It’s the return of morning-hustle-out-the-door, scheduling, and paperwork chaos. No problem: Here are some tips to stay on your “A” game this school year.

Entryway

Welcome to the supersize equivalent of a junk drawer – a massive catchall for jackets, backpacks, shoes, and rain boots that also happens to be front and center for all to see. That’s why you need an eye-pleasing system to organize the madness.

Kitchen

The kitchen should realy be called the living room. It’s where your family congregates most, whether you’re eating dinner, putting together a science project, or hosting pantry-raiding friends. Here, five ideas for your home’s command central.

Bedroom

In the not-too distant future, your child will become a teen. For now, you still have access to his sleeping quarters, which is why you should seize the opportunity to streamline his routine.

1) The first thing you should do is access the situation of your lawn. Is your yard covered with a good strain of grass that you would like to keep, but is dying? Is it being overrun by crabgrass and weeds? Is it completely overrun by crabgrass and weeds? The only way to figure out where to go from here is to determine what you are starting with and what you want your lawn to turn into. Far too often I see neighbors dumping hundreds of dollars in lawn care on their yards only to see them shaking their heads a month later when nothing has changed. These products are good, but not always necessary.

2) Watering goes without saying, but with the summer heat water can be futile if you don’t know how to get the best out of it. If you’re watering your lawn in the middle of the day the odds are its going to evaporate before any of it has soaked into the ground. The proper way to water your lawn would be to wait until dusk thus preventing any evaporation from taking place. This allows all water to be absorbed by the plant. Remember it’s a lot easier for the sun to evaporate water off the surface of a plant or ground than it is to take it from inside the plant and ground. This is especially helpful in counties that restrict the amount of water you can use for your lawn during the summer.

3) If you’re looking to eliminate all the bad grass from your lawn first you must remember that it’s like a cancer; it will spread and it won’t stop spreading. Good thing this is also true for the good grass as well. Your lawn is a democracy. Majority will rule. Plant the grass you want and when it grows it will better defend itself from a bad grass takeover. Some lawns require more work; almost to the point of a complete overhaul. Just remember tilling your whole lawn may get rid of the crab grass so that the good seeds you’ve planted can grow, but it takes a while for grass to take and establish permanent residence. This is plenty of time for bad grass to begin to establish itself again. A bi-monthly sprinkling of grass seeds should do the trick.

Once you’ve established what your lawn needs then you can determine a routine and adjust as necessary. When your lawn gets what it needs you get what you want; A happier and healthier lawn.

To take the Energy-Saving Tour click on the image below.

Make windows work for you

• On sunny days, open draperies and blinds to let in the sun’s warmth. During the summer, draw drapes and blinds to prevent solar heat gain.
• Close draperies and blinds at night to insulate against cold air outside.
• If you have storm windows, be sure they are installed during heating season.

Turn down your thermostat

The easiest and most economical way to cut energy costs is to adjust your thermostat.

• Set thermostats between 65° and 70° during the winter, and to 58° when away from the house for four or more hours. For homes with elderly people or children, warmer temperatures are recommended.
• For greater temperature control, use a programmable or setback thermostat.

Keep warm in winter

• Close vents and doors in unused rooms.
• Keep hot and cold air registers free of dust and do not block with carpet or furniture.

Turning down water heater setting

The water heater accounts for approximately 15% of the average household’s energy use. Using it wisely can save you money.

• To lower energy cost without sacrificing comfort, set water heater temperature to 120°.

Showerheads/faucets

• Install water-flow restrictors in showerheads and faucets.
• Repair leaky faucets. A leak that fills a coffee cup in 10 minutes wastes 3,280 gallons of water a year.

Washer/dryer

• Run washing machines and clothes dryers with full loads only.
• Replace old, outdated appliances with high efficiency models.

Stop drafts and air leaks with caulking and weatherstripping

By adding insulation and sealing air leaks, you can have a significant impact on your energy bills.

• Guard against heat loss by sealing leaks around doors, windows and other openings such as pipes and ducts.
• After you have caulked and sealed bypasses, adding insulation can help you reduce energy use and save on future fuel bills.
• Be sure attics have recommended levels of insulation. Contact your local insulation company to come check your insulation.

Maintain your heating system

70-80% of a typical home’s natural gas use is for heating and cooling. Use your energy dollars wisely with these tips:

• Change or clean furnace filters once a month during heating season.
• Have your furnace or boiler tuned by a qualified technician once a year to help improve your system’s operating efficiency and help prevent breakdowns.
• If you have an old heating system, consider replacing it with a high efficiency system. The more of an efficiency upgrade you make, the more energy savings you will see on your heating bills.

For more information about saving energy at home, visit the Texas State Energy Conservation Office.

Thank you to CenterPoint Energy for these very helpful energy saving tips.