Daylight Savings Time is coming early this year. It will be on Sunday March 14th. While you are springing forward with your clocks, please remember to change the batteries in your Smoke Alarms as well the batteries for the Carbon Monoxide Detectors. Even though batteries may be expensive, there is no price on your home or life should there be an emergency due to fire or carbon monoxide inhalation.

If you decide to do some Spring Cleaning, please remember the many agencies in your area who are willing to pick up your donations or accept household goods you are no longer using.

Here in the Portland area there are many great organizations helping families and individuals in these hard economic times. Among my favorites are the Oregon Food Bank, Dress for Success Oregon, Community Warehouse and DonorsResource.org

The Oregon Food Bank is an amazing resource for people who need food in an emergency. They have locations all over the state of Oregon. Even if you can only give a few cans of food or a few dollars, it is truly appreciated.

Dress For Success Oregon helps women who are re-entering the workplace. They provide job training as well as new haircuts and make-up tips, interview and resume assistance as well as clothing for that all important first impression. They take new or gently used clothing, purses, shoes and gloves to help each women feel and look her best. They can be reached at 503-249-7300.

The Community Warehouse provides furniture, bedding, towels and kitchen necessities for homeless individuals and families who are transitioning into a home or apartment. An appliance or piece of furniture outdated for you or I may be the best item these people could use to set up their household. They will even pick up your furniture. They can be reached at 503-224-0711.

The online DonorsResource.org is set up for individuals who want to donate items to non-profit organizations. If you are cleaning out your home or a relative's home and do not know what to do with items, go online and describe what you have to donate. A non-profit organiztion will contact you and take your unwanted items off your hands.

No matter what you have to donate, there is an organization that would be very happy to give your extras to some one in need

Did you know there is a new Rebate program? It is the Cash for Clunker Appliances. In the Sunday Oregonian of January 3rd, there was an article stating there is a federal rebate program to be launched early this year. Oregon's share of the money is $3.6 million dollars. The program will run until the money runs out. The thinking behind this new program parallels that of the Cash for Clunkers program. By turning in obsolete energy guzzling appliances for new Energy Star appliances, you save on your electric bill and receive cash back. The program is tentatively scheduled to begin in April 2010. The article said this is a mail-in rebate program aimed at giving people cash back for replacing older refrigerators and washers. If you would like further information, please go to the following website: energysavers.gov and click on"state appliance rebate program" on the right.

You can also save money through April 2010 and receive money back from the Energy Trust by doing simple repairs or updates to your home. You can stop by Lowe's and look through the store for energy saving signs in many of their departments. Home Depot also offers specials but you need to go online to see the different offers available. One example is simply changing out your showerhead to save water or adding the new compact fluorescent bulbs which use 75% less energy than our favorite old light bulbs. They also last 10 times longer. If you are thinking of changing out your old Hot Water tank, look at the new higher energy efficient models or think tankless if you are going to be in your home for a while.

Stay tuned for more bits and pieces to make your life a little brighter and a little more fun. If you have a suggestion of what you'd like to see posted here, please email me at maryp@windermere.com.