DIY Life

Did you know that many household items are considered hazardous? This means you cannot just toss 'em in the trash when their useful lives are over. Well...you can just toss 'em in the trash, but that would make you naughty, naughty, and not very green-minded, wouldn't it?

There's no shortage of advice out there on safe disposal for hazardous household waste. But, really, who has time to sit down and read the ten-page brochure your city's waste collection division mailed you? That is, if you can dig it out from the depths of your To Do pile. (I think that's where mine was last sighted.) If you're like me, you'll simply turn to the Web for help. There are fabulous tips like this DIY Life post by Francesca. However, if you're pressed for time and need to save your brain cells for other tasks, check out this fun little interactive tool from the website Learner. It will help you decide whether what you've got is hazardous and therefore requires special disposal. Happy bonus for tired minds: no reading required -- just click on the little pictures to test your knowledge. It's a geeky yet fun way to educate yourself!

Addictive pop culture site X-Entertainment has posted a fine DIY/reuse-recycle idea. X-Entertainment guru Matt demonstrates how to turn an empty Altoids tin into a teeny-tiny sanity-saving survival kit. Yep. All you need to get out of any conceivable urban scrape (well, some of them, anyway) is tucked securely -- and super compactly! -- in your back pocket.

Check out the X-E site for most excellent pics. Wow, that's a lot of stuff to fit into one tiny tin! First, there's the basics: food and drink, in the form of beef jerky, two types of gum, and a tiny vial of something strong to drink. Second, are comfort items: Listerine strips, a cigar and a couple matches. Finally, fun items to help you cope with typical urban boredom, such as being stuck in traffic: crossword puzzle, pencil and paper, a tiny piece of clay for modeling, a die (as in one half of a set of dice), and stickers for decorating your surroundings. Beautiful, just beautiful.

For those of you already enamored of those cute little Altoids tins, this is a fabulous way to prolong the love. In fact...let's make a pact not to toss them when all the mints are gone. We will try and repurpose them instead! Need ideas? Here's a DIY project that I touched upon just a couple days ago: the Minty Boost iPod charger. As I stumble on more ideas, I'll share them with you right here at DIY Life.

It's the newest attraction at DIY Life! It's got colored stars and arrows! It's hot, hot, hot! Without further ado, let me introduce to you our brand-spanking new commenting system. Yes, the whole thing has been upgraded so that you will find it much, much easier to A) post your own comments to the site and B) correspond with other readers.

First up, we now have threading. This feature enables you to respond directly to other DIY Life readers' comments. Simply click the "reply" button under the particular comment that grabs you, type in your message, then click "add your comments." Presto! Your words will appear underneath the parent comment. This way, it's possible to get distinct "threads" of DIY-related conversation going.

In last week's edition of Wedstravaganza, I took you through a virtual cornucopia of meal selections, RSVP count updates, cake styles and selections, reception ballroom pictures, and photographer choices. We're now at week six of the eight-part series, so I'm going to attempt to wind up many events in this edition, and prepare you for what my final wedding day looked like and how everything came together.

After deciding to rent a projection system from our chosen wedding place, Marci and I set ourselves on a mission to locate a bunch of old photographs. You know, those yellow, 1970s-era (oops, I let me age slip there, heh) Polaroids and crusty images found spread amongst photo albums from family members on both sides.

Marci's mom and dad obliged with over six albums full of pictures from infant age through college, and my parents did the same. In fact, we had so many pictures at our choosing that it was hard to pick out 150 images or so that would work for the final reception presentation.

Twitter much? Well, whether or not you even have the first clue about what Twitter is or what it does, DIY Life is now live on twitter, and will be bringing you updates on some of the best stuff that DIY Life has to offer each day! Drop that hack-saw for just a sec, put down the yarn, be sure to unplug that drill, and take a spin -- this is the web after all -- over to our twitter feed for our illustrious updates:


Twitter is a place where many people now get their too-much-information-and-actually-legal-eavesdropping fix by seeing what people are up to. The funny thing is that people actually add updates to the site so people can be all up in their business. Why? Who knows, it is web 2.0, and it isn't supposed to make sense, we just know it is the cat's pajamas. Check us out and see what all the buzz about at twitter.com/diylife. For any of you hardcore tweet-mongers out there, you can also add our twitter RSS feed to your reader, if you want.

Oh, and if you end up getting twitter-pated, we really can't help you with that, and remember friends don't let friends twitter under the influence ... wait, never mind.

Wondering how to use the features on DIY Life's pages? Check out the video below. Be sure to also check out our Top Five Cool Features of DIY Life for some of the cooler things you can do around here.

Have you ever done things yourself? Have you ever thought about getting paid to blog about it? Are you handy as all-get-out? If so, have I got news for you...

Weblogs, inc. (an AOL company) is the world's largest publisher of web logs (blogs) and is looking for talented writers with a definitive do-it-yourself sensibility to join our team of bloggers! We need people who know a lot about everything and who can help our readers become a bit more handy on a regular basis. We would like to invite you to apply to blog for us.

Here's how it works:
You write short articles online (blog posts) for us that help our readers do-it-themselves with handy tips on everything including: home improvement, gardening, computers, scrapbooking, finances, weekend building projects, kids, cooking, wedding tips, organization, toys, recreation, etc. and we'll pay you to do it.

Here is what we need from you:
To apply for this blogging "position", send the following information to the email addresses at the bottom of the screen:

1. Some information about you.
   

   • Your full name
     
   • What your qualifications and interests are in the realm of DIY.
   • The address(es) of your blog(s) or website(s) if you've already been writing on the subject.
   • What you can bring to DIYlife that we haven't already got, and so on.

2. What we can depend on you to do. How many posts can you write a week? Can you write every day, every other day, or just during a particular phase of the moon? If we needed an original step-by-step walk-through done from scratch in 48 hours, could you do it? We need to know.

3. Three original blog posts. Consider this the audition, the resume, the golf-swing. We want you to write some stuff (imagine that). We won't accept anything that's been published anywhere before. (Note: You retain ownership and all rights to anything you submit in your application, and we won't publish it anywhere, unless we bring you on-board.) Emphasis on the original, emphasis on the three. Show off your knowledge of your topic, show off your ability to go in-depth and beyond the blurb, show off your wit and passion, and show off your impeccable grammar and spelling. Send us one of each of the following three kinds of posts:

   1. Technique or tool profile: Introduce us to a tool or technique that we may not have heard of or know about. Tell us about the particulars of it, how an average joe could use the tool effectively or perform this technique.
      

   2. How-to/tutorial: Show us how to do something useful. It can be a simple tip (or a bunch of tips), or it can be a full-fledged tutorial, but make sure it's good, original and interesting to read.
      

   3. News item: An in-depth report on a current event or trend in the DIY world. This can be something about a retailer or a general story on what people are doing to their homes, etc. We're not the Associated Press, and your post shouldn't read like it, but it should be interesting and informative.
      

A tall order, to be sure, but we know you're up to it. Impress us, entertain us, make us wish we had grabbed you a month ago, and you could be the newest DIYlife blogger on your block (which happens to need a coat of paint and shutters)!

One note: if you happen to be a specialist in electronics or robotics we're especially keen to talk to you. If you wish to specialize in something we're missing in the realm of DIY, drop us a line and let's chat. But we're mostly looking for DIY generalists, so be sure to follow the instructions for best results.

No attachments, please! Send your samples in the body of your e-mail.

After double-checking to make sure you've included all of the above, send your email with samples to the address you see in the graphic below. Due to the volume of applications, we cannot personally reply to every applicant. Yes, this is a paid position, in case we hadn't mentioned that already.

If you are like me, you like to keep your home smelling fresh and wonderful, but sometimes the joys of everyday life can get in the way. Kids, cooking, and indoor pets can all make us turn up our nose at the way our house smells. Using essential oils as a home fragrance can be an easy way to rid your home of the smells that can assault your nose.

Several drops of cinnamon oil or peppermint oil placed on cotton balls and put into a small jar or an empty margarine container with a few holes poked in the lids and placed behind a picture or behind furniture will leave your guest bedroom or bathroom smelling wonderful.

A few dabs of eucalyptus, oil of clove, or peppermint on a cool light bulb will ensure wonderful smells when the light is turned on, and the heat from the bulb allows the smell of the oil to drift across the room.

I find personal organizers to be quite expensive for my everyday needs. Rather than throwing my money away on a fancy organizer with extra categories and fillers that I usually have no use for, I have found it easier to create my own. I would rather not end up paying for categories or inserts that I don't need. If necessary, I can always add those as I go along. Here's how to make your own.

Basically, any stationery store, dollar store, and even some grocery stores have all the items you will need to make your own personal organizer. All you need to buy is a small loose-leaf binder, loose-leaf paper, some dividers, and a small calendar. I get a free calendar from my bank every year, so I don't need to buy one, which saves a couple bucks. Consider buying a binder that will hold a calculator and your business cards.

Identify the categories you need for your organizer, such as addresses and telephone numbers, appointments, errands, ongoing or even upcoming projects you have going on, travel expenses, you name it, it's your organizer.
Fill in your divider tabs and insert them into the binder along with enough paper to get you started. You can always add or take out paper for each category section you are making. Take your calendar out of the outer cover and punch holes along the inside crease to fit the rings of your binder. It can help to make an outline of what you want to create and what you want your personal organizer to achieve for your busy life.

This inexpensive idea will help you get started on your personal organization project. It is easy to carry, easy to keep track of, and easy to add all the essential information you need on a daily basis.

Ah the Dremel tool, pervasive hobbyist element that does so much. My first college roommate used his Dremel to decorate his dorm room by drilling holes in cinder block and sawing dowel rods. Not really recommended, but it shows you what a Dremel can do! Now's your chance to win one in our 30-day giveaway, Toolstravaganza.

This Dremel rotary tool goes from 5,000 to 25,000 rpm and can be used with all Dremel accessories. Plus, it has a lithium-ion battery for long life and regular use. Set includes a base station and several accessories including: cutters, bristles, cones, polishers, sanders and more. A little bit of everything in a convenient, powerful package.

Leave a comment on this post to enter, and don't forget to validate. Check out our Toolstravaganza page for previous prizes and full rules. Entry period for this prize is from 5AM-11:59PM on July 24. Good luck!

Toolstravaganza marches on, with 23 days left to go. The prizes are gonna get bigger, so stay tuned. Today it's a Makita cordless drill. What's that? You already have a cordless drill? Not like this one. This drill has headlights. Two LED's attached above the trigger so you can see what you're doing, even in crawlspaces and dark rooms. This is a very nice driver drill.

The engineering on this "mere" cordless driver drill is impressive. Eighteen volts with a 1.5 amp hr battery (this thing lasts a while), charges in 15 minutes and manages to provide 450 in./lbs. of torque-- all in a 3/5 lb. package. An ergonomic and pretty snazzy package at that. The batteries can be charged over 1200 times, and the charger contains a fan to prevent damage while charging.

Sound good? Save what you were going to spend on that cheap thing and spend it on some fancy matching Makita work gloves. Enter to win by leaving a comment on this post. Entry period is 5AM-11:59PM on July 22. Full rules on our Toolstravaganza page and after the jump!

Wondering what all these buttons and links and things do? Wonder no more, and watch this video.

Cooking from scratch is one of my favorite things to do. I can take minimal ingredients and whip up a meal that a gourmet chef would be proud of. I love to see things in the grocery stores and say, hey, I can make that at home for a fraction of the cost! I enjoy taking leftover stale but not moldy bread and make them into crumbs. Bread crumbs are great for topping casseroles, adding to meatloaf and stews, stuffing poultry, and of course, breading seafood, fish, pork chops, chicken and whatever else your imagination can come up with.

To make seasoned bread crumbs, you will need leftover scraps of bread. I never throw mine away. Every time I am done with a loaf of bread, whether it is because it has gotten too old but isn't yet moldy, or because I only have a piece or two left, I throw it into the freezer. When I have enough bread to make a nice batch of breadcrumbs, I let it thaw on the counter for awhile until I can get the pieces apart. I place them into a 200 degree oven and bake for about 10 minutes, turn them over and let them dry out for another 10 minutes.

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Becoming a parent means that your life will never be the same. Having a child comes with bigger financial responsibilities and if you are on a tight budget, means sometimes feeling a little overwhelmed. Finding alternatives to basic baby needs can help a family that might be struggling harder than before the baby came along. That was my case when our first born came along 4 years ago. It was even tougher when we had another child 2 years later. But a personal friend was kind enough to give me a tip on how her sister made her own baby wipes, thus saving quite a bit of money each week. By choosing name brand baby products for your materials, the end result will be quality homemade baby wipes.

The first thing you need is a good roll of paper towel. I use Bounty paper towels because they are soft and gentle. Find a towel you like, get it wet, wash your face with it, and if you are happy with the result, then you now have the paper towel you will use to take care of that little baby butt. Remember, if it doesn't feel good on your face, it sure won't feel good on their bare bottom.

Cut your roll of paper towels in half, using an electric knife. Pull out the cardboard and place a half roll into a round air tight plastic container, or an empty baby wipe box. Sometimes it is hard to get the cardboard out, so I take a large chef knife and work my way around the cardboard, cutting the paper away so that the cardboard easily pulls out. If you are careful and take your time, the paper should not tear.

Every so often DIY Life will post up a gallery featuring some odd bit of tool (old or new) that appears impenetrable. That is, we've no idea what it is. Or maybe we do know what it is, but we're wondering if you've ever seen such a thing.

To start things off, I traveled to my father-in-law's house for a look at some tools that were quite old indeed. As you can see from the picture, it's a bit rusty. But look through the gallery and see if you can figure out what this thing did-- back when you could see the metal under that rust.