip hard taco shells over the rack in your oven so that they hang open-side down. Use tongs to remove when they are sufficiently warm. Now you don't have to argue about how to arrange them on a cookie sheet to keep them from closing up.

• "If you have a muddy boot problem like mine, then get a couple cookie sheets and set them by the door. The boots go on the cookie sheets, and the mud doesn't get tracked into the house." – A reader in New Jersey

• If you have an old rake that the handle has broken off of, you can repurpose it on your wall. Hang dog leashes, necklaces, a set of wrenches, anything really. Mount to the wall with nails so that the tines of the rake face out from the wall. Instant hanger!

• To make your dry-erase markers more convenient, simply tape small kitchen magnets to them with ordinary gift-wrap tape. Make sure the side of the magnet that is attracted to the refrigerator is facing out!

• Now is the time to raid your kids' dress-up stash for Halloween ideas. Don't overlook accessories that can make a great costume addition for adults, too. Doctor's kits, pirate eyepatches and hats ... perhaps a tutu, too?

• October sales items include: appliances, automobiles (current year's model on sale when new model is unveiled), school supplies, fishing gear, ladies' outerwear and early fall and winter clothing sales.

• Keep squirrels out of a pole-mounted birdfeeder and out of the birdseed! Just spray a cotton cloth liberally with WD-40 lubricating oil. Then wipe the pole with the cloth. Squirrels are good at climbing, but this is asking a little too much. Reapply every so often to keep it slippery.

• "If your knuckles get chapped and dry during the cold season, try rubbing a little Chapstick into them. It works for me." – P.E. in Minnesota

• Store spaghetti in an empty Pringles can that has been wiped out. It's the perfect height, and you can take just what you need. The plastic top makes it easy to see when it's time to restock the angel hair!

• "If you use frozen fruits and veggies that come in bags, here's a great tip to keep your freezer shelf organized. Use binder clips to reseal the bags, and hang them from the shelf itself. Binder clips easily clip over the metal grate, and secure the bag's top underneath so that it hangs from the shelf." – T.L. in New York

• For a more accurate reading of your refrigerator's temperature, submerge your thermometer in a glass of water and read after an hour.

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