Recession Mama Michele Ashamalla: If you have a young child, I'm pretty sure you have a bunch of "art" projects around the house -- with more coming in every day. I'm thrilled that my children are creative, but really, how many painted macaroni necklaces must we keep?!

When it comes to the three-dimensional projects, I encourage my kids to give them to another relative -- preferably one without a child, who will be overcome with emotion at receiving such a gift. (Also, that relative can get rid of the "art" without too much guilt, and my kids won't go poking around their house looking for it.) Another option is to take a digital picture of the project, and then dispose of it.

That's also what we do with the LEGO, Lincoln Log and Erector Set creations in our house before we break them down. Now, the two-dimensional projects offer a few recycling options that save money! If the paper is large enough, it can be used to wrap presents. And we use the smaller ones to make notecards: Just cut them into 5.5" x 8.5" pieces, fold them over and let your child sign the corner with the year -- just like a real artist! A set of ten or twelve with (announcement-size) envelopes can be a small gift from your child to an uncle or grandma. My kids are excited when their projects get a new, useful life, and I am happy with that, too. Let me know any suggestions you have -- I'm always looking to tame the clutter!