I lean to the practical side when giving baby shower gifts.

After all, for most first-time parents, they need everything. But practicality goes out the window when it comes to a gift once the baby is born. That's when I want to wrap up a quilt or knitted sweater I've made - something personal and homemade.

If you're not crafty or there's no time for homemade, you'll love this tip from Millie.

New baby gift. A great gift to celebrate the arrival of a new baby is to frame the front page of the newspaper from the day the baby was born.

- Millie, New Jersey

Rubber coaster cleanup. When my rubber coasters get dirty, I just throw them in the dishwasher on the top rack, and they come out looking like new!

- Teresa, New York

Caramel rolls so easy. My "homemade" caramel rolls are delicious. The recipe starts with store-bought refrigerated cinnamon rolls. Melt one stick of butter (1/2 cup) in the bottom of a round cake pan. To the melted butter, add 1/3 cup maple syrup and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Place one package of eight cinnamon rolls on top, and bake per package instructions. Remove from oven and immediately turn over onto a serving plate. Allow time for caramel sauce to drain down between the rolls. Enjoy.

- Bonnie, Wisconsin

Home for homemade laundry soap. I have been making laundry soap in 5-gallon batches for a while. After letting the batch sit overnight, I use my screw gun and a paint-mixing attachment for stirring

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5-gallon containers. Doing this seems to smooth out the lumps. I divide the batch into a collection of old liquid laundry soap containers from when we paid too much for detergent. It's a nice reminder every time we do laundry.

- Stephen, New York

Ashes clean wood-burning stove. I have a wood-burning stove, and I discovered a great way to clean the glass. Dip a damp cloth in the cooled or slightly warm ash from the stove. Rub it on the glass, and presto, the dirt and grime rubs right off. Follow with a little water. If there are any streaks, just use window cleaner.

- Julianne, email

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