I need to start off by giving kudos to reader Daniel Franklin. He solved an age-old dilemma that home repair people have had for years. He discovered the secret of how you can get multiple uses from one can of spray insulating foam. (OK, for those of you who don't know what spray foam is, it's basically an aerosol can that sprays out a foam that expands and hardens. It's great for filling cracks and gaps around your home and making it more airtight. "GREAT STUFF" is the brand most people are familiar with and you can find it at all home improvement stores).The reason you can only get one use from a can of foam is that the foam hardens in the spray straw attached to the can. Daniel's solution is elegant. You remove the spray straw from the can after you have used it and then spray WD-40 down the straw. (Use the little red WD-40 straw for the process). The WD-40 cleans out the residual foam. I tested this tip myself and it works great!

When I work out at a gym in the morning, I'm always amazed by how many people DON'T use an electric toothbrush. Why am I surprised? Because numerous studies have found that people who use electric toothbrushes have less plaque and a lower chance of gum disease. Besides all of that, an electric toothbrush just gets your teeth cleaner.

Keeping lettuce fresh is hard to do. The best tip I've ever gotten on it is to put the lettuce in a plastic bag along with some paper towels. The towels absorb the moisture, which helps keep the lettuce fresh. Some people wrap the lettuce in the towels and other people just throw the towels in the bag. Both methods work.

Speaking of lettuce, it also makes a great basting brush when you're cooking meats on the grill. (Bet you didn't know that one).

This can be a stressful time of year with school starting up and the holidays around the corner. If you want to reduce your stress, consider these three things: 1) Bang on a drum. 2) Rent some funny movies. 3) Go see art or create some yourself. All of these methods have been proven to reduce stress hormones.

Bob Gillespie, a good friend of mine, passed away this week. He was only 49 but he had lived an amazing life. A former Navy Seal, Bob was gung-ho about everything he did. I first met him when he was starting a small property management company years ago. Since that time, Bob's company has grown large with customers including Home Depot, Delta and Kaiser. Bob shared a tip with me that I'll share with you. He told me that the secret to success in business is caring about your customers and employees more than your competitors care about their customers and employees. I'll never forget when I stopped by to see Bob one day at his office and found him baking chocolate chip cookies. When I asked him about it, he told me that once a month he liked to go by and see his customers and take them warm, freshly baked cookies along with a pitcher of cold milk. Bob was a legend and I'll miss him.

Tim Thompson lives in Gainesville. E-mail Tim your ideas for tips, tools or tricks.