DIY Life

A newspaper is a great way to pass the time when on a bus or a subway, or sitting in the coffee shop. The problem is, a broadsheet-style newspaper (which is to say, most of them), is awkward. You don't want to be the obnoxious guy (or gal) with their arms spread wide, blocking the view and crowding the fellow sitting beside you.

There is a way for you to catch up on the news without catching your neighbor in the eye with the paper. Check out the four easy steps on Real Simple. A matter of a few simple folds, and you'll be able to scan, flip through, read, and store your paper within a minimum of space, and without annoying the people around you.

Real Simple has some great tips for making the most of your ceremony, including your vows to each other. They suggest that if you think you'll suffer from stage fright, or if you just need to have traditional words spoken during your ceremony, then you should probably go ahead and choose traditional vows appropriate to your beliefs.

But if you want to be unique, you can always write your own vows. Real Simple has a few recommendations for writing your own wedding vows, which I'll share with you after the break:

I don't fold my sheets. There, I said it. It's not that I don't know how. I do know how; I helped my mom with laundry all the time when I was a kid. But I don't really know how to do it by myself. What do you do when no one is holding the other end? So, I just sort of do a half-hearted fold, then wrap them all up until they fit into my linen closet.

Now you know one of my deepest, darkest secrets.

Ok, I kid (about the secret, not about not folding my sheets). The truth is, neatly folded sheets just aren't a priority for me. I mean, they're sheets. When I use them, my eyes are closed. Who cares if they're wrinkled?

Who isn't hard-pressed for time? Seems like myself and everyone I know are over-scheduled. Chronically. Hopelessly. Therefore, anything that needs fixing or cleaning around the house needs to be done pronto! That's why we here at DIY Life pounce on quick-fix-tips like these ones from BOOMj (that were originally gleaned from Real Simple magazine).

Here are my top 3 picks:
1. Restore sagging caning with water. Yes, plain old water. Wet the underside of whatever part is sagging (like the seat of an old chair) and leave to dry. The wood will naturally shrink back a little as it dries. Repeat if necessary.

2. Repair peeling wallpaper. Slap wallpaper paste on a piece of writing paper and gently slide it between the wall and the area that is peeling. Rub to transfer the paste, then press the wallpaper back into place. Finally, slide the writing paper back out. This fixes the problem without accidentally tearing the old wallpaper.

I only recently learned that tea bags expire. I've always bought new interesting teas and kept them around for company. I have tea in the drawer that has been through more than one move. Go ahead, and have a good laugh at my domestic disability, but this leaves me wondering what else we have hanging around long past its expiry date.

Real Simple to the rescue again, with this list of surprising expiration dates. There were a few consumables that really surprised me. I am always drawn to new kinds of salad dressing, enticing new names, lower fat versions of old favorites and 2 for 1 bargains make my fridge full of barely used bottles of salad dressing. Knowing now that they are only good for 9 months, I'll have to do a little fridge door clean-up. Beer was the other big surprise, learning that it is only good for 4 months unopened. It would be highly unusual for beer to hang around the house for 4 month without being opened, but if it did, I know we wouldn't have hesitated to drink it. Now we'll think twice.

The list doesn't stop with food, they offer expiration dates for household items and beauty products too. These are less likely to have dates printed on them, and you're less likely to go looking for an expiration because they don't seem like products that would need one. Here are a few of the most shocking in the household and beauty categories:

• Tooth whitening strips: 1-3 months
• Perfume: 1-2 years
• Mascara: 3-4 months opened
• Windex and Mr. Clean: 2 years
• Bleach: 3-6 months

There are 77 in total. Have a look through the list. What surprises you most?
[Via: Life hacker]

A few weeks ago I was sitting at the pub with some girlfriends. We were all commiserating about how hard it is to keep up with day to day things. It occurred to me during this conversation that I was the only one at the table who cleans my own house. I am a DIY house cleaner as I think most people are. It is not a job I enjoy and not one I even do particularly well, so I'm always looking for tips on how to be more efficient.