upload podcast from laptop to smartphone tip

how to mount the phone instead of charging the phone:

1. use the black cable to connect laptop to smartphone

2. on phone, click on setting icon.

3. choose "connected devices"-->USB-->use USB for file transfer

1. go to itunes and get podcasts

     -after choosing ~10 podcasts copy/paste from laptop to smartphone.

     -continue with next ten podcasts, etc.

frozen potstickers tip

pour oil in frying pan. you need 1/8 inch or thereabouts. heat up the oil on medium high. the oil should be HOT. carefully put frozen potstickers in the frying pan. pour 1/2 cup water over potstickers. cover the frying pan. cook 10 minutes. make sure bottom of potstickers are browned. cook for longer if the bottoms aren't brown enough.

be careful. sometimes the oil splatters out when you're putting the potstickers in.

swiss miss tip

dump the powder in a bowl. add a little milk. whisk it until smooth. gradually add the rest of the milk. microwave.

the old way of dumping all the powder, then all the milk and mixing with a spoon results in clumps.

use a whisk.

cheesecake tip

cheesecake tastes good eaten with mooncake. i used lotus paste mooncake. 

sticky corn/glutinous corn tip

add some water and cook in instant pot for 15 minutes. allow natural pressure release. eat.

tofu skin tip

you have to soak tofu skin for a long while before you put it in hot pot. if you just dump hard tofu skin in hot pot it'll be raw in the middle when everything else is done cooking.

roasted broccoli tip

preheat oven to 450 degrees.

cover baking sheet in foil.

put a single layer of broccoli florets. (you can also roast shelled fava beans and baby carrots.)

drizzle 1/4 cup oil.

sprinkle trader joe's everything bagel seasoning.

bake for 15 minutes.

eat.

fava tip

you can roast shelled fava beans along with broccoli. 

hard water tip

use the flat blade of a box cutter to scrape hard water deposits off granite counters. cleans it right up!

cereal tip

eat cinnamon toast crunch with sesame sticks. add milk. salty sweet, salty sweet.

noodle tip

if you cook raw noodles directly in the broth, it'll thicken the broth. but if you cook the noodles separately in boiling water, drain the noodles and then pour the broth on top, the broth won't thicken.

tortilla tip

tostito's hint of lime is about the same price as a pack of crispy tostada shells on a per ounce comparison.

eggo tips

this is for 8 eggo mini waffles:

briefly microwave eggo minis so they're not frozen anymore.

chop up eggo minis and mix in 1 raw egg. 

cook in waffle maker. 

cake pan tip

you can double a recipe for a loaf of banana bread. pour enough batter to fill half a 10 inch bundt pan. pour the rest in a muffin tin. bundt is 325 degrees for 65 minutes. muffin is 350 for 20 minutes.

notebook tip

here's how to make your own simple, unlined notebook:

get 20 pages of 8.5 X 11 inch printer paper and fold them in half "hamburger style." open up a regular stapler and line the staple up to the notebook spine. put something underneath the notebook so you don't staple into your desk. you can use an old hardcover book, for example.

press on the stapler slightly so that the staple touches the paper. staple down. use something hard to push the staple down around the pages.

also you can use a colored page as the notebook cover.

yum tip

this is good and very easy to prepare:

bottom layer is tortilla chips.

2nd layer is scrambled eggs (about 2 per person)

3rd layer is annie's salsa.

eat with a fork.

more bacon tips

you can use leftover bacon grease to cook popcorn. it doesn't really taste like bacon but it tastes different than using olive oil.

bacon baking tip

oven 400 degrees. put bacon in. no need to wait for oven to heat up. i cooked it for about 17 minutes. bake until the bacon is brown. put bacon on a couple layers of paper towel to soak up the grease.

sardines in oil

you know those canned sardines in olive oil? don't just throw the oil away! you can put it on noodles and it is super delicious!

ice cream tip

one part vanilla ice cream and one part fage original yogurt, with nonpareil sprinkles on top. delicious! it reminds me of tart frozen yogurt. 

turkey burger tip

here's how i cooked jennie-o frozen turkey burger (1/3 pound).

1. put turkey burgers on greased tray. broil 4 inches from heat at top for 4 minutes. 

2. flip burgers. broil 4 more minutes.

3. flip burgers. broil 4 more minutes. wash your raw turkey spatula.

4. eat burger.

total cook time was 12 minutes. i cut it in the middle and it was cooked through.

sizzler tip

sizzler has this weird pricing structure. the price of a small bacon
cheeseburger and unlimited salad is cheaper than . . . an unlimited
salad. you save a penny and get a burger. isn't that crazy?

basically i just ate salad and took the burger to go.

pinyin tip

to type the character for girl in chinese use nv.

nalgene mold tip

there's a white stopper in the nalgene on the fly lid. it gets moldy.
today i pulled out the white stopper and put it in bleach for 12
hours. the mold went away.

be sure to rinse all the bleach away.

faux cream tip

fage yogurt and condensed milk mixed together is very good.  it's like a dense cream.  mix in blueberries for a yummy dessert.  

not sure about the ratios.  maybe 1 cup yogurt, 1 tablespoon condensed milk.  you can also mix in crushed ice if you want.

overnight oats

here's how i recently made overnight oats.  pour in some rolled oats.  mix with maple yogurt.  refrigerate overnight.  i didn't really worry about the ratio.  just make sure all the oats are coated in yogurt.  

other recipes i've seen say you can use almond milk or regular milk instead of yogurt.  

when ready to eat, i put shredded coconut and sunflower seeds.  

it's hearty and keeps you full for a long time.  plus no cooking!

thrift store tips

st. vincent de paul:  

lots of furniture--tables, dining sets, etc.  

no changing room

no refunds

tri-valley volunteers:

small selection of children's shoes

only 2-3 straight racks of children's clothes

clothes are $1

hope station:

clothes are pretty expensive--$4.98 for a shirt

lots of plates and kitchen-y things

filet mignon tips

turn on george foreman grill and heat for 5 minutes.

salt and pepper filet mignon.

cook for 6 minutes.

eat

draeger's tip

draeger's turkey pot pie in the buffet is really really good.  

soup tip

for chicken noodle soup, pulverize a whole onion and stick it in the crockpot with the soup.  the floating onion grounds thicken up the soup.  

rolling pin tip

here are two tips i learned about rolling pins.  if you don't have a rolling pin, use a bottle with a large cylindrical surface such as a wine bottle.  the other tip is if you're rolling out cookie dough, sandwich the dough between parchment paper, then roll.  that way you don't have to worry about adding flour to the rolling pin or surface.

answering the phone tip

When people answer the phone and speak really quickly, it makes them sound really rude.

chutes and ladders tip

play chutes and ladders with two dice.  it helps teach simple addition and it makes game play move faster.

fridge tip

say like you have a big bowl of rice and a small bowl of rice in the refrigerator.  you should eat the small bowl of rice first because that'll free up space faster.  

if you start eating the big bowl of rice first it'll be a while before you can finish it and free up some space.

yogurt tip

fage + nutella = yum

it's almost like chocolate pudding with the consistency of the yogurt.  very tasty indeed.

dairy queen tip

don't bother with a sundae, it's all about the blizzard.  i got a pecan mudslide and they put a bunch of caramel and hot fudge on the bottom but by the time you get to it, all the ice cream is gone already.

lamb loin chop

yesterday i made lamb loin chop 2 ways.  first i took the lamb out for 30 minutes to get to room temperature.  salt on both sides of lamb

method 1:

-rub oil on big piece of foil.  fold up lamb inside making sure there's space between each piece.  

-turn on george foreman grill and wait 10 minutes

-cook for 9 minutes

method 2:

-heat 2 tablespoons butter in skillet on high until melted.  turn heat to medium.

-cook lamb 4 minutes per side.  sear edges.

both ways tasted good because lamb is delicious but i liked how method 2 tasted better.  cooking on the stove you get beautiful caramelization.  however, it's more clean-up.  with the george foreman you just have to crumple and toss the foil.

i was reading online how lamb is meant to be eaten on the rarer side.  since that's not my preference, i cooked it a couple minutes more than the minimum amount of time.

it was my first time cooking lamb loin chop.  glad it turned out :o)

one pot spaghetti tip

1.  brown 1 lb ground beef

2.  add 3 cups water and 1 jar spaghetti sauce.  boil.

3.  add 1 lb spaghetti but break noodles in half.  boil and cook for 15-20 minutes.  

4.  i also added shredded cheese and a cup of sour cream when cooking was done.

pork shoulder tip

boil pork shoulder for 35 minutes in water.  add bbq sauce and broil for 15 minutes.  sweet baby ray's is the best bbq sauce.

corn on the cob tip

hm, i thought i'd added this tip but couldn't find it.  

how to steam corn on the cob.

-husk corn

-boil some water and put a steam tray in the pot.  water doesn't have to be enough to cover corn, but it has to be enough so that it doesn't all boil out and evaporate

-when water boils, put corn in and steam for 15 minutes with lid on

-you can break corn in half to make it fit the pot

vacuum cleaner tip

to get hair out of the sides of a vacuum cleaner's roller brushes, use a seam ripper.  it works so much better than scissors or a letter opener!

cheap wall decor tips

got a 500 piece puzzle at the thrift store for 69 cents.  framed it with a new frame from target for around $30.  i've been looking at framed pictures at thrift stores but the frames are ALWAYS knicked or scratched up.  and i'm not into the banged up vintage look.  

hook tip

i bought some mini command hooks but they were too big to hang my calendar.  i strung a thin ring of ribbon through the calendar holes and doubled it over before hanging it on the hook.  it works great!  

popcorn on stovetop tip

-heat 3 tablespoon oil 

-put 4 kernels (to test)

-cover @ medium heat

-when all 4 kernals pop, remove from heat

-add 1/3 cup kernals

-cover pot and wait 30 seconds

-return to heat

-when kernels start popping shake pan with lid slightly ajar

-add salt and butter

tilapia fillet

got some tilapia fillets from trader joe's.  it's really convenient.  you don't have to worry about taking out bones or descaling the fish.  i poached it in some chicken broth for a light flavor.  put fish in the liquid, boil then lower heat and cover--cook for 8 minutes.  super easy!  

how to cook bean thread noodles (dong1 fen3)

just made a big batch of bean thread noodles.  it was my very first time cooking it and i'm happy with the result.  everything cooks in one pot.

ingredients:
-1 pound bean thread noodles
-mild italian sausage bulk (not in sausage casings)
-2 cups sliced mushrooms

ingredients for sauce:
-2 cup chicken broth
-3 tablespoon soy sauce
-2 teaspoon sesame oil
-2 teaspoon sugar

-soak 1 pound bean thread noodles for 20 minutes.
-add some oil to pot and cook sausage.  remove sausage
-add mushrooms to pot and cook until tender.  spoon some sausage fat onto the mushrooms so it's not too dry.  i covered the pot to let the mushrooms kind of steam cook for a few minutes.  remove mushrooms
-drain noodles and put in pot.  use high heat.  pour sauce in pot also.  mix until noodles absorb sauce.
-add sausage and mushrooms back in and mix.

i ate them with some boiled fava beans.

in all, it took 40 minutes to make everything.

brown rice tip

argghhh!  put in 1 cup of brown rice and 2.5 cups of water in the rice cooker.  it was dry and hard :o(

when i put in 1.5 cups of brown rice and 3-3/4 cup of water it's alright.

what am i doing wrong?  it's the same ratio . . .

fava bean tips

quick and easy way to cook fava beans.  shuck 'em.  boil water with salt to a rolling boil.  dump fava beans in water and cook for 7 minutes.  eat.  there's a light green membrane on the fava beans.  that is totally edible.

george foreman chicken thighs tip

make sure the george foreman grill light is off.  if the light is on that means it's heating up still.

wrap chicken in foil so you don't have to wash the grill.

if you don't cut up the chicken thighs, heat for 8 minutes in george foreman grill.

boiling dumplings

1.  boil water--boil a lot so the dumplings won't stick together

2.  add dumplings

3.  when dumplings begin to float, add 1 cup cold water.

4.  boil water again

5.  when dumplings float, add 1 cup of cold water again.

6.  dumplings float

done!

lasagna tip

i've heard that instead of boiling lasagna noodles, you can just add an extra cup of sauce to the bottom.  but when i've tried to do that, the noodles are still raw after baking.

today i soaked the raw noodles in water for about an hour.  they got bendable.

then i just followed the recipe.  

basically i'm just trying to avoid boiling the noodles :o)  

the noodles came out alright, but still ever slightly on the firm side.  next time i'll soak them in water for longer.  

fast dinner tip

get tortillas, rotisserie chicken (from costco), tomato, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream.

microwave the tortilla with chicken and some cheese.  top with chopped tomato and a spoonful of sour cream.  

add chopped lettuce if you have it.  it adds a nice crunch but is really optional.

microwave popcorn tip

ugh, just tried microwaving popcorn with sugar and oil in an attempt to make my own microwave kettle corn.  it was a total fail.  even though i waited for 2 seconds between pops, there was a big ball of burn.  next time it's back to cooking kettle corn on the stovetop!

also it doesn't appear that kettle corn goes through the garbage disposal.  maybe it'll just dissolve after a while . . .

gift cards tip

when you buy a giftcard, look at the receipt and compare it to the card numbers on the back of the giftcard.  the last couple of giftcard transactions, the cards were not activated.  this could be the cashier trying to steal the cards for himself and giving you blanks, or it could just be a mistake.   

writing tip

i say we get rid of capitalizing the first letter in every sentence!  sure, all you have to do is simply hit the shift key but think of all the sentences you type out.  that's a lot of shift keys.  plus it's mostly redundant, no?  i mean, you've already got your sentence ending punctuations--periods, exclamation points, question marks--so you know the letter immediately after is most likely going to be the start of another sentence.  it would just save so much time to not have to capitalize the initial letter.

feeding goats tip

took a toddler to the petting zoo today.  instead of buying a 50 cent cone of goat food, you can just pick up the scraps off the floor and feed the goats with that.  people just drop the food on the ground.  daughter really loved feeding the goats!

saving songs from cd to usb flash drive tip

i used itunes.  first you want to make sure the files convert to mp3 format.

•Launch iTunes – You can launch it from the Start Menu Programs
•Select ‘Edit > Preferences > General, and press Import Settings’.
•Change the ‘Import Using’ to ‘MP3 Encoder’.
•Save the settings.
•Go to the library and right-click on a music track and choose the option which reads ‘Convert Selection to MP3′. If the track is not protected then you’ll be able to convert it to MP3 format. However, if the track is a protected one then iTunes will pop-up a window telling you that the protected track cannot be converted to other formats

Simplest method is this.

1) Press “Control” and “A” to select all songs

2) Push “Advanced” at the top

3) Choose “Create MP3 Version” option

4) wait for the conversion to complete.

then you put in your cd and your usb.  on the bottom right, click on "import cd" to import whole thing.  if you don't want the whole cd, then uncheck the boxes next to the individual tracks.  the import is pretty fast.  then you go to your music folder (start-->music) -->itunes-->itunes media-->music-->compilation.  so . . . somewhere thereabouts should be your cd songs.  then you drag and drop the folder with your cd songs into the usb window.

now i'm guessing there are other ways of doing it, but this is how i did it.

keeping track of feedings tip

a simple way of keeping track of feedings for newborn is to use a cellphone.  i use an asterisk to denote which boob and just type in the start time and hit send.  then if i need to see what time i last nursed, i just look in my call history.  so for example, at 8:18 i nursed him on my right boob.  that's 818*--note the asterisk is ON THE RIGHT.  then i nursed him on my left boob at 8:40.  that's *840--note the asterisk is ON THE LEFT.  wish i'd thought of this method when i had the 1st baby.  

car keys tip

i hate the modern car keys with the stupid remote keyless entry.  that key is twice the size of everything else on my keychain.  it's going to be uncomfortable in my pants pocket.  at first i considered just using the valet key but then . . . the passenger side doesn't even have a keyhole :o(  i miss my 95 car . . . a simpler time, a simpler car.  sigh.  bring back the simple key with keyhole on the passenger side.  please.

free napkins tip

when you go out to eat, restaurants typically will give you a stack of napkins.  keep what you don't use and take the rest home.  no need to buy napkins anymore!

and if you've got kids, it's probably a good idea to keep some napkins in the car as well.

hair tip

if you've got an event and need to get your hair done, be cognizant that some styles take a really long time to complete.  so before you commit to a style with the hairdresser, you might ask how long it would take and if it's too long then ask for suggestions of styles that would be quicker to prepare.  i once had a french twist that took freaking forever.  had i known, i would have chosen a "messy" hairstyle that was fast and easy.

turkey baster washing tip

how to clean a turkey baster?  i recently used one to baste the chicken grease, butter and maple syrup back onto the chicken skin and washed it after use.  i took apart the bulb from the "syringe" and soaked it in soapy water but even after rinsing there was serious grease trapped in the "syringe."  

take a napkin and wrap it around a chopstick.  then swirl the napkin inside the "syringe."  all clean!

pan fried trout tip

made pan fried trout for the first time.  here's how i did it--super simple.  

i got 2 trout that were pan ready from food maxx.  salt both sides and the inside.

on high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.  sure, butter is way less healthy than olive oil but it smells so great!

when the butter is melted, lower the heat a bit to medium heat.  then cook one side of the fish for five minutes.  then flip and cook the other side of the fish for 5 minutes.  that's it!

you can sprinkle with lemon juice if you want but if not it's still good.  the skin is crunchy and the meat is delicious!

artichoke tip

get the bigger artichoke.  it costs more but there's way more "meat."  i recently got a couple of small artichokes and the outside leaves were completely wasted.  at least with the bigger artichoke, you get some more meat.

food tips

heads up--union landing has food trucks on thursday evenings!  and san leandro downtown has a farmer's market that's just opened back up again.

easy "frosting" tip

just made a discovery this afternoon!  beat heavy whipping cream with trader joe's cocoa almond spread.  i'm sure you could sub nutella.  sorry, i didn't measure anything out so not sure of how much of the ingredients i used.  first i beat the whipping cream until it thickened a little, then i added two big knife blobs of the cocoa almond spread.  it's runnier than real frosting and you could swear it's almost like chocolate pudding.  

i put it on some yellow cupcakes (trader joe's cake mix).  the cake mix makes 24 cupcakes but i just made a third of the recipe which worked out well.

computer camera tip

just read a frightening article in GQ about a dude with a lot of free time who would hack into people's computers.  he was able to spy on the computer user by turning on their camera.  this guy would watch people eat, sleep, go to the bathroom (people often take their laptop to the toilet) have sex, etc. 

 

stick a post-it on your computer camera to cover it.

elbow tip

on a large arm, a baby's diaper works well as a giant bandage at the elbow.  this is, if the affected area is larger than a regular size band-aid can accommodate.  you can secure the diaper in such a way that it's breathable to allow faster healing.  plus, it's cheaper than buying gauze and tape.  you'd think that it would look very strange and bulky but if you wear a sweatshirt or other loose clothing, no one will even notice.

feeding toddler tip

if you've got a spoonful of something your toddler doesn't particularly care for, put a small piece of something she likes on the edge of the spoon closest to the handle.  that way she'll open her mouth big to get to what she wants.

travel tip

you should have a list of things to take for travel.  that way you don't have to keep recreating the same list over and over again.  just keep it in or near your luggage.  easy peasy.

zucchini tip

here's an easy way to prep zucchini for a 1 year old.  cut the zucchini in quarters (4 long spears).  then chop the spears so each is about 3 millimeters.  then microwave about 2 tablespoons worth of zucchini for 1 minute.  let it cool and feed.  super easy :o)

zucchini tip

i could have been saving a lot of time all these years!  for raw zucchini, you can just cut it up and microwave it to cook!  you don't have to steam it or stove cook it.  why didn't anyone tell me?? 

photo card tip

when you're making a photo card, first find a photo that you like.  THEN, find a card background.  a lot of times you might find a great background, but the photo you have isn't a good match.  it's much easier to have the photo first before choosing a background.

mi pueblo es su pueblo

just realized something.  something HUGE!  mi pueblo, the mexican supermarket chain, has meat that's ALREADY CUT UP!  no longer will i have to spend precious time cutting up chicken.  no longer will i toil over that huge hunk of beef for stir fry.  the days of cleaving pork have ended.  can you feel the electricity in the air?!  can you feel it?! 

 

yesterday i cooked up some pastor.  it was pretty good--just something simple to eat over rice.

allergies tip

i've never understood why people have pets when their kids are allergic to the pet!  get rid of your pet so your kid can breathe in his own house.  is that insensitive?  i figure a kid is more important than a cat.  no?

polite tip

watch your tone.  even though you might not even realize it, you could be offending someone.  people can be really sensitive.

box tip

diaper boxes make good free temporary shelving.

cell with water damage tip

i don't have any personal experience with this myself but i hear that if you accidentally drop your cellphone in water, you can turn off your phone and toss it into a bag full of raw rice for 2 days.  the rice will draw the water out.

george foreman grill tip

wrap the food in foil and you don't have to clean the grill!  got this tip by watching costco sample staff.

eating out tip

holy cow, i can't believe i just learned this today! if you eat at a restaurant and decide to also buy something to take home, put the take out food on a separate bill. here's why: if you put it all on one tab then you'll also end up paying a tip on the take out portion. however, if you have the take out on a separate bill, well you're not going to pay a tip on it.

sl farmer's market tip

my mom says the san leandro farmer's market is back on!

whipping cream tip

cream whips better if there's a little more of it.  the instructions on the carton say to use no more than what would be needed to go higher than 1/3 of the beaters.  at first i was pouring in about 1/2 inch of cream and it took a while to whip up.  but when i put in like 1-1/2 inches, it whipped up in no time--well, like 3 minutes.

3x4 pic tip

so we have this little picture carousel that holds 6 3x4 pictures. as you know, pics these days generally come in 4x6. i used paint on the computer to make a 2 picture collage. you just decrease 2 pictures by 50% horizontally and vertically, then past them together next to each other in paint. then i uploaded that new picture into costco to print. worked out perfectly! it only took over a year to figure out how to get small pictures in there. love solving problems.

brita tip

you know those freaking brita filter pitchers?  fill the top and the water slowly trickles down and fills the bottom of the pitcher.  well i've spilled the water TWICE and created a giant puddle on the floor.  here's the tip:  before pouring water, lift the lid to make sure there's no water sitting in the top.

hayward area thrift shop tips

-thrift town san leandro:  this one is awesome.  tons of clothes for really cheap.  they've got a lot of dressing rooms to try on clothes. -thrift town fremont:  also big store with a lot of clothes and a maternity section.  i've found that most thrift stores don't have a separate maternity section. -society of saint vincent de paul fremont:  baby kids are in a giant pile which makes it impossible to find good stuff.  books are way cheap.  i got a book for 35 cents!  tons of furniture!  tables/chairs/dressers galore--more than most thrift shops -salvation army hayward:  weak sauce.  i don't know if they're just getting started but they don't have very much stuff at all.  the salvation army in oaktown is much better. -eco thrift:  huge store with tons of clothes, toys, books.  i saw 4 strollers there. -centro de servicio group:  smallish but with cheap clothes.  i got a wonder woman sweatshirt for only $2!  they've got a small room full of kid stuff but the baby clothes are in these little bins which makes it harder to find stuff.  -discovery shop:  more of a little boutique than a giant type thrift shop.  prices are a bit higher because proceeds go to helping with cancer. -hope station:  medium size thrift shop with a good selection of baby clothes.  i bought 3 long sleeve shirts for something like $1-2 each. -bargain city:  near newpark mall.  very nice store--clean and organized.  good selection of clothes for good prices. -tri-city volunteers thrift store:  there are a lot of cultural clothes.  it's a smaller shop with a small selection of baby/kid items.  there are a lot fewer clothes here compared to other shops.

reheat lasagna tip

if you're reheating a giant piece of lasagna, before throwing it in the microwave, cut it up some so the inside isn't cold.  otherwise the outside will be hot and the inside will still be refrigerated.

fortune cookie tip

fortune cookie + peanut butter = yummy

burger tip

know what's good on a burger?  cream cheese and peppers!  who knew?

marathon runner tip

just learned yesterday that hardcore marathon runners will just pee themselves while they run so they don't have to stop to use a toilet.  beware!

hammock tip

even better than a one person hammock?  a 3 person hammock!  you're more slingy in a 3 person one.  one downside is you need a super ginormous hammock stand.  the one person stand is already pretty freaking big.

other people's tips

http://cockeyed.com/lessons/figured/figured_menu01.shtml

 

http://ask.metafilter.com/158740/You-were-doing-it-wrong

corn cutter

anyone have a corn cutter?  we have this one:  http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?SKU=11078893 any tips on how to use it?  do you use it when the corn is raw or when it's already cooked?  do you really need a nail to use it?

language

if you want to learn a language, don't just go "teach me [insert language here]!!"  have certain words or phrases in mind that you want to learn. 

weekend tip

Pirate Festival is this weekend--June 19 and 20 from 10-6 PM in Vallejo.  It's a free event and the people who go are fully decked out in pirate gear.  I went last year and it's a blast!  You can find parking if you get there early.  There was a recreation of a pirate ship and even a nurse who talked about medicine.  Look out for the puzzle ring booth!  I haven't seen them at any other fair.  Great place to take a ton of pictures :o)

ice cream maker tip

say you have two batches of ice cream to make in an ice cream maker.  the first batch you do ice, salt, ice salt, ice, salt, etc.  then for the second batch you can reuse the same ice, but you have to layer more salt between ice layers. 

yesterday for the 2nd batch of ice cream, i didn't add more salt and after 40 minutes, the ice cream hadn't frozen at all!  i think all the salt got dumped out when i drained it.

good habit tip

my friend's husband was taught to try everything when eating a meal.  now, even if he HATES a particular food, he will eat at least a little bit to be polite.  i don't know anyone else who does this, but isn't it magnificent?  it's so open-minded and somewhat inspiring.

 

still, there's no way i'm going to eat durian again :o)

smell tip

know what smells hella good?  the inside of a bag of m&m's.

bathtub plug tip

the plug for the bathtub isn't that great.  after a few minutes, a significant amount of water drains out of the tub, but there's an easy fix!  take a small square of saran wrap and put it between the plug and the drain.  that will slow the flow of water leaking out.  hello, longer bubble baths! 

reheating fries tip

i have a big styrofoam container of leftover red robins fries from yesterday.  to reheat leftover french fries, heat up a skillet to medium high and lay a single layer of fries in the skillet.  shake the skillet a bit and when the bottom of the fries are lightly golden brown, turn them over.  heat some more until the underside is lightly golden brown as well.  dump them on a plate and eat with honey mustard dressing! you don't have to add oil to the skillet because there's already a ton of oil from the fries themselves. super good, super fresh and way faster than reheating them in an oven.

mango tip

eat mango at night so you're not walking around with fibers stuck in your teeth all day.

flat tire tip

when you have a flat tire and you're changing a spare, put your parking brake on so you'll be able to un-lugnut your tire without it spinning around and around.

charlie horse

jolted awake with a charlie horse this morning.  instead of doing my usual "AAAAARRRRRGHHHHHHH!!!!  IT HURTS!!!  AAAAUUUGHHHHH!!!" i just started massaging my calf.  it helped!  i wasn't in pain for nearly as long as my usual charlie horses and when my leg was done cramping, i could walk rather effortlessly.  normally after i have a charlie horse i'm really limpy.

ticket tip

oh my gosh, i'm looking into buying tix for an event in san jose.  i saw two places to buy tix--ticketmaster and usastarimage.com.  for ticketmaster, they effing charge you a $10 convenience fee!  usastarimage doesn't have any fees at all. 

chinese restaurant tip

don't sit by the fish tank.  if the workers are netting out a fish, the water could splash onto you and (audible gasp!) your food.  happened twice last night.

bread tip

at andersen bakery, aka grain d'or, you can buy a half loaf of bread for just half the price of a full loaf.  usually places will charge you for more than half price for a half loaf.  their fig and pecan bread is delicious--so much better than freaking raisin bread!

reheat lasagna tip

heat oven to 350. 

poke holes all over lasagna and pour 2 tablespoons of milk in the holes. 

cover lasagna tightly with foil. 

bake for 20 minutes. 

take it out and stab it with a fork and leave it in for 10 seconds. 

take fork out and see if it's warm.

if yes, then eat right away.  if not, recover with foil and bake for 10 more minutes and if it's still not hot, 10 more minutes after that, etc.

 

last night it took 40 minutes to reheat the leftover lasagna.  for pete's sake, just microwave it.  it's just as good.

brown rice tip

if you're using a rice cooker to cook brown rice, after the little tab pops up indicating that the rice is done and is now in the warming phase, leave the top on for 15 more minutes.  that gives the rice a chance to absorb more of the water.  if you eat the rice right when the tab pops up, it's still going to be hard.  also, the ratio of brown rice to water is 1:2.5, ok?

giftcards

say you have 2 giftcards for the same place, but with different amounts.  use up the one with less money first so you'll sooner end up having to tote around just one card.  then when you get home, use a sharpie to write the new amount that's left on the card.  that way you're not left thinking, "dude, i could have sworn there were twenty more dollars on this card."

bathtub tip

i asked a random stranger what she uses to clean her bathtub floor and she said that scrubbing bubbles works great.  she just uses scrubbing bubbles and a sponge.  she said to leave the bubbles to work for about 10 minutes. 

kaboom

a homeless looking couple comes in and wants temporary passes for internet use.  neither has picture id, which they say they lost during a car explosion.

sick tip

when you have phlegm, spit it out.  don't swallow it.  if you swallow phlegm, you might have a prolonged itchy throat.

shark tip

read this in the book of secrets.  don't pee or poo in the ocean.  sharks can smell it from miles away.  if you are attacked, scream underwater, hit back, change directions while swimming.  don't play dead.  and of course don't wear jewelry because you'll look like a yummy shiny fish.  also, don't swim near fishing nets.

door stop tip

the "real" doorstop is too short for the bottom of the door.  right now there's a bowling bag by the door to prop it open if needed.  it's a bit bulky but we don't have any sand or heavy stones to fill a smaller container.  bowling bag works just fine, thank you very much.

fridge tip

if your refrigerator dies, lowes has next day delivery for in-stock fridges.

mirror tip

it's really hard to clean a mirror covered with dried goop if all you have is water and a cloth or newspaper.  once the stuff dries, it's hard and you almost have to chip away at it with a chisel.  best to clean it up right away when the "goop" is still soft and wipable.

visit tip

had a lovely visit from pt this week.  oh, he's such a delight to have over.  he paid many many compliments about the house and was ever so gracious about eating our humble food.  i especially liked how he didn't make me feel like my cooking was subpar :o)  hooray for good visiting-friends manners!

yogurt tip

best yogurt?  trader joe's maple!  you can get it in a big tub and eat it for a week. 

persimmon tip

they say you're not supposed to eat persimmon with crab because it causes abdominal pain.

bart tip

need to get from cal state east bay's oakland camps to tully's on broadway?  go downstairs and walk the underground BART passage.  you avoid all the traffic lights!

visa mastercard gift card tip

so we received a wells fargo giftcard for $60.  some was spent at food maxx and some was spent at pac n save.  i knew i had some money left on the card.  this weekend i went to the mall and tried to use the remainder of the money at hot dog on a stick.  huh.  declined.  ok.  a few minutes later i try using the card at auntie annie's and grain d'or.  declined and declined again.  wtf?  i KNOW there's money on the card!  i call the number on the back of the card and they tell me there's $1.25 remaining.  if you swipe the card for a purchase for more than the amount on the card ($1.25 in my case), it just declines the card.  later we went to trader joe's and i told them to charge $1.25 to the card and we would pay the rest on a different credit card. 

 

so the tip is:  know how much is on your gift card because it might just say "declined" and you might just throw the card away thinking you ran out of money, but in fact, you still have some amount on the card. 

spinach tip

learned this one from a new cookbook:  when you cook spinach, you can put in one handful at a time, let it wilt a little, then add another handful.  once all the spinach is in the pot, cook it for another 30 seconds to 1 minute.  before, i'd put all the spinach in at once and it was too poofy.  and two bunches of spinach shrinks down to NOTHING!

carrot peeling tip

first grasp the small end of the carrot and put your peeler half way on the carrot.  peel downwards towards the large end.  when you're done peeling the large half of the carrot, grab the large end and peel the smaller half of the carrot. 

 

an unpeeled carrot is a little "grippy" so it's easier hold the small end when it still has the skin on. 

warm tip

this is kind of a "duh" tip but here it is anyway:  when it's super cold outside, put on your earflap hat, scarf and mittens while you're still inside.

heat tip

will someone please invent the cellphone that can also be used as a handwarmer?

spell tip

it's spelt genealogy, NOT geneology. 

seriousness tip

nostril flaring at the altar will crack up your spouse to be.

talking tip?

had lunch with an old friend this week.  she's got a 1 year old kid who doesn't talk very much.  they think it's because the parents and caregivers anticipate his every need so he never has to express himself with words.  she also said that boys are typically slower to speak than girls.  what do you think?  do you think that if the parents weren't so attentive that the kid would talk more?  it sounds like a reasonable theory to me.

drain tip

guess who got a bunch of hairstoppers recently?!  they're great and so much better than the daiso copper sieves i was previously using.  the copper would freaking oxidize and the holes would clog up.  now the shower has a plastic hairstopper.  oh, i'm so excited about washing my hair today.

craft show tip

the harvest festival is this weekend in san mateo.  i might go tomorrow, or i might just do my laundry. 

warmth tip

sometimes wearing the sweater is too warm and not wearing it is too cold.  in those instances, just pull your arms out of the sweater and have your head through the neck hole.  you can tie the arms around your neck for a weird looking scarf.  ah, the perfect temperature.  hurrah!

lotion tip

oooo, jergens feels pretty nice.  it's smelly though.  the paper towels here suck the moisture right out of your hands!

blender tip

have you heard of the immersion blender?  i'd seen them before but never used them.  yesterday their awesomeness factor was pointed out to me.  with the traditional blender, you put stuff in the blender and pour it into a pot and cook it.  then you have to wash the blender which is a total pain in the ass.  with the immersion blender you just stick the thing in the pot and blend from there!  that immersion blender looks a ton easier to wash than the traditional blender. 

flu shot tip

you can get a seasonal flu shot at . . . pak n save/safeway.  it costs $30.  does anyone else think it's really weird they're offering SHOTS at a supermarket?

textbooks tip

rarely can you find textbooks at a public library.  typically they're just too specialized for the general public.  try going to an academic library.

tv tip

looking for a GREAT show to watch?  try mad men.  it's super interesting and funny.  my favorite scene so far is when the mom calls her kids over and her daughter is wearing a plastic laundry bag over her head.  of course the viewer expects the mom to pull the bag over the child's head for fear of suffocation.  but instead, you get, "if i find my dresses on the floor, you're going to be in big trouble missy!"  the main dude is an ad exec on madison avenue in the 60's and . . . everyone smokes.

surfing bart tip

i've been surfing bart--that's when you're standing but not holding onto anthing.  the last two days i've avoid touching any of the handholds on the train.  the trick is to have your legs slightly spread apart and at angles.  also, bend your knees so you don't just topple over. 

flu shot tip

don't know how accurate this is but people under 50 are the most susceptible to swine flu.  the over 50 crowd have probably been exposed to enough viruses to withstand the *gasp* epidemic.

free show tip

Hey, want to see a free show?  There's "Free Night of Theater 2009!"

 

http://www.tixbayarea.org/

 

Some of the tickets aren't available until later this month but others you can certainly book now.

mooncake tip

happy mid autumn moon festival!  get the mooncakes with yolks.  they've got single yolk, double yolks and sometimes even quadruple yolks.  best flavor is white lotus seed.

eyebrows tip

the reason you shouldn't shave your eyebrows is because the skin underneath hasn't been exposed to sun and is ass white.  plus, once your brows start growing in again, it's stubbly like a beard above your eye.

parental relationship tip

just read a very interesting article about how people who have good relationships with their parents tend to have good relationships with their partners as well.  we're programmed to have a fight or flight response.  when interacting with parents, if we don't get along, we usually fight about it or get pissed and leave the situation.  same thing tends to happen with our partners:  a disagreement occurs and we either yell or avoid the unpleasant issues.  either way, problem doesn't get solved.

mask tip

according to my travel nurse, face masks work for about 10 minutes for keep out germs.  after that, the moisture from you breathing in and out actually acts as a trap for germs/bacteria/viruses.  scary, right?

vietnamese food tip

tray of cold vietnamese spring rolls costs $3, but if you go later in the afternoon, it costs $2.50.

cantaloupe tip

ripe cantaloupe has a softer "belly button" and it smells really good.

fruit tip

buy fruit on monday and let it ripen to eat on wednesday or thursday.  then buy more fruit on saturday to eat on monday or tuesday.

don't be picky tip

went to farmer's market today and wanted a cookie.  i saw there were some broken cookies so i said that i'd take one of the broken cookies.  the lady gave me 2 free broken cookies along with my 1 paid one.

sarcasm tip

don't be sarcastic when providing customer service.  it's completely rude and unprofessional. 

fruit tip

fruit is way cheaper in chinatown than it is in the supermarkets.  maybe it's the unions of supermarkets that drive costs up?

gelato versus ice cream tip

here's the difference between gelato and ice cream.  learned at naia on shattuck.   gelato is milk based, while ice cream is cream based.   i think that i like ice cream better.  gasp, i know!

earflap hat tip

i took a regular knit hat and cut out the forehead to create my new earflap hat.  now i don't have to worry about the hat brim hitting my eyes.

boil tip

when you're cooking vegetables, put in enough water so that the water doesn't all evaporate.  i recently cooked brussels sprouts and added only 3/4 inch of water.  after 10 minutes of boiling, all the water had boiled out and the bottom of the pot was completely burned.

roller coaster tip

on a metal roller coaster, try to ride in the front seats.  your head will jostle around less and your brain won't hurt.  on a wood roller coaster, the back is funner.

yeast tip

you know when recipes say to put the yeasty mix in a warm place?  well, you can put the yeasty mix on the top rack of an oven with a big bowl of HOT water on the lower rack.

whoa--aloe tip

aloe that's a couple days old kind of smells like a dirty sock.

sun tip

ow ow ow ow ow!  use sunscreen . . .

sun tip

ow ow ow ow ow!  use sunscreen . . .

aloe

please note:  raw aloe does not taste good.

sewing machine

if you ever have a chance to learn how to use a sewing machine, TAKE IT!  i so wish i knew how to use a sewing machine . . .

how to stay safe

got this amazing tip today.  when you're walking alone at night, be visibly talking to yourself and loudly.  also, twitch periodically.  no one likes to mess with crazy.  people will leave you alone and not harass you.

blending dates

i tried to use our vitamix to blend dates and walnuts.  it went for a few seconds and then just stopped.  the dates are so thick that they caked up the blades and rendered them immobile.  not good.

good book tip

get to know your librarian.  she can snag the new books and put them on hold for you if she knows what you like.  of course this is dependent on there being no previous holds for the title.

waffle tip

take a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of jam and melt them together in the microwave.  mix up the now liquid and use it as a topping on a waffle.  hella good!

cake tip

when you make a cake, don't grease the sides.  only grease the bottom.  the reason is if you grease the sides the cake batter doesn't stick to it as it's baking and the middle of the cake ends up being really high.  when you don't grease the sides the cake is able to climb up the sides and you end up with a must more even cake instead of a pitcher's mound.

frosting tip

don't use vegetable oil to make frosting.  i baked a strawberry cake today from a mix.  the box had a pic of a slice of strawberry cake with white frosting and i thought, "mm, that looks mighty tasty!"  i find a recipe for white frosting and it says to use shortening.  ok, what EXACTLY does that mean?  i look it up in the dictionary and it says butter or vegetable oil.  because veggie oil mixes easier than butter, i use it.  i add vanilla extract, almond extract and tons of powdered sugar.  but when i'm mixing, it's not smooth at all.  so then i decide to microwave it for 30 seconds which melts the sugar but for some reason the vegetable oil keeps separating out!  so it looks like icing and a blob of oil sitting on top.  i use some icing on a couple slices of cake.  it tastes good, just like regular icing but i can't manage to get over the fact that the oil is sweating out of the sugar concoction.  eventually i decide to dump it.   next time i'll use butter to make frosting.

scanner tip

not only can you use the library barcode scanner to scan the barcode, but you can also use it to scan an isbn as well.

the uglies

i think as kids you're very often taught that someone who's ugly can have a heart of gold.  that may very well be true, but keep in mind that someone's who's ugly can also be totally mean!

pasta tip

1 pound of angel hair pasta goes with 1 regular size jar of vodka sauce (or whateve sauce).

hummus tip

you can microwave hummus too!  it's good warm and served with cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced red bell peppers and peeled baby carrots.  go for trader joe's mediterranean hummus.

yogurt tip

microwaved yogurt is good!  being sick, i'm afraid to eat anything cold right now.  nuked up some trader joe's apricot mango yogurt.  the fruit was all warm and gushy.  i did maybe 1/2 a cup for 30 seconds.

grocery tip

trader joe's is super crowded on a sunday afternoon.  that's apparently when lots of people decide to go shopping.  much better to try to go during a weekday as there are far fewer people.

sock tip

cut your toenails, you're going to poke holes in your socks!

sick tip

if you're sick, blow dry your hair after you wash it.

pancake tip

pour some maple syrup onto a plate and microwave it for 20 seconds or so.  then put your pancakes on top and eat.  it's so much better than cold syrup.

pissy tip

when someone is pissy, don't make him even pissier because if that happens, then both of you are going to feel worse.  the pissed off person doesn't really want any of your crap piled onto his plate.  address any important issues at a later time when said pissy person is not going to rip your face off.

sick tip?

maybe right when you get sick, take a bunch of drugs and get knocked out.  hopefully you heal up while you're sleeping.  it's no fun being sick.    and don't be like me and get all cocky and think you're better when you're honestly, really, not.  that's how you get even sicker.

waiter tip

be nice to your waiter.  they hold a ton of power.  don't want spit in your food?  well then don't be a jerk.

babies

for some reason babies look even cuter in newspaper boy hats.

max's tip

when you feel like crap, go and get yourself a big bowl of max's matzo ball chicken soup.  that stuff is great!  i've had matzo ball soup at another place in berkeley but it wasn't anywhere near as good as max's.  max's matzo ball soup is simply the best sick people soup ever.

toilet paper

i hate whoever invented the toilet paper dispenser tube that doesn't freely spin.  you know what i'm talking about?  you can get like two squares of tp before it locks and won't spin any more.  that guy was a jerk.

bart escalator tip

i'm sick and it's hard for me to talk.  when i'm on bart and someone's standing in the middle of the escalator, i stomp hella loud and they move to the right.

phlegm

spit out your phlegm, it's bad to swallow it.

bandaid tip

i recently cut my finger.  if you want to use medicine, apply it directly on the bandaid pad.  that way you don't have to infect the medicine tube with your finger AND you don't have to deal with a greasy finger for when you apply the medicine.  i can't believe it took me 4 bandaids to figure this out.

oil change and tire rotation tip

now here's something of high interest.  according to big O tires, you should get an oil change and tire rotation every 3000-5000 miles.  but when i looked at my car manual, it said to get an oil change and tire rotation every 7500 miles.  that's a big difference.  of course, it works to big O's advantage if you visit them more.  i'm just going to go with what my manual says.

feet tip

we need to evolve so that we have super long toes that we can curl up to keep our feet warm.  feet are poorly designed.  mine are always cold during the winter.  it's miserable.  with evolved feet, we'd of course have to redesign footwear as well.

another taboo game tip

have your fingers poised and ready to flip the next card.  don't be fumbling around after your partner guesses.

beware the scare

some people just don't like to be scared.  my brother and i used to daily scare my dad when he came back from work.  we had great fun and it was always a source of riotous amusement.  however, it was recently brought to my attention that not everyone enjoys a quick scare.  guess you should know your audience.

crap brush tip

when you start using a new toothbrush, don't just throw your old one away!  you can label it "crap brush" with a permanent marker and use it to scrub stains off your clothes.

cheap calendar tip

calendars are half off the day after xmas at stoneridge mall.  i got a toilet calendar for $7.  cha-ching!

label tip

write your phone number on a thick broccoli rubberband and place it around the handle of your umbrella.  hopefully if you lose your umbrella someone will call you.

i need tips

anyone have any tips on not freaking out about turning 30? 

candied yams

when you make candied yams, really really boil the yams.  i mistakenly thought they'd just cook in the oven but they were still raw in the middle.  thank goodness for the microwave.

zero tip

i'm a big fan of clarity.  when you're spouting off an alphanumeric sequence, please remember that "oh" means the letter "o" and "zero" means the number.  not everybody knows this so when they say "oh," you should ask if they mean zero or the letter "o."  this is especially important for emails and web addresses. 

another umbrella tip

lots of people do this but not me.  maybe i need to start . . .

keep an umbrella in the trunk of your car. 

green bean casserole tip

this is what happens when you don't follow instructions.  you know that delicious green bean casserole with fried onions and cream of mushroom soup?  i made some recently and used frozen green beans.  last time i made them with canned beans and they're a weird, gross grey green color.  frozen green beans pretty much keep the same color as fresh beans.  anyway, the recipe said to thaw the beans but did i listen?  nope.  i tossed them in frozen, just thinking that they'll cook in the oven.  when the casserole was done, the beans were merely warm.  they'd be so much better HOT!  i'll remember for next time.  here's the recipe, it's really easy--so easy even i can make it :o)

 

	Ingredients: 1  (10 3/4 oz.) can  CAMPBELL'S® Cream of Mushroom Soup 3/4  cup  milk 1/8  tsp.  black pepper 2  (9 oz. each) pkgs.  frozen cut green beans, thawed* 1 1/3  cups  FRENCH'S® Original or Cheddar French Fried Onions
	Directions:
	1.MIX soup, milk and pepper in a 1 1/2 -qt. baking dish. Stir in beans and 2/3 cup French Fried Onions. 2.BAKE at 350°F for 30 min. or until hot. 3.STIR. Top with remaining 2/3 cup onions. Bake 5 min. until onions are golden.

thrift store tip

thrift stores should automatically dump any articles of clothing that have stains or tears.  who the ef is going to buy a shirt with some deodorant stains on it?!  dude, space is at a premium at those stores as new items are constantly coming in.  they need to weed the items that are obviously trash.  

white elephant tip

had the opportunity to participate in a white elephant gift exchange last night.  i had last pick so i could either choose to open the last gift, OR steal someone else's.  it just so happened that the last gift standing was the largest box.  ever curious, i opened it and received . . . broccoli!!!!  what a hysterical idea :o)

braid tip

boys should know how to braid too!  dude, it takes like a minute to learn.  let's make december teach-a-boy-how-to-braid month.

lemon squares tip

i'd been melting the butter in the microwave so it'd mix better with the flour and powdered sugar.  today i discovered it's WAY better tasting if you don't microwave the butter!  the crust is flakier and more shortbread like.  plus it means i can take out all my aggressions by oozing greasy solid butter between my fingers.  score!

salt tip

taste your food before adding salt.  and then don't add too much at one time otherwise you might end up oversalting.

eating out tip

do you ever feel like you've been eating out too much?  i try not to eat out too much because then i really don't appreciate it as much.  eating out should be a treat, not the norm.  i really want to eat at home the day after eating out. 

salad tip

thin slices of persimmon are lovely in a nice salad.  ditto fuji apple chunks.

work life balance tip

in the book i just finished reading, ahead of the curve, the author talks about how most of the guest speakers from top notch companies and fellow harvard mba's had shitty relationships with their children because they'd put in a massive number of hours at work.  he spoke about how making millions was quantifiable, whereas having a healthy relationship with your kids wasn't.  is that crazy?  and a bunch of them were divorced too.  he made it seem very one-or-the-other.  either you have this really successful professional life and your kids are strangers, or you bond with your kids and don't climb up the professional ladder.  i find that horrific.  of course he was really talking about ceo type people, not people like me.  the tip is this:  try not to sell your soul for cash.  i think it's less fun to be loaded and have your kids hate you than to be moderately wealthy and actually be involved with your kids' lives.

marble (?) tip

a few months ago i used the green side of a scrub brush to wipe down my bathroom sink.  huge mistake--now there are scratches.  i've been halfassedly looking for a way to fix it.  polish?  buffing?  i don't know.  any hints?  but the tip is this:  don't use a green scrub to clean marble.

tv tip

when you make a tv show like heroes, don't keep having tons and tons of new characters.  it doesn't leave you any time to focus on any of them.  and that whole going back and forward in time thing is confusing as all heck.

Nora Ephron's tips

I listened to a book on tape called I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron. Here is one of my favorite sections, called "What I Wish I'd Known." My comments are in red--i mean PINK! People have only one way to be. Buy, don't rent. Never marry a man you wouldn't want to be divorced from. I never would have even thought of that! Don't cover a couch with anything that isn't more or less beige. Don't buy anything that is 100 per cent wool even if it seems to be very soft and not particularly itchy when you try it on in the store. You can't be friends with people who call after 11 p.m. Block everyone on your instant mail. The world's greatest babysitter burns out after two and a half years. You never know. The last four years of psychoanalysis are a waste of money. The plane is not going to crash. Anything you think is wrong with your body at the age of 35 you will be nostalgic for at the age of 45. At the age of 55 you will get a saggy roll just above your waist even if you are painfully thin. This saggy roll just above your waist will be especially visible from the back and will force you to re-evaluate half the clothes in your closet, especially the white shirts. Write everything down. Keep a journal. Take more pictures. I especially like this one. The empty nest is underrated. You can order more than one dessert. This is my kind of girl! You can't own too many black turtleneck sweaters. She goes into great detail in the first part of the book about the old lady wattle. If the shoe doesn't fit in the shoe store, it's never going to fit. When your children are teenagers, it's important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you. Back up your files. Overinsure everything. Whenever someone says the words, "Our friendship is more important than this," watch out, because it almost never is. There's no point in making piecrust from scratch. I'll disagree with this one. The reason you're waking up in the middle of the night is the second glass of wine. The minute you decide to get divorced, go see a lawyer and file the papers. Overtip. Never let them know. If only one-third of your clothes are mistakes, you're ahead of the game. If friends ask you to be their child's guardian in case they die in a plane crash, you can say no. There are no secrets. Nora Ephron is fabulous and she reminds me of a mentor of mine.

too casual tip

i don't really understand it when people wear pajamas when they're officially out in the world.  if you're just stepping out to pick up the newspaper from your front stoop then whatever.  but when high schoolers wear them to go to school when it's not spirit week, well that's just really weird to me. 

haggle tip

i'm on a high from the flea market.  bought myself a gently used jansport backpack for $6, haggled down from $8!  flea markets are great because you can totally negotiate price.

oaktown street food tip

went to the flea market today.  outside the official flea market, before you have to pay the dollar entrance fee, there's a pupusa stand where you can get pupusas stuffed with cheese and topped with salsa and cabbage for $2.50.  they are hella good!  there's a big ol' long line of customers and the kid who collects the money is holding a big wad of cash.  that's just how popular they are.  there's a big tub of raw meal and two ladies pat pat pat away to make lovely, delicious pupusas. 

mervyn's tip

mervyn's is closing.  go buy stuff for cheap.

yummy candy

ever have a charleston chew?  they're terrific, and especially so frozen.

krispy kreme tip

apparently if you have your voting sticker you can get a free red white and blue donut from krispy kreme today.

ahead of the curve tip

this is from the book i'm currently reading.  the author describes one of his orientations and how one piece of advice a prof gave the class was this:  don't become a cynic.

 

isn't that beautiful advice?

caramel apple tip

the best apple to use when making/buying caramel apples is fuji apples!  they taste better than the traditional granny smith variety.  and it's super simple to make too!  you get a bag of milk maid caramels and open up half the caramels and cook it over low heat with a tablespoon of water.  once the caramel is all melted, slather the fuji apple with a THICK layer of caramel.  i was kind of holding the apple in front of the freezer, trying to get the caramel to solidify so i could gobble it down.  HELLA GOOD!

better weather tip

weather.com gives 10 day forecasts for weather.  some of the other sites just give a 3-5 day forecast.

rainy crime

super interesting.  i just learned today that "criminals don't like to be criminals in the rain."  in the jails, staff like to work overtime when it's raining because then there isn't a lot of new incoming riff raff to deal with.

map tips

when you print out door to door directions, it's helpful to note the mileage from one road to the next turn because sometimes roads don't have clear signage on corners.

steering wheel tip

whoever thought of having the radio controls on the steering wheel is a genius!  i've only seen a couple of cars that have it, but the drivers always love it. 

skymall tips

the skymall magazine in the southwest planes is pretty fun to look at.  i saw this cool bluetooth for your phone that you attach to your steering wheel.  it cost around 100 bucks.  there was also this carrier for laptops that would allow users to walk around and use a laptop at the same time.  also i saw a device that ages wine.  very inventive stuff, the skymall magazine.

inspired? tip

i've been tinkering around with the idea of getting up earlier and biking around for like half an hour in the morning.  i could take along a portable radio and listen to sarah and vinnie.  let's see how i do with that.  i'm making myself semi-accountable here.  now that i've said i'll try to bike more, i will (hopefully)!  it's starting to get dark earlier and the morning is a better time to bike around.  i suspect it'll be cold so i'll be sporting a fashionable beanie, gloves and maybe a scarf, although i'd be afraid the scarf would get tangled up in the bike spokes. 

value tip

just because something costs a lot doesn't necessarily make it good.  i recently paid $2.75 for a cupcake that didn't taste any good.  it's a good lesson to keep in mind.

another soap tip

this is what i do when my piece of soap becomes too small to use.  i take a new bar of soap, wet the old scrap soap and grind it into the new bar.  eventually it'll stick and become one piece of soap. 

neighborhood farmer's market

wouldn't this be a great idea?  make friends with your neighbors and each house plant a couple of different fruits and vegetables.  then you can share with each other and save on the grocery bill!

yet another book tip

i'm not an ipod person so i always have a lightweight book in my backpack. i read on bart and when i'm waiting in line, it's better than doing nothing. plus, most of the time at least, reading is fun. now go find a book for yourself.

after spin class tip

ever see run fat boy run?  it's hysterical!  simon pegg is tops.  he's such an endearing, hilarious, average looking english bloke.  anyway, there's this scene in the  movie where he's in a grueling spin class (bicycling in case you're like me and didn't know what the eff spin class was) and afterwards he's got to take some stairs.  well this poor bastard is out of shape and at that first step, his legs are too rubbery and he goes tumbling down! 

be careful after spin class/hiking/running.  your legs might be weaker than usual.

cheap grub tip

those entertainment books are a pretty sweet deal.  most of the restaurant coupons are buy one entree and get the 2nd one 1/2 off.  the only thing is sometimes the restaurants change owners and the new owners don't honor the coupon.  i'd call beforehand to make sure they take the coupons before you go.  the books cost $30 and the prices drop if you buy them later in the year.  i've seen them for $15. 

free stuff tip

i was in berkeley yesterday and as i was walking past a house, saw some lovely wooden hangers left outside with a "free" sign.  free hangers?!  cha-ching!  this reminded me of summer in davis when kids were cleaning out their apartments and getting ready to move.  you could find tons of free stuff on those bright, sunny days.  now all i have to do is clean the hangers and tada--i have fancy wooden hangers for my nonfancy, nonwooden clothes :o)

another name tip

if you have a freak name like i do, use a "normal" name when making reservations.  that way you don't have to deal with, "huh?" or "how do you spell that?"  i'm donna.  it's simple and no one ever asks how it's spelt.

voting tips

i don't understand why they have to make the language on the ballot so complex.  they're purposefully trying to confuse voters.  read carefully . . .

language tip

wanna learn a new language?  go to that country.  face it, you're never going to learn as good spanish here as you would if you lived in mexico.  bonus is if you can live with a family with a very young child, that way you can learn together. 

niceness karma

read about this in esquire (another great mag) today.  apparently, when you tell your friend sally great things about your friend bob, sally will associate those great things with YOU, even though you were totally talking about someone else. 

 

the opposite is true too:  if you talk hella smack about bob to sally, sally will associate all those awful things with you.

 

ergo, say only nice things about others :o)

old people tip

there's this new picture in magazine ads of a supposedly md/phd.  he's an older white man with white hair and partially bald.  the jarring thing about his picture is that he is really buff.  it's super weird to see an overly muscular old dude.

 

please, when you grow older, feel free to atrophy gracefully.  our eyeballs will thank you.

cool magazine tip

here's a great magazine to paw through whenever you have some free time at a big box bookstore:  Ready Made.  It has all sorts of fabulous ideas about designs and how to make cool stuff.  The last issue I looked at had a chandelier made of plastic clothes hangers.  These people are clever, clever, clever!

baldness tip

for people who volunteer to be bald, it's actually a hassle because you have to shave it every day.  yes, that's right.  every . . . day.

winter coat tip

when you consider buying a winter coat for the winter months, make sure the hood has drawstrings.  i once bought a coat from old navy that had only a velcro strap for the hood.  in windy weather the hood would just fly off my head.  piece of crap. 

bread crust tip

don't cut the crust off your kids' sandwiches.  that's spoiling them.  they should take the bad with the good. 

worry tip

too much effort is spent on worrying about things that will never come to pass.  why do we do this to ourselves?  it's almost like we're afraid to be happy.

kid tip

in private, parents ought to teach kids how to behave in public.  imagine if you will, a mom, a child and another adult.    child to other adult:  are you pregnant? mom:  junior, you shouldn't ask that question. other adult [obviously embarrassed]:  um, no . . .   now see, if, in the privacy of their own home, the mom had instructed the child not to ask that question, the other adult would have been spared the mortification.    surely not all of these situations can be avoided, but they will be less frequent with some preplanning and guidance.

mood tip

it's better to make someone laugh than to make someone cry.  but sometimes, unfortunately, you will make someone cry.

potty mouth tip

i'm being a hypocrite with this one.  when meeting someone new, or talking to someone you're not very familiar with, refrain from using curse words.  you may be unwittingly offending the other party.    and now a note about myself:  i kind of like it when people swear a little around me.  it shows that they're comfortable.    but the thing is, you never want to just assume comfort.  some people are more formal than you are.

judgement tip

i've often found that the people who are the most judgemental are typically the worst offenders.

multiple copies tip

no doubt, retaining multiple copies of something may indeed save time and hassle.  however, the trouble with having multiple copies of something is that when you make an update, you have to update ALL those copies . . .

kid tip

don't rush a kid at a museum.  let him explore and learn something interesting.

mailbox tip

when dropping off a letter in the mailbox or depositing books in the bookdrop, open the door once again to make sure it went in.  you wouldn't want your postcard to be sitting on the door ledge.

fun tip

at least once in your life, purchase a caricature of yourself from a street artist.  and at least once in your life, draw a caricature of someone else.

highlighter tip

of all the possible colors for a highlighter, yellow is the worst choice because over time the brightness fades and it becomes difficult to distinguish the highlighted portions of text from the unhighlighted portions.   i use green.

licence plate frames

i just read somewhere that speeding drivers who have the chp license plate frames are less likely to get a speeding ticket.  one guys said he's been pulled over a few times, but they officers just let him off with a warning.

higher circ tip

did you know that hayward's director tossed 25% of their books so they'd have more display area?  and then, do you know what happened?  their circ stats went up!  it's all about displaying books.  it's hard to market books that are spine out on the shelves.  but books that are displayed with the front cover facing out tend to circ a lot more. 

reese witherspoon's smile tip

read this in a mag somewhere.  when you smile, instead of saying "cheese," push your tongue behind your top teeth.  apparently reese witherspoon's stylist told her to do that.

diet tip

ok, i've just thought of the perfect thing for dieters.  whenever you feel hungry, just open up this jar that smells like foul poop.  one whiff of that and bye bye appetite.

biking tip

some bikers might wear a reflector strip on the bottom of their right pantleg so it doesn't get caught in the gear.  i'm not that fancy so i just use an old shoelace to tie up my pantleg.

fashion faux pax

if you're wearing jeans, don't also wear a denim jacket.  all together now, "no denim on denim."

kidney stones

in general, drink lots of water if only to avoid kidney stones.  i hear passing stones is akin to giving birth.  ouch.

hiking tip

don't drink too much water when you go hiking because there might not be a bathroom.  at the same time, don't get all dehydrated.

fight tip

not that i've ever been in a fight or anything . . . i've heard that when you hit someone, you shouldn't use a balled up fist because you might injure your knuckles.  instead, use the bottom of the palm of your hand.

college tip

i was constantly amazed by how little college students know about their college town.  for pete's sakes, you're there for 4 years.  go explore a little!  walk around, take a bike ride!

convo starter

OK, I really should collect these.  Here is a good conversation starter with a group that has fallen into a lull:  Is anyone going on vacation anytime soon?  Typically in a group, at least one person will be going on vaca, or will have come back from vaca fairly recently.  Pow, instant conversation!  You're welcome.

wireless headset

i hate mine!  it's really loud in my ear even when i turn down the volume.  who wants it?  i have a jabra bt 3010  it's easier for me to just use speakerphone.  you'll have to clean the earbud, it's got some of my earpoo on it.

jamba share tip

find a friend and get a regular 32 oz jamba juice drink you can both agree on.  ask the juicer to pour it into two 16 oz cups.  tada--two drinks for the hefty price of one!

coloring tip

i'm a hypocrite here.  find out which colors look good on you, then buy lots of shirts in that color.  supposedly i look good in pink but i hardly have any pink clothes.  please note that dark skin looks awesome in teal.

fuzzy hair dog tip

you know those cute dogs with tons of curly fur?  yeah, don't get one of those.  at aids walk one year, i saw a fuzzy hair dog with a mound of poo stuck to its ass fur.  do you really want to be wiping down a dog's butt?  yeah, i didn't so. 

airport tips

wear shoes you can slip in and out of comfortably as you're going through security.  don't wear sandals or slippers though because the plane can get cold.  bring some dry snacks for the flight.  airplane food sucks.  and try to sit by the window, the view is awesome! 

cell phone tip

with the cellphones i had in taiwan, i could program songs into them.  it's not the same as downloading a ringtone.  you would actually punch in numbers representative of musical notes.  none of the phones i've had in the states have had that capability.  it was fun to program the inspector gadget theme song into my phone.  they should make it available for US phones.

bathroom stall tip

say there are 5 free bathroom stalls.  i take number 4.  can you please NOT take numbers 3 or 5?  in a world with plenty of available stalls, don't take the one RIGHT NEXT TO someone else.  that's kind of awkward.

birthday cake tip

hey, if your birthday is coming up, make sure people know what kind of cake you like.  and if your friend's birthday is coming up, ask what kind of cake herm likes.  and can you please not be all, "oh, i don't care.  just get whatever."  that's just an invitation to marzipan hell.  let's all try to eliminate getting a yucky cake that we don't like on our bdays! 

 

p.s. i like american cake waaaaaay more than chinese cake.

soda dispenser tip

when you get those mammoth soda cups at the amusement park, don't let them fill the cup completely with ice.  just ask for like 2 inches of ice, that'll keep your drink cool enough.  those people are trained to screw you if you're not careful.  $5 for a soda--egads, man!

convos in the bathroom tip

i like you, i really do, but it's super hard to pee when you're talking to me. 

cheer tip

send a sealed picture of your super dorkiness for a friend to open when he/she is bummed out.

taboo game tip

precious seconds are ticking away.  if you're the clue giver, don't bother saying your partners have guessed right.  just flip to the next card and give the new clues.  don't skip cards--that gives you negative points.

itch tip

slap an itch rather than scratch it.  the pain temporarily kills the itchiness.  if you scratch, you might tear your skin and bleed.

trampoline tip

heard this on the radio.  dunno if it's 100% true though.  apparently, after you've had kids, when you jump on a trampoline, you accidentally pee a little.  that sucks.

parking ticket tip

in berkeley at least, you have to move your car past an intersection when your parking time expires.  once i just moved my car a couple of parking spaces ahead and got a ticket.  so.  you have to actually cross an intersection--that's what the parking meter man told me.

"it's not a big deal" tip

it's very important to note when someone says, "it's not a big deal, but . . . "  they don't mean it.  they actually mean that it IS a big deal--a big, huge, freaking deal.  if it wasn't a big deal, they wouldn't have mentioned it at all in the first place.  i really hate that.  it's so confusing.  i wish people didn't do that . . . if you have something to say, just say it.  don't preface it with a totally fake "it's not a big deal."  how do you promote good communication with those kinds of tactics?  can you please just say what you mean?  i mean, you don't have to be a dick about it.  you know just, "hey, this is a problem.  what can we do about it?" 

 

anyway, i didn't fully realize this until recently.  to me, it was always, well if it's not a big deal, then i don't need to change.  but now, i realize what people really mean . . .

boogie boarding tip

chicks should wear board shorts because if you're only wearing a regular swimsuit, you're gonna get a wedgie.  and watch out for those rocks.

bathroom tip

hey.  wash your hands BEFORE you use the bathroom.  and then wash them again, AFTER you use the bathroom.

another library tip

worst time to go to a public library is right after school because the place is flooded with loud kids.

children's books tip

if any of you decide to pen a children's book and want to save it from being weeded from a library's collection, just make sure the pictures are of nonwhite kids.  libraries are always wanting to showcase diversity in their children's collections and will most likely keep those books, even if they don't circulate so well.