How To Do Everything

If you are like most people, this holiday season your wallet may be feeling the pinch.  Well let me tell you there are plenty of ways you can still give gifts that people will appreciate without having to spend much, if anything.

1. Look around your house.  Maybe you have a giveaway pile or basket.  Search through the bin and see what you have in there, you may be hiding a present goldmine!
2. Make treats!   You can simply make a basket full of goodies for everyone on your list.  Consider catering to those with dietary restrictions like diabetes, by making sugar-free treats!
3. Make ornaments.  You can make ornaments out of lots of things; dough, beads, whatever….. You can even purchase round, clear ornament bulbs from the local craft store and personalize them to fit each person.
4. Shop at the DollarTree.  If you have one of those great stores where everything is $1, it can be a great place to shop.  As a teenager, I would go in and purchase stuff for my entire family and still have money left over.  You can create your own bath and body baskets from their selections.  You could also make a candle basket or whatever you find.
5. Get Crafty.  If you are talented perhaps you can knit or crochet, or maybe you can make jewelry.  Whatever the case, now is the time to break out that craft kit and get to work.

I actually prefer to give hand-made gifts instead of store-bought ones.  I’ve made a lot of hand-made presents that really went over well with my family and friends.  Some examples of things I have made for presents are: goody bags filled with chocolate dipped pretzels and hard tack candy, soaps, candles, bath salts, paintings, jewelry, CDs, DVDs, and probably a lot more that I can’t think of.

Making your own origami creations can be a relaxing past time or a great activity to do with your family.  Follow the instruction below to create your very own origami reindeer.

1. You will need a square piece of paper

2. Fold completely across diagonally

3. Unfold it

4. Fold one side of the square to meet the line made by the diagonal fold and then repeat on the other side of the square.

5. Next fold the exposed sides in the same way you did the previous ones.

6. Now you should have a diamond-like shape.  Fold it from point to point in half and then unfold it.

7. Place your finger into one of the flaps and unfold it following the crease marks you just made.  Pull out the point and press it down. Repeat on the other side.

8.  Fold it in half lenthwise.

9. Next, locate the point that the flaps point towards.  Pull it back into the middle in a reverse fold.  Then flatten the piece down to make the neck.

10. Fold the 2 flaps that point in the opposite direction of the neck downwards to make the legs.

11. Make the head by performing a reverse fold at the top of the neck, unfold the head to flatten it out.  Then fold the point on the head under to make it a bit flatter on the nose. Then fold the top of the head in half over the neck on the opposite side.

12. On the end that points out, fold the end in reverse to begin the hind legs.  Make another reverse fold half way down the legs to create finished legs.

13. Next you will need a pair of scissors.  Cut along the back of the neck but do not cut the head.  If you cut up the middle correctly you will achieve 4 prongs.  Fold the prongs to create antlers.

Now you are done creating your origami reindeer.

Did you know you could make cheap alcohol from table sugar?  This is done by fermenting granulated sugar with a particular type of yeast.  It can yield alcohol that is up to 40 proof .  The steps below will show you how to make a base alcohol that can be used to make a variety of other drinks.

1.  First, obtain a packet of distillers yeast or Super Yeast .  This it is the only type of yeast that can be used to ferment table sugar and yield 40 proof alcohol effectively.  To this type of yeast a special because it contains nutrients that can support the growth of the yeast and enable proper fermentation.
2. pick a vessel.  if you want 5.5 to 6 gallon batches you will need an a 7.5 Gallon food grade bucket and lid. These work well because you can easily pour the ingredients into the bucket and stir. For smaller batches you will only need a one gallon jug.  However, you will need a drilled rubber stopper that fits the airlock and the carboy or jug. You will need to leave some space in the bucket or jug, about 1.5 to 2 gallons should be fine.  This space is for the foam and gasses that will form during fermentation. The lid to the plastic bucket should have a hold drilled in the top and be fitted with a rubber grommet that will also fit the airlock during fermentation.  The lid will also need a rubber gasket or seal to create an airtight seal between the lid and the bucket.
3. Sanitize your equipment. You will need to sanitize your fermentation bucket, airlock, and a large spoon .  If the equipment is new cleansers may not be needed.  When sanitizing use in agent such as iodophor, that is made for brewing and winemaking.  All equipment needed is available at any home brewing or winemaking shops.  To fill the fermentation bucket to the top with sanitizer. remember to sanitize the lid and air lock
4. Determine how much sugar to use.  More sugar means more alcohol , but the yeast can only ferment a certain amount of sugar .  If you want 5.5 gallons of alcohol you will need no more in an 17.5 pounds of sugar. The packet of yeast will indicate how much sugar can be used.
5. Mix the sugar and warm water.  in a large metal potFoot , using your spoon , dissolve the sugar into the warm water.  You may use other tap water or bottled water.  fill the pot to 5.5 gallons With water that is about 90 degrees .  to avoid mixing in the bucket because it can cause scratches that may harbor bacteria rendering the bucket impossible to sanitize.  Once all the sugar has been dissolved , pour the solution into the plastic bucket .
6. Add the yeast.  Open the yeast packet and pour the contents into the sugar and water solution .  Stir if desired to homogenize.
7. Put the lid on your bucket.  Tightly push the lid onto the bucket to form an airtight seal.  This may prove to be difficult and they require some leverage .
8. Attach the air lock to the lid.  Push the air lock into the lid. Next, add clean water or vodka  to the inside of the air lock so carbon dioxide  can be released from the fermenting  solution and air can be kept out.
9. Allow the mixture to ferment.  the ambient air temperature should be between 70 and 80 degrees.  if the  temperature is cooler a device may be needed to ensure the proper fermentation Temperature .  it usually takes about two to ten days for the yeast to ferment the sugar and produced alcohol.  time varies depending on type of yeast used and how much sugar was added.  The more sugar the mixture contains the longer it will take to completely ferment .  You make noticed the air lock bubbling a lot during active fermentation  .  The bubbling will slow as fermentation slows and will stop when all or most of the sugar has been fermented.
10. Clarify  your  fermented liquid. Once fermentation is complete, you will want to use a fining agent like isinglass or a mixture of kieselsol and chitosan to remove suspended yeast and other materials. After adding the finings, you want to reseal your fermenter with the lidin and  the air lock and let the liquid clarify for 2-3 days.
11. Siphon off the alcohol.  carefully pour the alcoholic liquid into an airtight container. It will last about a month in this type of container .  If you would like it to last longer it must be bottled.

Here’s another great Altoids Tin Project!  Make a Pintoid or Pinhole Camera using an Altoids tin.  This isn’t a high-tech camera by any means….it will be great for capturing scenery or still life and that’s about it.  But it is a nifty little thing…and it makes a great gift for any photography enthusiast.

1. Drill a hole in the can: you will need to drill a hole about 1/4″ into the nutrition info on the can.  Be sure to file off any sharp edges and to sand the inside of the can.  Then spray paint the inside of the can flat black.

2. Make Pinhole Apparatus: You will need an acupuncture needle, 3 porcupine quills, and a sewing needle that has been glued into a clothespin.

3. Cut some small pieces from a metal pie tin: Using a piece of cardboard as backing, you will want to turn and press while holding the clothespin in a vertical position.  You are creating a round groove in the tin for the next step.

4. Make a Hole: Using the acupuncture needle make a hole in the tin. You will want to check the holes to ensure that they are round.  If the hole isn’t perfectly round, you will want to throw that piece away and start over.  The hole must be perfectly round.

5. Tape the Pinhole: Using Gaffer’s tape you will want to tape the pinhole to the inside of the 1/4″ hole you drilled.  Gaffer’s tape is a special type of black tape, it is cloth-like and flat black, unlike electrical tape.

6. Put tape on the outside of the Pinhole: You will want to make a shutter by placing a piece of black tape on the outside of the pinhole.  You can also use black cardboard.

7. Move to a Completely Dark Room: Next you will want to put the film inside the can.  You will need to move to a completely dark room then tape a strip of film inside the lid to the camera.  The emulsion side should be facing the pinhole so it will capture the image.

8. Close the lid: Now you will want to close the tin and wrap it with black electrical tape to prevent any light from leaking inside.

9. Make a Picture: Holes that are sewing needle size will need about 4 seconds of exposure on a sunny day.  If you are taking the photo inside, you may need anywhere from 10 minutes to hours depending on the amount of light in your home.  Acupuncture needle holes will need more time, about 1 minute on a sunny day.

10. Process and Develop:  If you know how, you can do this step by yourself.  If not, I would suggest going to someone who is familiar with developing film.

You may be feeling proud of yourself because you’re keeping up with the times by learning to text message.  You receive a message, you hit reply, and 5 minutes later you finally send off your reply.  Then before you know it, you’ve received an entire paragraph back from the other person.  Their response was so quick, it has left you wondering how they did it.  Practice, practice, practice!  This along with a few key tricks will allow you to learn to text faster.

1. Get To Know Your Phone:  The numbers 2-9 are associated with either 3 or 4 letter in alphabetic order.  Number 1 is reserved for punctuation and symbols.  Then number 0, *, and # also have other functions like; capitalization, forward to the next letter, and more symbols.

2. Learn to Use Predictive Text (T9, iTap, or Word): Turn on predictive text by going to the messaging settings menu on your phone.  Look for “input method” or “default edit mode” then choose “predictive”.  This may require a bit of getting used to if you’ve never used predictive text.  When using predictive text, you simply press the number on the keypad once for the letter you want, then the phone will guess what word you want and will fill it in.

•  For example: if you wanted to type “wikihow” press 9-4-5-4-4-6-9.  If your phone has choosen an incorrect word, just pick the correct one.  On some phones, they will give you a menu that will allow you to scroll down and select the correct word, and on some you can press the * key until you find the correct word.
• iTap: sometimes you phone will guess the word before you finish typing it.  If your phone has iTap, you can type 3 characters and then choose from the words available.  After you choose your word, the phone will put it in and then give you a space after the word so you can continue typing.
• When using predictive text, be sure to proofread your message before you send it.  Sometimes the phone will guess words incorrectly and you may end up sending a message that makes no sense, or may be inappropriate.

3. Know when to use the forward key:  If your phone doesn’t come equiped with predictive texting you will have to press a button to type the first letter a number represents, 2x for the second letter, and 3x for the third, maybe once more for a 4th letter in the case of s and z, and then again for a number.  Just be careful and make sure what you are trying to insert actually shows up.  One solution is to press the forward key in between letters, it usually looks like this “(|_|),” a square U.  The only other time you need to press the forward key is inbetween words to create a space between them.

4. Learn Texting Language:  This is basically an electronic version of shorthand.  You do not need to memorize hundreds of words, just the ones you use frequently.

• Too or to = 2
• For = 4
• You = u
• Your/You’re = ur
• Are = r
• Be = b
• Be right back = brb
• Talk to you later = ttyl
• Peace = pc/pce
• Nothing much =nm
• Just chillin = jc
• Never Mind = nvm
• Right = ryt
• Probably = prbly
• Ta ta for now = ttfn
• Back to homework = bthw
• What =wat
• Just wondering = jw

4. Make Templates for Common Phrases: Some phones come preloaded with texting templates that are supposed to be the most commonly used messages.  If these aren’t right for you, you can often create your own.  Some of the most common phrases, especially those that come preloaded are:

• What are you up to?
• Just checking in.
• Where are you?
•  I’ll be right there.
• I’ll be home soon.
• Running late.
• Let’s catch up soon.
• Hey, what’s up?

These steps should get you typing in the right direction and as fast as everyone else, if not faster!

First you may ask,”what is morse code?”  Morse code is an alphabetic code devised of short and long sounds.  Each letter of the alphabet has a corresponding sound or series of sounds that represent it.  Long sounds are referred to as dashes and the short sounds are dots.

Morse code was invented by Samuel F.B. Morse and it was designed for quick transmissions via telegraph. It was first used in the 1840s and it is still used today.  However, today it is primarily used by amateur radio operators.  Even though it was designed for use with the telegraph there are numerous other ways to communicate using Morse code.  For example, you can use a flashlight to signal out the dots and dashes with light. Below are some tips to help you learn how to speak and understand Morse code.

1.  Listen to some slow Morse code recordings.  You will be listening for a series of dots and dashes (dits and dahs). Dots or dits are short sounds and Dashes or dahs are long sounds, usually 3 times longer than a dot.  Each letter is separated with a short pause and each word by a pause that is 3 times longer.  You can look for free recordings or purchase them online.  You may even consider purchasing a short-wave receiver to listen to the real thing in action.  Some prefer the Farnsworth method, which involves listening to the code at high speed but with long spaces in between leters.  As your proficiency improves the spaces are reduced.

A basic Morse Code chart

2. Reference a copy of the Morse Code alphabet.  You can learn from using a basic chart that just includes the alphabetic letters or you may choose to use a more advanced chart that includes punctuation, abbreviations, prosigns, and Q Codes.  Listen to a recording or live code and try to match up what you heard.  For some, it may be easier to learn by writing down the letters using the dots and dashes and then comparing it to a chart.

3. Practice translating simple words and sentences into Morse code.  In the beginning it may be easier to write it down then sounding it out.  However, eventually you will need to be able to transition straight to sounding it out.  Try it with the word “cat”.  -.-.   .-   -  it would be pronounced as:  dah-di-dah-di di-dah dah

4. Try memorizing the easy letters first.  For example, a single dah is a “T” and a single dit is an “E”.  The progress to the letter “M” (dah-dah) and the letter “I” (dit-dit).  Then begin to memorize the letters  that have 3 or 4 dits or dahs in a row.  Once you’ve mastered this then memorize the combinations.

5. Try using associations.  When trying to learn the letters think of things that sound alike.  For example: the letter “C” is dah-dit-dah-dit (long short long short).   Next try to think of a word that starts with c that uses that pattern like catastrophic or Nanny for N because it is dah-dit.  Another option is to associate the Morse code pronunciations with tunes or melodies.  A great example of this would be Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.  It begins with dit-dit-dit-day, which translates to the letter “V”, which is the Roman numeral 5.

6. Get others involved!  If you get your friends to learn with you, it may be easier.  You may even learn how to blink code to send messages to your friends when you are in an unpleasant situation.  You can use written morse cods as sort of a secret language.  You can even give someone a Morse Code greeting card.