Hot The Secret Yumiverse Posts
How To: Fake Confidence
Do you feel like you need a confidence boost in social situations? Fake it 'til you make it—and in the meantime, try incorporating a couple of body language and posture tricks to appear confident before others. Appear verbally confident by speaking only when necessary, acting decisive, and make a point to say the other person's name.
How To: 12 Tips for Quitting a Bad Habit
Quitting a bad habit is not as straightforward as simply quitting cold turkey and getting it right the first time. So what to do if you really want to quit doing something that isn't good for you?
Chill Out & Get Enlightened: A Newbie's Guide to Meditation
Want to increase your creativity, attention span, intuition, self-knowledge—maybe even your sense of oneness with the universe? Start meditating on a regular basis. In addition to improving your concentration, mental health, and capacity to handle stress, regular meditation practice has also been scientifically proven to have numerous physical benefits such as lowering your blood pressure, improving your immune system, and adding more life to your years.
Boost Your Brain Power: 7 Tips for Improving Your Memory
Surely, constantly forgetting what you were doing in the middle of doing something and constantly looking for your misplaced house keys is not the ideal way to spend your golden years.
How To: Effectively Play Hooky from Work
On average, about thirty percent of working Americans have called in sick at least once just to take a day off from work. If you are in the other goody-two-shoes seventy percent of the work force who've only called in sick for actual physical illness or have never actually used a sick day, consider giving yourself a mental health day if you ever feel like you really need it.
How To: 11 Ways to Make Your Living Space Look Bigger
Is your tiny city apartment or super modest house starting to feel a bit too cramped for comfort? While most of us don't have the luxury of hiring an architect to add on more kitchen space, or the money to live in a more spacious apartment, there are a number of simple things we can do with what we have to create the illusion of more indoor space within our walls.
How To: Pickpocket-Proof Yourself from Thieving Hands
When you are in Rome, do as the Romans do... avoid carrying your wallet in the back pocket of your jeans. But no matter what city or country you are in, there are several easy precautions you can take to keep yourself as pickpocket-proof as possible so that your amazing travel memories won't be sullied by the experience of having your camera or passport stolen.
How To: The Best Way to Peel a Hard-Boiled Egg
So, you want to decrease your hard-boiled egg peeling time because you don't want the time- consuming task to cut into your limited lunch break. Or maybe you've somehow been burdened with the task of cooking a lot of homemade deviled eggs for a big family gathering. How do you peel a hard-boiled egg as quickly and efficiently as possible?
How To: Survive Deadly Bites and Stings from Wild Animals
As a follow-up to an earlier post on surviving deadly animal attacks in the wild and another one on relieving a jellyfish sting, listed below are things you should do (and shouldn't do) if you are ever bitten or stung by potentially poisonous wild animals.
How To: Do a Tombstone Rubbing
Tombstone rubbing is a simple and beautiful way to transfer a tombstone design onto paper using rubbing wax or black crayon. Many people do this for their own genealogy research to record tombstone designs of family members, or simply as a hobby to capture unique and interesting tombstone designs in cemeteries all over the world.
How To: 9 Crafty Ways to Pimp Your Bike
If your bicycle's feeling a little dull these days, then give it some personality! Using the crafty ideas below, you can transform your two-wheeler in a unique work of mobile art that will have everyone jealous.
How To: Increase Your Alcohol Tolerance
Whether you're embarking on an epic wine tour with friends or simply want to last an entire night of socializing and drinking with important people, there are times when good alcohol tolerance comes in handy. If you're a lightweight who would probably be labeled as a "cheap date" when it comes to drinking, you can actually increase your alcohol tolerance gradually by drinking more on a regular basis. Who would have thought?
How To: 9 Tips for Overcoming Jet Lag
Jet lag is inevitable when you're traveling long distances by plane, and it can leave you feeling completely wrecked for several days to a week after you arrive at your destination.
How To: 9 Tips for Maximizing Your Laptop's Battery Life
Whether you just got a brand new laptop or you've had an old notebook for several years, it's in your best interest to maximize your laptop battery life so you get the most out of your computer.
How To: Decode Body Language
Your boss is pursing her lips and drumming her fingers on the table during your presentation. Your best friend is gazing downwards and crossing his arms when you ask him why the car you lent him for the weekend has a big dent. What could these body language signals all mean?
How To: 9 Ways to Increase Your Focus for Getting Things Done
What would happen to your productivity if you had a way to block Internet access to your favorite time-wasting websites like Facebook, Twitter, Wikipedia and trashy celebrity gossip blogs? If you are like most people, you would probably get a lot more work done.
How To: Induce Lucid Dreaming
Lucid dreaming refers to the mental state when you are conscious of the fact that you are dreaming while you are dreaming. Though lucid dreaming is a rare occurrence for most people when they are sleeping, you can actually mentally train yourself during the waking hours and incorporate a number of techniques to increase your chances of achieving a lucid dreaming state.
How To: 9 Cheap & Practical Ways to Burglar-Proof Your Home
Want to protect your home from unlawful entry? You may not have the means to invest in an expensive alarm system, but you can definitely use cheap and practical methods around your home to deter burglars from breaking in when you're not home.
How To: Survive a Zombie Apocalypse
What should you do in case of a major zombie outbreak? Many of the best survival techniques follow the same logic as to how you should prepare for major natural disasters; stock up on food and medical supplies, have an escape route, and form a community of people you can work with. When you're dealing with the flesh-eating undead, it also helps to invest beforehand in full body armor, weapons, and basic parkour lessons so that you know how to scale walls and jump across buildings when a horde...
How To: Make a Super Secret Book Safe
Need to stash a couple small valuables and your super secret Moleskin journal in a place where no one will ever find them? Get yourself some glue, a few cutting tools and a fairly thick book, and you'll have all of the utensils you need to make yourself a nifty book safe that can be discreetly tucked away in your bookshelf when you're finished making it.
How To: 9 Beer-Spiked Recipes for Your Next Cooking Adventure
If you're a beer lover, you can enjoy your passion even more by incorporating your favorite beer flavors into your next cooking experiment. Beer can be included in recipes for meat marinades, frying batter, chili, soups, bread and even dessert. And if you're concerned about getting drunk from these recipes, fear not—most of the alcohol will evaporate in the cooking process. But your dish will be left with a rich, earthy flavor that can only come from beer.
How To: Throw the Perfect Punch
Marital arts master Bruce Lee had his famous one-inch punch technique. He knew that putting all of your weight and energy into one inch of movement had far more power than moving your arm one foot.
How To: Survive a Deadly Animal Attack in the Wild
Whether it's a shark in the ocean, a crocodile in the swamp or a swarm of angry bees, trekking through the wilderness always comes with its fair share of perils. To prepare for the worst case scenario, equip yourself with the right knowledge—then the worst that can happen to you is an awesome bar story when you tell your friends about your close encounter.
Cool Bar Trick: How to Freeze Beer in 2 Seconds
Here's a simple bar trick that you can pull off at your next alcohol-fueled gathering. Tap one beer bottle against another to freeze both beer bottles into solid ice in 2 to 3 seconds.
How To: Make Invisible Ink
Need to pass along an important message on paper without having it accidentally discovered by your archenemy? Using very common household products, you can easily whip up an invisible ink recipe and write out your secret message with the solution. All the recipient needs to do is heat up the paper using a stovetop of light bulb, or brush the surface of the paper with a simple iodine mixture to read the message.
How To: Relieve a Jellyfish Sting
What should you do if you ever get stung by a jellyfish? First things first—do not urinate on your jellyfish sting. Contrary to popular belief, human urine can aggravate any stingers stuck onto your skin, causing more venom to release. Your best bet for relieving your jellyfish sting is to get yourself some vinegar, shaving cream and a razor.
How To: Your Ultimate All-Nighter Survival Guide
Pulling an all-nighter for school, work or an important project is never fun. That being said, if you take the time and effort to prepare an ideal work space, minimize your distractions, and stay physically and mentally stimulated, you can maximize your productivity level without making your pre-dawn tasks too miserable or exhausting.
How To: 11 Non-Alcoholic Uses for Vodka
Who would have suspected that vodka had so many practical uses? Vodka can alleviate the sting of a jellyfish, treat poison ivy rash, and help relieve toothaches. For using vodka around the house, soak a clean rag and use it to get rid of bathroom mold, clean your kitchen and bathroom fixtures, and keep your clothes smelling fresh.
Extreme Frugal Living: Tips For Living In Your Car
Whether you really need to pinch pennies for a long road trip or are really at the end of your rope with your financial and living situation, desperate times call for desperate measures--and sometimes that involves living in your car for an extended period of time. It is certainly not easy, but with the right equipment and know-how, making your car your abode is certainly possible if you make the continuous effort to keep things clean, be smart about where you park your car and avoid arousing...
How To: Start a Fire with Water
Need to start a fire and have no lighter? All you need is a clear water bottle or jar, some water, and kindling—and for the weather to be very sunny during noon time. Tilt the water bottle or jar at an angle so that the water in the container can focus the sun's light into as small of an area as possible. Keep the container at this position for as long as possible until enough heat is created to start a glowing ember.
How to Detect Liars: 9 Signs to Watch Out For
You suspect somebody is lying to you. What are the signs you should watch out for? Listed below are nine common indicators you should look out for when you suspect a little truth-bending. While a display of one or more of these signs does not automatically indicate guilt, they can be helpful in pointing out something fishy or suspicious in the way the other person is behaving.
How To: Make a Heart-Shaped Hardboiled Egg
Add a little love to your next bento box or afternoon snack with a heart-shaped hardboiled egg. Other than one freshly cooked and peeled hardboiled egg, all you need is one milk carton, one round chopstick and rubber bands. Perfect for brightening up your special someone's day (and much more original than a dozen red roses!).
How To: 7 Methods for Concealing Valuable Items from Thieves
Want to keep your money and valuables safe while traveling abroad? Play it safe and outsmart thieves by placing your money, passport, jewelry and other expensive things in unexpected places. Sew a secret inner pocket in your pants, or if that's too much work, try cutting open a tennis ball, using empty film canisters, or simply placing a small amount of money in a spare wallet while your real wallet is more concealed within your luggage or purse.
How To: 10 DIY Hangover Cures for Your Upcoming New Year's Eve Festivities
Unfortunately, many of us will be celebrating New Year's morning with a post-New Year's Eve party hangover. Avoid this common misfortune by taking some basic hangover-prevention precautions: eat a full meal before drinking, stay hydrated, and limit yourself to 1 to 2 drinks for every hour.
How To: 9 Cheap Shaving Cream & DIY Toothpaste Alternatives
Let's face it: most commercial bathroom products are overpriced and loaded with weird chemicals. So how about a 2012 resolution to go completely DIY with two bathroom essentials many of us use on a daily basis: toothpaste and shaving cream?
How To: Free Print Out Holiday Gift Cards! (+5 Ideas for Making Your Own)
Christmas is nearly here and you've run out of your holiday-themed gift tags. What do you do? Got old travel coasters or paint chips lying around the house? Punch a hole through them and thread a string or ribbon through the hole. If you have time to get a little crafty, the possibilities are endless—dig up old Christmas cards, leftover felt, card stock, and ribbons.
How To: Make Colored Snow Spray & Other Cool DIY Winter Weather Tips
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! So you can make some awesome stuff with it. Yes, snow is icy cold and a pain to shovel, but it's also what classic holiday memories are made of. Build a snowman or a snow penguin. Or if you're feeling ambitious, build a huge snow cave you can hang out in with your friends.
How To: 6 DIY Gift-Wrapping Ideas for the Holidays
The possibilities are infinite when it comes to DIY gift wrap. Instead of the usual Christmas-themed wrapping paper, make your packaging look funky with old maps, music sheets, calendars, and other material to encase your loved ones' presents.
How To: 9 Easy DIY Holiday Decorating Ideas
Want to add a little holiday cheer to your living space without breaking the bank? Get a clear glass bowl, fill it with extra Christmas ornaments or clementines, and you have an instant holiday-themed centerpiece for your table. Ta-da!
How To: 10 Thrifty DIY Christmas Gift Ideas
When you can't quite figure out what to get someone for Christmas, turn to your inner creativity for a more personal, homemade holiday gift. To help give you some ideas, here are some DIY presents that never fail.