The Secret Yumiverse Features

How To: 12 Household Uses for Borax

Originally discovered in dry lake beds in Tibet, borax is a mineral and a salt of boric acid, and is usually sold in white powder form in drugstores. Like baking soda, borax has many household cleaning uses, and can also be used to get rid of insects and pests from your living space.

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.

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: 14 New Uses for Old Tennis Balls

What to do with the canisters of tennis balls gathering dust in your garage? If playing tennis is no longer your passion and you don't have any dogs to play catch with, don't give away your tennis balls just yet—tennis balls happen to have many practical, non-sport uses that can help with your laundry, gardening, back massage needs and more.

How To: Live Without a Refrigerator

Believe it or not, it is absolutely possible to get by without a big refrigerator in your kitchen. After all, before refrigerators became a household staple in the last century, people somehow managed to store their perishable fruits, vegetables, legumes and meats for an extended period of time with ice boxes, root cellars, evaporative cooling pots, preserving, canning and more.

How To: 9 Nifty Ways to Use Washi Tape

If the letters on your laptop keyboard are faded or dirty, cover them with strips of washi tape. A high-quality, decorative tape made of rice paper based in Japan, washi tape is an extremely versatile craft tape known for its eye-pleasing decorative patterns and low-adhesive quality that makes it easy to unstick, reposition, and reuse again and again.

How To: 9 Unconventional Uses for Paper Towels

Paper towels are great for absorbing your kitchen spills, but did you know that they're also perfect for cooking bacon in the microwave? Simply place bacon side-by-side on a layer of two paper towels and place two more paper towels on top of the bacon. Zap in the microwave at 1-minute interval for 3-4 minutes until desired crispiness is reached. No greasy pan-cleaning to worry about afterwards.

How To: 7 Bright Ideas for Old Light Bulbs

If you can't stand the idea of tying a birthday present with a wrinkled piece of ribbon, all you need is a slightly warm light bulb that hasn't been lit for more than five minutes. Simply run the length of the wrinkled ribbon across the top of the warm light bulb until the wrinkles go away, saving you the time of finding your iron and ironing board.

How To: 5 More DIY Ways to Deodorize Stinky Things

Need a quick and dirt-cheap way to make your running shoes smell less? Fill old nylon tights with baking soda, enough so that they would fit inside the shoes. Then, tie the open ends and stuff them into your offending shoes overnight. Or, if you have fabric softener dryer sheets, you can simply make a point of placing them inside your shoes every night.

How To: Make Flavor-Infused Vodka

It may sound complicated, but making your own flavor-infused vodka is effortlessly easy with delicious results, and it makes for a great last-minute holiday gift. All you need are some fresh fruit and herbs, a quart-sized mason jar, a bottle of vodka (make sure it isn't the super-cheap kind), and a few days of waiting time.

How To: Treat Chronic Inflammation

Inflammation in your body is not a bad thing if it is localized and temporary, as it is your body's natural healing response to an injury or illness. When the inflammatory response does not turn off and becomes chronic, that is when your body's healthy cells and tissues are in danger of long-term damage.