The Latest on The Secret Yumiverse: Page 5

Whether you know you have gluten sensitivity or simply want to see how you feel if you cut wheat products completely out of your diet, going gluten-free is actually not as difficult as you would think.

An estimated 19 million American adults live with depression, a mood disorder which causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.

While having multiple cable cords in your home is basically unavoidable in this day and age, having to deal with the eyesore of looking at them doesn't have to be.

If you have very little counter space in your tiny kitchen, invest in an over-the-sink cutting board, which leaves your counter space open for bowls and ingredients while cooking.

Instant ramen noodles are hardly gourmet dining, but with a little extra time, effort, and ingredients, this humble staple of college dormitory dining can be elevated at least a little bit to resemble a more hearty and appetizing meal.

If you need to relieve an itch in your throat, you can try getting rid of it by scratching your ear. Or if you accidentally give yourself brain freeze while eating ice cream, you can press your tongue against the roof of your mouth and cover as much as surface area as possible to make the pain go away.

If you ever need extra storage space in your small living area, adhesive hooks are great for pretty much everything.

You can certainly exercise at a fancy gym with a personal trainer and state-of-the-art equipment if you have the money and time to do so. However, if you are on a budget and don't want to waste extra time getting into your best gym clothes and driving, you can give yourself an intensive workout at home using only one dumbbell.

To add a splash of unexpected color to your living space, paint the side of your door a vibrant color, or repaint an old piece of furniture to a bright new hue. Sometimes interior decorating, especially if you want to do it on a budget, is simply a matter of elevating what you already have or adding a single piece that changes the ambiance of the entire space.

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.

Was it your New Year's resolution to quit smoking this year? Whether you are a first-time quitter or a chronic relapser, this is the year to kick this unhealthy habit for good.

If you ever need to carry multiple plastic bags of heavy groceries from your car to your home, but don't want to strain your fingers or take multiple trips, use a shower curtain ring to carry all of them at once.

Want to prevent future wrinkles with minimal effort? Sleep on your back. Studies show that sleeping on your side increases wrinkles on your cheek and chin, and sleeping facedown gives you a furrowed brow.

Need to add more space in your small closet? For a simple organizational hack, simply connect two clothes hangers with a metal soda tab so that you can hang two articles of clothing on a closet rod slot instead of just one.

Are you dreading a big, tedious task on your to-do list? Commit to only doing 10 minutes of it or only the very first minimal step. By lowering the hurdle for getting the task started, it is very likely that once you start doing it, you won't feel so bad about getting the rest of the task completed.

If baking soda can be used to deodorize your refrigerator, it can also be used to keep your general living space smelling nice. Simply fill a glass mason jar about one-third of the way full with baking soda and add 5 to 10 drops of your favorite essential oils. Cover the jar opening with a lid that has holes poked through it, and set it somewhere in your home.

Creating giant, reusable bubbles at home is easy, and it's a fun project for children. Just dump a whole bottle of non-toxic Elmer's Clear School Glue into a bowl, add fine glitter and watercolors (or food coloring), and slowly mix together Sta-Flo Liquid Starch to form a pliable concoction.

Chase the winter blues away by adding bright splashes of color to your boring winter tights. Using inexpensive nylon tights, fabric paints and basic craft supplies, you can do pretty much anything to transform your neutral-colored tights into something more colorful and fun.

If you ever find yourself in the unfortunate predicament of being stranded outdoors in the snow, don't eat snow off the ground. Eating solid snow will sap your body of precious internal heat (since the heat will be used to melt the consumed ice), so it is best to melt the snow completely before drinking to stay hydrated.

Want to wrap your Christmas gifts in a memorable way? Give your gift recipient a DIY super-secret book safe, and while you are at it, hide a small gift inside the the secret safe. Or, if you plan on giving a gift card, create a snow globe out of a mason jar and water and glitter, and insert the gift card at the bottom of the jar so that it is held upright by superglue.

Need to bike around in cold weather to get to places? Winterize your bike by adding plastic zip ties around your tires to add more traction when you are biking through ice and snow.

Over time, it is easy to accumulate a bunch of empty pill bottles once you are done with your prescription medications. Other than storing small objects such as parking meter quarters, matches, flossers, toothpicks, and small arts and crafts supplies, what are some other unexpected ways to use an empty pill bottle?

This holiday season, get yourself a bunch of mason jars. With a little crafty effort and inexpensive supplies, you can transform an empty glass jar into an endless possibility of DIY gifts catered to your gift recipient's personality and interests.

Other than the expected task of removing lint from clothing, lint rollers are a great tool to have around the house for a wide variety of cleaning and non-cleaning uses.

Do you get tired easily in the mid-afternoon? Though it may seem tempting to get a quick fix in the form of an energy drink or a sugary snack from the vending machine, preventing an energy slump from occurring in the first place starts with a full night ofquality sleep and a healthy breakfast in the morning.

Need to keep your favorite feline entertained at home? Using common household items lying around your bathroom or kitchen, you can craft together DIY cat toys that cost nothing to make and will provide endless entertainment for your favorite cat.

Feeling the winter blues? While it is common to experience a little bit of a letdown when the daylight hours get shorter in the fall and winter months, for some people it becomes a persistent depression that lasts for days, with symptoms that include fatigue, crying spells, body aches, irritability, loss of interest in activities, and more.

With the abundance of colorful fall leaves in the autumn season, it would be a shame not to do something about it before it all disappears into the dead of winter.

Probiotics are microorganisms in the form of bacteria or yeast that live in your gut and help your body absorb beneficial vitamins and minerals. When consumed live, they help boost your immune system and maintain your overall body health.

Now that it's easier than ever to take pictures using a digital camera or smartphone, more people should brush up on basic composition tips for taking a good photograph.

Are your mountains of receipts, billing statements, and junk mail getting out of control? For the sake of your own sanity, and to open up more space in your home, follow the six tips below to eliminate unnecessary paper clutter and organize important documents efficiently for easy future reference.

An emotional vampire is somebody who sucks the positive energy out of your life, in turn leaving you feeling drained afterwards. They can come in the form of a family member, friend, coworker, or neighbor. Unlike real vampires who are out of sight during the daytime, emotional vampires can come into your life at any hour of the day to ruin your mood and undermine the parts of your life that make you you.

Using copper pennies (be sure they are older than 1983), lemon juice, paper towels and sandpaper, you can construct your own DIY battery that generates enough juice to light up an LED.

Are you tempted to splurge over your budget on an expensive restaurant meal or cool new jacket? Before you make an impulse purchase, imagine how much that indulgence costs in terms of hours of work based on your current salary.

You may be surprised to know that the wildly popular and seasonal Pumpkin Spice Latte at Starbucks actually does not contain any pumpkin in its ingredients. That, and making your own pumpkin spice latte at home is actually not very difficult at all.

Are your paper clips, pushpins, and other metallic objects always in a disarray on your work desk or drawer? To organize them more efficiently and in a visually cool way, paint over medium-sized rocks with magnetic paint and then use its magnetic surface to keep clips and other metallic items in place.

The next time you are in the mood for a hot drink, make your own tea bags to brew at home. Grab your favorite herbs and spices from your garden or your local supermarket. Mix and match your favorite combination, add to an empty tea bag, and steep in hot water. Voilà—instant one-of-a-kind tea and instant brownie points for your DIY street cred.

Even the most seasoned kitchen cooks experience the annoyance of accidentally burning food on their pots, pans, and casserole dishes. When dishwashing soap and water doesn't work, what is the best way to remove burned-on gunk from your cookware?

With all the kitchen sink debris that goes down the drain, it should be no surprise that your garbage disposal sometimes gets a little smelly and needs some extra cleaning. Using common household items from your kitchen or medicine cabinet, you can easily clean your garbage disposal in ten minutes or less using one of the following six DIY methods listed below.

Feet sore after a long day? Treat your feet to a DIY massage by rolling tennis balls under the soles of your feet for about ten to twenty minutes. If your feet are still feeling beat (and smell a little bad), you can also indulge your feet in a foot soak using common household ingredients such as tea bags, Epsom salt, and apple cider vinegar.