Here are 10 creative ways to save money and time through innovative uses of common household items.

Ground Coffee – If your freezer has a lingering odor, fill a small bowl of ground coffee and leave it inside the freezer overnight.

Get Cords under Control – Stuff your folded spare power cord inside an empty toilet paper roll.  You can even write the description on the outside.

Toothpaste – You can prevent your bathroom mirror from steaming up by applying a small amount of non-gel toothpaste and then wiping off.

Uncooked Rice – If you’ve accidentally got your cell phone wet, remove the battery and put both phone and battery inside a bag of uncooked white rice overnight.  This will absorb the moisture and may save it.

DIY Bag Clips – Don’t buy them, just snap off the clips from the edges of an old plastic pants hanger, they work great!

Store Rolls of Wrapping Paper Easily – No need to use tape that will tear the paper. Simply cut a toilet paper roll from end to end and wrap around the roll of paper.

Find Small Lost Items – Slip an old stocking over the end of your vacuum cleaner nozzle. You’ll be happy at how easy it is to find a lost earring or eyeglass screw.

Don’t buy fancy shaped tortillas for taco salads – Simply flip over a muffin pan, nestle a regular tortilla between the spaces and bake until crispy.

Vinegar double duty – Clean the scale on your shower head by filling a baggie with vinegar and tying it around the shower head. In 8 hours it will be clean, with no work.

Post-It Note to the Rescue – before you throw out that Post-It note, run the sticky edge between the keys of your keyboard to collect crumbs and fluff.  Try this now, you will be amazed!

A chill is in the air and the pumpkins are ripe for picking.  Here is just a sampling of pumpkin patches, and corn mazes in the Greater Seattle area:

Bobs Corn : Features a 10-acre corn maze and pumpkin patch with more than 15 types of pumpkins and a free hayride to get to the 15-acre pumpkin field.  Hours: 10am to 7pm daily; Location: 10917 Elliott Road, Snohomish, WA – 360-668-2506

 Carleton Farm : Carleton Farm has fresh fruit, vegetables, jams, pies, and even microbrews year round. From October 1 through 31, the farm brings out its Halloween spirit with a pumpkin patch and corn maze. You can pick your own pumpkin in the patch, or buy one that’s already been picked in the barn. The four-acre corn maze has points that you can find on a map and try to solve the puzzle, or just wander through.  Hours: 10am to dusk daily; Location: 630 Sunnyside Blvd SE, Lake Stevens, WA (some GPS systems may have the city as Everett) – 425-334-2297

 Craven Farm : With 20-acres of pumpkin patch and a 15-acre corn maze, Craven Farm ensures all visitors have lots of room to create some harvest-time memories. Other attractions include baby animals, a snack bar, story time tours on weekdays, hayrides, kettle corn, and scarecrow making. Hours: 9am until dark daily; Location: 13817 Short School Road, Snohomish, WA – 360-568-2601 

Fairbank Animal and Pumpkin Farm : On weekends in October, Fairbank Animal and Pumpkin Farm is a delightful place to visit. Pick out a pumpkin or two or three, and enjoy the onsite baby animal zoo! Chicks, ducklings, calves, sheep, goats, and more all live at the farm. Everyone who visits gets a free cup of food to feed to the animals. There is a small admission fee. Hours: 10am until dusk daily; Location: 15308 52nd Avenue, Edmonds, WA – 425-743-3694

Remlinger Farms : Remlinger Farms puts on a Harvest Festival from late September through October each year, complete with you-pick pumpkins, live entertainment for kids, a corn maze, and even rides! Hours: 10am until dusk daily; Location: 32610 NE 32nd Street, Carnation, WA – 425-333-4135

 Stocker Farms : Stocker Farms goes all out for the month of October. At the main location, pick out your pumpkin from acres of pumpkin fields. Across Highway 9 at 8705 Marsh Road, you’ll find PumpkinPark, with a trout fishing pool for kids, face painting, a barrel train, pumpkin cannon, an air jumper, duck races, hayrides, and more! Hours: 10am to 6pm daily; Location: 10622 Airport Way, Snohomish, WA – 360-568-7391

We just sold this great new construction in Ballard…

We just listed this Condo with a Great View!