Photo: LDC Designs

Turn trash into treasure - even in your bathroom!

According to household paper product producer Kimberly-Clark, the United States produces 17 billion toilet paper rolls each year. That's 160 million pounds of trash! Instead of throwing out empty cardboard toilet paper rolls, turn them into owl ornaments. Take a few rolls, and paint them in bright colors with markers or paint. Then, decorate with black permanent markers. Get creative - give those owls some flare and personality! Lastly, pinch one end of the roll to create owl ears and voila, you have a free and unique holiday ornament or bathroom decoration.

Now, to keep all that paper you’re using from clogging your pipes, do a little proactive plunging on your toilet. If you notice that the water is draining slowly out of the bowl when you flush, use a cone-shaped plunger to address the issue before it becomes a full-on clog.

1) Turn off the water to the toilet tank. To do this, turn the metal knob on the wall behind the toilet clockwise. If there is no metal knob behind your toilet, lift off the cover of the toilet tank and close the flapper (the flush valve's moving piece).

2) Position the plunger over the hole at the bottom of the bowl and press straight down so that the plunger seals itself over the opening.

3) Be sure there’s at least an inch of water in the toilet – it acts as a suction to create enough water pressure to remove anything unwanted in those pipes.

4) Firmly pump the handle a few times. It’s important to keep the rubber part firmly attached the whole time to maintain suction.

5) Turn the water back on by turning the knob counterclockwise (or replacing the toilet tank cover) and flush the toilet to clear out the bowl.