DIY Life http://www.diylife.com DIY Life http://www.diylife.com/media/feed_logo.gif DIY Life http://www.diylife.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Flush less water with a soda bottlehttp://www.diylife.com/2007/10/15/flush-less-water-with-a-soda-bottle/http://www.diylife.com/2007/10/15/flush-less-water-with-a-soda-bottle/http://www.diylife.com/2007/10/15/flush-less-water-with-a-soda-bottle/#commentsFiled under: , ,

If you've got an older toilet in your house (not the High efficiency (HET) models), you're using more water per flush than necessary, which depletes resources and your wallet. Here's a simple trick that costs less than installing a new toilet.

Fill an old, plastic soda bottle with water and place it inside the tank. Let's say your family flushes the toilet five times a day. Since the bottle displaces exactly 2 liters of water, that's 10 liters you won't be pulling into your house (or paying for!).

Again, don't try this with a HET. But those of us with older models may give it a try.

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]]>environmenthigh-efficiency-toilettoiletwastewaterDave CaoloMon, 15 Oct 2007 18:00:00 ESTLiberate a childproof caphttp://www.diylife.com/2007/08/24/liberate-a-childproof-cap/http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/24/liberate-a-childproof-cap/http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/24/liberate-a-childproof-cap/#commentsFiled under:

Child proof caps certainly have their place. However, those of us who don't need an extra layer of protection between ourselves and the Tylenol just find them frustrating. Instructables has the fix.

In fact, they've demonstrated how to "disable" the three types of childproof tops: "Push down and turn," "Squeeze and turn" and "Press tab and turn." You'll need a thumbtack, a spoon and fingernail clippers, so get out your McGyver kits.

Now, we don't recommend performing these hacks in homes with children. Of course you knew that, but we had to say it anyway.

[Via Lifehacker]

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]]>child proof topChildProofTophouseholdmedicine bottleMedicineBottleDave CaoloFri, 24 Aug 2007 12:00:00 ESTKnit toddler viking hatshttp://www.diylife.com/2007/08/22/knit-toddler-viking-hats/http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/22/knit-toddler-viking-hats/http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/22/knit-toddler-viking-hats/#commentsFiled under: , ,

How are my kids like vikings? Well, they've pillaged my bank account, terrorized my pets and sacked my free time. I ought to dress the little miscreants accordingly.

Luckily, there's a great "baby viking hat" kit available at Bella Knitting, which includes the pattern and tutorial, plus 2 balls of Aurora 8 yarn and white accent yarn. You can make either a newborn and young baby-sized hat, for either a girl (pictured, with wings and braids) or a boy (with horns). It sells for $24.50US.

We love those braids. Happy knitting.

[Via NOTCOT]

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]]>childrencraftshatkidsknitDave CaoloWed, 22 Aug 2007 16:00:00 ESTDesign a custom moleskine travel notebookhttp://www.diylife.com/2007/08/09/design-a-custom-moleskine-travel-notebook/http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/09/design-a-custom-moleskine-travel-notebook/http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/09/design-a-custom-moleskine-travel-notebook/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I love Moleskine City Notebooks. If you're unfamiliar, they're pocket sized, hard bound notebooks that contain maps, transportation info, blank pages for notes and more. As you travel, you can add your own stories, reference information, contacts, whatever.

To quote Aldous Huxley, "...the only useful guidebook will be the one which he himself has written."

The problem is this: The manufacturers have only made them for a few cities. Those of you in world-class locations like New York City, Amsterdam, Barcelona or Dublin are covered. The rest of us are out of luck.

That's why when I saw this Flickr set of a DIY project to make one, I thought, "I must do this!" Here is the step-by-step process I used when making my DIY Moleskine City Book: Cape Cod Edition.

[Via Moleskinerie]

Gallery: DIY Moleskine City Notebook

The materialsRemoving the PopOut mapMap removedCement your mapMap in place

Continue reading Design a custom moleskine travel notebook

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]]>city notebookCityNotebookcraftfeaturedmoleskinetravelDave CaoloThu, 09 Aug 2007 15:00:00 ESTClean a dishwasher with Kool-Aidhttp://www.diylife.com/2007/08/03/clean-a-dishwasher-with-kool-aid/http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/03/clean-a-dishwasher-with-kool-aid/http://www.diylife.com/2007/08/03/clean-a-dishwasher-with-kool-aid/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Recently, we showed you how to freshen a laundry load with vinegar. This reminded me of a similar experience I had.

For many years, I worked in an industrial setting. Our dishwashers ran for several hours per day. Despite the near-constant cleaning, they'd occasionally get stained. I was wondering what to do about it when someone suggested, "Run it with a packet of Kool-Aid."

Lemonade Kool-Aid, to be exact. With no dishes and Kool-Aid in the detergent compartment, we began a cycle. At the end, the stains were gone, as the citric acid in the mix had removed the stains (kind of makes you wonder about putting it in your body, doesn't it?).

It's a trick I've re-used, and the folks at Real Simple have made the same discovery. So, the next time you're grocery shopping, pick up some Kool-Aid. Oh, yeah!

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]]>dishwasherhackshousehold cleaningHouseholdCleaningkool-aidDave CaoloFri, 03 Aug 2007 14:00:00 EST