DIY Life

There truly is something for everyone in this world. I would never have thought to combine kitchen storage with geeky computer stuff, but this idea is well worth crossing the two. After thinking it over, it makes perfect sense to store your server in your extra bread bin.

The tutorial for this project is quite clever -- and clear enough for even the most challenged of DIYers. A bread bin is just about the perfect size for a server, and the material is easily cut to fit cords and the like. Once the server is safely tucked in its new home it can live there relatively dust free and out of harm's way.

What better way to add spice to your summer table than a cool, sassy wasp cake! This scary looking creature is an original creation by Cloth and Fodder, and while it certainly involves quite a few steps, the end product is definitely worth the effort.

The wings on this bad boy are made of toffee, and the legs, eyes and antennae are dark chocolate that has been melted and formed. The cake shown is a zesty lemon flavor, fitting for a summer evening, but could be made from your favorite: chocolate, yellow, carrot....

This cake might not be for the beginner baker, but it sounds delicious and well worth all of your hard work. I think it would be fun to fashion a few of them for a small swarm of cake wasps on the table.

One of the best parts about summer is outdoor dining. There is something so refreshing about eating outside under an umbrella, enjoying a fresh breeze and the scent of flowers in the air.

For all the pleasures it offers, though, eating outdoors does present a few problems. Sturdy plastic dishes and flatware are a must. And you are not too likely to leave your condiments out on the patio table throughout the hot days. This means many trips to the kitchen for napkins, extra forks and condiments.

Designsponge recently featured a clever, cheap, and super cute solution to help cut down on kitchen trips and make outdoor summer dining a bit easier and more stylish.

In this economy, there's no time like the present to look in the pantry and take stock of things, to distinguish between the must-haves and the fluff.

Things like tinned smoked oysters might not need to be replaced. The same goes for gourmet cookies. And that six pack of Coke? Who needs that, when there's perfectly good drinking water free from the tap? Or so I thought... until I began reading about the many wonders of Coke.

It turns out Coke is more than just a sweet drink that gives you a lift: it can be used for everything from creating a better curl to cleaning stubborn toilet stains. After the break, you'll find a few more clever uses for the carbonated drink....

Not all teens are caught up with video games and prowling the malls, one innovative sixteen year-old boy has taken his 1988 Mazda pickup truck and given it a new life as an electric car. Wow! Andrew Angelloti saved up a wad of $6,000 from his part time gig as a life guard and spent it on the required parts for his eco-conscious vehicle.

The process of converting the older car involved using 20 flooded lead acid batteries to create 120 volts, which he then coupled to a 60 HP 9" electric motor. The results are pretty impressive, Andrew can reach speeds of up to 55 MPH and can travel up to 40 miles at a time from one charge. Angelloti is so smitten with his first creation that he has decided to give his handy work another go and is currently overhauling a 1992 Toyota Tercel that will out perform his current creation.

What a refreshing bit of news. Not only is this young man using his time and talents in a productive manner but he is doing good things for the planet. A great example of some serious DIY initiative and teens everywhere!

Although my family lives in a fairly secluded area, several times per year we attend local events that attract thousands of people. I always cringe when these extravaganzas come to town because I like my children where I can see them, right next to me and not wandering about in gigantic crowds. Next week the biggest of the big events will be here, the Winter X Games. My older two children have already begun to vibrate in happiness at the mere thought of this outdoor party. The local schools will let out, there will be carnival games, free samples galore, cool athletes performing even cooler stunts and thousands upon thousands of people. A couple of years ago my older son, then just 12, did not show up at the designated meeting place and much drama ensued. As a result of that snafu we have implicated a plan for times such as the upcoming games, I call it The Plan.

The Plan consists of common sense, synchronized clocks and an airtight understanding of everybody's expectations. It goes something like this:

1. Know the lay of the land. The X Games happens to be on the side of a ski mountain. There is no parking, only buses. It is cold. There is more noise than humanly imaginable. This said, I make sure my son knows exactly what events he wants to watch, the safest routes to get there and the times during which they occur.
2. Know the schedule. Get an event planner several days before the happening. This way you can plan which events are the most alluring. By coordinating the times and days, a bus schedule can also be established.
3. Stay in communication. Due to the noise level of this particular event, communicating by phone is difficult. My son carries his own cell phone and we establish a schedule throughout the day when he will either find a quiet location to call or text me a message.
   
4. Allow time for crowd control. Just because an event ends at a certain time there is no guarantee that my son will be able to catch the bus immediately following said event. If something ends at 7 p.m. I give him at least 20 minutes to maneuver through the throngs of people.

Although the above points are not rocket science it helps to keep everybody aware and abreast of any and all plans. Since implicating it we have had no lost family members and large events have been much less stressful.

This video presents a creative way to spend some time out in the cold and keep warm at the same time. The videographer has a good idea, but one I believe can be made even better. Why not repeat the process of making snowshoe imprints in the snow every time there is a snow storm? In addition, by adding snow to the walls in between the trodden trails, the labyrinth will increase in height and create more intrigue. By the end of the winter your yard could be an entertaining spot sure to attract the entire neighborhood.

Waking up in the morning is never an easy task, and for many people actually rising when the alarm clock rings is a lost cause. If you happen to fall into the category of not hearing your daily alarm, here is the ultimate clock for you: the fire alarm. The assembly looks fairly easy, requiring just an old fashioned fire alarm bell and a cheap, battery powered alarm clock. It is sure to not only wake you up with a jolt, but to scare the heck out of you with your first waking breath of the day.