DIY Life

Multiplication and division were major parts of my son's 4th grade curriculum this past year. My son struggled with both concepts, which was problematic: the class didn't stop at multiplying and dividing. They brought the concepts right into simple algebra!

Over the summer, I'm doing everything I can to help him strengthen the skills he learned in 4th grade. He's more than happy to read with me, he loved going to a museum that reinforced what he learned in social studies, and he's always thrilled to work on backyard science projects with me.

When it comes to math, however, he really resists practicing his skills. So I was thrilled to find these fun Multiplication Thinkin' Logs. All of the templates for the "logs" are provided. Simply print out the times tables you want to practice, and make a game out of stacking the towers.

(Do you need a little helping hand with math yourself? If so, why not check out Francesca's post on Math made easy?)

Tim Ferris, author of The 4 Hour Work Week is at it again sharing his efficiency tricks and experiments with us. This time he's deconstructing and learning a new language in just one hour. He suggests that you ditch the books and CDs and instead delve into the mechanics of language and really dissect your subject.

First consider the new language a sport. With any sport there are some physical requirements. How closely does the new language resemble your native tongue? Does it use familiar sounds or will you need to re-train your brain and muscles to form sounds you've never experienced before? Tim walks you through the language deconstruction to determine how long it will take to gain fluency.

Once you know the rules of the game and the requirements of the specific sport, put your energy into training. Tim explains the theory behind this language deconstruction and outlines the process from curiosity to fluency. You might be preparing for a trip, or exploring a new language for business, or maybe you just want to dazzle your friends with some foreign vocabulary. Whatever your reason, this method looks a lot easier then suffering through hours of CD lessons and poring over language books.

Have you ever wanted to learn how cook and not known where to start? Maybe you know how to cook but there is some technique that you have never tried and don't know how to begin to do.

Kraft Foods has your solution. They have an extensive collection of how-to videos on everything from browning meat and making the perfect gravy to chocolate leaves and radish roses. While you won't become a gourmet cook by watching these videos they can help you get past the fear of not knowing what you are doing. If you weren't as lucky as I was to watch mom cook and pick up the basics then these videos can help.

For more beginner cooking tips check out Lisa Hoover's post on College Freshman 101: Cooking and Tanya Ryno's video on making popcorn the old fashioned way.

Have you heard of NaNoWriMo? It's very popular in some circles, and still completely new to others.

Every November, thousands of people attempt to write a 50,000-word novel. This is actually a short novel; some people stretch the definition of "novel" to include other types of fiction or "creative nonfiction." A lot of fanfic writers use it as the inspiration for longer works of fanfic, while other aspiring writers use it to bang out a first draft. (Finishing a first draft is one of the most significant milestones that a new writer can achieve. Many run out of steam after a few dozen pages.)

NaNoWriMo, sometimes just called NaNo, is also a competition. You win by finishing: turn in at least 50,000 words before the end of the night on November 30. Almost one billion words were written, and presumably submitted, for NaNo last year.

But it's not until November!, you say. What are you doing posting about it now? I shake my head. Learn why, when you read more about NaNoWriMo after the break!

I have a secret fear of winning some great lottery and not being able to claim the prize because I can't figure out the skill testing question. Math is a topic of high anxiety for many adults and children. I didn't like math as an elementary, high school, or college student. Last semester I took a statistics class and fought the urge weekly to storm out of the room in tears screaming "math is dumb!". OK, it might not be as extreme for some of you, others may even enjoy math (my husband is sick like you), but the ability to quickly solve math equations is something that a great number of people simply don't have.

I'm all for tricks when it comes to this stuff. Check out the video here, courtesy of glad2teach. It's truly amazing how quickly you can solve these math problems using the method they show. there are secrets to fast math. Check out their site for some other videos. Unless you still in school and you'll loose marks for not showing your work, these little tools are a great way to get you mind moving quickly and efficiently through complex math problems.

I don't know that the math in this video is the sort of math you would use on a daily basis, but it would make a great party trick! Have a friend ask you complicated multiplication questions and show off you mad math skills - after all, chicks dig guys with skills.

Everyone knows how to ride a bike, right? But amazingly, not very many people know how to teach someone how to ride a bike. If you're considering taking the training wheels off of a youngster's bike and teaching them how to ride a two-wheeler, your first step should be to make sure they want to learn it. Children run on very different clocks, and some will want to learn at very early ages, and others will be content to wait a year or two.

Today my 4 year-old came home from a group play date where almost all of the other kids were riding their bikes without training wheels, and announced that he wanted to learn to do so too, this instant! So we made plans to head over to the local park with a nice flat paved area to practice. After the jump I'll share some of the ideas I used to make the experience fun for both him and me.

Have you ever wanted to take full advantage of traveling outside the U.S. but were afraid to based on the language barrier you would face? This was a fear of mine over a decade ago, so I found myself in an "immersion course" that concentrates lessons in foreign languages over the course of a few months on preparation for expatriate work or just an extended stay in another country without English as a primary language.

Do you have time to delve into Spanish courses for weeks at a time? Perhaps, perhaps not. But, if you've going on vacation in a country with Spanish as its primary language (Mexico, some countries in South America), you may be able to get by with a few choice phrases as well as a small 'translator book.' This will be enough for many, but as they say, 'when in Rome, do as the Romans do' -- why not go further than just a few phrases involving food and taking a restroom break?

After having just returned from the Play del Carmen area, I did see many Americans using small and easy-to-speak phrases to those Mexican citizens who were not English speakers. It worked -- but having a strong command of Spanish -- if you can commit the time -- makes things quite a bit easier. There are beginning, intermediate and expert ways to accomplish varying levels of Spanish-speaking success. Which do you choose (or have chosen)?

I have decided that in the spirit of DIY and all that entails I should learn how to knit. Knitting wasn't something my mom or grandmother did and therefore I want to do it. Its just something that I thought would be fun to learn. I also thought you, our readers, might enjoy a peek into the saga that is sure to ensue from me muddling my way through learning to knit.

I began my knitting journey yesterday at Michaels craft store in the knitting aisle. Having never knitted at all before, I had no idea what I was looking for other than a book. I wanted something that made this whole thing easy for me and didn't cost too much. I found something that I thought would fit the bill. A book that came with needles and some other stuff that looked interesting and mysterious. I also grabbed some inexpensive yarn that I wouldn't feel bad about destroying but was also a nice color if I did manage to make something.

I took my book/starter kit home and opened it. Only then did I realize that the book was published in 1987 with no style updates. By this I mean I will NEVER wear any of the sweaters and neither will anyone that I even remotely know. There are a couple of things I can make but if I want to make anything really good I'll have to find another book or other patterns.