Avoid the most common freelancer mistakes with freelance community blog Freelance Switch’s list of completely correctable blunders. Missing deadlines is a big one, mostly because it impacts your reputation. In addition, you’ll want to make sure you’re charging appropriately, doing your research, and choosing the right clients. If you do freelance work, please share in the comments what mistakes you’ve made and how you’ve managed to make lemonade out of those lemons.

US only – If you’re jonesing for your fix of cotton candy and freakishly huge pickles, then you’ll want to check out WeekendEvents.com’s list of every state, city, and county fair in the United States. Just find your state, clicky, and you’ll be directed to a directory listing of the next state/city/county fair in your area. A great way to herald the inevitable winding down of summertime.

Productivity blog Dumb Little Man has come up with an interesting way to get your teeth whiter – strawberries and baking soda.

Combined with baking soda, strawberries become a natural tooth-cleanser, buffing away stains from coffee, red wine, and dark sodas. While it’s no replacement for a bleaching treatment at your dentist’s office, “this is a fast, cheap way to brighten your smile,” says Adina Carrel, DMD, a dentist in private practice at Manhattan Dental Arts in New York. “Be careful not to use this too often, though, as the acid could damage the enamel on your teeth.”

In the interests of research, I tried this myself. I didn’t see any instant results, but it tasted pretty good (better than those nasty whitening strips!) and it’s certainly a lot cheaper.

Headed back to school? Get ahead of the class with educational site Pick the Brain’s seven grade raising strategies. Most of these are pretty common sense; for instance, simply showing up tends to greatly increase your chances of getting more out of class. You’ll also want to choose smart people to work with, do a weekly review of your notes, and avoid all-nighters if possible. What are your best good grade tips? Please share in the comments.

Instead of tacking up bedsheets over the windows when you first move into a place to preserve your privacy, save your walls and just pop some bubble wrap into the windows instead. This idea comes from Derek of ReadyMade, who simply taped the bubbly stuff into his windows until curtains/blinds were hung. Not only does it let in light during the day, it also saves your neighbors from seeing more than they should at night.