Writing How Tos and Round-ups

Been busily writing a lot of how tos and I do a monthly column with a round-up of new and updated mobile software. It’s easy to write these types of articles, but they do present a challenge: repetition. As I write them, it feels like I’ve said the same stuff many times before with the only difference being names and features.
Repetition in explaining how tos could be a good thing because it makes it easier for the reader to follow and concentrate on the “new” parts. In doing a round-up — I’ve got a handful of words I try to rotate to prevent the article from sound monotonous.
Some words and phrases drive me nuts because I can’t always find a workaround for them. Examples: such as, like, and as. But also, I’ve got to watch for passive voice. In re-phrasing a sentence, it ends up passive or using one of the too often used phrases.
I rely on a Thesaurus often, but it can’t help with sentences. How do you deal with such troublemakers?