DIY Life

Today's New York Times features an article about exhausted travelers catching sleep while stuck at airports. One enterprising gentleman, Frank Giotto, is even selling an airport camping kit. The "Mini Motel" includes a tiny one-person tent, air mattress, pillow, sheet, alarm clock and eye shades, plus some other extras.

So... how do you fall asleep in an airport? (Assuming the Mini Motel is nowhere to be found.) An awesome list of tips can be found at The Budget Traveller's [sic] Guide to Sleeping in Airports. Top tip: bring an inflatable pool raft so you can spread out on the floor in comfort... if security will allow it. It's cheaper and lighter than a regular air mattress.

I'm an adoptive mom, so I spend a lot (read: far, far, too much) time checking out other adoption blogs. One of my favorites is Do They Have Salsa in China? To keep her two little girls interested in eating healthfully, the blog's creative author has delved into bento boxes.

We've posted about the art of packing bento boxes before. Common in Japanese cuisine, bento is a single-portion meal that is often beautifully arranged -- food that is not only pleasing to the palate, but also to the eye. You can make bento boxes a toddler favorite with a few simple twists that I'll share after the break.

Back in March, I wrote about Hinamatsuri, a Japanese traditional festival celebrating the happiness and growth of young girls. Hinamatsuri is interesting, but it's not a national holiday in Japan: that distinction goes to Children's Day (Kodomo no hi), which was known as Boys' Day until the late 1940s, when it was expanded to include girls. And Children's Day is today!

The most visible symbol of Children's Day to most people is probably the koinobori, or fish kite (sometimes called a koi kite or carp kite). These are colorful windsocks shaped like a long koi. They are usually tied to a bamboo pole, where the wind catches them and makes them look like they're "swimming."

There are a few legends attached to why the koinobori are displayed, but most relate to the koi being energetic and courageous in the way it goes against the current, leaping out of the water when it swims. The koi becomes a metaphor for parents' hopes for their children, particularly their sons.

Today is a perfect day for family members to make simple paper or fabric fish kites of their own. After the break, we'll explore some of the history and motifs of this holiday, and check out a variety of related crafts: not just koinobori! We'll also talk about some non-traditional, totally American ways to celebrate the kids in your life.

Nowadays, it seems like it may be nearly impossible to travel with just a single bag that you carry onto the plane with you. Airline regulations have made it so that it's more convenient to check certain innocuous items, like toiletries, than to try to tote them with you. If you can manage it, though, it's great to travel with a single small bag: you're traveling light, you don't have to wait in baggage claim areas, your bags will never be lost somewhere in fair Slovenia.

If you're looking for tips on how to manage this, you don't need to look any further than the redoubtable One Bag website. It's full of travel tips, supply ideas, and packing lists. If you want a slightly different and more basic perspective, check out WikiHow's Travel With One Bag article.

The essence of the One Bag concept is that you make a packing list of only the things you can't do without (nothing you "might need" but aren't sure about). You purchase items that are well-suited for travel: lightweight clothing that doesn't wrinkle and that will dry overnight if washed in your hotel bathroom. You're careful with your money in terms of how you carry it, but you're willing to both buy and discard items when you reach your destination.

The concept is tailor-made for male travelers... and female travelers who are able to subvert or ignore cultural expectations. If you aren't one of those women, though, and you're wondering how single-bag travel can work for you, keep reading after the break!

A recent poll that I looked into surveyed opinions about the need for various insurance policies. The survey showed that over 80% of the poll respondents feel that insurance is necessary to some degree. What the poll didn't address was how we feel about paying those nasty insurance premiums.

I want to address the high cost of auto insurance premiums and give you some solid suggestions on how to lower your annual cost of auto insurance by possibly hundreds of dollars. What it all comes down to is how much money you want to save and how serious you are about doing that. Some of my suggestions may require you to change some of your attitudes about your automobile and your driving strategy altogether but when the times are getting tougher and the dollars are getting shorter, it's time to take a serious look at how you do some things.

Have you ever been in charge of a booth at a trade or sales show? Have you ever been an exhibitor at a craft fair or flea market? There are a multiple of proven strategies which can make your time invested at these public sales functions more worth your while. The trick is to begin thinking beyond the boundaries of the show floor itself, long before the show even opens it's doors to the public.

Always network at trade shows: Use this tremendous opportunity to do some behind the scenes networking with your suppliers and co-sellers. You will encounter people at these shows whom you may not have any other opportunity to ever meet. Don't let the opportunity slip past you. Take some time to comparison shop your competition and canvas wholesalers for extra special buying opportunities. Seek out vendors who are in your field but may have been previously unknown to you. Try to get a feel for trending in your market sector. Hone your skills for recognizing the best new products.

Do you live in one of those neighborhoods where people seem to have nothing better to do than talk about crap they know nothing about? Are your neighbors consumed with story telling and passing on gossip which is founded upon facts which exist only in their own imaginations? Are you just plain tired of being the subject of baseless speculation and malicious lies? There's a solution you can employ to take the situation, have some fun with it and make your life a bit more interesting. This exercise may not put a lid on the story tellers, but it will definitely put you in more control of that gossip.

Have two or three of your tallest friends dress in black suits, white shirts, narrow black ties and very dark sunglasses. Have them arrive at your home during a time when there will be no doubt that the neighborhood meddlers are watching. Your friends should arrive in a late model, full size sedan of dark color. The affect is even better if they arrive in a black Chevy Suburban. Be ready to meet your friends on your driveway when they arrive. Wait until they exit the vehicle and then stroll out to meet them, carrying a silver briefcase out of the house with you.

When you meet on the driveway, set the brief case down and clasp your hands in front of you. Say a couple sentences to whoever looks the most commanding, shake hands with each of them and then casually walk back to the house. Your friends should take possession of the brief case, preferably handcuffing it to one of them. They should do one slow visual scan of the neighborhood, return to their vehicle and then slowly leave the area without laughing.

The whole exercise should take only a couple minutes, but the effect will last for years. Perhaps you won't ever get the gossipers, story tellers and liars to shut their mouths, but at least you can take charge of the situation and give them something really juicy to talk about while making them look like the total jackasses they are. It's fun and easy to play with the minds of gossipers because they'll believe almost anything. Give 'em something to talk about. You'll be glad you did!

I schooled and trained to be a cop. As a matter of fact I spent a couple years certified as a humane officer, although I never took the job. Suffice it to say that I've talked with more cops than the average person has and I've probably known more cops than I really needed to. One of the things that I learned was that, given the right circumstances, almost every cop lets a speeding motorist "skate the rap" now and then.

There is a somewhat prescribed course of action which will help "put you in the drivers seat" when it comes to escaping the wrath of the ticket writing cop and the traffic court judge. The very first thing you must do is immediately accept that you have done wrong.

If a cop flags your plates and turns on those lovely colored strobes on top of his car, speeding or not, you're caught. They are right and you are wrong. Yeah it sucks, but that's life. Signal your departure from the traffic lane, ease to the shoulder nice and smooth, stop your car like a good citizen and shut off your engine.

Our friends over at Gadling have a nice post regarding DIY hidden pockets, and their obvious benefits to the wayward traveler. Not being much of a traveler myself, the need for such a pocket was lost on me, but then I realized that hidden pockets could have other non-travel-related benefits. For instance, you could use it as a secret iPod holder. Imagine how cool you'd look with the classic white iPod earbuds coming out from inside your pants!

The Instructable linked in the original article is so incredibly easy, I'm surprised they were able to stretch it out into a full-length tutorial. The project basically boils down to taking a piece of sturdy fabric and sewing it onto the side of one of your inner pocket linings. The version from the Instructable is fairly basic, and could benefit from some simple modifications to insure your valuables don't escape down your leg (i.e. velcro, zipper, buttons). One of the comments even suggested making the hidden pocket accessible from the regular pocket, which I think would be pretty sweet.

If you're gearing up for a lengthy trip, and need a quick and easy way to store some spare cash, passport, credit cards, or sausage, this quick and inexpensive DIY tip should be right up your alley.

[ via Gadling ]

So you want to fly the friendly skies but you don't want to buy a ticket for the trip, huh? So you think you're handy with a wrench and a tube of caulk? You say you won the high school science fair in 1978 but never got anything for it?

Have I got a project for you!

The Nexus Mustang is a build at home (or at the hangar) project that actually flies. Yeah, this one will make the wife really mad. When aviation designer Dick Evans blueprinted this plane and released the plans in 2004, it was said that the design could be successfully completed for about $38,000. I suspect that the project would cost a bit more now though.

I can make no claims as far as the safety and performance of this sharp little airplane, those things are better left to the FAA. I can tell you though that the Nexus Mustang has a popular following and ranks as one of the two most popular build it yourself fully enclosed aircraft ever. The design is simple, sporty and effective and it reportedly treats the pilot with a high degree of comfort and responsiveness.

This is most definitely not your father's hang glider!

With August upon us, many of you are probably trying to make the most of your last days of summer.

If you are planning any day trip or driving vacations, you may be dreading the long rides with your squabbling children. The "A is for Apple" car games have gotten old and you can think of nothing to keep peace in the tiny cabin of your minivan.

Never fear, Kaboose is here, with make-your-own travel games sure to please children of all ages.

My favorite is the Car Bingo game. It isn't just bingo you play in the car, it has pictures of transportation items on the game boards. And the fun part? You place a marker on the item when you see it out the car window.

Now if that can't keep your kids from touching each other, I don't know what can.

It's the height of summer and everyone wants to take a vacation. Whether you're going to the beach, a family reunion, or just looking for the perfect roller-coaster, you need a place to flop down at the end of the day. The cost of hotel rooms vary widely, though, and depend a lot on the amenities available to guests.

Here are a few ways to get a good deal on your room so you'll have money left in your budget to pop for some cotton candy after you get off the coaster.

1) Call the local chamber of commerce or tourist bureau of the city or town you plan to visit and ask for travel brochures. You'll get a great packet in the mail a few days later that tells you what hotels are in the area, what their local numbers are, and maybe even some discount coupons for area attractions and lodging.

2) Go online and check the Web-based travel services like Orbitz, Yahoo! Travel, and Hotwire. Some sites even let you bid on the price of rooms before you buy.

3) Call the hotel directly and ask for the "best and lowest rate" they have. Also be sure to find out if they accept AAA, AARP, or any other discount services you might be eligible for.

4) Find out if they serve a complimentary breakfast. This is a great money saver if you're traveling with children. When I travel with my kids, I make it a point to stay in a hotel that has a complimentary breakfast buffet. Before we head out in the morning, we have our meal at the hotel. Then we leave ready to face the day instead of trying to locate the nearest fast food joint or diner.

5) Many destinations across the country are competing for tourist dollars this year, which can mean great savings for travelers. If you have your heart set on a particular hotel but a similar one nearby quotes you a lower price, let your dream hotel know, and maybe they'll be willing to match it.

6) Consider what amenities you're willing to pay more for, and what you don't need. After spending the day at the beach, is it really important that you pay extra to stay somewhere with a pool? On the other hand, at the end of a long day at the local amusement park you might really be glad to have that deep, jet-action bathtub.

If you're looking for more hints and Website links, be sure to check out this Mahalo search page with lots more great ideas. Got tips of your own about how to get hotel rooms at a bargain rate? Tell us about them in the comments. Happy trails!