There's a whole chapter in "The Hawaii Home Book: Practical Tips for Tropical Living" on energy efficiency specifically geared toward Island residents. Good advice abounds, such as: "Use cold water for laundry and try to do full loads. In Hawai'i, 'cold' water is usually about room temperature." The paperback (Watermark Publishing, $19.95) already is in bookstores.

— Advertiser Staff

KEEP IT SIMPLE

LAUNDRY ROOM GETS NIFTY REDO

Real Simple magazine did makeovers of rooms across the country for its October edition, and the one that stood out was the room most often forgotten: the laundry room. The best finds: a space-saving, wall-mountable drop-leaf table ($30, www.ikea.com), which can be used instead of a folding table; and a wheeled hamper.

— Advertiser Staff

FINAL WORD

"I run 6 to 8 miles a day, plus weights and aerobics in the lunch hour. I also lie a lot, which keeps me thin."