DIY Life

I am one of the lucky ones. I grew up with my mother reading to me constantly, and since I always saw my parents reading, I had good examples (ah, the power of modeling). Reading was an innate love for me.

What if you found reading later in life? Is it possible to become well read without that solid foundation? Or what if you got lost in mundane life tasks and put reading by the wayside for a while? Can you still be well read?

In my opinion, as an avid reader, someone who holds a degree in English literature, and a former reading teacher, the answer is yes. It's never too late to start reading regularly, and it doesn't take much to catch up, so to speak. Thankfully, there is a pool of amazing books from which to choose.

After the break, you'll find my tips on how to become well read.

If there is one circus skill I'd love to master, it's walking on stilts. Being hopelessly clumsy and a bit of a coward, I'm not sure it's in the cards for me, but if you're looking for a fun construction project and a new skill, try out these DIY stilts.

The wooden stilts are adjustable, increasing your height by one to three feet. Here's what you need to construct them:

• Wooden 2×4, 15.5" long
• 4 3/8" wing nuts
• 4 3/8" ID flat washers
• 4 3/8" x 4" carriage bolts
• 2 Wooden poles, 8′x1.5"x1.5"
• Table saw
• Drill

The instructions don't seem too complicated, but considering that you'll trust the final product to support you in the air, you'll want to follow them carefully, paying particular attention to the safety tips. I'm guessing that the moderate danger rating has more to do with the difficulty you'll have learning to walk safely on stilts than it does with the actual safety of the stilts.

Even if you're not looking for a new career as a busker, you'll love showing off your new skills and your homemade stilts.

We love solar powered stuff here at DIY Life. Hacking things together ourselves in the interest of reducing our environmental footprint really gets us going. This DIY solar lantern is just the thing to keep the spirit of Earth Day even after it's come and gone.

Noel from unplugged living gives us a full detailed tutorial on making the solar lantern. Covering each step thoroughly, and providing loads of helpful pictures, diagrams and part lists, this is one project that will be easily recreated on your own.

This project is split into a three part tutorial. In the first part, Noel explains the basic theory of operation, then goes on to explain how to calculate the value of the resistor. In the second section, you'll learn about the charging module and solar cell. The assembly instructions are clear and detailed. Finally, in the third part, you'll see close-up pictures of each piece and how they should look together.

Staying green isn't always easy, but it sure is important. Noel brings us inspiration by combining our desire to go green with the love for great DIY projects. Gear up for your next camping trip with a solar powered lantern.

Though environmental groups have been warning us about the dangers of bisphenol--A (BPA) for years, a recent study by the National Toxicology Program that confirmed those findings has manufacturers of plastic bottles finally sitting up and taking notice.

BPA, which is a known endocrine disrupter, can leach into food products. In lab studies, it's linked to precancerous tumors and early puberty. Because BPA is in everything from plastic bottles to dental sealants to baby bottles, it's hard to avoid.

When the news broke about the most recent government study, Nalgene, a popular maker of plastic reusable drinking bottles, announced that they'd be pulling their bottles made with BPA off the shelves and replacing them with BPA-free versions.

The weather is finally right for your budding artist to let loose on the driveway. After you've made Bethany's homemade sidewalk chalk, print out some of these stencils to help your child create a masterpiece.

I wouldn't be a former teacher and art student if I didn't say that freehand is best to encourage creativity, but that there is also something to be said for the skill of staying in the lines. The best way to use the stencils would be to incorporate them into a freehand design, so I'll suggest ways to do that for each stencil design.

Since you'll be using these stencils outside, use cardstock to print them. They will be much sturdier and possibly even reusable. Then, just cut out the designs using pointed scissors or an exacto knife. Join me after the break for some fun ways to decorate your driveway, kid style.

Competitive eating has always baffled me. I must be missing something, because it sure is a popular sport.

The winners are never who I'd imagine them to be. A slight girl like Sonya Thomas can often out-eat some of the biggest guys, ones you'd imagine have stomachs 5 times her size.

So what's the trick? How does she manage to put these big burly men in their place, over and over again? Technique.

These four steps will help you win a hot-dog-eating contest. Step 1 involves preparing your stomach by stretching it out. In step 2 you will develop an eating method and refine the tricks that best work for you. I can barely read these training instructions without feeling my gag reflex kick into action, but step 3 explains why you would want to learn (with supervision) how to control this important survival reflex. Finally, like training for any other competition, you'll want to time all your practices. Continually set new records, and work towards breaking them with each attempt.

Intimidated by the competitive hot-dog-eating techniques? Why not train for a pie-eating contest instead? Now that's something I could get into!

In many areas, my own included, now is the time to make summer camping reservations before spots fill up for the summer. Camping is inexpensive family fun and a relaxing way to take a break from this high-tech world.

Savvy travelers can choose a location and reserve a site, without leaving the comfort of their home office chair. State parks can also be reserved online. If tent camping is a big turnoff for you, many state parks offer camper and mini-cabins as well.

If you have more than one camping vacation planned this year, it'll make your life a lot easier if you streamline your camping gear. That way, when the weekend hits, you can eliminate hours of packing and just grab your things and go.

Be perpetually packed for summer fun by keeping your camping gear in plastic storage tubs. The Art of Manliness has a comprehensive list of things to include in your tub, including sleeping bag, tent, flashlight, first aid kit, batteries, small broom, wet wipes, bug repellent and matches.

Next, create a list of things that you want to bring along, but that you don't keep in your tub, including: sunscreen, lawn chairs, clothing, toiletries, and food. Plan a simple menu, pack the car, hit the grocery store, then head out into the great wide wilderness for a back-to-nature experience.

If you travel for work, you've probably tried cramming everything into a backpack, in an attempt to keep things simple. This is no easy task. If you do manage to get everything into the bag, it probably comes out wrinkled.

To avoid this, you might be using a small suitcase or multiple bags, but that leaves wasted space and doesn't give you the flexibility of a single carry-on bag.

For your next trip, I'd suggest adopting a minimalist approach to packing for a short business trip. With this bundle method you will wrap all your clothes around a single item; typically, this item would be a small bag with socks and underwear. No folds, no creases, no wrinkles.

The best part is that they show you pictures of the unpacked bag, and you can see how crisp the clothes look as they come out. The full post also has pictures illustrating each packing step, so you can't go wrong.

Next time you're heading off on a short trip, avoid all the hassles that come along with checking baggage: try this packing method.

If you're a serious gamer, you probably live on that gotta-have-the-next-best-thing roller coaster. But what to do with that old SEGA Genesis console? Don't trash it; build an electric guitar out of it! That way, you can still "play".

Here's an interesting site to give you some game consoles to guitar ideas. These guys are not only creative, they've got way too much free time! That being said, there are some guitar collectors out there who spend serious cash on this kind of thing. You might just finance that new game system you've got your eye on.

Besides that dust-gathering console, you'll need a few more guitar components. Pick up a set of strings, pickups, a neck, tuning machines, etc. Now who's the Guitar Hero III? You are!

I consider myself a frugal person. When it comes to buying anything new, I check my local thrift stores or shop on eBay to see if I can get the item cheaper. It seems that the only time I decide to spend too much money is when I go to the grocery store hungry.

Besides clipping coupons and going without a night on the town with my husband, I wondered what else I could do to step up my frugality. Lynnae over at beingfrugal.net asked her readers to send her their frugal tips on surviving when money is tight and dollars need to be stretched. Her readers came through in a big way, so she compiled a list of 168 frugal tips to survive a recession.

From saving money on grocery shopping, utilities, transportation, and clothing to saving money on miscellaneous necessities, Lynnae breaks down the great tips her readers have offered into nine categories. While not all the tips are feasible for everyone, there certainly are tips that everyone will be able to utilize.

[via: Curbly]

I can't wait until it is time to start cooking on the grill. I thought that time had come, but apparently not, because my grill just got buried under 5 new inches of snow. That makes me sad, as I was really looking forward to having grilled steak.

Whether you use propane or charcoal depends on you and your taste buds, but before you get started grilling this spring, check out the ten commandments of perfect grilling. From having all your tools and food organized and handy, to making sure your grill is clean, Steve tells you exactly what needs to be done so you get the perfect outcome you desire. Maintaining your stance is very important; if the phone rings, ignore it, unless of course, you want a charred chicken leg.

Since one season has come and gone now, Steve's commandments are a nice reminder of how we should use our grill. In my opinion, there is nothing as horrifying as a hungry family mad at me because I forgot the charcoal and lighter fluid, thus ruining the perfectly planned outdoor meal.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Gecko Alliance, has issued a voluntary recall of about 1,670 Serenity Spa hot tubs. The spa control on the hot tub can overheat, posing a fire hazard. Although no injuries have been reported, Gecko Alliance has received 28 reports of the spa control overheating, including one report of damage to spa equipment.

Manufactured in Canada and sold exclusively by Hydropool dealers throughout Northeastern United States from January 2002 through December 2004 for between $3,900 to $8,200, this recall involves the Hydropool Serenity Series Spa hot tubs with serial numbers 01350XXXX through 03210XXXX. Check the cpsc press release for more information.

Consumers should stop using the hot tub immediately and reduce the water temperature control to the minimum setting, and contact the Back-Pak support center to receive the free retrofit enclosure kit. For additional information, contact the Back-Pak support team at (800) 784-3256 or visit their website at www.back-pak.com.

Are you as tired as I am of modern easter egg decorating? No, I mean coloring them is still cool; the thing I don't get is putting stickers on them and calling it creative. Huh? That's just wrong. Plus, the sticker is probably made in China, and who knows what's in that adhesive? Lead? Anti-freeze?

Anyhow, I got this great tip from Kodak tips and projects. The kiddos can still get their sticker fix -- and be creative and process-oriented at the same time. Hey, that's three birds with one stone! For this decorating project, you'll need:

• Eggs (of course!)
• Paint brush
• Decoupage glue
• Regular printer paper (not photo)
• Photos (Let your child get creative here)
• Scissors
  

Let's get started!

1. Let your child go wild with the digital camera.
2. Print the pictures on printer paper.
3. Center the egg on the photo.
4. Trace around (rather, a-oval) it and cut it out.
5. Make snips around the edges so it will conform to the shape of the egg.
6. Brush glue onto the egg and smooth the photo onto it.
7. Apply a thin protective coat of glue over the photo.
8. Get pumped up to go a-huntin'!

The other day when I was in the thrift store, I noticed some old vintage briefcases. When I picked one up, I got a whiff of something I can't quite describe. I put it back very quickly, but decided to be brave and pick up another one.

The second one definitely smelled better, and I almost bought it. Everything in the store was 25 cents that day, but I couldn't for the life of me think of why I needed an old briefcase.

Too bad I didn't see this awesome tutorial from Creative Reveries. Stephanie found an old briefcase at Goodwill and decided to give it to her 5 year old niece as a birthday gift, but knew she couldn't give her the old and decrepit briefcase looking all brown and gross.

After thoroughly cleaning the briefcase with soapy water, Stephanie applied 2 coats of primer, letting the primer dry between each coat. When that was dry, she applied 2 coats of acrylic craft paint, letting dry between each coat of paint. She cut out some pretty scrapbook paper to cover the trim and locks, and then applied decoupage medium to glue down the paper. She then applied 2 coats of varnish to seal the paint, letting dry between each coat.

With the easy step by step instructions, you too can easily turn your old briefcase into a beautiful work of art. Your youngster will have hours of fun with all the age appropriate goodies you stuff in her stylin' new briefcase. For the older gift recipient, check out M.E. Williams' post on painting your luggage.

[via: Tipnut]

Spring is nearly here, and for many of us that means hauling out our bicycles. Whether you're riding for fun, or commuting to work, a bike in good repair is essential to your safety and comfort.

Experts recommend a bike tune-up every year. Done professionally, this will cost you about $40, but you can easily do it yourself.

Here are 8 important things to do before heading out on your first ride. You'll find details about each step in these tips for tuning up your green-machine.

1. Pump it up!
2. Check for wear and damage
3. Check break lever and caliper action
4. Check break-pads
5. Check cables
6. Lube the chain
7. Tighten lose bolts and screws
8. Clean the bike

Once you've completed the tune up, you're ready to hit the road. Hopefully everything runs smoothly, but if you do encounter problems, this DIY bike repair site is a great resource for diagnosing and fixing common issues.