Water conservation is critical to help meet the future needs of communities and to lessen the strain on our fragile ecosystems. A little water conservation at home can also save you some cash.

Here are 12 ways you can reduce water consumption in your life, as recommended by SmartIrrigation.org:

• Don't let the water run when rinsing your dishes. Fill one sink with wash water and one sink with rinse water.
• Adjust your sprinklers so they're watering your lawn--not the sidewalks, fences, or street.
• Run your washing machine only when it's full. This can save up to 1,000 gallons of water per month.
• Use your garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead.
• Water your lawn and garden in the morning or evening when it's cooler to minimize evaporation.
• Wash fruits and vegetables in a pan of water instead of under running tap water.
• Use mulch around plants to retain moisture.
• Use a broom instead of a hose to clean your driveway.
• Shorten your shower time by just one or two minutes to save up to 150 gallons of water per month.
• Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If you see it seep into the bowl without flushing, you've got a leak. Fix it and you can save up to 1,000 gallons of water per month.
• Turn faucets off tightly after each use.
• Designate one glass for drinking water all day to reduce the number of glasses that need to be washed.

Young, innocent minds sometimes are the wisest--and funniest. Here are some quotes from children that can apply to all ages:

"Never trust a dog to watch your food."
--Patrick, age 10

"When you want something expensive, ask your grandparents."
--Matthew, age 12

"Wear a hat when feeding seagulls."
--Rocky, age 9

"Never try to hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk."
--Rosemary, age 7

"Never ask for anything that costs more than $5 when your parents are doing taxes."
--Carrol, age 9

"Don't ever be too full for dessert."
--Kelly, age 10

"Don't pick on your sister when she's holding a baseball bat."
--Joel, age 12

"Listen to your brain. It has lots of information."
--Chelsey, age 7

"Never dare your little brother to paint the family car."
--Phillip, age 13

"Forget the cake, go for the icing."
--Cynthia, age 8

"Remember the two places you are always welcome--church and grandma's house."
--Joanne, age 11

Getting less sleep could increase your child's risk of becoming overweight or obese, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found. In fact, for each additional hour of sleep children get, their risk for obesity drops by 9 percent.

The researchers found that children with the shortest sleep time had a 92 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese when compared with children who experienced longer sleep durations. Short sleep durations were categorized as follows:

• Children younger than 5--less than 9 hours per day.
• Children ages 5--10--less than 8 hours per day.
• Children older than 10--less than 7 hours per day.

Previous research has recommended the following daily sleep times for children:

• Younger than 5--11 hours or more per day.
• 5 to 10--10 hours or more per day.
• Older than 10--9 hours or more per day.

The findings were originally published in the journal Obesity.