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Energy-saving windows: Surround the house with great style by installing insulated windows.X...X...XRecycle with style: Seek vintage pieces of furniture or those made from recycled materials.X...X...XPlanet-friendly floors: Shop for all-natural materials like cork, bamboo and tile.

"Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old" -- Franz KafkaThe gardening season is coming to a close, and the leaves seem to be in a big hurry to change colors and start their downward descent. This makes me all the more anxious to hurry up and preserve the few things that remain while I have the chance.

Q: I received a bag of pepitas and want to know what they are. -- Fran Palmer, Rockport, Mass.A: Pepitas are pumpkin seeds, dried out and usually roasted. They can come salted or unsalted; they're fabulous as a snack on their own, cooked into brittles or sprinkled in salads with juicy stone fruit.

While snow peas and sugar snap peas have tender pods that can be eaten whole, shell peas (sometimes called English peas) need to be shelled before cooking. It's a bit of work, but completely worth the effort in terms of bright, fresh flavor.

There's a new term I saw a lot this summer: "staycation."

Q: Ed, you're not going to believe this, but our beautiful new fiberglass tub/shower unit has a golf-ball-sized chip in the surface from when my husband somehow managed to knock the towel bar into the tub. (Don't ask!) Nothing leaks, so it's pretty much cosmetic. How do we get it to look pretty again? -- Cindy in Iowa

Do you love the look of a pretty scarf worn as a headband but find that yours slips off halfway through the day, leaving your hair more sloppy than chic? Though a good plastic headband may stay put, it doesn't really convey your style and sophistication, does it?

Recycle: Recycle whenever and whatever you can. The energy saved by using recycled instead of raw materials to manufacture goods ranges from 40 percent to 95 percent.X...X...XGreen Countertops and Cabinets: Help purify the air at home by using green, sustainable, good-looking materials.X...X...X

A continuing compendium of tips and tricks from Home & Garden Television:

Q: I took a cooking class. The chef had this incredible cinnamon that didn't smell like any cinnamon I had ever smelled before. It was deeply fragrant, peppery, rich beyond belief. Do you know what kind that could have been? -- Kim Hayes, Everett, Wash.