At the courthouse, you typically can learn the official lot number or description of the property where your house is located. You may not find correct information using your street address, since these can change over time. Your local or county tax assessor also may have this information within the tax records for your property. Keep in mind that official record keeping of land and properties typically uses a different system than street addresses with which you're familiar. This system allows you to track the history of your house from the moment it was built. If you live in a place that has been continually inhabited for hundreds of years, even the property grid/lot system itself may have changed over time. In this case, you may also need to make a trip to your local historical society. The abstract records all deeds or other legal transactions associated with your property. These documents typically are located at the county courthouse, although you may have been given a copy when you purchased the home. Review the history of the purchase and selling price. A dramatic increase in the selling price over a short period of time may mean a building or room was added, or that the house was substantially renovated. You can cross-reference with any building permits for additional clues. If you live in the United States, visit your local or county courthouse to look at the deed registry, usually found in the clerk and recorder's office. This information is indexed by a lot and block number in a city, and a section, township and range for rural property. The government office that issues building permits should have public records pertaining to your house. The building permit can contain a treasure trove of information including the house's original dimensions, construction dates and costs, and the names of the people originally involved in its construction. Keep in mind that you typically must pay a small fee to acquire these documents, including a search fee as well as a fee for your own copy. If your house is hundreds of years old, you may need to visit the local historical society to find the building permit. If you live in a larger city or town, directories and atlases can help you uncover details about your house throughout the past. In many areas, these city directories and maps were in use hundreds of years ago. Directories and atlases also can help you identify changes in street names and other geographical details that you can use to target your research and find more information about your house. These directories and atlases typically are available at the municipal planner's office. If they are not there, staff typically will be able to point you in the right direction. Survey maps and property field books are common sources of information about the history of a property. These typically are located in either local or national archives, and were maintained for tax purposes. Talk to someone at the property tax assessor's office to find out where historical records are kept and how you can access them. Keep in mind you'll typically need to pay a fee to have them retrieved.

Summary: Visit your local courthouse or county recorder. Find a copy of your property's abstract. Go to your local municipal planning agency. Check city directories and atlases. Review survey maps and field books.

Using a shovel, dig the hole in which you'll plant your tree. You want to make sure that it is large enough to accommodate the tree's size and give it plenty of room to grow and take root. Dig a hole that is 2-3 wider and about as deep than the root ball. This will give the tree enough room to fit and allow fresh roots to grow without stress. Try to dig the hole with a small "pedestal" of dirt in the center of the hole where the tree will rest. The hole should be a little deeper around the edges but there should be a pedestal of dirt in the center where the root ball sits. This pedestal prevents the root ball from sitting continuously in water. Any excess water will naturally flow to the deeper areas of the hole around the edges where the roots can drink from if needed. Measure the hole to see if it is wide and deep enough. If necessary, dig out more soil to reach the desired depth and width. Put a light coating of superphosphate in the hole to promote a healthy root system. Using a mixture of compost and the soil you dug out while you prepared the hole, backfill (or refill) the hole. Make sure you have enough soil to support the roots while giving them room to grow. Backfill three quarters of the hole with existing dirt, one quarter with compost or composted manure as needed. It's important to make sure that there are no air pockets around the roots as you backfill the hole. In order to get rid of any air pockets that might be present, backfill only part of the hole and then lightly tamp it down with your hands or the shovel. Do this for subsequent layers. When tamping down backfill, make sure to proceed gently and also not use your feet because you could trample the roots. Use some compost or composted manure, if needed. If the soil that you currently have is not rich, has clay-like qualities or has the consistency of dust or sand, the addition of manure or compost will give the tree a great start in life. If the compost or manure smells, it hasn't been properly composted and shouldn't be used because it can "burn" your tree. Resist the temptation to use a commercial fertilizer. It can over-boost the tree and make it "burn out" or not thrive. Give fruit and nut trees extra attention. Adding manure or compost is essential if you are planting a fruit or nut tree.

Summary: Prepare the hole for the tree. Backfill the hole.

Take it out of the wrapper and stick the back of it onto your bathing suit bottom. Choose a thin one so that it doesn't bulge and make sure you're wearing a suit that fits snugly to your body. If your pad gets wet, it won't be as sticky anymore, so wearing a tighter suit can help keep it in place. Because pads absorb water, they become less effective when you're swimming. Plus, they will feel wet and soggy. Every time you get out of the pool, change your pad so that you will still be protected. Keep in mind, though, that it may be difficult to stick a new pad on since you'll be putting it on a wet bathing suit. Dark colors hide leaks better than lighter colors. Therefore, if you do have a little problem with your pad, it will be less likely to show if you choose a dark bathing suit. However, pads with wings are more likely to show on the outside of these suits. If you're not planning to put swimming trunks on, choose pads without wings. This will make it easier to hide the fact you're wearing a pad, as the wings won't show. Plus, it will help keep the pad in place while you move around.

Summary: Stick the pad on while your bathing suit is dry. Change your pad often when you're swimming. Opt for a dark-colored bathing suit. Throw a pair of swimming trunks on top of your bathing suit bottoms.

White distilled vinegar works as both a stain remover and a fabric softener when added to a laundry load. Simply pour 0.25 cups (59mL) of vinegar into your washing machine during the rinse cycle to clean and soften your stained white clothes. Avoid using vinegar in your laundry along with chlorine bleach, since this combination will produce fumes that can be harmful to breathe. Note that using vinegar in the laundry may harm clothes made of silk, acetate, or rayon. This will not only get rid of stains, but will also give your clothes a nice lemony smell. Add 1 cup (240mL) of the lemon juice to your laundry along with your detergent, then wash as normal. Don't use lemon juice with colored clothing, since it may accidentally bleach them. Toothpaste has a number of surprising uses besides brushing your teeth, one of which is removing stains from clothing. Wet your clothing, then use an old toothbrush to apply a thin layer of white toothpaste to the stained area. Scrub the stain vigorously for about 30 seconds, then rinse the clothing in water. For the best results on white clothing, use a toothpaste with whitening properties. Avoid using colored toothpaste, since this may actually stain your white clothes even worse! The toothpaste method typically works well on cotton clothes, although it may not work on other fabrics.
Summary: Add vinegar to your laundry to both remove stains and soften fabric. Try adding lemon juice to your laundry with your detergent. Scrub cotton clothes with white toothpaste before washing them.