Archive for October 15, 2007
Crafts for Cats
I don’t know about your cats, but my little ones just LOVE doing crafts. Finger painting, knitting, making little cabins out of popsicle sticks, you name it – they’ve tried it!
And I’ve got a great project that your kitties are sure to enjoy. It’s called the catnip birdie:
This is a fun one that my youngest, Denzel, and I invented over the weekend. (more…)
The Vinegar Cleaning Solution
Vinegar is a wonder substance. It’s true. You can use it to dress up a salad, give a little tang to spaghetti sauce, it’s an all-natural weed killer, and it even does windows.
But some people, including myself, don’t really like the smell and will often opt for a more fragrant, expensive, and probably toxic alternative. To these people I plead: don’t give up on vinegar.
Here’s my recipe for a home-made cleaning solution that I cook up sometimes for cleaning my apartment. It works on floors and bathroom tile and surfaces – so let’s call it an “all-natural, all-purpose cleaner” – and it will leave your home smelling like fresh lemon and herbs. (more…)
Simple Ways to Avoid Death while Biking
Last Friday I rode my bike to work for the first time in months. It was a beautiful fall day – sunny, breezy and perfect for biking, and it made me wonder why it’s been so long since I’ve ridden. Then I remembered why:
1. I’m lazy and it’s been hot out.
2. I got hit by a car a couple months ago and my bike was totaled. Look:
To the lay eye, this bike probably doesn’t seem that bad off. If you look closely, however, you’ll notice that the front wheel is a wavy as a potato chip, and it’s jammed back against the (bent) bike frame. Apparently this is what happens to bikes when they’re hit head-on by a black Chevy SUV.
The frame was damaged beyond repair, which was a sad realization for me because this bike belonged to my mom when she was my age. Sniff. So I finally got around to buying a new bike last week. It’s a 1973 Schwinn Varsity with brand new breaks and new grip tape (thanks, boyfriend), as well as the seat from my old bike which is plush and comfy. Check it out:
It’s not fancy, but it’s certainly yellow, and it gets me where I need to go.
Riding bikes is the most efficient way for a human to travel, because on a bike it takes very little energy to cover a large distance at a fairly fast pace. Bikes are amazing machines, and it makes me happy to see that more and more New Yorkers are using them for their commutes. But in New York, and everywhere else, it’s important for bikers to protect themselves. Here are some tips that help us stay alive: (more…)
