Savanna Forbes grabs a Swiffer mop to pick up a few stray dust bunnies before the open house she is holding in her Manhattan apartment. She has already printed out full-color flyers and tucked away dishes, books and personal items she considers unsightly. It's all part of her effort to take on the risky real estate business without the aid of a real estate agent. Forbes is selling For Sale By Owner — FSBO, in real-estate speak.

Even in the neatest of homes, children's bedrooms are magnets for clutter. Parents battle the constant influx of stuff — everything from school art projects to gifts from grandparents, hand-me-downs from friends and the plastic freebies that come with fast-food meals. These rooms also tend to be the smallest in the house, so managing clutter can be tough. Toys and clothing must be organized and out of the way, but still visible and accessible.

You don't have to pay through the nose to keep cool this summer. Here are some steps you can take to lower your bill, improve comfort and help save the planet.

I can grill up a burger, hot dog or even a swordfish steak with the best. But truth be told, perfecting the chicken breast — juicy in the middle, caramelized exterior — is a nerve-racking experience. But it can be done with a little grill sense.

For her supply of fresh vegetables, Arlene Stagg goes to a plot where she can tend the land with like-minded residents of Le Sueur, Minn. The city, population 4,276, has an attractive yet utilitarian community garden sponsored by the local Presbyterian Church.

Landscape lighting, with an increasing range of options to add utility and drama, can help create a magical nighttime setting. Here's what to do. every night.

A cup of tea at breakfast or over lunch is one of life's simple indulgences. It's even more special — and not much more difficult — if you grow the herbs yourself.

After the aluminum, plastic and glass have been sorted and placed in the appropriate recycling bin, what do you do about bulky or odd items such as paint, those annoying packing peanuts or that dead computer taking up precious garage space?

With Earth Day fast approaching, books on "living green" are covering bookstore shelves like kudzu – everything from the encyclopedic Green Living for Dummies to tips on doing the right environmental thing from actor Ed Begley Jr.

As manufacturers are required by the government to cut down on additional solvents by either reformulating or discontinuing their paint, more low- and no-VOC paint is popping up on hardware store shelves, putting it on the average consumer's radar. Here's how to find the right paint for your home.

I am not immune to the nostalgia of a simpler time, when tellers weren't automated, scooters were powered by feet and the neighbor's pet was a bulldog, not a pomapoo.

Sock and Glove by Miyako Kanamori reads like a 45-page story of animated sock and glove friends with an additional 17 pages of instructions in the back. We tried some of the adorable crafts, and had a hard time choosing what to make first.

Reviews of Beyond the Windowsill, The Garden Designer, and Over the Fence with Joe Gardener.

Sure, designer Tomi Pratt loves the million-dollar budgets with which she sometimes gets to work. But she brings just as much enthusiasm to projects with limited budgets.

I'm convinced that drug companies and the customer service departments of banks, telephone and Internet companies are working together behind the scenes.

Despite our heat, lilies put on a show the year after they're planted, and continue to do so for years to come. Fall planting helps them get firmly established in time for the next round of hot weather.

This time of year is as exciting for me as it is for my children. I used to beg my parents to go back-to-school shopping weeks in advance; my kids do the same. They’re not that “in” to clothes shopping yet; I’m talking about school supplies! We didn’t have a lot of money when I was young- we got just the basics. But they were fresh and new and I loved organizing my pencils, papers and folders over and over again. (I still love a brand-new box of crayons.)

We all know what it feels like to be stuck in a rut at work. The hours drag by, the challenges are few and thoughts turn to greener grass on the other side of the cubicle.

In our road test of DIY crafts books, for crafters of all skill levels, we'll teach you how to etch glass, cover a lampshade and make recipe cardholders.

If e-mail and texting have you thinking paperless society, think again. Who still doesn't love to get a real, hold-it-in-your-hand, keep-it-forever letter? Love letters, thank-you notes and even quick hello notes are very much in.

Little things such as changing light bulbs or replacing a thermostat can make a big difference when it's time to pay the bills, and power companies have programs to help low-income customers make improvements for low or no cost.

Like many a shadowy ancient art, feng shui can prompt as much anxiety as harmony in a newcomer. If feng shui makes you nervous, a new guide may help you dip into the mysterious practice without feeling as though you're going to drown.

Nothing changes the look of a room as quickly as new flooring. Homeowners, however, often shy away from replacing carpet or other types of flooring because of the expense and the concern that they must live with their choice if wrong, for an extended time. With the arrival of fashion- forward, affordable and easy to install non-permanent floor tiles, a change of scenery is steps away.

I am in an informal Moms Club that gets together every other Friday night. Our children play while we gab and drink wine. We spend much of our time talking about our husbands and our kids and commiserate on their grating habits. Although I reserve the right to document the frustrating antics of men for another article, for now, I have collected the votes and am submitting for your review the Top Five Most Annoying Things our Kids Say or Do.

Standards, shrubs trained to grow as small trees, have become popular as land prices have risen and the size of new-home landscapes has diminished. They offer stunning looks, and are fairly easy to grow.

Most people think ceiling fans can be used only in protected sites, where rain, water balloon fights and an overactive water sprinkler can't damage the electrical components or, more important, cause injury. But wet fans are changing that without sacrificing style.

When Elizabeth Rogers and Thomas M. Kostigen set out to write The Green Book , their No. 1 priority was creating the "wow factor," both authors say.

Ah, it's the ol' I'm-going-on-vacation-I-can-be-a-slug time of year, eh? Well, it isn't all fun and games. There are things you need to do before and during your trip. Stop groaning and pay attention. You'll thank us for this. Really.

“Are we there yet?” was the cry from the back seat. My husband and I glanced at each other and I whimpered a little. After all, we had only been in the car for 15 minutes and we had four hours and 22 minutes to go.

Summer is officially in full swing, which means it's time to hit the great outdoors. What better way to immerse yourself in nature than with a family camping trip?

Like a tall centerpiece at a fancy wedding, a cascade of impatiens is not what it seems. Here's how to make your bed of flowers look the best.

Sure, you love your pet. But maybe not so much on the days when Fido is single-handedly responsible for making your home smell like the SPCA. Luckily, Xela has created two new varieties of fragrance diffusers called Furrever Scents, specifically designed to combat your furry friend's nastiest odors.

Those beautiful free-standing bars look impressive in the glossy home catalogs. And they carry pretty impressive prices. For a fraction of the cost, you can retrofit a cabinet into a bar that blends with your decor and fits your budget. And, as a one-of-a-kind, this piece will reflect your style in a unique way.

Pictures of family members having fun may be most travelers' favorite shots. But wildlife photos are apt to be a close second. Here's how to get the most out of your opportunities.

NEW YORK - In the past nine months, passengers have been kicked off airplanes or detained at airports for uncontrolled coughing, joking about hijacking, breast-feeding a baby, kissing and other amorous activities, cursing at flight attendants who denied them alcohol, failing to get a screaming child buckled in for takeoff, and carrying a sippy cup of water.

From city decks to suburban gardens, the great outdoors has never looked better. Four local habitats offer ideas and inspiration.

Use dental floss to cleanly slice soft goat cheese such as chèvre.

So we're wiping our hands on grimy aprons, loading plates with macaroni salad and extra-juicy cheeseburgers au gratin and thinking – wait. There must be a healthier way to have a cookout.

Blistered fingers and singed eyebrows can take the top off any holiday gathering, especially a Father's Day fete that sees Dad firing up the grill for the first time in months. But today's grills are safer than ever. Maybe it's time to get a new one.

The worst part of making a smoothie is the cleanup. There's a simple way to clean a blender – with the push of a button.

Crisply starched kitchen curtains and pressed table linens have long been the sign of a well-maintained home and an aspiration for those who take pride in feathering a non-wrinkled nest. Here's the latest in tools that will help you reach this goal more easily.

Getting Martha results on crafts projects has gotten a bit simpler, if not cheaper, since Michaels became the exclusive retailer of the paper crafts line. Here are some things you can make with the products.

Do you know how much water your lawn needs? Most people don't. If you turn on your sprinklers two or more times a week, you might be overwatering.

If you find yourself struggling to find that dream job a few years after graduation, try moving back in with your mother.

Her heel slipped, her bottom hit the floor and millions crowded around their television sets let out a collective groan.

It's not too late to fill your garden with color that will last through the sultry summer season. That's the word from a green-thumb who knows this area well: Kim Fogarty, manager of Blooming Colors Nursery and Landscaping in Grapevine. Here are the top 10 plants she recommends planting now if your yard still needs some sprucing up.

When it comes to organizing, some people are filers, and some people are pilers, and some are a little of both.

SCARBOROUGH, Maine (AP) - During World War II, the government urged Americans to plant "victory gardens," backyard plots of fruits and vegetables that were supposed to ease reliance on the war-strained public food supply.

For kids across the state of Texas, school is out and for many this means the start of summer camp. But before you get out the bug spray and dust off the sleeping bag, parents and kids should take some time to prepare for the summer send-off, especially if this is your child’s first summer camp experience.

Walk through Dallas' most popular Mexican restaurants, and you're sure to see platters of sizzling fajitas whisked to tables. The dish's popularity rivals that of classic Tex-Mex combo plates. Yet many fajita-loving Texans don't know how to make this fast and easy dish. Here's an expert method to try at home.

When browsing through your garden on a pleasant spring day, don't forget that summer is around the corner, and most plants don't like hot, dry weather. Help them get ready for the heat so that they can make it through the summer with flying colors.

I consider myself an amusement park survivor. I've done Disney on two continents, boardwalks on both coasts, Busch Gardens, Hersheypark, Universal Hollywood, haunted Halloween nights, and Christmas at an indoor waterpark. I've accompanied a summer camp to Sesame Place and the eighth-grade trip to Six Flags. And despite unbearable lines, whining children, unappealing food and my own terror of roller coasters, I can honestly say there's no place I'd rather spend the day. Why? Because the kids always have so much fun.