DIY Life

Back in the 1964 Winter Olympics, my uncle won the only gold medal for the US team. Even though it took place before I was born, it's still something the family is so proud of. We're a family that gets pretty excited about the Olympics... because we know that it's a dream that can really come true.

You can get your family geared up for the Olympics with some of these simple crafts:

• Use some red, yellow, and orange tissue paper to create an Olympic torch. If you have kids, this is a great time to teach them about the history of the torch relay.
  
• Have a family gathering during the Olympics. Set up some fun games such as relays, swimming, soccer, basketball and so forth. Then hand out home-made gold, silver, and bronze-painted medals to the winners.

When I was a kid, my dad would routinely get out his pruning tools and ruthlessly cut back our lovely wisteria. This would always upset me greatly because the vine was so very beautiful when it bloomed in Spring. Would it ever come back and flower again? Yes, it always did. Always.

What I understand now is that wisteria is one tough and relentless vine once established. The form of wisteria I'm talking about is Chinese wisteria (Wisteria sinesis), which actually belongs to the pea family. This big, sprawling deciduous vine has fast-growing branches that twine up and around anything it can get a hold on.

Wisteria was introduced to the US from China by gardening enthusiasts back in the early 1800s. If those folks were around today to see what they had wrought they'd probably say, "oops." That's because W. sinesis has become an invasive pest, wrapping it's vine-y arms around roadsides and woods up and down the east coast. As it spreads, wisteria chokes out native shrubs and trees with ease, and is known to climb as high as 65-feet. That's one powerful vine!

It's Chinese New Year! Welcome to the Year of the Rat! Some people call this holiday Lunar New Year -- it's celebrated in other parts of Asia, after all -- and in China itself, it may also be called the Spring Festival.

Whatever you call it, it's a time of celebration and fun. It's also the time of the world's largest human migration, as many Chinese people attempt to return to their hometowns to spend the holiday with their families.

After the break, you'll see some great videos that will teach you all about the Lion Dance, and learn how to make the "red envelopes" that are perfect for lucky cash gifts at this time of year!

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Intermatic Inc. of Spring Grove IL. have announced a voluntary recall of 8,500 Intermatic DT-27 digital self-adjusting timers. The timers may have been wired incorrectly, which could lead to a consumer receiving an electric shock. No injuries have been reported.

The lamp and appliance timers were manufactured in China and sold by retailers throughout the nation, including Home Depot and Lowe's. The timers were sold from February 2007 through December 2007 and cost $15 to $25. Check out the CPSC press release to see the pictures of the recalled digital timers to see if you may have the recalled timer.

Stop using the timers immediately and unplug before checking the date code and model number. For more information you may contact Intermatic anytime at (800) 704-3595, or visit their website at www.intermatic.com to request a prepaid shipping label and receive a free replacement.

In honor of yet another round of recalled products originating in that country, I give to you a selection of toys and things that you can make and do yourself. None of these neat ideas requires lead based paint, poison toothpaste or tainted pet food. Follow the links and follow the instructions and I guarantee some great family fun.

Start at the Science Toy Maker for easy science learning crafts. If you need your science craft projects to be a little on the elementary side, you'll find a nice selection of early learning projects there. There are also science projects for the older kids including such things as a candle powered steam boat and an air powered rocket. The site is easy to navigate and it promises a lot of fun.

Like many of you I have some old China dishes that were my grandmother's. I want to take care of them but am not always sure how. How do I wash them? How often do I wash them? How do I get those ugly stains out, and how should I store them?

Tipnut.com has compiled a list that answers those questions as well as others. There are answers to all your burning question as well as suggestions on what soap to use to wash them. Thanks to tipnut we can now do our best to take care of those precious heirlooms.

DIY Maven on Curbly has a bunch of great ideas for alternative ways to use nail polish.

Given that the use of nail polish is "to be painted on things" -- it's a low-toxicity enamel paint -- I don't know if these count as "new" uses per se. My mother has been doing a few of them for years, particularly the "polish on the keys" trick, and she's far from alone. But they're all ideas that are useful, and maybe they're new to you!

Read more about them, as well as a few new nail polish tips from us, after the break.