Dust-Proof Your Bedding, Plus Olive Oil for Skin and a Meatloaf Trick

Wash sheets and pillowcases weekly. Items that aren't machine washable don't need weekly trips to the dry cleaner — just take blankets and bedspreads outside and shake them. You can spank some of the dust out of pillows, but for a thorough cleaning, wash or dry-clean them. When you change bedding, gently roll up the old sheets and spread out the new ones; even clean bedding sheds fibers.

Olive oil is a healthy fat containing essential fatty acids that help skin resist UV damage. These fatty acids are also part of the cell membranes that keep in the moisture your body loses through heat and sweat during summer. Consume about 1 tablespoon of olive oil daily, or add it to a salad or fish dish, to get those benefits.

There are worse things than spending the time to make a full-blown meatloaf only to discover it doesn't have enough seasoning. When making meatloaf, sausage, or meatballs, take a small chunk of the mixture and fry it in a skillet (or microwave it for 10 to 15 seconds) and taste. Adjust the seasoning in the rest of the mixture accordingly.