LIFESKILLS: How to do almost anything
Sew a button? Hail a cab? Yeah, they seem simple -- but sometimes you need just a little help. Check out our Lifeskills stories and learn how it's done.
July 13, 2011
Life Skill #59
How to unclog a bathroom drain
The lavatory sink is the likeliest clog in the house, says lifelong plumber Chuck White, vice president of technical and code services for the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association, a national trade group based in Falls Church, Va. And you can probably unclog it without bringing in a plumber, White says. (Unlike kitchen sinks, which are usually clogged by food bits — as opposed to a tangle of hairs — and often tied into a disposal, making them a tough job for do-it-yourselfers.)
July 1, 2011
Life Skill #529
How to clean a bathroom
It's a dirty job — but someone's got to clean the bathroom. And when it's you, what's the most efficient way?
June 14, 2011
Life Skill #461
Campfire minus matches
When unforeseen circumstances leave you stranded, it's handy to know how to start a campfire without matches or a lighter. "It is not easy," warns Denise Long, a wilderness survival instructor and author of "Survivor Kid" (Chicago Review Press, $12.95). But if cavemen could do it, you can too. Here's her advice:
May 4, 2011
Life skill: The social kiss
Right cheek or left? Actual or simulated contact? Single or double? In all its iterations, the social kiss is spreading across the U.S. like pollen in spring — warmly welcomed by some; dodged like an allergen by others.
May 18, 2011
Life Skill #428
Smarter lawn mowing
Thomas Christopher is a lawn and garden expert calling for a radical revamp of how we approach yard care. "Lawns. I keep struggling with them,'' says Christopher, editor of the just-published "The New American Landscape: Leading Voices on the Future of Sustainable Gardening" (Timber Press, $34.95). "I try to persuade people to do it in an easier, more environmental way, but people are stuck back in the Eisenhower years.
May 31, 2011
Life Skill #153: Avoiding dog bites
More than 30 people died from dog bite injuries last year in the U.S. (For comparison purposes, the National Weather Service says that the U.S. averages 58 lightning-related deaths a year.) Although fatalities are rare, more than a half-million people a year, mostly children, require hospital treatment for dog bites, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association. And thousands were less serious and unreported. Clearly, people need to wise up.
April 6, 2011
Life Skill #717
Life Skills: How to wash a window
Few things give a homeowner as much satisfaction as clean windows — and we mean sparkling clean, I-never-knew-it-got-that-bright-outside clean. An afternoon of washing windows is time well spent. So grab a bucket, and let us begin an assault on grime.
March 23, 2011
Lifeskill #343
Life Skills: How to keep score at the ballpark
People have been keeping scorecards at baseball games since before players wore gloves, but the popularity of keeping a scorecard seems to have faded in recent decades.
February 8, 2011
Life Skill #251
Life Skills: Hang a painting
Hanging a painting is an art in itself, though you can hardly plead creative license when it's too high, crooked and resting amid a bed of misplaced nail holes. For the sake of your sanity — and your poor walls — home improvement expert Danny Lipford offered tips for hanging a painting right the first time.
March 8, 2011
Life Skill #911
Life Skills: Witnessing a crime
When a crime happens, most folks will act like Clark Kent, not Superman. That's OK; dialing for help and reporting what you're seeing can be heroic too.
February 23, 2011
Life Skill #343
Life Skills: How to make a good sign
It's a mystery why somebody will clean signs,, price them, carefully display them, then announce the sale with a slapdash sign that looks like an afterthought. Similarly, a FOR SALE BY OWNER sign that looks like it was scribbled by a chimp isn't going to attract prospective buyers.
January 12, 2011
Life Skills: How to grab a cab
Taking a cab might not seem to be that complicated. But as any taxi driver will tell you, there are ways to do it safely, quickly and cleanly -- and ways not to. So from the experts, we give you some tips for the road. The hail: Alfred LaGasse, CEO of the Taxicab, Limousine & Paratransit Association, says that there are actually two parts to the successful hailing of a taxicab.
September 21, 2010
LIFESKILLS
Life Skills: Arrange flowers like a pro
Before launching her Web site, fearlessflowers.com, earlier this year, Annie Vanderwarker commissioned a survey. It found that 68 percent of people who bought cut flowers at the grocery store were afraid to arrange them.
January 25, 2011
Life Skills: Snuff a kitchen fire
According to the National Fire Protection Association, four out of five fire-related deaths among civilians occur in the home. It makes sense to be prepared. Smoke alarms can alert you to a fire, and sprinklers can extinguish a blaze. Beyond that, fire extinguishers are a must, but even that might not be sufficient.
December 28, 2010
Life Skills: Clean your desk
Asking someone if they want a clean desk is like asking if they'd like to be fed chocolate ice cream by a model. "Um … wait … letmethinkaboutthatyes!" Yet the number of people who actually have clean desks is about as high as those model-fed fortunate ones. But getting (and keeping) a clean desk is easy.
June 30, 2010
Lifeskills
Life Skills: Choosing an engagement ring
Like wondering whether she'll say yes isn't stressful enough. You're also supposed to select and purchase a ring that fits her magnificent personality, her singular style and her, ahem, finger? Help! We called on the Engagement Experts.
August 25, 2010
Life skill #386
Life Skills: How to read nutritional labels
If you lose your train of thought somewhere between "servings per container" and "total carbohydrate," Sarah Krieger, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, is here to help with understand some of the key ingredients.
May 28, 2010
Life Skills: How to polish your nails
Cut: You decide what's too long for you. The darker or bolder the polish, the shorter the nail. File: Only in the direction the nail grows, so you don't weaken it. File sides straight, and corners round to match the cuticle's curve in reverse.
May 13, 2010
Life Skills: Tipping for services
There is often a moment, after you get your car washed, or your furniture delivered, or your flat tire changed, when suddenly a wave of anxiety strikes. Are you supposed to tip? And if so, how much?
June 12, 2010
Life Skills: How to iron a shirt
It's not that hard -- all you need is an iron and a damp shirt straight out of the washing machine.
May 22, 2010
Life Skills: How to end a relationship
There is no easy way to break up with a significant other, but you can be kind about it. Psychologist Linda Young offers a guide to a humane break up.
June 5, 2010
Life Skills: Summer first aid for kids
Worried about how to treat the little ones' warm-weather injuries? Here's what you should do -- and what you shouldn't.
May 6, 2010
Life Skills: Someone's fly is down
It's an awkward moment. You see that someone's forgotten a step, but do you tell them? If so, how?
April 3, 2010
Life Skills: Door etiquette
Who opens the door for whom? Even if your mom told you — and you actually paid attention — the old rules are evolving.
Life Skills: How to wash a dog
Inside or out, there are a few things to remember, including no human shampoo, and no water in the ears.
April 24, 2010
Life Skills: Give a wedding toast
For the legions of best men and maids of honor stumped about what to say, Tom Haibeck — author of "Wedding Toasts Made Easy" — offers some tips for preparing and delivering a gorgeous toast.
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