Pinching pennies? At online community www.HawaiiMoms.com, members trade ideas on cutting expenses. Armywife2006 says she saves $144 a year by using an egg timer to limit showers. She and her husband "timed our normal shower, and then shaved only two minutes off that time," she writes. "I've seen a drop in our gas and water bill, by $12 dollars a month ... and that was only two minutes!" Share your mom-tested tips on www.HawaiiMoms.com's General Parenting forum, or send to hawaiimoms@honoluluadvertiser.com.

— Esme Infante Nii

DIY FASHION

RECYCLE, REPURPOSE YOUR OLD JEANS

As waists rise and legs get fuller, isn't it time to repurpose those low-rise, peg-legged jeans? Designer Carmen Webber, seen on "Project Runway," partnered with celebrity stylist Carmia Marshall to become Sistahs of Harlem for "Denim Mania: 25 Stylish Ways to Transform Your Jeans" (St. Martin's Press). With sketches and step-by-step instructions, they show how to transform tired denim into fabulous tops, bottoms, jackets and accessories, reflecting the sassy street style of New York City, distant world cultures and their rich Harlem legacy.

— Paula Rath

FINAL WORD

"I was a desperate housewife, cooking, sewing, picking up the dry cleaning. It was nice, but I was itching to get back to work."

Eva Longoria Parker | "Desperate Housewives" star, in TV Guide